Hello and welcome to
another edition of Faith Chapel.
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My name is Terry Shelton.
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I'll be your host
today. I like to bring you a
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message entitled free at
last. And we are going to
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look at the book of
Romans chapter 6 today
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and before as I like
to do, before we begin
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I like to just invite
God to be with us in a moment
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of prayer. Heavenly
Father, we just thank you
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that you have
given us life today.
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Thank you that
you've given us your word
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and I pray just now
Lord that as we open your
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word, that you'd open
our minds and our hearts,
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you'd help us to
receive your word and
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may your word
penetrate our hearts and change
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us into your image,
we pray in Jesus name,
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Amen. All of
heaven was in an uproar;
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something was going
on, on planet earth.
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Something that
would forever change
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the history of planet
earth, something called sin
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had occurred on planet
earth. And the sin runs
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rapid even today.
But, you know Jesus came
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to redeem us from sin
and from the curse of sin.
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And today I'd like
to look at some writings
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from the Apostle
Paul, Romans chapter 6
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and Paul here wants
to address God's people
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and he wants to
help us to understand
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that sin doesn't
have to reign over us.
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Please look at Romans chapter 6,
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and we are going to
just touch on a couple of
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verses and then
we'll pause. Beginning with
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verse number 1 of
Romans 6. What shall we say
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then? Shall we
continue in sin that grace
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may abound?
Certainly not! How shall we who
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died to sin live any
longer in it? Paul says,
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certainly not, the
original King James says
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God forbid, God
forbid that we should,
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we should continue to
live in sin when we have
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died to it. It's
interesting that the living
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Bible actually says,
shall we continue to sin when
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we don't have to?
I like that wording.
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I wanna, I wanna
present to you a little
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scenario here, tell me
what you think about this
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or just think about
this. Let's say that you
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lived in a certain
town and you say you had a
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favorite store that
you went to. And when you
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left your home you would
get in your vehicle and you
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would drive a certain path
to get to your destination,
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to get to this
favorite store that you
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wanted to get to.
And unless you had
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some duties in other
parts of the town chances are
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you would get in the
car and you would drive
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the same path every
time to take you to the
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destination. Now let's
contrast and let's say that
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now you moved to a
different city. But, you
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still have that same
favorite store, would you
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continue to drive the
same path to your favorite
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store? Well, you'll
say well of course not,
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well why not.
Because you are not
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living in that old city
anymore. You're living in
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this new city and in
order to get to the store
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you are going to have
to drive a different path.
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So, my question to
you is can you continue to
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behave as though
you lived in that
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old town. The answer is no, why?
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Because you're not
in that old town now.
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You don't behave the same way;
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you don't do
things the same way.
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How can you live in
a town that you moved
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away from? How
can you, how can you
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behave like you
live in a certain town
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when you don't, you
live there, you live in
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a different place.
Paul is saying how can we
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continue in sin
when you've died to sin.
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When you have
supposed to have cast off sin,
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that's what Paul
is asking here today.
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Let's continue in
verse number 3 of Romans 6.
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Or do you not
know that as many of us
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as we're baptized
into Christ Jesus,
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we are baptized into His death?
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Therefore we were
buried with Him through
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baptism unto death, that just as
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Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of
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the Father, even
so we also should walk
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in newness of life.
You see Paul here is
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talking about what
I believe is baptism.
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Have you been
baptized? Have you gone
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into the waters and
had that newness of life.
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Come up out of the
water in the newness
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of life. See our
baptism parallels Christ,
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Christ's death and
burial and resurrection.
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And that's what Paul
is talking about here;
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he says if you've been
baptized then you should
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walk in newness of
life. Continuing on
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in verse, verse
number 5. For if we have
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been united together in
the likeness of His death,
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certainly we also
shall be in the likeness
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of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our
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old man was crucified with Him,
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that the body of sin
might be done away with,
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that we should no
longer be slaves to sin.
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You see the death
and the resurrection go
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hand in hand. You can't
have one without the other;
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death without
resurrection serves no purpose.
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And we can't have
the resurrection without
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that death, that death to sin
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that Paul is talking about.
