Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Alright, thank
you for joining us.
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Happy Sabbath to
those of you here
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and to those of you watching
around the world at 3ABN.
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I'm always amazed
that we can stand in a
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former little corn field
and realize that signals are
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going up 22,300 miles to
space, going from nine different
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satellites literally
circling planet earth,
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coming back down into homes of
potentially hundreds of millions
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of people around the
world in a split second.
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I would say, when the Bible
says the last events will be
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rapid, knowledge shall
be increased, men shall run
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to and fro, I
would say we're there.
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How about you?
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Any time this gospel
of the kingdom can go into
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all the world so
rapidly, it's amazing.
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People say, "How do you
know Jesus is coming soon?
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People have been saying
that for hundreds of years."
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And I say, "But it hasn't
been for hundreds of years
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that the gospel can get
literally around the world
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in a split second."
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If the world lasts
another hundred years,
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how much could you improve
on a second or two, right?
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Wouldn't make any difference.
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So folks, we are
living in the closing moments
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of earth's history.
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I'm very thankful that
we have been associated
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with our speaker for
today, Brother Ty Gibson.
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Ty and his co-director
of Light Bearers Ministry,
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James Rafferty, started coming
here in either the late 80's
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or maybe right around 1990.
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We were talking
about it, and I'm not sure,
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but it's been a long time.
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I know they were
young guys in their 20's.
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Of course I was a
young guy in my 30's.
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And all of that has
been a number of years back,
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but I praise God that we're
still here, we're still able
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to work for the Lord.
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Aren't you glad that
God has a plan for you?
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You're not here by accident.
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Those of you watching, when
Jesus was hanging on the cross,
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you were on His mind.
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Isn't that amazing?
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He could look down the
stream of time and see a people
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that would be willing to
give their lives unto death
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if necessary for
the cause of God.
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And what a privilege
it is to serve the Lord.
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What I'm going to do today,
we're going to bypass the music.
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Somebody said I could either
sing or do something else.
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And I said I'll
do something else.
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I won't bore you all, I've
got something more exciting.
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I'm going to ask
Pastor Ty to come out, because
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I have something in
my hands that he gave me
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that is really exciting.
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And I think the
whole world needs to
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know about what's happening.
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Tell me about this
literature that I've got here.
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Danny, this is a brand new
set of Bible studies called,
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Truth Link.
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And this is a unique set of
Bible studies in this regard:
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It brings together
in one 27 part series
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two extremely important factors.
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Number one, absolute
doctrinal biblical integrity.
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And number two, a very
Christ-centered, cross-centered
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approach to every
single biblical doctrine.
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So it doesn't matter what
it is that you're looking at,
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whether the study is on
the Sabbath or the judgment
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or the first, second,
third angels' message,
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it doesn't matter what
the topic is, the topic is
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always Jesus in
every single lesson.
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So that's the
key to these lessons.
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Combination, beautiful fusion,
between doctrine and Christ,
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the love of Christ
in every single lesson.
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Amen, praise the Lord.
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I have found in
over 30 years of ministry
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that people really
don't care how much you know,
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how much Bible you can recite.
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They want to know
where's Jesus in it.
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If they see Jesus in us;
He says, "I, if I be lifted up
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from this earth will
draw all men unto Me."
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But thank you for
this, because sometimes
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we as Seventh-day
Adventist Christians, we get so
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focused on this
message, sometimes it seems like
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we leave out Jesus.
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Now maybe we're thinking
about it, but we don't know
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how to always
convey this to others.
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So thank you that
this is going to keep us
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centered in on Christ.
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Because that's
really what the gospel is.
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Danny, they're
called, Truth Link.
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And the reason we
have that title for them
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is because we're pointing
out that the truth is in fact
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a series of linked ideas that
all form a composite picture
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of the beautiful
character of God.
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How is this going so far?
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It's only be out
a couple of months.
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It's only been
out just a few months.
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We didn't know how it was
going to go, so we printed
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700 of them.
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And the first 700 of them were
off the shelves in two hours.
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So we printed another 2000,
and they were gone in two days.
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So then in the two months
that followed, we have already
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sold 6000 sets of them.
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And we're now going
to the third printing
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of this series of Bible studies.
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We have conference
presidents who are ordering them
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and putting them in the hands
of everyone of their pastors
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and Bible workers, and saying,
"Make this the new standard
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for Bible studies
in our conference."
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We've got guys at
the General Conference
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of Seventh-day Adventists
who've gone evangelistic
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with these things, and
are themselves giving them out
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in the General
Conference office.
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You know what I'm going to do?
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I'm going to take theses
because you gave them to me,
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and I'm afraid I
won't get them back.
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I'm so excited about them now.
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You might want to be
re-baptized after you read them.
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Well maybe so. You
know, hopefully so.
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All of us, every day,
it's coming back to the Lord
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and acknowledging
who He is and who we are.
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And of ourselves we
can accomplish nothing;
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but through Christ, all things.
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- Let me pray with
you, okay? - Thank you.
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Dear heavenly Father, thank
You for Your many wonderful
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blessing that You have given us.
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And Lord, thank You that
You have given us a message
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to give to a
lost and dying world;
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this undiluted
three angels' messages,
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one that would
counteract the counterfeit.
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Thank You that You
have raised Ty and James,
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and Light Bearers Ministries,
and for the hundreds of millions
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of pieces of literature
that have gone around the world,
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and that lives
are being changed.
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And we thank You
for the new Truth Link
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that, Father, that this
thing, we pray that this will go
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to the world literally,
that we can be renewed in You.
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Because we realize nothing
matters except our relationship
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with our Creator God.
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Thank You for loving us.
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Thank You for
Your plan of salvation.
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Thank You today
that Brother Ty is here.
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And we pray now for a special
anointing of the Holy Spirit
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on everything that is
said and done in this service.
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- In Jesus' name I
pray, amen. - Amen.
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- God bless you
brother. - Thank you, Danny.
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I think we forgot to
tell them where to get them.
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- Can we tell them
that? - Absolutely.
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You can get the Bible studies,
if you'd like to get a set
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for yourself, at
lightbearers.org.
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The name of the ministry I
represent; lightbearers.org.
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Sorry I wasn't
thinking about it; I had mine.
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Thanks, Danny. You want that?
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- Okay. - You can have that.
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Well good morning,
everybody, and happy Sabbath.
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We are in the middle of
a series of presentations
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on the law of God.
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And we have prayed repeatedly
from Psalm 119 and verse 18,
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"Open our eyes, open our
eyes, God, that we may see
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wondrous things in Your law."
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Now I am fully aware that when
you say you're going to do a
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series of
presentations on the law of God,
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some people go into
intellectual neutral,
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or even resistance.
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Because who wants to
study the word, the concept,
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the idea of law.
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It sounds so
restrictive, doesn't it?
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But we're discovering
that God's law is unique.
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God's law, in fact,
is called in Scripture,
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the law of liberty,
the perfect law of liberty.
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We've been discovering in
this series of presentations
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that God's law isn't
restrictive really at all.
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God's law is actually
a vast horizon of freedom
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that God is inviting us into.
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A kind of freedom, a level
of freedom, a quality of freedom
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that is not available anywhere
else in human experience.
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So I want to just begin
by calling your attention
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to the experience
of a particular woman
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in the form of a parable
that will help us to access
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our subject for this morning.
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The woman's name is Linda.
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And Linda is the kind of woman
who, as far back as she could
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remember as a little
girl, all she wanted to do
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was to grow up and get married.
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She was that kind of girl.
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She didn't want a career.
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She didn't want to
pursue anything else but getting
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married to Mr. Wonderful,
to just the right guy,
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and having children, and a home,
and a garden, and property.
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That's all she wanted.
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She just wanted to
grow up and get married.
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So Linda, next thing you
know, she was a teenager.
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And her aspirations for meeting
the right guy were growing.
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Next thing you know,
she was 19, and then 20.
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And sure enough, she
met an incredible man.
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And as they got to know
one another, their friendship
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blossomed and flowered
into something beautiful.
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She felt as though he
was the most wonderful person
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she had ever met in her life.
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And then the day came, as
their friendship developed,
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the days and the weeks
and the months went by,
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and their hearts were
growing toward one another.
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Finally the day
came when Herman...
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That was his name, Herman.
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Which was, by the way,
very convenient, because
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she could refer
to him as her man.
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Don't you like that?
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The day came when
Herman dropped to one knee
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and he popped the big question.
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He said, "Linda, will you..."
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And what's the question?
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"Will you marry me?"
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And what do you
think Linda said?
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Linda said, "Yes,
Herman. Yes I'll marry you."
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And the day came
when their wedding
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came off picture perfect.
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They videotaped the whole thing,
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modern people that they are.
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And as the wedding
day came to a close,
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and the final friends
and relatives said good-bye,
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they drove off for the
honeymoon into the sunset.
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And then came the
morning after the honeymoon.
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Oh, Linda woke up
in a start at 5:30 am
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to find Herman
standing at the end of the bed
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with a piece of
paper in his hands.
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She thought, "This is strange.
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Why are you up so early?"
