The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says to receive
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with meekness the implanted Word
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which is able
to save your souls,
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and to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth.
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is
Salvation by Faith Alone,
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the Book of Romans.
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Hello, and welcome to another
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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My name is Jill Morikone.
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And we are delighted
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that you are
taking time from your day,
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whether it's during the week
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when we air or
at Sabbath morning
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to open up God's
Word and to study with us.
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We are in the
midst of our discussion
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on the Book of Romans,
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Paul's epistle to the
believers there in Rome.
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And we are in
lesson number eight.
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Who is the man of Roman 7?
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If you don't have the
Sabbath school quarterly,
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you can always
go to the website,
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that is ABSG.Adventist.org.
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That stands for Adult
BibleStudyGuide.Adventist.org.
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You can download the lesson,
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and you can
follow along with us.
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Or you can
always go to your local
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Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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join a Sabbath
school class there,
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and get involved in fellowship
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with others
brothers and sisters.
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We've a wonderful panel today
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that I want to
introduce to you at this time.
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To my left Pastor John Lomacang,
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and Pastor CA Murray,
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Miss Mollie Steenson,
and Miss Shelley Quinn.
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And it's a privilege
to open up the Word of God
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with each one of you
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because I know
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that you're
students of the Word.
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And they are
friends and mentors.
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So I'm so blessed
to be joining with them
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for the Sabbath
School Panel today.
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Before we go any further,
we want to open up with prayer.
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And, Pastor John,
would you pray for us today?
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Sure.
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Loving Father in heaven,
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we bow our hearts
and heads before You.
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And as we dive into this book
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that reminds us
of our shallowness.
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We pray that Your Spirit
will pull us to the depth
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of the knowledge,
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necessary to reveal
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to those listening
and watching this program
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the beauty of the
saving grace of Christ.
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Guide our hearts and minds,
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bring the Word
alive that all things
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might be done to
further your cause in the earth
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and bring us to a
saving walk with You,
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Thank you so much, Pastor John.
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Romans 7 has been a topic
you could say of controversy
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among
Christians for generations,
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for a long time.
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May be since it was
written, I'm not even sure.
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Some people say, is
it autobiographical?
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Is it about the life of Paul?
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Is it maybe an experience
writing about someone?
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Is he converted?
Is he unconverted?
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And we're going to unpackaged
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that here as we
discuss Romans 7 here today.
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You know, as I look
at the Book of Romans,
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when you begin
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from the very
beginning Romans 1,
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Paul really follows
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a wonderful theological
progression of thought.
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And Paul is a wonderful scholar,
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he's a great writer.
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And you see that
progression Romans 1, 2, and 3
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deals with the
indictment of the world,
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the judgment that comes
over all the world, right?
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Romans 1 is the
judgment over the gentiles.
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Romans 2, the judgment
also extends to the Jews.
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Romans 3, we all have sinned
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and fallen short
of the glory of God.
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Then halfway through Romans
3 because we all have sinned,
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we all are in need of a Savior.
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And there is that concept
of salvation of justification
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by faith that
Romans are so known
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for that treaties on
justification by faith.
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Then when we get to Romans 6,
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we begin the process
of sanctification by faith
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or being dead to that old man.
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We talked about that last week,
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that analogy of
baptism into the watery grave
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and then rising
to newness of life.
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We have Romans 7
and then Romans 8
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of course is
walking in the spirit
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and the power of the Holy Spirit
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to be dwelling in us to
give us that victory over sin.
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And then somehow
between Romans 6 and Romans 8
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we have Romans 7
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which is our
discussion here today.
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It's the battle you could say
between the flesh and the law
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that takes place
once we come to Jesus
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because when we come to Jesus,
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we don't even know sin
unless we know the law,
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unless we know Jesus.
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And when we come to Jesus,
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we see there is that
battle between that flesh
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and between the Spirit.
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But praise the Lord,
He can give us victory.
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So we want to look at that.
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I just want to look at two
laws discussed here in Romans 7
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and then we'd jump into Sunday.
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In Roman 7 we see
the law of sin and death
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and then we also see God's law.