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In verse, in
verse 6 he talks about
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that old man, that
old man, have you buried
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that old man? Now
of course we know that
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when we are going to the
waters of baptism it's, it's,
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it's a conversion
process, it's something that,
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that transforms us
spiritually. And, and the
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scriptures do
recommend that we go
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into waters of
baptism. But, you know,
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there needs to be
a process that we go
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through everyday.
We should die to sin
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everyday and let
Christ live within us.
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And in verse 6 he
talks about, he talks about
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being slaves of
sin. You see before
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this death to sin,
you and I were slaves
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to sin. We don't like
to think about that word.
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Slavery has, has
such negative connotation,
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we hate to use the word
slavery. But, friends that's
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what it is and there are
millions of people who are
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enslaved to sin
today. Jesus came
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to release us from
that slavery. In verse 7
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Paul says, For he who
has died has been freed
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from sin. Have you
been freed from sin,
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have you been freed
from sin today, yesterday,
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will you be free from
sin tomorrow. You say, well
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brother how can that be,
there is sin all around me,
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there is sin
everywhere I go there is sin.
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That's true, there
is friend. But, we need
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not be touched by
the sin of this world.
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God promises us the
power to live above sin.
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By trusting in the
merits of Christ, by hiding
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our life within
him, he longs to give us
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deliverance from sin.
Continuing on in verse 8, it
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says, now if we died
with Christ, we believe
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that we shall
also live with Him,
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knowing that Christ,
having been raised from the
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dead, dies no
more. Death no longer has
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dominion over Him. For
the death that He died,
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He died to sin once for all;
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but the life that He
lives, He lives to God.
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Likewise you also
reckon yourselves to be
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dead indeed to
sin, but alive to God
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in Christ Jesus our
Lord. See Paul is saying
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that the, the death
that Jesus experienced,
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it only occurred once,
aren't you thankful for
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that? Aren't you thankful
that the death, burial, and
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resurrection of
Jesus Christ, the shedding
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of his blood
needed only be done once.
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It coves the
entire sin of the world
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when they come to
him, when we believe
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and accept him,
and accept the gift
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that he gives us. So
continuing on in verse
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12 it says, therefore
do not let sin reign in
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your mortal body,
that you should obey
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it in its lust.
And do not present
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your members as instruments of
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unrighteousness
to sin, but present
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yourselves to God as
being alive from the dead,
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and your members
as instruments of
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righteousness to
God. For sin shall not
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have dominion over
you, for you are not
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under the law but
under grace. See Paul
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here is saying,
but there is really no
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excuse for sin,
there is no excuse for
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sin as we read
these contexts, he talks
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about our
members, do not present
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your members of unrighteousness,
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donot present your members as
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instruments of unrighteousness.
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What do you think Paul
is talking about there.
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I kind of thought
about when I read this
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passage of scripture,
I kind of thought about
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all the distractions
that goes on around us that
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leads us into
sin. Things that we see
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with our eyes, things
that we hear with our ears,
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things that we
taste and we can touch.
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Things that lead
to sin, these Paul is
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saying, don't
use your members for
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unrighteousness.
Use your members for
00:10:02.74\00:10:05.16
righteousness,
which leads to God.
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And then this very
interesting scripture
00:10:08.44\00:10:12.26
verse 14 it says,
for you are not under law
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but under grace. You
know this; this passage
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of scripture is
very much misunderstood,
00:10:20.26\00:10:22.82
misunderstood in the
Christian world today.
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There are many who
teach that the law,
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that has nothing to do
with our salvation now,
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we're just under
grace, we're under grace
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and that's it. I
would like to read for you
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a paragraph taken
from an article called
00:10:35.36\00:10:38.70
Review and Herald and
it's dated March 8, 1881,
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and it says this, It
is the sophistry of Satan
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that death of Christ
brought in grace to take the
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place of the law.
Whose idea is this?
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It is Satan's
idea. The death of Jesus
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did not change, or
annul, or lessen in the
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slightest degree, the
law of Ten Commandments.
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That precious grace
offered to men through its
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savior's blood
establishes the law of God.