00:11:03.32\00:11:04.96
And he said, "Up, up.
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The honeymoon is over."
00:11:07.26\00:11:10.30
Maybe you've
heard this story before.
00:11:10.33\00:11:12.60
"The honeymoon is
over," Herman said.
00:11:13.13\00:11:16.67
"And Sweetie Pie, I have
prepared for you the first
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of many lists of
your daily duties.
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Aren't you excited that you
married such an organized guy?"
00:11:25.41\00:11:29.68
She had difficulty
smiling in response.
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And I just happen to have one of
these authentic lists with me.
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Herman stood at the
end of the bed and he read
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to his bride,
"Linda, every two weeks
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I'll update the list and
make a new one so you never
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have to wonder about what you're
doing throughout your days."
00:11:50.57\00:11:55.04
And he smiled again.
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She sat up in the bed amazed
at what she was encountering
00:11:56.88\00:12:01.38
as Herman read the
first of many lists to come.
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5:30 am, rise and shower.
00:12:07.39\00:12:10.49
6:00 am, breakfast preparation.
00:12:10.59\00:12:14.00
6:15, awaken Hermy Cuddles...
00:12:14.03\00:12:17.90
That's what he
liked to be called.
00:12:17.93\00:12:19.67
...awaken Hermy
Cuddles with a gentle kiss,
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and turn the shower on for him.
00:12:23.14\00:12:25.61
6:45, serve breakfast.
00:12:27.38\00:12:29.74
Don't forget the
grapefruit juice.
00:12:29.78\00:12:32.01
7:15, breakfast clean-up.
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7:25, meet husband at
front door with appropriate
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jacket in hand.
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.19
In parentheses, pay
attention to the weather.
00:12:42.22\00:12:45.06
7:30, 7:30, free time.
00:12:45.56\00:12:49.76
7:45...
00:12:50.00\00:12:51.57
7:45, household duties.
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See attached list.
00:12:56.87\00:13:00.18
11:00 am, balance the
checkbook for my review.
00:13:00.21\00:13:04.95
12, lunch.
00:13:05.21\00:13:07.58
Anything you'd
like but marked items.
00:13:07.62\00:13:10.39
12:30, general household duties
and duties throughout town.
00:13:10.42\00:13:15.62
On Mondays, car
washing and cleaning.
00:13:15.66\00:13:18.86
On Tuesday, dry
cleaning and windows.
00:13:18.89\00:13:21.86
On Wednesday, shopping.
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.03
See attached list.
00:13:24.07\00:13:26.17
On Thursdays, wash and
clean everything in the garage.
00:13:26.20\00:13:32.77
Fridays, yard work.
00:13:33.38\00:13:35.24
3:30, dinner preparations.
00:13:35.48\00:13:37.65
See attached menu.
00:13:37.68\00:13:39.01
4:30, meet husband at the
door with a smile and a kiss.
00:13:39.05\00:13:43.75
5:00, serve
dinner with cheerfulness.
00:13:43.79\00:13:47.99
You can kind of
feel the cheerfulness
00:13:48.96\00:13:50.76
draining out of this, can't you.
00:13:50.79\00:13:52.56
5:45, dinner clean-up.
00:13:52.76\00:13:54.90
6:15, free time.
00:13:54.93\00:13:56.26
6:30, draw bath for husband.
00:13:56.30\00:13:59.80
7:45, hand husband
towel as he exits bath.
00:13:59.83\00:14:04.44
8:00, massage on the neck
and shoulders for husband.
00:14:04.57\00:14:09.58
9:00, lights out.
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.91
Pleasant dreams, Sweetheart.
00:14:12.18\00:14:14.75
Wow.
00:14:15.95\00:14:17.49
You didn't expect a
list like that, did you.
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.52
Pleasant dreams, Sweetheart?
00:14:22.92\00:14:25.09
More like nightmares.
00:14:25.96\00:14:27.76
Linda and Herman were
married, not for days,
00:14:30.73\00:14:36.00
not for weeks, not for months,
00:14:36.64\00:14:41.04
but for years.
00:14:41.48\00:14:42.94
In fact, ten years
went by with lists coming
00:14:43.21\00:14:49.55
updated every two weeks.
00:14:49.58\00:14:51.95
Ten years went by as the
life and the joy was drained
00:14:51.99\00:14:59.06
from this woman's heart.
00:14:59.09\00:15:01.66
And then the day came,
ten years into the marriage,
00:15:02.03\00:15:05.20
when suddenly out of
nowhere, for unexpected reasons,
00:15:05.40\00:15:09.20
and from unknown
causes, Herman dropped dead.
00:15:09.24\00:15:14.54
Praise God.
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.18
Linda didn't know, she
was so conflicted emotionally,
00:15:20.72\00:15:24.45
she didn't know whether to
rejoice or to mourn his passing.
00:15:24.49\00:15:29.56
It was so
difficult, this last ten years.
00:15:29.59\00:15:34.10
But once the mourning was
over, and Linda began to mend,
00:15:34.66\00:15:39.60
the days and the
weeks and the months went by
00:15:41.37\00:15:46.24
with Linda repeating to
herself over and over again...
00:15:46.68\00:15:50.58
What do you think?
00:15:50.61\00:15:51.95
"I will never
get married again."
00:15:51.98\00:15:57.22
Can you blame her?
00:15:57.25\00:15:58.85
I'm asking you a
serious question.
00:15:58.89\00:16:00.82
Can you blame her?
00:16:01.29\00:16:02.62
No.
00:16:02.79\00:16:04.13
But after all, this was Linda.
00:16:04.16\00:16:06.16
Linda was the kind of
girl, you remember, who,
00:16:06.49\00:16:09.16
all she wanted to do was
grow up and meet Mr. Wonderful
00:16:09.20\00:16:12.97
and get married
and have a family.
00:16:13.00\00:16:14.74
This was Linda, after all.
00:16:15.40\00:16:17.34
And so sure enough, the day
came when she met another guy.
00:16:17.84\00:16:22.84
And in so many ways
he was just like Herman.
00:16:23.28\00:16:28.95
Polite and kind and patient.
00:16:30.42\00:16:35.72
But she was a little nervous.
00:16:36.42\00:16:38.26
As they got to know
one another, the day came
00:16:38.66\00:16:41.03
when Michael now
dropped to one knee and said,
00:16:41.06\00:16:44.10
"Linda, I love you.
00:16:44.13\00:16:45.93
Will you marry me?"
00:16:45.97\00:16:48.74
And her first impulse was
to jump into karate position
00:16:48.77\00:16:51.91
and say no.
00:16:51.94\00:16:53.41
But after all, this was Linda,
and she wanted to be married.
00:16:54.38\00:16:57.15
And so she said, "Yes."
00:16:57.18\00:17:01.12
And they were married.
00:17:01.15\00:17:02.55
And there came the honeymoon.
00:17:03.08\00:17:04.72
And she woke up in a
start at 5:30 am to see...
00:17:05.05\00:17:08.99
What do you think?
00:17:09.02\00:17:10.36
Michael standing at
the end of the bed with a
00:17:10.39\00:17:12.46
piece of paper in his hands.
00:17:12.49\00:17:14.23
She was so blown away.
00:17:15.36\00:17:17.93
"Not again," she
said. "Not again."
00:17:17.97\00:17:20.20
And she yanked the
paper from his hand,
00:17:20.24\00:17:22.14
she tore it in two,
she threw it to the ground.
00:17:22.17\00:17:25.07
She said, "No way."
00:17:25.37\00:17:28.11
And Michael said,
"Baby, I was up for two hours
00:17:28.74\00:17:31.71
writing that poem for you.
00:17:31.75\00:17:33.42
Don't you want to read it?"
00:17:35.48\00:17:37.09
Oh, she felt so bad.
00:17:38.89\00:17:40.66
She put it back together
and she began to read the most
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.46
beautiful love
poem she had ever read
00:17:43.49\00:17:46.33
as Michael
served breakfast in bed.
00:17:46.49\00:17:50.37
Hmmm.
00:17:51.80\00:17:53.17
And the days turned into weeks,
the weeks turned into months,
00:17:54.04\00:17:57.21
the months turned into years.
00:17:57.64\00:17:59.64
And after being married
to Michael now for ten years,
00:18:00.41\00:18:03.98
one day Linda was in the
attic rummaging through some
00:18:04.48\00:18:09.28
old boxes of belongings.
00:18:09.32\00:18:12.82
And what do you
think she came across,
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.22
but an old shoe box
full of Herman's lists.
00:18:15.26\00:18:20.70
Her hand trembled
as she opened the box.
00:18:22.26\00:18:25.90
And she pulled
out one of the lists.
00:18:25.93\00:18:30.51
And she began to read.
00:18:30.81\00:18:33.27
And it was in that
moment that something astounding
00:18:33.88\00:18:39.25
dawned on Linda.
00:18:39.28\00:18:41.72
She said to herself, quiet
and all alone in that attic,
00:18:42.02\00:18:47.66
"Wow, I do these things.
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.16
Well, not all of these things,
but these kinds of things.