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Let's look at the
couple of scriptures.
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Roman 7:7
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and I know this
will be discussed
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in further detail
on the panel today.
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I just wanted to lay
this foundation, Roman 7:7,
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Paul says, "What
shall we say then?
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Is the law sin? Certainly not!
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On the contrary,
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I would not have known
sin except through the law."
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What law is he referring to?
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It's very clear,
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it's the Ten
Commandment moral law
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'cause he says,
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"For I would not
have known covetousness
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unless the law had
said, 'You shall not covet,'"
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and that's one of
the Ten Commandments.
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And then verse 12, he
says, "The law is holy,
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and the commandment
holy, and just, and good."
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God's moral law shows
us sin and His law is holy,
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just and good.
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But Paul introduces another law
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that's warring in his
members in this chapter.
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In verse 25, he says,
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"With a mind I myself
serve the law of God..."
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That's the Ten
Commandment moral law.
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"But with the
flesh the law of sin."
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So there's two different
laws warring for master
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you could say.
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Verse 22, he says, "I
delight in the law of God,"
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that's the moral Law.
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According to the inward man
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but I see
another law in my members
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warring against
the law of my mind,
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bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin
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which is in my members.
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So let's jump into Sunday
where we read our memory text,
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that is Romans 7:6, and
let's say that together.
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"Now we are
delivered from the law,
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that being dead
wherein we were held,
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that we should serve
in newness of spirit,
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and not in the
oldness of the letter."
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So the portion on
Sunday is Romans 7:1-6.
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So let's take a look
at that, Romans 7:1-6,
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freed from the law.
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And we're going to
look at what law that is
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'cause there's some controversy.
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Some people say that
means we're free from the moral,
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the Ten Commandment law,
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but we'll find out
that's not the case here.
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Romans 7:1, "Do
you not know, brethren,
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for I speak to
those who know the law..."
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He's writing to the believers
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who knew and understood the law.
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"That the law has dominion
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over a man as long as he lives?"
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And then Paul
begins to unpackaged
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this by an
illustration of marriage.
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He says verse 2,
"For the woman..."
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Now, we know in the Bible
woman represents a church.
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This could
symbolically represent
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the people of God or you and I.
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"For the woman
who has a husband,
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is bound by the
law to her husband
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as long as he lives,
but if the husband dies,
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she is released from
the law of her husband."
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Let's read the next verse
and then we'll unpackage this.
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"So then, if
while her husband lives
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she marries another man,
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she will be
called an adulteress.
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But if her husband dies,
she is free from that law,
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so that she is no adulteress
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though she has
married another man."
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So the first time you
read this, you might say,
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"What in the world is
Paul talking about here?"
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This is an example,
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an illustration
but what does he mean,
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the woman has a husband,
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we would say the old
husband or the first husband,
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and then
there's another husband.
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So what exactly does that
mean, and what does that mean,
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the first husband dies,
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and then she can
be legally married
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to the second husband.
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So let's look at that.
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We already talked about
the woman represents you and I,
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Christians, the
body of believers,
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the people of God.
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Now let's look
at if she is married
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to the husband,
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let's look at the first husband,
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that is the law of sin and death
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and we will unpackage that.
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It's the habitual
tendency to sin to the carnal
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or fleshly nature
from which man is freed
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and to which he dies when
he is connected to Christ.
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1 John 3:4 says,
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"Sin is the
transgression of the law."
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When we come to
Christ, what would you say?
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We die to sin.
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Or we die to that old nature.
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Once her husband dies,
she can marry another man.
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What does that
mean her husband dies?
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Let's look at Romans 6,
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and I know we
study this last week.
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But Romans 6:2,
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it says, "How
shall we who die to sin,
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live any longer therein?"
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How shall we who die to
sin live any longer therein?
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If the first husband represents
that law of sin and death,
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the old man, and when he dies
she is then freed from that law
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of sin and death.
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Romans 6:6, "Knowing this,
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that our 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 of sin."