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Since the fall of
man, God's moral government
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and his grace are
what? Are inseparable.
00:11:10.40\00:11:13.86
They go hand in hand
through all dispensations.
00:11:13.89\00:11:17.74
"Mercy and truth
are met together;
00:11:17.77\00:11:20.17
righteousness and peace
have kissed each other."
00:11:20.20\00:11:24.04
You see, you see, it's
the devil who wants you to
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think that grace
now is all that you need
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and the law is
not binding anymore,
00:11:29.77\00:11:32.20
it's the devil who
thinks, who wants to
00:11:32.23\00:11:34.59
tell you that you
need not worry about the
00:11:34.62\00:11:36.77
law of God.
Just claim his grace,
00:11:36.80\00:11:38.70
just claim his grace.
Friend, that's the idea
00:11:38.73\00:11:41.84
of Satan. What is
grace? What is grace today?
00:11:41.87\00:11:47.92
If you ask many Christian
people, let's say what is
00:11:47.95\00:11:52.46
grace, many people will
answer that grace is the
00:11:52.49\00:11:55.37
unmerited favor of
God. It's a very popular
00:11:55.40\00:11:58.51
definition for
this, for this word.
00:11:58.54\00:12:02.27
I'd like to read
for you another quote
00:12:02.30\00:12:04.63
something also from
the Review and Herald dated
00:12:04.66\00:12:06.83
September 15, 1896.
This is so wonderful,
00:12:06.86\00:12:10.79
listen to this, By disobeying
00:12:10.82\00:12:12.86
the commands of
God, men fell under the
00:12:12.89\00:12:16.48
condemnation of
His law. This fall
00:12:16.51\00:12:19.45
called for the
grace of God to appear
00:12:19.48\00:12:21.35
in behalf of
sinners. We should never have
00:12:21.38\00:12:24.76
learned the meaning
of this word "grace" had
00:12:24.79\00:12:27.02
we not fallen. God
loves the sinless angels, who
00:12:27.05\00:12:32.57
do His service,
and are obedient to all
00:12:32.60\00:12:35.66
His commands; but
He does not give ú
00:12:35.69\00:12:38.73
These heavenly
beings know naught of grace;
00:12:38.76\00:12:42.01
they have never needed it;
for they have never sinned.
00:12:42.04\00:12:45.03
Grace is an attribute
of God shown to undeserving
00:12:45.06\00:12:48.63
human beings. We
did not seek after it,
00:12:48.66\00:12:51.34
but it was sent in search of us.
00:12:51.37\00:12:54.07
God rejoices to
bestow this grace upon every
00:12:54.10\00:12:56.47
one who hungers
for it. To every one
00:12:56.50\00:13:00.23
He presents terms of mercy, not
00:13:00.26\00:13:02.90
because we are
worthy, but because we are
00:13:02.93\00:13:04.85
so utterly
unworthy. Our need, get this
00:13:04.88\00:13:09.76
friend, our need is
the qualification which
00:13:09.79\00:13:13.08
says, which
gives us the assurance
00:13:13.11\00:13:16.64
that we shall receive this gift.
00:13:16.67\00:13:19.40
You see what it
says here friend that we
00:13:19.43\00:13:21.28
were not originally
designed to experience
00:13:21.31\00:13:23.94
grace, had we not
sinned, we would not
00:13:23.97\00:13:26.55
have experienced
it. But, grace, that
00:13:26.58\00:13:29.40
unmerited favor of
God has been extended
00:13:29.43\00:13:32.71
to you and to I. Lets
get back to our study.
00:13:32.74\00:13:35.95
Romans chapter 6
and now let's go to
00:13:35.98\00:13:39.31
verse 15, what
then? Shall we sin
00:13:39.34\00:13:43.10
because we are not
under law but under grace?
00:13:43.13\00:13:45.72
Certainly not! Certainly not!
00:13:45.75\00:13:49.17
Do you not know that to whom
00:13:49.20\00:13:52.51
you present
yourselves slaves to obey,
00:13:52.54\00:13:54.54
you are that
one's slaves whom you
00:13:54.57\00:13:56.46
obey, whether of
sin leading to death,
00:13:56.49\00:13:58.72
or of obedience
leading to righteousness.