00:18:52.29\00:18:55.63
I do these very kinds
of things for Michael,
00:18:55.66\00:19:00.87
and he never asks or
demands or hands me a list."
00:19:01.90\00:19:08.24
It was in that
moment that Linda realized
00:19:09.11\00:19:12.75
the difference
between the old covenant
00:19:12.78\00:19:17.82
and the new covenant.
00:19:17.85\00:19:19.92
Or is it you and I who
are realizing the difference
00:19:20.86\00:19:24.79
between the two.
00:19:24.96\00:19:26.29
Now yes, I made the story up.
00:19:26.59\00:19:29.63
But I got it from the Bible.
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.80
Turn to Romans chapter 7.
00:19:31.83\00:19:34.20
It was Paul who
actually gave us this analogy.
00:19:35.30\00:19:39.97
You know, don't you, that
the Bible is full of parables
00:19:40.31\00:19:43.98
and visions and stories.
00:19:44.01\00:19:45.45
In fact, there's one
passage in the book of Matthew,
00:19:45.48\00:19:48.58
in the gospel of
Matthew, where Scripture says
00:19:48.62\00:19:51.82
of Jesus, He said
nothing to them, to the people,
00:19:51.85\00:19:57.43
without using a parable.
00:19:57.46\00:19:59.06
Do you know why?
00:19:59.09\00:20:00.43
Because no matter what Scripture
we break down right now,
00:20:00.70\00:20:04.93
a year from now
you will not remember
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.30
the Scripture that we look at.
00:20:08.34\00:20:09.67
But you will never
forget the story of Linda
00:20:09.70\00:20:12.07
as long as you live.
00:20:12.27\00:20:13.64
Well barring Alzheimer's
or something like that.
00:20:13.68\00:20:15.88
You will remember
the story of Linda
00:20:15.91\00:20:19.35
and the powerful
truth that is in the story.
00:20:19.38\00:20:23.95
I got it from Paul.
00:20:23.99\00:20:25.35
Paul, in Romans 7, shares with
us what can only be regarded
00:20:25.45\00:20:30.06
as one of the most difficult
passages, not difficult
00:20:30.09\00:20:34.86
because Paul himself
is making it difficult.
00:20:35.16\00:20:39.50
But listen carefully now.
00:20:39.53\00:20:41.04
One of the most
difficult passages of Scripture
00:20:41.20\00:20:44.51
because we tend not to get it.
00:20:44.54\00:20:47.14
There's something going
on in our fallen humanity
00:20:47.84\00:20:52.55
where we find it
difficult to understand what
00:20:52.58\00:20:56.15
Paul is explaining here.
00:20:56.18\00:20:57.69
And we need to revisit it
over and over and over again
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.62
to re-enforce this
truth in our thinking
00:21:01.82\00:21:05.63
and in our experience.
00:21:05.66\00:21:07.03
It is contrary
to our very nature.
00:21:07.06\00:21:10.37
There really are only
two religions in the world,
00:21:10.57\00:21:13.74
by the way.
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.10
There aren't a thousand or two
thousand religions in the world.
00:21:15.14\00:21:17.34
There are only two
religions in all the world.
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.34
There is the gospel, the
good news, the glad tidings,
00:21:20.38\00:21:24.78
the happy message of Jesus.
00:21:24.81\00:21:27.15
The liberating truth
of the gospel of His grace
00:21:27.62\00:21:32.15
that works from within
outward, that changes the heart.
00:21:32.19\00:21:37.16
And in changing the
heart, changes the life.
00:21:37.19\00:21:41.33
The gospel, the
good news of Jesus.
00:21:41.70\00:21:43.67
And then
there's everything else.
00:21:43.70\00:21:46.43
All the other philosophies
and religions of the world,
00:21:46.47\00:21:49.44
that all of them with so
many different configurations
00:21:49.47\00:21:54.48
equate to various forms of
legalism or salvation by works.
00:21:54.51\00:22:00.35
So there's only really
two religions in the world.
00:22:00.55\00:22:02.78
And the reason why the
salvation by works paradigm,
00:22:02.82\00:22:06.62
the salvation by works view
is so popular in our world...
00:22:06.86\00:22:11.89
The Bible, by the
way, calls it Babylon.
00:22:11.93\00:22:14.10
Confusion.
00:22:14.13\00:22:15.46
An ego-centric, self-centered,
focus hoping to be saved
00:22:16.03\00:22:21.44
by what I do.
00:22:21.47\00:22:22.80
Whether I have a
long list legalism;
00:22:22.84\00:22:25.87
I'm a conservative legalist,
00:22:26.14\00:22:27.61
or a short list
legalism; I'm a liberal.
00:22:27.71\00:22:30.91
Doesn't matter.
It's all the same thing.
00:22:31.11\00:22:33.01
Expecting to be
saved, expecting to somehow
00:22:33.05\00:22:37.12
on some level by some
means to purchase, to merit,
00:22:37.15\00:22:41.59
to earn the favor of God.
00:22:41.62\00:22:43.59
Not realizing that in Christ we
already have the favor of God.
00:22:43.63\00:22:48.36
That grace is by its very
nature and definition free,
00:22:48.40\00:22:53.20
and therefore, God
so loved the world...
00:22:53.23\00:22:56.94
That is, every
man, woman, and child.
00:22:56.97\00:22:58.41
...that He gave for the whole
world His only begotten Son,
00:22:58.44\00:23:02.48
that whoever believes
in Him should not perish
00:23:02.51\00:23:05.31
but have everlasting life.
00:23:05.35\00:23:06.92
The gospel is universal in
its embrace of the human race.
00:23:07.08\00:23:11.55
The gospel says God
already loves you and me and
00:23:11.59\00:23:18.26
everybody else in the world.
00:23:18.29\00:23:20.10
There's nothing you and I
can do to make Him love us
00:23:20.13\00:23:23.13
more than He already does,
because He already loves us
00:23:23.16\00:23:26.70
with all of His love.
00:23:26.74\00:23:28.20
And there's nothing you and
I can do to make God love us
00:23:29.00\00:23:32.67
any less, because God is love.
00:23:32.71\00:23:36.38
He doesn't change
according to the circumstances
00:23:36.41\00:23:40.58
of our successes and failures.
00:23:40.62\00:23:43.22
God is love.
00:23:43.25\00:23:45.42
And that love that is in
God, apart from me and apart
00:23:45.45\00:23:49.19
from you, is the attractive
force of the gospel that
00:23:49.22\00:23:54.76
draws us back to
God in repentance.
00:23:54.80\00:23:57.93
That's why Paul
says the goodness of God
00:23:57.97\00:24:00.14
leads to repentance.
00:24:00.17\00:24:02.20
The goodness of God is
the vision we need to have
00:24:02.30\00:24:05.31
if genuine repentance
is going to occur at all.
00:24:05.34\00:24:08.34
So the apostle Paul
begins to break down this truth
00:24:08.64\00:24:12.81
for you and me with the
illustration of marriage.
00:24:13.52\00:24:17.29
And he talks to us about being
married to one kind of husband
00:24:17.32\00:24:21.29
and then getting married to
a different kind of husband.
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.86
Watch it. Chapter
7 of Romans verse 1.
00:24:24.89\00:24:28.13
He's addressing
a particular group.
00:24:29.20\00:24:30.73
"Or do you not
know, brethren..."
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.67
And then in my
version, parenthesis,
00:24:33.70\00:24:35.70
"...(for I speak to
those who know the law)..."
00:24:35.74\00:24:39.47
So pause right there in verse 1.
00:24:39.77\00:24:41.44
Who, or what kind of
audience is Paul addressing
00:24:42.64\00:24:47.45
in what he's about to
break down and explain?
00:24:47.48\00:24:50.25
"I speak to those
who know the law."
00:24:50.29\00:24:53.52
Is he talking to
secular atheists?
00:24:53.56\00:24:56.73
No, no he's speaking
to those who know the law.
00:24:57.03\00:25:03.06
Okay, so come within the scope
of those who believe in God.
00:25:03.10\00:25:07.27
He's not talking to atheists.
00:25:07.37\00:25:08.74
He's talking to people
who believe in God, no doubt.
00:25:08.77\00:25:11.37
But within the realm of
those who believe in God,
00:25:11.41\00:25:15.14
what particular group of
people might he be addressing?
00:25:15.34\00:25:19.88
Those who know the law.
00:25:19.91\00:25:22.12
Is he talking to Baptists?
00:25:22.15\00:25:24.02
I don't think so,
because Baptist theology,
00:25:26.25\00:25:28.99
as we as Seventh-day Adventists
understand, is what's called,
00:25:29.02\00:25:32.19
antinomian.
00:25:32.23\00:25:33.56
It's a theology that
takes the law of God and says,
00:25:33.60\00:25:37.17
"No, there's the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
00:25:37.20\00:25:40.10
And the law of God in the
New Testament is done away with.
00:25:40.14\00:25:44.21
It's nailed to the cross.
00:25:44.24\00:25:45.81
It is abolished."
00:25:45.84\00:25:47.18
You're familiar
with that concept, okay.
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.38
He's not addressing
people who don't know the law.