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When the old man
is crucified with him,
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when it is put to death, we
are no longer slaves to sin,
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we're no longer
married to that old husband,
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that old husband,
the law of sin and death.
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Verse 7, "He who has
died, has been freed from sin."
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So when the old
husband in Romans 7 died,
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she was then free
to marry another man.
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She's been freed
from that old husband,
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that law of sin and death.
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So when she dies to the old man,
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then she is set free.
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Romans 6:22,
00:10:22.65\00:10:23.99
"But now having been
set free from sin..."
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Meaning that
old husband is dead.
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"And having
become slaves of God,
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and have your fruit to holiness,
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and the end everlasting life."
00:10:32.73\00:10:36.80
Romans 8:2,
00:10:36.83\00:10:39.30
"For the law of
the Spirit of life
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in Christ Jesus
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has made me free from
the law of sin and death."
00:10:42.07\00:10:46.71
So now what Paul does
is he takes this principle
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and he applies
it to the believers.
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Verse 4,
"Therefore, my brethren,
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you also have
become dead to the law..."
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Meaning to the law of sin,
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he's not talking about
the Ten Commandment law,
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they're not dead to that law.
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They're dead to the law of
sin through the body of Christ
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that you may be
married to another,
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that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:11:09.50\00:11:11.27
Remember when we're
buried with Christ into baptism,
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death of that old
man, the man of sin,
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that law of sin and death,
00:11:16.97\00:11:18.41
we're raised up to
walk in newness of life
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with the spirit.
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"Become dead to the law of
sin through the body of Christ
00:11:25.68\00:11:28.25
that you may be
married to another,
00:11:28.28\00:11:30.05
to him who has
raised from the dead
00:11:30.09\00:11:32.15
that we should
bear fruit to God."
00:11:32.19\00:11:34.29
The only way we
can bear fruit to God
00:11:34.32\00:11:36.69
is if we are
connected to Christ,
00:11:36.73\00:11:39.63
if we are walking in the spirit
not according to the flesh.
00:11:39.66\00:11:44.40
But now we've been
delivered from the law,
00:11:44.43\00:11:46.67
meaning that old man,
00:11:46.70\00:11:48.04
the law of sin
and death having died
00:11:48.07\00:11:50.64
to what we were held
by so that we should serve
00:11:50.67\00:11:53.81
in the newness of the spirit,
00:11:53.84\00:11:56.34
and not in the
oldness of the letter.
00:11:56.38\00:11:58.78
Now there's also
another application
00:11:58.81\00:12:00.42
that we could give
00:12:00.45\00:12:01.78
and that is
definitely given out there
00:12:01.82\00:12:03.79
in the lesson brought this out
00:12:03.82\00:12:05.29
that they could be talking
about the old ceremonial laws
00:12:05.32\00:12:09.12
that were put to death
00:12:09.16\00:12:10.53
'cause remember
Paul's writing to those
00:12:10.56\00:12:11.89
who are coming out of Judaism
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.40
and accepting Jesus
Christ as the Messiah.
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.56
So it could be that old laws
that you're putting to death.
00:12:16.63\00:12:20.50
And now we are
living life in Christ Jesus,
00:12:20.54\00:12:24.54
not saying the
moral law is put to death
00:12:24.57\00:12:26.54
but those old ceremonial system,
00:12:26.57\00:12:28.71
the sacrificial system
00:12:28.74\00:12:30.81
that pointed forward to
the coming of the Messiah
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.58
that that is put aside,
00:12:33.62\00:12:35.18
and now we are
walking in Christ Jesus.
00:12:35.22\00:12:37.92
So you have that analogy too,
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.85
maybe a dual application
here that we could put there.
00:12:39.89\00:12:43.32
Matthew 6:24, last scripture
00:12:43.39\00:12:45.56
and then I'll turn it
over to Pastor John here.
00:12:45.59\00:12:48.06
"No man can serve two
masters: either we hate the one,
00:12:48.10\00:12:53.87
and love the
other, or we love the one,
00:12:53.90\00:12:56.14
and hate the other.
00:12:56.17\00:12:57.54
We have to choose today."