00:13:58.75\00:14:02.02
Paul here
saying, okay so you have
00:14:02.05\00:14:04.61
so have grace, you
have grace, that doesn't
00:14:04.64\00:14:07.29
give you license to
continue to commit sin.
00:14:07.32\00:14:09.73
That doesn't give
you license to just take
00:14:09.76\00:14:12.42
advantage of God's mercy and sin
00:14:12.45\00:14:14.56
anyway, Paul is
saying no, he is saying
00:14:14.59\00:14:18.85
should we, should
we depend on God's
00:14:18.88\00:14:20.94
grace to the extent
that we willfully commit
00:14:20.97\00:14:24.37
sin, knowing that
God will be merciful?
00:14:24.40\00:14:26.40
Of course not, it's
what Paul is saying.
00:14:26.43\00:14:29.35
And in verse 16,
here's an interesting,
00:14:30.24\00:14:33.42
interesting point
is that everyone is a
00:14:33.45\00:14:36.17
slave to
something. Are you a slave
00:14:36.20\00:14:38.63
to something today? You see
00:14:38.66\00:14:41.32
he says either
we're slaves of sin
00:14:41.35\00:14:44.22
leading to death
or slaves of obedience
00:14:44.25\00:14:47.55
leading to righteousness?
I would submit to you today,
00:14:47.58\00:14:50.82
there is nothing
wrong with saying that you
00:14:50.85\00:14:52.83
are a slave of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:14:52.86\00:14:54.79
There's nothing wrong
with that because that
00:14:55.85\00:14:57.56
means we are obedient
to his will, obedient.
00:14:57.59\00:15:01.87
In verse 17 it says,
But God be thanked that
00:15:02.25\00:15:05.11
though you were slaves
of sin, yet you obeyed from
00:15:05.14\00:15:10.06
the heart, that form
of doctrine to which you
00:15:10.09\00:15:12.97
were delivered. And
having been set free
00:15:13.00\00:15:17.91
from sin, you became
slaves of righteousness.
00:15:17.94\00:15:21.69
Or might call it servants,
servitude of righteousness.
00:15:21.72\00:15:24.95
Paul is saying that,
that everyone, we are all in
00:15:25.16\00:15:28.03
bound to something, we
are all in servitude to
00:15:28.06\00:15:30.52
something. We be
in servitude to sin
00:15:30.55\00:15:32.78
or to righteousness.
Let's keep on to verse 20.
00:15:33.03\00:15:36.27
Verse 20 Paul says,
For when you were slaves of
00:15:36.61\00:15:38.77
sin, you were free in
regard to righteousness.
00:15:38.80\00:15:41.95
What fruit did you
have then in the things of
00:15:42.14\00:15:44.52
which you are now ashamed?
00:15:44.55\00:15:45.59
For the end of
those things is death.
00:15:45.62\00:15:48.16
See Paul says he is
saying here that, that when you
00:15:48.65\00:15:51.11
were in sin you couldn't
care less about things of
00:15:51.14\00:15:53.69
righteousness, you
couldn't care less about
00:15:53.72\00:15:55.42
things of God. And so
you were free from those
00:15:55.45\00:15:57.99
things, had nothing to
do with them or while you
00:15:58.02\00:16:01.06
were in that time he is
saying what kind of fruit
00:16:01.09\00:16:03.71
did you have in your
life? And now that you are
00:16:04.00\00:16:07.85
walking with Christ,
now we look back on those
00:16:07.88\00:16:10.52
things of our own life
and we're ashamed of them.
00:16:10.55\00:16:13.09
We're ashamed of
those things because
00:16:14.06\00:16:15.45
they led to death.
But, in verse 22 he says,
00:16:16.49\00:16:20.39
but now, Paul uses
that a lot you know.
00:16:20.42\00:16:23.88
But now having been set
free from sin, and having
00:16:23.91\00:16:28.66
become slaves of God,
you have your fruit to
00:16:28.69\00:16:32.73
holiness, and the
end, everlasting life.