00:25:49.41\00:25:53.92
He's addressing people
here who do know the law.
00:25:53.95\00:25:58.32
Who might that be
in a modern setting?
00:25:58.35\00:26:00.72
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.99
Seventh-day
Adventists, among some other
00:26:04.03\00:26:06.33
few denominations, are
those who know the law,
00:26:06.36\00:26:10.93
who believe in the law, who
believe that it is perpetual,
00:26:10.97\00:26:14.90
that it is eternal,
that it is immutable.
00:26:14.94\00:26:17.71
Those of us here who are
Seventh-day Adventists...
00:26:17.74\00:26:19.94
And by the way, if you're
not a Seventh-day Adventist,
00:26:19.97\00:26:21.74
thank you for being here,
and thank you for joining us
00:26:21.94\00:26:25.18
through the airwaves.
00:26:25.55\00:26:26.88
We're glad that you can
sit in on this little bit of an
00:26:26.92\00:26:28.98
in-house Bible study.
00:26:29.02\00:26:30.62
Right now, as a
preacher of the Word,
00:26:30.65\00:26:33.12
I'm addressing my own people.
00:26:33.15\00:26:34.69
I'm addressing
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:26:34.92\00:26:36.66
If you're not a Seventh-day
Adventist, just kind of
00:26:36.69\00:26:38.43
listen in, because this is going
to get interesting for you.
00:26:38.46\00:26:41.06
Okay, so those who know the
law, you and me, what does Paul
00:26:41.10\00:26:47.17
have to say to
those who know the law.
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.64
Well, he goes on and he
says, "...that the law..."
00:26:49.67\00:26:53.24
I'm in verse 1.
00:26:53.81\00:26:55.14
"...has dominion over a
man as long as he lives?"
00:26:55.18\00:26:59.81
Notice that he describes
the law as having dominion
00:26:59.85\00:27:04.79
as long as the person
who knows the law lives.
00:27:04.82\00:27:07.86
But then he goes
into his illustration.
00:27:07.89\00:27:10.06
He says, verse 2, "For
the woman who has a husband
00:27:10.79\00:27:17.30
is bound by the law to her
husband as long as he lives."
00:27:17.33\00:27:23.07
That makes sense, right?
00:27:23.10\00:27:24.44
Do you get the
gist of his premise?
00:27:24.47\00:27:26.14
If a woman is married to a
man, she's bound by the law
00:27:26.34\00:27:29.98
to her husband, right?
00:27:30.01\00:27:31.35
She made vows, he made vows.
00:27:31.38\00:27:33.25
She's married.
00:27:33.28\00:27:34.62
She's bound by the law
of covenantal agreement
00:27:34.82\00:27:40.29
to her husband.
00:27:40.32\00:27:41.66
Got it so far?
00:27:41.69\00:27:43.02
But then Paul says this,
the second half of verse 2,
00:27:43.06\00:27:46.53
"But if the husband..." What?
00:27:46.73\00:27:49.60
"...if the husband
dies, she is released from the
00:27:50.27\00:27:54.60
law of her husband."
00:27:54.64\00:27:56.60
His reasoning is cogent.
00:27:56.97\00:27:58.61
He's making sense, isn't he?
00:27:58.67\00:28:00.11
A woman is married to a man;
00:28:00.14\00:28:01.64
she's bound by the
law to her husband.
00:28:01.68\00:28:04.05
She can't marry somebody else.
00:28:04.38\00:28:05.78
She's married to this guy.
00:28:05.88\00:28:07.25
Right?
00:28:07.28\00:28:08.62
For better or for worse, isn't
that what we say in the vows?
00:28:08.65\00:28:10.92
That's what we use
to say in the vows.
00:28:11.22\00:28:12.55
I don't know what we say now.
00:28:12.59\00:28:13.92
For better or for worse,
she's married to this guy.
00:28:14.82\00:28:17.06
So she's bound by
the law to her husband.
00:28:17.09\00:28:18.66
But then Paul throws
out a hypothetical situation
00:28:18.69\00:28:22.60
in order to get at
some deep theology.
00:28:22.63\00:28:24.60
He says, "But what
if her husband dies?
00:28:24.63\00:28:26.77
What if the
husband dies," Paul says.
00:28:27.64\00:28:30.94
So then go on to verse 3.
00:28:30.97\00:28:33.27
"So then," Paul reasons,
"if, while her husband lives,
00:28:33.51\00:28:38.71
she marries another man,
she will be called a..." What?
00:28:38.81\00:28:41.85
Yeah, you can't be married
to this guy and then also
00:28:42.85\00:28:45.12
marry another guy, can you?
00:28:45.15\00:28:46.65
That's called adultery.
00:28:46.86\00:28:48.49
So then Paul reasons
farther forward in our thinking.
00:28:48.76\00:28:53.19
"But if her husband
dies, she is..." What?
00:28:53.23\00:28:57.27
What does it say?
00:28:57.30\00:28:58.63
"...she is free from the law
so that she is no adulteress,
00:28:58.67\00:29:04.97
though she marries another man."
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.04
Do you hear Paul's reasoning?
00:29:07.81\00:29:09.31
If her husband
dies, is she free?
00:29:09.78\00:29:12.08
She's a widow now. Okay?
00:29:12.11\00:29:14.05
He dies.
00:29:14.18\00:29:15.52
Now can she marry
somebody else, yes or no?
00:29:15.55\00:29:17.35
Yeah, now she can get
married to somebody else.
00:29:17.69\00:29:19.59
Now in the case of
Linda, she didn't plot
00:29:20.06\00:29:23.29
the death of her husband.
00:29:23.32\00:29:24.66
He just dropped dead
one day, probably of stress.
00:29:24.69\00:29:26.86
The guy was way too anal
and obsessive and compulsive
00:29:26.90\00:29:30.37
in his list writing.
00:29:30.47\00:29:31.80
The list writing
itself probably killed Herman.
00:29:31.83\00:29:34.50
That's my guess.
00:29:34.54\00:29:35.87
And I came up with the story, so
I can kill him any way I want.
00:29:35.90\00:29:38.37
But here's the point.
00:29:38.41\00:29:39.81
Here's the point.
00:29:40.01\00:29:41.34
This guy, if he
dies, in Paul's reasoning,
00:29:43.35\00:29:46.98
the whole point is
that it frees the woman
00:29:47.02\00:29:49.75
to marry somebody else.
00:29:49.78\00:29:51.45
Okay?
00:29:51.72\00:29:53.05
So let Paul
reason with us further.
00:29:53.09\00:29:54.82
Verse 4,
"Therefore, my brethren..."
00:29:55.59\00:29:59.83
That is verse 1,
"you who know the law."
00:30:00.43\00:30:02.86
"Therefore my brethren, you also
have become dead to..." What?
00:30:03.57\00:30:09.94
"...dead to the law
through the body of Christ..."
00:30:10.51\00:30:13.44
Now right there,
those who know the law,
00:30:13.48\00:30:15.84
my fellow Seventh-day
Adventists, we're uncomfortable.
00:30:15.88\00:30:17.95
There are certain things
that Paul says about the law...
00:30:17.98\00:30:20.45
Come on, let's just be honest.
00:30:20.55\00:30:21.88
Some of the things Paul
says about the law, we don't
00:30:21.92\00:30:24.29
quite know what to do with.
00:30:24.32\00:30:25.89
So what we do is, we
stack up additional verses.
00:30:26.69\00:30:29.76
We read this verse and we
say, "Oh, but wait a minute."
00:30:29.79\00:30:32.09
We'll run back to chapter
3 and say something like,
00:30:32.13\00:30:36.16
"Well, well, the fact is, 'Do we
make void the law through faith?
00:30:36.20\00:30:39.10
Certainly not.
00:30:39.13\00:30:40.47
On the contrary,
we establish the law.'
00:30:40.50\00:30:41.84
Whew, that was close.
00:30:41.87\00:30:43.20
Paul almost led us
away from the law."
00:30:43.24\00:30:45.57
But stacking up proof text
against what Paul is saying here
00:30:46.31\00:30:50.98
won't help us wiggle
out of the beautiful reality
00:30:51.01\00:30:54.48
that he's about to unpack.
00:30:54.52\00:30:56.08
Paul is not an antinomian.
00:30:56.48\00:30:58.49
He's not against the law.
00:30:58.52\00:31:00.26
He's about to put the law
in its proper perspective.
00:31:00.29\00:31:04.03
And once we get it, we
will find that we will grow
00:31:04.06\00:31:08.40
spiritually on an
exponential level.
00:31:08.43\00:31:11.43
We will come to know the
gospel and know God's love
00:31:11.47\00:31:14.94
in ways that we've
never known God before.
00:31:14.97\00:31:17.14
And we will be
changed from the inside out.
00:31:17.17\00:31:21.11
And joy and peace and
love will flood our experience
00:31:21.14\00:31:26.38
with Jesus.
00:31:26.41\00:31:27.75
So Paul reasons with us.
00:31:27.78\00:31:29.15
He says, "Okay, okay.
00:31:29.18\00:31:30.89
Follow me," Paul says.