00:12:57.57\00:12:59.07
Joshua 24:15,
00:12:59.11\00:13:00.98
"Choose you this day
whom you will serve?"
00:13:01.01\00:13:05.55
And it's a daily
battle and I know
00:13:05.58\00:13:07.05
as we go through
the lesson today,
00:13:07.12\00:13:08.45
we will be discussing that
00:13:08.48\00:13:09.92
it's not just a
once in a lifetime
00:13:09.95\00:13:12.29
we buried the old man,
we come up resurrection,
00:13:12.32\00:13:14.52
newness of life
00:13:14.56\00:13:15.89
but we have a daily
battle against our flesh,
00:13:15.92\00:13:19.39
against that fleshly nature
00:13:19.43\00:13:20.96
that strives or
struggles for the supremacy.
00:13:20.96\00:13:24.37
So we'll take a look at
that as we move forward.
00:13:24.40\00:13:27.44
And, Pastor John,
you have the next one.
00:13:27.50\00:13:30.77
Thank you, Jill.
00:13:30.81\00:13:32.31
This topic of
Romans 7 is probably one
00:13:32.34\00:13:35.88
of not only the
most controversial
00:13:35.91\00:13:38.58
but it is one of
the most revealing,
00:13:38.61\00:13:40.72
it talks about law,
the law of sin and death,
00:13:40.78\00:13:42.72
the law of my mind,
another law in my members,
00:13:42.75\00:13:46.55
the law of the spirit of life.
00:13:46.59\00:13:48.39
And what I want to begin it
00:13:48.42\00:13:49.76
by picking up on
something you said
00:13:49.79\00:13:51.33
because unless you understand
00:13:51.36\00:13:56.53
what the law
that Paul is referring
00:13:56.60\00:13:59.70
to that's
really controlling him,
00:13:59.73\00:14:02.20
unless we
understand what that law is,
00:14:02.24\00:14:04.54
then we could
misconstrue thinking
00:14:04.57\00:14:06.24
that Paul is
referring to the commandments
00:14:06.27\00:14:07.98
as being a bad thing
or the ceremonial law
00:14:08.01\00:14:11.08
as being the capturing
aspects of the Jewish economy.
00:14:11.11\00:14:15.88
We could almost
put those two laws
00:14:15.92\00:14:19.25
in contrast to each other
00:14:19.29\00:14:20.76
or make them fight
against one another,
00:14:20.79\00:14:22.89
when in fact God gave them both.
00:14:22.92\00:14:25.53
He gave Moses the Law of Moses,
00:14:25.56\00:14:27.86
and then he also
gave the Ten Commandments.
00:14:27.86\00:14:29.93
And God wouldn't give two laws
00:14:29.96\00:14:31.53
that are out of
harmony with each other
00:14:31.57\00:14:33.70
but one was designed to
lead us to the coming Christ,
00:14:33.74\00:14:37.71
and the other one
was designed to continue
00:14:37.74\00:14:39.51
to amplify the righteousness
of the character of God.
00:14:39.54\00:14:43.08
One had a
particular duration of time,
00:14:43.11\00:14:44.95
the law was added
because of transgression,
00:14:44.98\00:14:46.82
Galatians 3:19.
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.42
But what Paul is
talking about here,
00:14:48.45\00:14:49.78
he's talking about
this thing we're born with.
00:14:49.82\00:14:53.15
When Adam and Eve sinned,
00:14:53.19\00:14:55.52
there was a transitional
change and I want to go first,
00:14:55.56\00:15:00.23
we're going to
talk about this husband.
00:15:00.26\00:15:01.56
Let's talk about
the husband first
00:15:01.60\00:15:03.37
because the husband
to me has a broader...
00:15:03.40\00:15:06.84
Jesus brought this
picture into view in Genesis 3.
00:15:06.87\00:15:11.94
Let's go to
Genesis very quickly.
00:15:11.97\00:15:14.21
He brought this view
00:15:14.28\00:15:15.61
and we know all
of you who are women,
00:15:15.64\00:15:17.55
who are married,
who have children
00:15:17.58\00:15:19.68
and you know that
your husband's seed
00:15:19.71\00:15:23.89
was necessary to
produce children.