00:16:32.76\00:16:36.31
For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God
00:16:36.99\00:16:40.91
is eternal life in
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:16:40.94\00:16:44.31
See Paul here is saying
that now the fruit of your
00:16:44.87\00:16:47.58
life is going to
lead to holiness and to
00:16:47.61\00:16:51.15
everlasting life, once
you become a servant of the
00:16:51.18\00:16:54.47
Lord Jesus Christ and
of course we all know that
00:16:54.50\00:16:57.32
passage of scripture
Romans 6:23, I like the
00:16:57.35\00:17:01.13
fact, it just say, the
wages of sin is death, he goes
00:17:01.16\00:17:05.16
ahead and he says but
the gift of God, the gift of
00:17:05.19\00:17:08.56
God is eternal life
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:17:08.59\00:17:12.50
So, now lets say that
you have reached that point,
00:17:12.85\00:17:15.39
that you've reached that
point of that you have no
00:17:15.42\00:17:17.84
longer, you're no
longer being a slave to sin and
00:17:17.87\00:17:21.21
that you're living a
righteous life with Christ,
00:17:21.24\00:17:24.57
letting him live out
his life in you, what about
00:17:24.60\00:17:27.85
that past, what about
the old things, what's
00:17:27.88\00:17:31.09
happened to all the
old things of our life.
00:17:31.12\00:17:33.70
Let's look at the
Second Corinthians
00:17:33.73\00:17:35.27
chapter 5 and verse 17.
Therefore, if anyone is in
00:17:35.51\00:17:42.52
Christ, he is a
new creation or a new
00:17:42.55\00:17:46.40
creature; old things
have passed away; behold,
00:17:46.43\00:17:49.83
all things have become
new. Now, all things are
00:17:49.86\00:17:54.38
of God, now all
things are of God, who has
00:17:54.41\00:17:57.94
reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ,
00:17:57.97\00:18:00.63
and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation,
00:18:00.66\00:18:04.82
that is, that Christ,
that God was in Christ
00:18:05.42\00:18:08.03
reconciling the world
to Himself, not imputing
00:18:08.06\00:18:10.96
their trespasses to
them, and has committed to us
00:18:10.99\00:18:14.51
the word of reconciliation.
You see when we, when
00:18:14.54\00:18:18.65
we make that step with
Christ, when we begin to
00:18:18.68\00:18:21.54
follow him we are
created new creatures.
00:18:21.57\00:18:25.67
And the old sins are not counted
00:18:26.15\00:18:28.13
against us any longer.
If that is the case friend,
00:18:28.16\00:18:32.05
if the old sins are
not counted against you any
00:18:32.08\00:18:34.45
longer then I would
say don't let anybody else
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.85
bring up your past life,
don't let anybody tell you
00:18:38.31\00:18:41.40
about what a bad
person you were and of all the
00:18:41.43\00:18:43.73
bad things that you
did. Friend, you can claim to
00:18:43.76\00:18:46.89
the promise that you are
a new creature in Christ.
00:18:46.92\00:18:51.30
Can you be old and
new at the same time, no
00:18:51.33\00:18:53.85
of course not? You can't
be old and new, you can't
00:18:53.88\00:18:56.86
be dead and
alive at the same time.
00:18:56.89\00:18:58.96
Someone comes to you
and says, you sure were a
00:18:59.75\00:19:01.50
bad person, you tell
them I'm a new creature in
00:19:01.53\00:19:04.17
Christ and the old the
things are passed away.
00:19:04.20\00:19:07.13
We read in the book of
Micah chapter 7 and verse 19.
00:19:07.16\00:19:11.61
Micah chapter 7 and
verse 19; He will again
00:19:13.44\00:19:16.39
have compassion on us, and
will subdue our iniquities.
00:19:16.42\00:19:20.16
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
00:19:20.54\00:19:24.62
Friend someone once
said, someone once said
00:19:25.69\00:19:28.41
that God has thrown my
sins to the depths of the
00:19:28.44\00:19:30.21
sea and put up
a no fishing sign.