00:31:31.15\00:31:32.62
Therefore, he says, if,
verse 3, the husband dies,
00:31:33.09\00:31:39.63
she's free to
marry somebody else.
00:31:39.73\00:31:42.26
Right?
00:31:42.43\00:31:43.77
And then verse 4,
"Therefore, my brethren,
00:31:43.87\00:31:47.00
you have become dead to the law
through the body of Christ..."
00:31:47.04\00:31:53.14
Now watch it. Here's his point.
00:31:53.34\00:31:54.84
"...that you may be
married to another..."
00:31:55.14\00:31:59.45
You have died to the law...
00:32:00.18\00:32:03.39
We'll see what that
means in just a moment.
00:32:03.42\00:32:05.15
...so that you can
be married to another.
00:32:05.32\00:32:08.42
And who's the "another"
that Paul is suggesting
00:32:08.46\00:32:11.93
we get married to?
00:32:11.96\00:32:13.36
"...to Him who was
raised from the dead,
00:32:13.70\00:32:17.97
that we should
bear fruit to God."
00:32:18.00\00:32:20.74
This is Jesus.
00:32:21.14\00:32:22.47
Paul is saying to you
and me, he's saying, "Listen,
00:32:22.50\00:32:25.37
there is some sense..."
00:32:25.74\00:32:27.98
We're about to definite
what that "some sense" is, okay.
00:32:28.01\00:32:31.21
But there is some
sense, Paul is saying,
00:32:31.25\00:32:33.55
in which we need
to die to the law
00:32:33.58\00:32:38.25
so that we can be free
to get married to Jesus.
00:32:39.25\00:32:45.39
It's that simple,
what Paul is saying.
00:32:45.49\00:32:47.60
What in the world
is Paul getting at?
00:32:49.06\00:32:52.53
Well, it gets so, so
clear now when we read
00:32:52.57\00:32:57.27
verses 5 and 6.
00:32:57.31\00:32:59.47
"For when we
were in the flesh..."
00:33:00.14\00:33:03.65
Oh wait a minute,
pause right there.
00:33:03.68\00:33:05.01
I thought he was talking
about those who know the law.
00:33:05.05\00:33:08.12
Well yes, he is talking
to those who know the law.
00:33:08.78\00:33:11.25
Let me ask you a question.
00:33:11.35\00:33:12.79
Is it possible to "know the law"
intellectually, theologically,
00:33:13.59\00:33:21.40
to know the law, to
know the Ten Commandments,
00:33:21.60\00:33:24.47
to know the law,
even to have it memorized,
00:33:24.67\00:33:27.60
and to be spiritually bankrupt,
to be yet in the flesh?
00:33:27.64\00:33:31.97
Let me ask you the
question from another angle.
00:33:32.17\00:33:34.28
Is it possible to be textually
aware of what the Bible teaches,
00:33:34.31\00:33:40.42
but spiritually
dead to what it means?
00:33:40.68\00:33:44.42
Is it possible to
be raised, as it were,
00:33:44.85\00:33:47.96
in a Christian home, in a
Seventh-day Adventist home,
00:33:47.99\00:33:52.09
in a Seventh-day
Adventist church, and to know
00:33:52.29\00:33:55.10
the doctrines of
Scripture and the law of God
00:33:55.20\00:33:57.67
backward and
forward and up and down
00:33:57.70\00:34:00.34
and to yet be in the flesh
living our natural carnality?
00:34:01.50\00:34:07.01
And let me ask it
yet from another angle.
00:34:07.11\00:34:09.78
Is it possible to be
intellectually a believer
00:34:09.81\00:34:15.12
in the law, but
spiritually to yet have not
00:34:15.15\00:34:20.56
fallen in love with Jesus?
00:34:20.86\00:34:23.83
To know, and yet to not know.
00:34:24.49\00:34:28.40
To know on one level, and
to not know on another level.
00:34:28.56\00:34:33.37
I mean, come on. You
know as well as I do.
00:34:33.70\00:34:35.67
You've either had
this experience or you've
00:34:35.70\00:34:37.91
witnessed people who are married
who don't seem to actually
00:34:37.94\00:34:42.08
be in love with one another.
00:34:42.11\00:34:43.51
Come on, you've
seen these people sitting
00:34:43.98\00:34:45.41
in Denny's, haven't you.
00:34:45.45\00:34:46.78
Just staring at the menu.
00:34:47.12\00:34:49.22
Not a word to
say to one another.
00:34:49.25\00:34:51.32
There's no flirtation of the
feet going on under the table.
00:34:51.65\00:34:55.09
That's so sad.
00:34:55.26\00:34:56.59
There's nothing going on.
00:34:56.86\00:34:58.19
There's nothing,
nothing, nothing there.
00:34:58.23\00:35:01.23
But legally they're hitched.
00:35:01.26\00:35:04.00
They're married, right?
00:35:04.10\00:35:05.67
When I do a marriage
seminar, in my marriage seminar
00:35:05.73\00:35:07.84
I point out that five out of
ten marriages end in divorce.
00:35:07.87\00:35:13.01
That's just off the
bat in American culture.
00:35:13.04\00:35:15.64
Five out of ten end in divorce.
00:35:15.68\00:35:17.48
Of the five that remain, we're
told that three of those five
00:35:17.71\00:35:24.02
will settle in to what's
called, cold co-existence.
00:35:24.05\00:35:27.82
You know what that is?
00:35:28.16\00:35:29.49
Do you know what
cold co-existence is?
00:35:29.52\00:35:31.43
That's kind of like,
"Take the garbage out."
00:35:31.53\00:35:34.10
"Okay. What's for dinner."
00:35:34.13\00:35:35.76
"Spaghetti."
00:35:35.80\00:35:37.13
"I'm going to
be out for a while.
00:35:37.17\00:35:38.50
Don't wait up for me."
00:35:38.53\00:35:39.87
"Wouldn't think about it."
00:35:39.90\00:35:41.24
"What'd you do today?"
00:35:43.61\00:35:44.94
"Oh, nothing to speak of."
00:35:44.97\00:35:46.47
Cold
co-existence. Cold co-existence.
00:35:47.81\00:35:50.35
Three out of the
five that remain.
00:35:50.38\00:35:52.01
And then what I teach
in the marriage seminar
00:35:52.05\00:35:54.68
is that only one or
two out of ten marriages
00:35:54.88\00:35:58.19
ever actually
achieve intimacy in marriage.
00:35:58.22\00:36:01.99
I don't mean physical
intimacy in and of itself.
00:36:02.12\00:36:05.96
I'm talking about the
full orbed kind of intimacy
00:36:05.99\00:36:09.13
where heart meets heart.
00:36:09.16\00:36:10.60
There's the physical
dimension, of course.
00:36:10.63\00:36:12.13
But that's just one
dimension of biblical love.
00:36:12.17\00:36:14.90
Biblical matrimonial
love involves the intersection
00:36:15.00\00:36:19.37
of two persons.
00:36:19.41\00:36:21.24
If you read, Song of
Solomon, you'll discover that
00:36:22.14\00:36:25.01
friendship is the
better part of marriage.
00:36:25.05\00:36:28.05
You have the woman, representing
the church, by the way,
00:36:28.08\00:36:32.49
prophetically, you have
the woman, the Shulamite
00:36:32.52\00:36:35.49
in Song of Solomon, speaking
to her beloved, Solomon,
00:36:35.52\00:36:40.30
who represents
prophetically Christ.
00:36:40.33\00:36:43.57
And the woman in chapter 5
verse 10 says to her beloved,
00:36:43.60\00:36:48.97
"You are my
lover and my friend."
00:36:49.07\00:36:52.57
Isn't that beautiful?
00:36:52.61\00:36:53.94
That is probably one of
the most beautiful lines,
00:36:54.38\00:36:56.44
not only in Scripture, but
in all of human literature.
00:36:56.48\00:37:00.45
"You are my
lover and my friend."
00:37:00.48\00:37:03.35
This is more than
merely a physical relationship.
00:37:03.95\00:37:07.96
"I actually like you.
00:37:07.99\00:37:10.03
And you like me.
00:37:10.96\00:37:12.49
And we enjoy one
another's company."
00:37:12.53\00:37:15.76
Out of the ten
marriages, five end in divorce,
00:37:16.10\00:37:20.14
three settle into
cold co-existence,
00:37:20.24\00:37:22.64
and one or two ever achieve
actual friendship in marriage.
00:37:23.20\00:37:28.01
It's a sad commentary
on the state of marriage,
00:37:28.04\00:37:31.55
but I don't share it
with you for that purpose.
00:37:31.58\00:37:34.02
This is not a marriage seminar.
00:37:34.05\00:37:35.68
Or is it?
00:37:36.18\00:37:37.52
It is, it's a
spiritual marriage seminar.
00:37:37.82\00:37:40.32
Because what I want
to say to you is this:
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.66
That it is entirely possible
that we could comprehend
00:37:43.06\00:37:46.46
that of every ten
people that we baptize,
00:37:46.59\00:37:51.20
let's just say we
lose five out of ten.