00:15:23.92\00:15:28.06
Jesus made it very clear to Eve,
00:15:28.09\00:15:30.66
from now on this is going to
be the condition of humanity.
00:15:30.73\00:15:34.30
You notice what
he says in Genesis 3,
00:15:34.30\00:15:36.77
and I'm going to
begin with verse 16,
00:15:36.83\00:15:39.10
then I'm going to
go back to verse 15.
00:15:39.13\00:15:41.40
"To the woman he said,
00:15:41.44\00:15:44.17
'I will greatly
multiply your sorrow
00:15:44.21\00:15:46.88
and your conception,
00:15:46.94\00:15:48.54
in pain you shall
bring forth children.'"
00:15:48.58\00:15:51.71
In other words when
these children come forth,
00:15:51.75\00:15:53.48
you're going to recognize
the pain of these children
00:15:53.52\00:15:55.98
but then he said
something in verse continuing,
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.42
he says, "Your desire
shall be for your husband,
00:15:58.45\00:16:01.92
and he shall rule over you."
00:16:01.96\00:16:04.16
Now when you think about this,
your desire and your husband,
00:16:04.19\00:16:07.23
Paul uses the same
analogy as husband and wife
00:16:07.23\00:16:10.10
in Romans 7.
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.63
Now desire, this is huge
00:16:11.67\00:16:14.07
because the desire
shall be for her husband.
00:16:14.14\00:16:18.51
In other words, she's
going to prefer her husband,
00:16:18.54\00:16:20.78
and why would she
prefer her husband,
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.71
because her nature has
not been corrupted by sin.
00:16:22.74\00:16:26.01
And the Lord is
immediately connecting
00:16:26.05\00:16:28.28
that to her husband,
00:16:28.32\00:16:29.65
but it gives our
hope in the prior verse.
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.12
Let's look at verse 15
00:16:32.15\00:16:33.99
because he talks about
the husband in verse 16,
00:16:34.06\00:16:36.56
and then he talks
about the seed in verse 15,
00:16:36.59\00:16:40.30
he says, "Now I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
00:16:40.33\00:16:44.13
and between your
seed and her seed,
00:16:44.17\00:16:47.20
he shall bruise your head,
you shall bruise his heel."
00:16:47.24\00:16:51.31
He brings seed,
00:16:51.34\00:16:52.67
woman and husband in
these two verses together.
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.78
Now what do you
need to produce fruit?
00:16:54.81\00:16:57.31
You need seeds. Absolutely.
00:16:57.35\00:16:59.51
The law that
Paul talks about here
00:16:59.55\00:17:01.18
that's producing in
our lives in Galatians
00:17:01.22\00:17:03.52
has two contrast,
we look at all the...
00:17:03.55\00:17:06.19
Before we see the
fruit of the spirit,
00:17:06.22\00:17:08.12
we see the works of the flesh.
00:17:08.16\00:17:10.26
And what I'm suggesting to
you is the fruit of the spirit,
00:17:10.29\00:17:13.36
the fruit has seed,
the seed is from Christ.
00:17:13.43\00:17:18.23
The works of the
flesh also have seed
00:17:18.27\00:17:21.00
and that's from that
husband who controls our desire.
00:17:21.04\00:17:24.31
Now we know the
natural inclination
00:17:24.34\00:17:25.91
is to do wrong
because we have Adam's nature.
00:17:25.94\00:17:28.31
As in Adam all die,
00:17:28.34\00:17:29.68
even so in Christ
all shall be made alive.
00:17:29.71\00:17:32.38
So let's go now to Matthew
7 and let's look at the law.
00:17:32.41\00:17:35.82
Now this is particularly to
me this law of sin and death
00:17:35.85\00:17:41.56
that Paul is talking about,
00:17:41.59\00:17:43.26
the law of sin and death
00:17:43.29\00:17:45.16
because as we are subject
on earth to the law of gravity,
00:17:45.19\00:17:49.23
no one can break
the law of gravity
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.90
within the confines
of earth's atmosphere.