00:19:30.24\00:19:32.13
Don't go get him and
don't let anybody else go
00:19:33.00\00:19:35.21
and get those sins, those,
those, those past mistakes
00:19:35.24\00:19:39.06
that you, that you've
made. Let's look at Psalm
00:19:39.09\00:19:41.57
chapter 103. Psalm
chapter 103 in verse 12,
00:19:41.60\00:19:45.78
it says this As far as
the east is from the west,
00:19:48.82\00:19:53.99
So far has He removed
our transgressions from us.
00:19:54.97\00:19:58.88
Why do you suppose
that words are written here
00:20:00.16\00:20:03.35
East and West? Let me
ask you a question, if you
00:20:03.38\00:20:06.34
get in an airplane and
you begin to fly north,
00:20:06.37\00:20:09.18
how far can you fly
north? I'm gonna assume
00:20:09.21\00:20:13.89
that, that someone is
answering me out there.
00:20:13.92\00:20:17.09
How far can you fly
north until you reach the North
00:20:17.12\00:20:19.28
Pole? That's the
answer. Now what happens if you
00:20:19.31\00:20:21.37
keep going, are you
flying north anymore.
00:20:21.40\00:20:23.27
No, you're now
flying south, or say you
00:20:23.70\00:20:26.52
continue to south,
how far can you fly south?
00:20:26.55\00:20:29.73
You can only fly south
as long as you reach the
00:20:30.37\00:20:33.74
South Pole then you
begin to fly north again.
00:20:33.77\00:20:36.77
But, lets have, lets
turn around and let's say that
00:20:36.80\00:20:38.78
begin, that you get in
your airplane and you fly east.
00:20:38.81\00:20:41.70
Is there ever a time
that you are not flying east?
00:20:42.16\00:20:44.41
No, that's how far
the God has removed your
00:20:44.57\00:20:49.36
transgressions. As far
is the east from the west,
00:20:49.39\00:20:52.27
that is a never ending
line, there is never a point
00:20:52.30\00:20:55.22
when they come, when
they meet each other.
00:20:55.25\00:20:58.39
It says in the book of Hebrews
00:21:01.17\00:21:02.78
chapter 8 and verse 12.
For I will be merciful to
00:21:02.81\00:21:10.71
their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their
00:21:10.74\00:21:13.27
lawless deeds I
will remember no more.
00:21:13.30\00:21:16.40
Why? Because God's forgetful?
00:21:17.62\00:21:19.29
No because he
chooses not to remember them.
00:21:19.32\00:21:22.38
Also in Hebrews
10:16 and 17 it says this,
00:21:22.41\00:21:25.48
"This is the covenant
that I will make with them
00:21:26.39\00:21:28.74
after those days, says
the Lord: I will put My laws
00:21:28.77\00:21:31.78
into their hearts, and
in their minds I will write
00:21:31.81\00:21:34.77
them," then He adds,
"Their sins and their
00:21:34.80\00:21:38.42
lawless deeds I
will remember no more."
00:21:38.45\00:21:41.33
If God chooses not
to remember your past
00:21:42.22\00:21:46.15
mistakes anymore then
friend you and I should
00:21:46.18\00:21:50.85
put them away from us as well.
00:21:50.88\00:21:53.02
We read in John
chapter 8 verse 31.
00:21:53.38\00:21:55.72
Then Jesus said to
those Jews who believed Him,
00:21:57.19\00:21:59.31
"If you abide in My word,
you are my disciples indeed.
00:21:59.34\00:22:02.39
And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall
00:22:02.52\00:22:05.15
make you free."
They answered Him,
00:22:05.18\00:22:07.65
"We are Abraham's
descendants, and have
00:22:08.38\00:22:10.32
never been in bondage to anyone.
00:22:10.35\00:22:11.90
How can you say, You
will be made free?" Jesus
00:22:11.93\00:22:14.70
answered them, "Most
assuredly, I say to you,
00:22:14.73\00:22:17.24
whoever commits sin is a
slave of sin. And a slave
00:22:17.96\00:22:21.38
does not abide in the
house forever, but a son
00:22:21.41\00:22:24.13
abides forever. Therefore
if the Son makes you free,
00:22:24.16\00:22:27.52
you shall be free indeed.