00:37:52.00\00:37:54.27
They just go out the back door.
00:37:54.30\00:37:55.80
They got it intellectually
for a brief period of time,
00:37:55.84\00:37:58.64
and then, you know, the
seed fell on stony ground
00:37:58.67\00:38:01.74
and the cares of this world,
and whatever else is going on
00:38:01.84\00:38:04.78
in their life, and
they're out the back door.
00:38:04.81\00:38:06.35
Are you with me?
00:38:06.38\00:38:07.72
Five out of ten,
boom, out the door.
00:38:07.75\00:38:09.28
Of the five of us that
remain, there are a bunch of us,
00:38:09.55\00:38:16.22
maybe three out of the
five that remain, let's say...
00:38:16.26\00:38:19.36
These aren't precise numbers.
00:38:19.39\00:38:20.73
I haven't taken a poll.
00:38:20.76\00:38:22.10
I'm speaking hypothetically,
but fairly accurately.
00:38:22.13\00:38:24.90
Of the five that remain,
let's just say three of us
00:38:24.93\00:38:30.01
simply settle in
to cold co-existence
00:38:30.04\00:38:32.41
with the Lord and His church.
00:38:32.44\00:38:34.18
We just occupy the pew.
00:38:35.04\00:38:36.91
We pay our tithe.
00:38:37.18\00:38:40.02
We show up, we occupy a church
office if somebody asks us to.
00:38:40.45\00:38:44.39
And we go through the
dead motions of a spirituality
00:38:44.42\00:38:49.92
that involves no passion.
00:38:49.96\00:38:52.29
It involves no
friendship with God.
00:38:52.33\00:38:55.06
God is an idea, God is a theory.
00:38:55.10\00:38:58.13
God is a series of theological
tenants to argue and to
00:38:58.17\00:39:01.54
banter about.
00:39:01.57\00:39:03.04
But is God the beautiful
irresistible attractive
00:39:04.11\00:39:07.14
person that ravishes
our hearts with love?
00:39:07.18\00:39:13.62
That's the question.
00:39:13.95\00:39:15.38
Maybe only one or two of
us ever actually get married,
00:39:15.62\00:39:20.06
spiritually, to Jesus.
00:39:20.16\00:39:22.39
And I'm here this morning
to urge you to make haste
00:39:22.86\00:39:26.46
and to pray that whoever
you're married to right now...
00:39:26.49\00:39:29.56
Spiritually, not
your actual husband.
00:39:29.60\00:39:31.93
Ladies, don't
get any ideas here.
00:39:32.17\00:39:33.94
...to pray that Herman dies
00:39:33.97\00:39:37.07
so that you can
get married to Jesus.
00:39:38.27\00:39:40.44
So that you can come
alive to a whole new spiritual
00:39:40.98\00:39:45.21
experience unlike anything
you've ever known before.
00:39:45.25\00:39:47.95
Paul says to you and me that
we are to have an experience
00:39:47.98\00:39:53.29
in which, in some
sense, we die to the law
00:39:53.32\00:39:57.03
so that we can
get married to Jesus.
00:39:57.06\00:39:59.19
Okay, now he's about
to explain what he means.
00:39:59.23\00:40:01.36
Verse 5, "For when
we were in the flesh..."
00:40:01.40\00:40:06.87
That is, living our
natural carnal existence
00:40:07.14\00:40:09.54
even though we were church
members and we know the law.
00:40:09.57\00:40:12.44
"...the sinful passions
which were aroused by the law
00:40:13.74\00:40:19.58
were at work in our
members to bear fruit to death."
00:40:19.61\00:40:22.78
Now this is Paul being complex
the way Paul sometimes is.
00:40:23.08\00:40:26.82
Even Peter said, "Wow,
Paul, you wrote some things
00:40:26.86\00:40:29.26
that are very
difficult to understand."
00:40:29.29\00:40:31.09
Okay, but we can understand
this by the Holy Spirit
00:40:31.39\00:40:35.73
right now upon our mind.
00:40:35.76\00:40:37.40
Sit up, take a deep breath,
oxygenate your frontal lobe.
00:40:37.43\00:40:40.87
We can get this even
though it's a little bit hard.
00:40:40.90\00:40:44.31
What is Paul saying?
00:40:44.34\00:40:45.67
Very, very counter
intuitive to us and our theology
00:40:45.71\00:40:49.98
as those who know the law.
00:40:50.01\00:40:51.35
He says here that the
sinful passions were aroused
00:40:51.38\00:40:57.89
by the law.
00:40:57.92\00:40:59.35
What?
00:40:59.39\00:41:00.72
Well he goes later on
in the same chapter to say
00:41:00.86\00:41:04.59
the law is holy, just, and good.
00:41:04.63\00:41:06.29
Is there anything wrong
with the law in and of itself?
00:41:06.33\00:41:09.36
Yes or no, those
who know the law.
00:41:09.40\00:41:11.20
No there's nothing
wrong with the law.
00:41:11.53\00:41:13.87
He says later on in
verses 12, 13, and 14
00:41:13.90\00:41:17.67
that the law is
good, holy, just, and good,
00:41:17.71\00:41:19.87
and the law is spiritual.
00:41:19.91\00:41:21.28
The law of God is eternal.
00:41:21.38\00:41:23.61
It's not going anywhere.
00:41:23.65\00:41:25.21
The law of God is immutable.
00:41:25.51\00:41:27.32
The law of God is, in
fact, as we discovered in our
00:41:27.52\00:41:30.29
first presentation, the
law of God is, in fact, merely
00:41:30.32\00:41:34.52
an explanation of what
God's love looks like in action,
00:41:34.62\00:41:38.96
vertically and horizontally,
in all our relationships.
00:41:38.99\00:41:43.30
It's the essence of
the character of God.
00:41:43.60\00:41:45.63
You can no more do
away with the law of God,
00:41:45.77\00:41:48.27
the Ten Commandments,
than you can do away
00:41:48.30\00:41:50.04
with God Himself.
00:41:50.07\00:41:51.71
Okay, but yet Paul is
saying that the law stimulates,
00:41:52.77\00:41:59.15
or the word he uses here,
arouses the sinful passions.
00:41:59.18\00:42:02.92
In what sense?
00:42:03.49\00:42:04.82
Now think this
through very carefully.
00:42:04.85\00:42:06.55
When we're in the flesh,
when we're in our natural
00:42:07.19\00:42:11.43
carnal state, even though we're
religious and we know the law,
00:42:11.46\00:42:16.30
the law can, listen,
can only be perceived by us
00:42:16.56\00:42:20.10
as restriction.
00:42:20.30\00:42:22.94
It can only be
perceived by us as,
00:42:23.77\00:42:26.37
"Thou shalt," "Thou shalt not."
00:42:26.41\00:42:28.11
But what did we
discover on night two of our
00:42:28.54\00:42:30.31
series on the law?
00:42:30.35\00:42:31.68
What did we discover is
enfolded in, is embedded in
00:42:31.75\00:42:37.39
even the law of God?
00:42:37.42\00:42:38.75
Does anybody remember,
those of you who were here?
00:42:38.79\00:42:40.52
The gospel, that's right.
00:42:40.86\00:42:42.49
The gospel is in the law.
00:42:42.52\00:42:44.56
I asked you before
we even turned there,
00:42:44.66\00:42:47.06
what is the first commandment?
00:42:47.10\00:42:48.43
And some of you said,
00:42:48.46\00:42:49.80
"Thou shalt have no
other gods before Me."
00:42:49.83\00:42:51.50
And you're right and
you're wrong, I pointed out.
00:42:51.70\00:42:53.67
The law of God does
not begin with "thou shalt"
00:42:53.87\00:42:57.74
or "shalt not" anything.
00:42:57.77\00:42:59.71
The law of God begins,
on the tables of stone,
00:43:00.08\00:43:04.51
"I am the Lord your God who
brought you out of the house
00:43:04.61\00:43:09.22
of bondage, out
of the land of Egypt.
00:43:09.25\00:43:12.89
Thou shalt have no
other gods before Me."
00:43:12.92\00:43:14.76
Etcetera, etcetera.
00:43:14.79\00:43:16.12
So in other words, the
law of God does not begin by
00:43:16.29\00:43:19.46
telling you and
me to get her done.
00:43:19.49\00:43:22.10
The law of God
begins by declaring to us
00:43:23.47\00:43:27.27
what God has
already done for you and me.
00:43:27.30\00:43:30.71
"I delivered
you, I set you free.
00:43:30.74\00:43:33.31
I, Myself, by My mighty
power and My outstretched arm,
00:43:33.34\00:43:37.78
I, by the blood
of the Passover lamb,
00:43:37.81\00:43:40.85
delivered you
from Egyptian bondage."
00:43:41.05\00:43:43.55
Pointing forward to
the literal fulfillment of
00:43:43.79\00:43:48.12
the symbolism of the
Passover lamb's blood;
00:43:48.16\00:43:50.66
Jesus on the cross.
00:43:50.69\00:43:52.73
God in Christ achieved
our salvation for us on
00:43:52.99\00:43:58.70
an objective level in order to
give us something to believe in.