00:17:51.93\00:17:54.64
You've got to go a long way away
00:17:54.67\00:17:56.50
before the law of gravity
00:17:56.54\00:17:57.87
no longer has
any power over you.
00:17:57.91\00:18:00.11
So what I'm saying is as long
00:18:00.14\00:18:01.48
as you're
walking on terra firma,
00:18:01.51\00:18:02.94
the law of gravity has
power, you cannot break that.
00:18:02.98\00:18:06.48
What I'm going to suggest now,
00:18:06.51\00:18:07.85
as long as you're
walking in the nature of Adam,
00:18:07.88\00:18:09.95
you cannot violate that law,
00:18:09.98\00:18:11.72
it will produce in you
the fruit that its seed
00:18:11.75\00:18:15.89
is intended to produce
00:18:15.92\00:18:17.56
which is Galatians 5
brings out all those,
00:18:17.59\00:18:20.33
you know, lying,
stealing, adultery,
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.53
fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness...
00:18:22.56\00:18:24.87
They produce, that's
what's going to happen.
00:18:24.90\00:18:27.37
And when you see
it and when you see it
00:18:27.44\00:18:29.37
as the Bible says,
00:18:29.40\00:18:30.74
"In pain you shall
bring forth children."
00:18:30.81\00:18:32.61
You're going to see all
00:18:32.64\00:18:34.08
these seeds of
corruption in your life.
00:18:34.11\00:18:35.88
It's going to be painful to you.
00:18:35.91\00:18:37.88
But you can't change it
00:18:37.91\00:18:39.25
because you're
married to that man
00:18:39.28\00:18:40.62
but as you said in Romans 7,
00:18:40.65\00:18:42.78
as long as that
man is your husband,
00:18:42.82\00:18:44.35
he is going to
produce that seed in your life
00:18:44.39\00:18:46.35
and that's going
to be the end result
00:18:46.39\00:18:47.89
pain, and suffering, and death,
and all those straits of sin.
00:18:47.92\00:18:51.76
But look at the principle
of this law, Matthew 7:18,
00:18:51.79\00:18:55.80
"A good tree together
cannot bear bad fruit.
00:18:55.83\00:18:59.70
Nor can a bad
tree bear good fruit."
00:18:59.73\00:19:02.04
So here's the key.
00:19:02.07\00:19:03.44
Once the tree, that man of sin,
00:19:03.47\00:19:07.78
that old husband
is still in control,
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.78
you cannot bear good fruit.
00:19:10.81\00:19:14.55
But when Christ is in control,
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.32
this is the beauty of
the righteousness of Jesus.
00:19:16.35\00:19:18.12
When Christ is in control,
you cannot bear bad fruit.
00:19:18.15\00:19:22.59
Amen. You cannot.
00:19:22.62\00:19:24.56
So what's the difference
now? Let's go to Romans 6.
00:19:24.59\00:19:27.86
Romans 6.
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.20
There's a transition,
00:19:29.23\00:19:30.57
we've got a part to play in this
00:19:30.60\00:19:31.93
because some people may
say, "Well, I'm a Christian,
00:19:31.97\00:19:33.34
so why are there bad fruits
still showing up in my life?"
00:19:33.37\00:19:35.64
That's the
challenge to all of us.
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.67
Well, Paul
answers, we must die daily,
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.81
but I'm gonna deeper than that,
00:19:39.84\00:19:41.74
and use the
writings of Paul to say that.
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.98
Romans 6:16, that's exactly
where I'm going, Romans 6:16.
00:19:44.05\00:19:47.98
Here is what I was call
and what Ellen White calls,
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.99
the right action of the
will, you got to decide daily.
00:19:51.02\00:19:55.96
Joshua 24:15, "Choose you today,
00:19:55.99\00:19:59.06
this day whom you will serve."
00:19:59.09\00:20:00.43
Here it is, Roman 6:16,
00:20:00.50\00:20:03.13
"Do you not know
00:20:03.16\00:20:04.90
that to whom you
present yourselves..."