Friend, if you are abiding
00:22:27.55\00:22:32.28
in Christ then you can
be free from sin, you can be
00:22:32.31\00:22:35.87
free from the curse of
sin. In closing I would like to
00:22:35.90\00:22:40.06
look at one story in
the book of Mark chapter 5
00:22:40.09\00:22:43.33
that just impresses me
so much. Everyone has read
00:22:43.36\00:22:47.24
this story, we all know
the story by heart probably.
00:22:47.27\00:22:49.86
Mark chapter 5
beginning at verse number 1.
00:22:49.89\00:22:52.93
Then they came to the
other side of the sea,
00:22:54.65\00:22:56.69
to the country of the Gadarenes.
00:22:56.72\00:22:58.25
And when He had
come out of the boat,
00:22:58.95\00:23:00.12
immediately there
met Him out of the tombs
00:23:00.15\00:23:02.29
a man with an
unclean spirit, who had his
00:23:02.32\00:23:05.18
dwelling among the
tombs; and no one could
00:23:05.21\00:23:07.18
bind him, not even
with chains, because he had
00:23:07.21\00:23:10.63
often been bound
with shackles and chains.
00:23:10.66\00:23:12.60
And the chains had
been pulled apart by him,
00:23:12.63\00:23:15.42
and the shackles broken
in pieces; neither could
00:23:16.49\00:23:19.38
anyone tame him. And
always, night and day,
00:23:19.41\00:23:25.36
he was in the mountains
and in the tombs, crying
00:23:25.39\00:23:27.92
out and cutting
himself with stones.
00:23:27.95\00:23:30.48
I'd like to bring to
you this point that this man
00:23:32.14\00:23:37.25
had superhuman
strength. There was something
00:23:37.97\00:23:40.83
supernatural going on
here because this man,
00:23:40.86\00:23:43.37
an ordinary man
wouldn't be able to break these
00:23:43.40\00:23:45.76
chains and be wild
like this all the time.
00:23:45.79\00:23:50.63
There was
supernatural strength and
00:23:50.66\00:23:52.42
he was delirious. Continuing on,
00:23:52.45\00:23:56.08
When he saw Jesus from afar, he
00:23:57.67\00:23:59.54
ran and worshiped Him.
And he cried out with a
00:23:59.57\00:24:02.45
loud voice and said,
"What have I to do with
00:24:02.48\00:24:04.53
You, Jesus, Son
of the Most High God?
00:24:04.56\00:24:06.83
I implore You by God
that You do not torment me.
00:24:08.46\00:24:11.42
" For He said to
him, "Come out of the man,
00:24:11.97\00:24:13.94
unclean spirit!"
Interesting point this
00:24:13.97\00:24:17.33
demon knew who Jesus
was, it's ironic that the
00:24:17.36\00:24:22.11
people around there did
not. It took the word of a
00:24:22.14\00:24:24.95
demon to point out the
very son of God Jesus Christ.
00:24:24.98\00:24:28.95
So, what happened,
reading on verse 9.
00:24:31.02\00:24:34.64
Then He asked him,
"What is your name?"
00:24:34.67\00:24:36.73
And he answered,
saying, "My name is Legion; for
00:24:37.99\00:24:39.94
we are many." Also
he begged Him earnestly
00:24:39.97\00:24:43.84
that He would not send
him out of the country.
00:24:43.87\00:24:47.50
Point number 3, the demon
are at the mercy of Christ.
00:24:47.89\00:24:51.06
And so is every
spirit that tries to
00:24:52.33\00:24:54.42
influence you and I
today. Continuing on, now a
00:24:54.45\00:25:00.62
large herd of swine
was feeding there near the
00:25:00.65\00:25:02.87
mountains. So all
the demons begged Him,
00:25:02.90\00:25:06.02
saying, "Send us
into the swine, that
00:25:06.05\00:25:07.83
we may enter them."
And at once Jesus gave
00:25:08.89\00:25:11.42
them permission. Then
the unclean spirits went
00:25:11.45\00:25:14.33
out and entered the
swine, (there were about two
00:25:14.36\00:25:17.57
thousand); and the
herd ran violently down the
00:25:17.60\00:25:21.01
steep place into the
sea, and drowned into the sea.