00:43:58.73\00:44:02.64
We're not pagans.
00:44:03.27\00:44:04.61
God is not a vending machine.
00:44:04.64\00:44:06.37
You don't put in the appropriate
coinage and get the goodies
00:44:06.41\00:44:09.58
that you want.
00:44:09.61\00:44:10.95
God is a God of grace.
00:44:12.28\00:44:14.98
He saves by His grace.
00:44:15.02\00:44:17.19
And any salvation that we
experience on a subjective level
00:44:17.22\00:44:22.49
is responsive to what
He's already done for us.
00:44:22.52\00:44:27.83
And knowing that He
has done this for us,
00:44:28.80\00:44:32.83
we become very
responsive to Him.
00:44:33.44\00:44:36.97
Or to use the
language of Paul in Romans 6,
00:44:37.01\00:44:39.57
we reckon ourselves to be
dead to sin and alive to God.
00:44:39.61\00:44:44.21
We're no longer responsive
to the things of the flesh,
00:44:44.38\00:44:48.68
and we become
sensitive to the things of God.
00:44:48.72\00:44:51.75
Our very tastes,
our orientation to life,
00:44:51.79\00:44:55.82
all of our
relationships, begin to change
00:44:55.86\00:44:59.13
to reflect the image of
the very love with which
00:44:59.16\00:45:02.00
God has loved us.
00:45:02.03\00:45:03.73
That's how it works.
00:45:03.83\00:45:05.30
And if it doesn't work that
way, it doesn't work at all.
00:45:05.43\00:45:09.04
We just end up
occupying pews, paying tithe,
00:45:09.07\00:45:12.74
and going through the
motions of cold dead religion.
00:45:12.77\00:45:17.45
Knowing all the facts
and figures, knowing the law,
00:45:17.68\00:45:21.62
and yet not
knowing Jesus as a husband.
00:45:21.82\00:45:25.22
Paul says, "Wait a minute.
00:45:25.65\00:45:27.72
Let's just pause
here for a moment."
00:45:27.82\00:45:30.09
The law of God is good,
it's holy, it's spiritual,
00:45:30.79\00:45:35.66
Paul will tell us.
00:45:35.70\00:45:37.03
But the law of God to
the unregenerate carnal mind
00:45:37.40\00:45:42.84
can only appear
to be restrictive.
00:45:42.87\00:45:46.37
And as such, it stimulates
our rebellion all the more.
00:45:46.71\00:45:51.21
It's like saying to a
little boy, "I'm going to go out
00:45:51.38\00:45:54.98
and work in the front yard
for a little while, Michael.
00:45:55.02\00:45:58.35
And whatever you do, do
not open that cupboard door
00:45:59.29\00:46:03.56
where all kinds of
yummy fresh baked cookies are.
00:46:03.59\00:46:06.73
I'll be back in a few minutes."
00:46:06.76\00:46:08.53
And you go out into
the front yard to work,
00:46:08.66\00:46:11.60
and he can't take his
eyes off of what is forbidden.
00:46:11.63\00:46:17.01
He's got to have it.
00:46:17.21\00:46:18.91
And he finally
yields to temptation,
00:46:19.24\00:46:22.14
and there is gooey
chocolate all over his fingers
00:46:22.18\00:46:25.11
when his mom comes in the door.
00:46:25.15\00:46:27.88
The law of God, Paul says,
Ty doesn't say it, Paul says,
00:46:29.18\00:46:33.82
the law of God has the
potential to simply stimulate
00:46:33.86\00:46:39.19
more rebellion out of us.
00:46:39.23\00:46:41.16
To be told, "don't,"
when you're not in love,
00:46:42.03\00:46:47.14
is very oppressive.
00:46:47.64\00:46:49.07
That's Paul's point.
00:46:49.17\00:46:50.51
But here's the thing.
00:46:50.84\00:46:52.17
Once you come to
know the love of Christ,
00:46:53.27\00:46:57.81
once you center
your spiritual experience
00:46:58.45\00:47:02.92
on Him, once you
begin to realize that Jesus,
00:47:02.95\00:47:08.92
by His great love for
you and me, by His grace,
00:47:09.76\00:47:14.26
has set you free,
gratitude and adoration
00:47:14.70\00:47:20.74
begins to arise in
your heart spontaneously.
00:47:21.50\00:47:24.74
And you begin to
love God on a level
00:47:25.04\00:47:26.94
you never thought possible.
00:47:26.98\00:47:29.04
So Paul reasons with us.
00:47:29.41\00:47:31.51
Again verse 5 for
the sake of clarity.
00:47:31.78\00:47:34.32
"For when we were in the
flesh, the sinful passions which
00:47:34.52\00:47:38.12
were aroused by the law
were at work in our members
00:47:38.15\00:47:41.22
to bear fruit to death."
00:47:41.26\00:47:42.82
Spiritual death.
00:47:43.12\00:47:44.46
In 2 Corinthians
chapter 3 and verse 6,
00:47:44.53\00:47:47.16
Paul is dealing
with the same idea.
00:47:47.20\00:47:49.03
And he simply says
there, and I quote Paul in
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.83
2 Corinthians 3:6,
"...the letter kills,
00:47:51.87\00:47:55.87
but the Spirit gives life."
00:47:56.60\00:47:58.67
The raw letter of the
law, as a code of moral ethics
00:47:59.37\00:48:03.81
that must be complied with
in order to gain God's favor,
00:48:03.85\00:48:07.32
cannot save.
00:48:07.35\00:48:08.68
The law of God, according
to Paul in Galatians chapter 3,
00:48:09.08\00:48:13.72
and actually
throughout the whole book,
00:48:13.76\00:48:15.46
the law of God is, to
quote Paul, "a schoolmaster to
00:48:15.49\00:48:20.06
bring us to Christ."
00:48:20.10\00:48:21.46
The law of God, in its proper
sphere, its proper function,
00:48:23.37\00:48:30.21
is to show us
our need of a Savior.
00:48:30.24\00:48:33.84
To point us to
Jesus because of our need.
00:48:33.88\00:48:37.38
The law of God does not
occupy the position of Savior.
00:48:37.41\00:48:41.58
Salvation is in Christ alone.
00:48:42.85\00:48:46.65
And the law simply
speaks into our situation
00:48:46.69\00:48:49.96
and tells us of
our need for a Savior.
00:48:49.99\00:48:53.23
Romans chapter 3
says it this way,
00:48:53.46\00:48:55.66
"By the law is the knowledge,"
or the consciousness, "of sin."
00:48:55.70\00:49:00.74
Right? Chapter 3 of Romans,
I think verses 19 and 20.
00:49:00.97\00:49:03.81
Right in there.
00:49:03.84\00:49:05.17
By the law is the
consciousness of sin.
00:49:05.21\00:49:07.74
So the law, Paul
will say in another place,
00:49:08.08\00:49:11.68
the law is good if
it's used correctly.
00:49:11.71\00:49:16.79
What's the
correct use of the law?
00:49:16.99\00:49:18.92
As a challenge to measure
up to in order to be saved?
00:49:20.02\00:49:24.33
No, you'll be, to use
Paul's language again,
00:49:25.33\00:49:27.93
as one that beats the air
for the rest of your life.
00:49:27.96\00:49:30.40
You'll just keep striving and
failing, striving and failing,
00:49:30.43\00:49:33.17
and you'll only be able to
go in one of two directions.
00:49:33.20\00:49:35.80
You'll either end
up becoming a Pharisee
00:49:36.27\00:49:39.54
or you'll end up
giving up in despair.
00:49:40.28\00:49:42.71
If you use the law wrongly.
00:49:43.58\00:49:46.58
If the law is a standard
that you strive to measure up to
00:49:46.61\00:49:51.05
in order to be saved.
00:49:51.09\00:49:52.65
But flip it around.
00:49:53.56\00:49:54.99
If the law shows me my need, and
I go to Jesus, I run to Christ
00:49:55.36\00:50:01.03
as my Savior, what happens
with my relationship to the law?
00:50:01.06\00:50:05.23
I begin to obey the
law on a heart level,
00:50:05.33\00:50:10.51
on what the Bible
calls a new covenant level.
00:50:10.54\00:50:13.17
"I will write My law in
your heart and in your mind.
00:50:13.21\00:50:16.71
You've had a heart of stone."
00:50:16.75\00:50:18.95
And what do we know about stone?
00:50:18.98\00:50:20.32
It's hard and it's cold.
00:50:20.35\00:50:22.95
But the Bible
promises, "I will write My law
00:50:23.39\00:50:26.32
in the fleshly
tablets of your heart.
00:50:26.35\00:50:29.16
You will begin to know Me
on the inside in such a way
00:50:29.19\00:50:34.36
that your obedience will take
on an entirely different flavor,
00:50:34.40\00:50:38.40
an entirely different quality."
00:50:38.43\00:50:40.17
It won't be a Pharisaical
obedience in order to be saved.
00:50:40.20\00:50:44.01
It'll be an obedience
of gratitude and adoration
00:50:44.04\00:50:47.51
because by His
grace He has saved me.