00:25:21.04\00:25:24.57
The pigs ran down the
mountain and they were
00:25:27.94\00:25:31.37
swallowed up by the
sea. Ellen White points out
00:25:31.40\00:25:35.20
that the people in
that time they were more
00:25:35.23\00:25:37.42
interested in their
pigs than they were the
00:25:37.45\00:25:39.49
deliverance of this
one who had been delivered
00:25:39.52\00:25:41.72
from these evil
demons. We're continuing on,
00:25:41.75\00:25:46.70
verse 14, so those who
fed the swine fled, and
00:25:48.89\00:25:53.81
they told it in the
city and in the country.
00:25:53.84\00:25:55.74
And they went out
to see what it was
00:25:56.26\00:25:58.00
that had happened.
When they came to Jesus,
00:25:58.03\00:25:59.70
they saw the one who
had been demon-possessed
00:25:59.73\00:26:01.77
and had the legion
sitting and clothed
00:26:02.05\00:26:03.76
and in his right
mind. And they were afraid.
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.24
And those who saw it
told them how it happened to
00:26:06.58\00:26:09.48
him who had
been demon-possessed,
00:26:09.51\00:26:11.03
and about the swine.
Then they began to plead
00:26:11.06\00:26:14.81
with Him to
depart from their region.
00:26:14.84\00:26:17.79
You see these people
were more upset, these
00:26:18.33\00:26:20.19
people more upset losing
their pigs then they were
00:26:20.22\00:26:22.51
to see, then they
were happy to see this one
00:26:22.54\00:26:24.86
delivered from these
demons. And in closing
00:26:25.12\00:26:28.76
we see it says in verse
18, And when He got into the
00:26:28.79\00:26:31.52
boat, he who had been
demon-possessed begged
00:26:31.55\00:26:34.29
Him that he might
be with Him. However,
00:26:34.32\00:26:36.07
Jesus did not permit
him, but said to him, "Go
00:26:36.10\00:26:38.64
home to your friends,
and tell them what great
00:26:38.67\00:26:40.98
things the Lord has
done for you, and how He has
00:26:41.01\00:26:43.74
had compassion on
you." You see this man was to
00:26:43.77\00:26:47.81
be a witness to what had
God had done in this life.
00:26:47.84\00:26:51.40
And I found this so
interesting that Jesus gave
00:26:51.43\00:26:53.74
no reminders of what
this man had used to be, Jesus
00:26:53.77\00:26:56.76
didn't say you know
you used to be a wreck, you
00:26:56.79\00:26:59.14
used to be a mess,
you really made some
00:26:59.17\00:27:00.73
mistakes, you have done
some bad things, look at you.
00:27:00.76\00:27:03.69
No, Jesus said, go and
tell what God has done for you.
00:27:04.11\00:27:08.35
Friend, there is a
great lesson for us today.
00:27:09.63\00:27:11.48
Don't look back in the
past and don't let others
00:27:12.02\00:27:14.99
drag you back into the
past, don't let others try
00:27:15.72\00:27:19.85
and tell you that you are not a
00:27:19.88\00:27:21.64
new creature in
Christ. If you have been born
00:27:21.67\00:27:24.00
again, if you have been
baptize, if you have given
00:27:24.03\00:27:27.36
your heart to Christ,
you have been born again and
00:27:27.39\00:27:30.86
you are new creature in Christ.
00:27:30.89\00:27:32.96
Scripture says
there is therefore now no
00:27:33.78\00:27:35.39
condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus.
00:27:35.42\00:27:39.52
What did, what did,
what did Jesus say to that
00:27:40.47\00:27:42.70
women who was brought
to him in adultery, neither
00:27:42.73\00:27:45.23
do I condemn you,
go and sin no more.
00:27:45.81\00:27:49.02
Friend, you can have that
assurance, I can have that
00:27:49.05\00:27:51.61
assurance that we can
be free from sin today.
00:27:51.64\00:27:55.09