00:50:47.54\00:50:50.15
It's all the
difference in the world.
00:50:50.85\00:50:53.95
It is the difference between
the real authentic genuine
00:50:54.38\00:50:58.49
good news of the gospel of
Christ and everything else.
00:50:58.52\00:51:01.46
Even our Adventist version
of the "everything else."
00:51:01.49\00:51:04.36
It is possible to know the
law and to be out of Babylon
00:51:04.79\00:51:10.30
physically, but to have
Babylon in our thinking.
00:51:10.33\00:51:16.27
To whatever degree the salvation
by the works of the law paradigm
00:51:17.17\00:51:25.21
is present in our experience,
we are partakers of the Babylon
00:51:25.25\00:51:29.98
that the Bible says is fallen.
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.59
And we may have
come out of Babylon,
00:51:31.62\00:51:33.46
but now we need to
get Babylon out of us.
00:51:33.49\00:51:36.52
We need to be
delivered from every vestige
00:51:36.86\00:51:40.73
of that approach to God.
00:51:40.76\00:51:42.56
This is fascinating.
00:51:42.60\00:51:43.93
Ellen White says in
a fascinating statement
00:51:43.97\00:51:47.00
in the book, Desire of Ages...
00:51:47.04\00:51:48.37
For those of you who are
not Seventh-day Adventists,
00:51:48.40\00:51:50.27
I'm not using this
quotation to prove anything.
00:51:50.31\00:51:52.71
This is a commentary on
the life of Christ that is
00:51:52.74\00:51:54.74
just brilliant and inspired.
00:51:54.78\00:51:57.18
And in that book, Ellen
White makes the statement
00:51:57.21\00:52:00.52
that wherever the
doctrine of salvation by works
00:52:00.72\00:52:04.45
is held, her words not mine,
there is no barrier against sin.
00:52:04.49\00:52:11.33
Now that's
counter intuitive to us.
00:52:13.70\00:52:15.56
We think as along as a
person knows the law and
00:52:16.67\00:52:18.83
is trying hard to obey it,
that's the right frame of mind,
00:52:18.87\00:52:23.37
that's the right
spiritual experience.
00:52:23.41\00:52:25.31
But may I suggest to
you that legalism keeps us
00:52:26.68\00:52:32.21
in the cycle of defeat.
00:52:32.25\00:52:34.05
It keeps us...
00:52:35.15\00:52:36.48
Old covenant relationship
with God, Paul says,
00:52:36.52\00:52:38.99
keeps the flesh stimulated.
00:52:39.19\00:52:41.79
Because
rebellion is not resolved
00:52:42.39\00:52:45.36
at the foundational level.
00:52:45.66\00:52:47.40
The sin problem is not
resolved at the heart level.
00:52:48.66\00:52:51.77
We're simply trying
to resolve it on the
00:52:52.67\00:52:55.60
outward behavioral level.
00:52:55.64\00:52:56.97
Not letting God get
into our hearts to write
00:52:57.01\00:53:00.41
His law on the inside.
00:53:00.74\00:53:02.74
So we come to his
climactic point here.
00:53:02.78\00:53:05.98
And this is fascinating.
00:53:06.01\00:53:07.35
"For when we were in the flesh,"
verse 5, "the sinful passions
00:53:07.62\00:53:10.59
which were aroused by the
law were at work in our members
00:53:10.69\00:53:13.86
to bear fruit to death."
00:53:13.89\00:53:15.39
With me so far?
00:53:15.42\00:53:16.76
Now Paul's climactic
point with this little parable
00:53:17.13\00:53:20.80
about marriage.
00:53:20.83\00:53:22.16
Verse 6, "But now we have
been delivered from the law..."
00:53:22.23\00:53:31.44
I'm going to put
in parentheses there
00:53:31.47\00:53:32.81
so we know what Paul is saying.
00:53:32.84\00:53:34.18
Not delivered from the
law in the sense that the law
00:53:34.21\00:53:37.35
is done away with and has no
place in Christian experience.
00:53:37.38\00:53:41.58
No, we're delivered from
the law as a means of salvation.
00:53:41.62\00:53:47.16
Our theology, our belief system,
has shifted off of the center
00:53:47.42\00:53:54.50
being on self to the
center being on Christ.
00:53:54.53\00:53:59.17
That's what Paul's point is.
00:53:59.33\00:54:00.94
He says very clearly here
that we have been delivered from
00:54:01.24\00:54:04.67
the law as a
mechanism of salvation.
00:54:04.71\00:54:07.54
"...having died to
what we were held by,
00:54:08.14\00:54:11.75
so that we should..."
00:54:11.78\00:54:13.75
Notice his positive
affirmative language.
00:54:13.78\00:54:16.48
"...so that we should
serve in newness of Spirit
00:54:16.52\00:54:22.02
and not in oldness of letter."
00:54:22.06\00:54:25.26
What did Paul
just tell you and me?
00:54:25.89\00:54:27.83
Did he just
wholesale delete the law from
00:54:28.10\00:54:32.27
Christian experience? No.
00:54:32.30\00:54:34.00
Did he do away with the law? No.
00:54:34.04\00:54:36.34
Is he contradicting what he
said earlier that the gospel
00:54:36.37\00:54:39.37
actually establishes the law?
00:54:39.41\00:54:41.14
No, he's not
contradicting himself.
00:54:41.18\00:54:43.11
He's explaining it now.
00:54:43.31\00:54:45.38
He's saying that if we come to
Christ in all His irresistible
00:54:45.41\00:54:49.78
beauty and we, in
seeing what He has done for us,
00:54:49.82\00:54:55.62
we cease to approach God
for salvation through the law,
00:54:56.29\00:55:02.66
and rather we approach God
for salvation through Christ...
00:55:02.83\00:55:07.27
What does Paul say?
00:55:07.54\00:55:08.87
...you'll end up
serving in newness of Spirit.
00:55:08.90\00:55:13.14
You won't become a licentious
liberal, "Hey, whatever.
00:55:13.34\00:55:17.38
It doesn't matter,"
cheap grace kind of Christian.
00:55:17.41\00:55:20.42
You'll begin obeying on a level
and with a quality of obedience
00:55:20.45\00:55:25.32
that is on the inside,
and then manifests itself
00:55:25.35\00:55:30.29
in the way we
interact with people.
00:55:30.33\00:55:32.26
You will, we
will, Paul says, serve.
00:55:32.29\00:55:36.80
Yes we will.
00:55:36.93\00:55:38.27
We will serve God.
00:55:38.70\00:55:40.10
But in newness of Spirit.
00:55:41.47\00:55:43.51
From the inside out.
00:55:43.74\00:55:45.07
Not in oldness of
letter approaching God
00:55:45.11\00:55:50.25
through the law for salvation.
00:55:50.45\00:55:52.45
No, approach God for
salvation through Jesus,
00:55:52.61\00:55:56.99
and the law of God will
take on its proper place
00:55:57.02\00:56:01.22
in our experience,
and we will begin to obey
00:56:01.26\00:56:05.53
the law of God
from the inside out.
00:56:05.63\00:56:07.23
Very quickly in the
minute that remains,
00:56:07.26\00:56:09.36
I want to demonstrate
this further by going back
00:56:09.40\00:56:11.27
to chapter 6.
00:56:11.30\00:56:12.63
Chapter 6, notice what
Paul says, this is so good.
00:56:13.30\00:56:19.04
I can hardly stand it. I
wish that I had two minutes.
00:56:19.57\00:56:21.58
Watch this.
00:56:21.61\00:56:22.94
Chapter 6 verse 16, "Do you not
know that to whom you present
00:56:23.14\00:56:28.28
yourselves slaves to obey, his
slaves you are to whom you obey,
00:56:28.32\00:56:31.92
whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?"
00:56:31.95\00:56:35.56
Got that so far?
00:56:35.59\00:56:36.93
He says obedience to
righteousness is necessary.
00:56:37.09\00:56:42.43
Now watch this though.
00:56:42.46\00:56:43.80
What's the first
word of verse 17?
00:56:43.83\00:56:46.33
"But..."
00:56:46.43\00:56:47.77
So grammatically,
there's a qualification.
00:56:47.80\00:56:49.70
He says in verse
16, obey righteousness.
00:56:50.14\00:56:53.01
And then he says,
"But God be thanked
00:56:53.04\00:56:58.31
that you have
obeyed from..." Where?
00:56:58.51\00:57:01.55
"...from the heart
that form of doctrine
00:57:02.02\00:57:05.95
which was delivered you."
00:57:05.99\00:57:07.32
What did Paul
just tell you and me?
00:57:07.36\00:57:08.79
Yes, he says,
obedience. Obedience, yes.
00:57:09.09\00:57:12.69
But obedience from the heart.
00:57:13.03\00:57:15.60
One day, maybe today for you,
you're going to find yourself
00:57:16.36\00:57:19.27
rummaging around in
an old box full of lists.
00:57:19.30\00:57:23.20
And you're going to have
it dawn on you with force
00:57:24.07\00:57:27.58
that you're
married to Jesus now.
00:57:28.21\00:57:30.58