00:20:04.93\00:20:07.04
The King James Version says,
"To whom you yield yourselves,
00:20:07.10\00:20:10.41
slaves to obey,
00:20:10.47\00:20:11.81
you are that one
slave whom you obey,
00:20:11.84\00:20:14.64
whether of sin leading to" what?
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.64
"Death, or of
obedience leading to" what?
00:20:16.71\00:20:19.35
"Righteousness?"
00:20:19.38\00:20:20.72
And so the key is
we've got to decide
00:20:20.78\00:20:22.62
as Christians daily
00:20:22.65\00:20:23.99
because the one thing
that survives baptism,
00:20:24.05\00:20:25.99
you know, first
of all we're safe
00:20:26.02\00:20:27.36
from the penalty of
sin, that's justification.
00:20:27.42\00:20:29.79
That's when we give our
lives to Christ dead, buried,
00:20:29.82\00:20:32.96
walking in the newness
of life on the resurrection.
00:20:32.99\00:20:35.80
Then daily the
sanctifying part is we are safe
00:20:35.83\00:20:38.10
from the power of
sin but only as we yield,
00:20:38.13\00:20:42.50
choose you this day
whom you will serve.
00:20:42.54\00:20:44.57
And so Paul in verses 19
00:20:44.61\00:20:46.34
he makes this clear
what he's talking about.
00:20:46.37\00:20:49.38
He says, "I speak in terms
00:20:49.41\00:20:51.65
because of the
weakness of your flesh.
00:20:51.68\00:20:54.98
For just as you
presented your members as slaves
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.79
of uncleanness
and of lawlessness
00:20:57.82\00:21:01.12
leading to moral lawlessness."
00:21:01.16\00:21:03.66
Now he says,
00:21:03.73\00:21:05.06
"You got to make a
different decision,
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.43
you got to yield in
a different direction."
00:21:06.46\00:21:08.16
So now present your members
00:21:08.20\00:21:09.63
as slaves of
righteousness for what?
00:21:09.66\00:21:12.63
For holiness.
00:21:12.67\00:21:14.20
I like to read here
in Ministry of Healing,
00:21:14.24\00:21:17.51
page 176,
00:21:17.57\00:21:19.31
and it is under the
subtitle everything depends
00:21:19.34\00:21:21.58
on the right action of the will.
00:21:21.61\00:21:23.51
Now remember your desire
shall be for your husband,
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.31
this is important because
Ellen White uses the word,
00:21:25.35\00:21:27.72
desire for goodness and purity
are right as far as they go.
00:21:27.75\00:21:31.49
But if we stop
here, they avail nothing.
00:21:31.52\00:21:35.66
Many will go down to
ruin while hoping and desiring
00:21:35.69\00:21:40.76
to overcome their
evil propensities.
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.50
They do not
yield the will to God.
00:21:43.53\00:21:46.20
They do not choose to serve Him.
00:21:46.23\00:21:48.74
And so I have
recently over the last five,
00:21:48.77\00:21:50.54
six months or so,
00:21:50.57\00:21:51.91
I've adopted a new
idea about this whole thing.
00:21:51.94\00:21:54.34
We cannot choose what to do
but we can choose who to serve.
00:21:54.38\00:21:59.25
Because when we
choose who to deserve,
00:21:59.28\00:22:00.72
he is the husband.
00:22:00.75\00:22:02.42
He's going to produce in us
righteousness or lawlessness.
00:22:02.45\00:22:06.62
When Jesus is the husband,
He produces righteousness.
00:22:06.65\00:22:10.13
But if we allow that old
man to come back to life,
00:22:10.16\00:22:12.33
he's going to produce
00:22:12.36\00:22:13.70
all manner of evil as Paul says,
00:22:13.73\00:22:16.10
Romans 7:23,
00:22:16.13\00:22:17.47
"I see another
law in my members,
00:22:17.53\00:22:19.67
warring against
the law of my mind,
00:22:19.70\00:22:21.87
bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin
00:22:21.90\00:22:24.01
which is in my members."
00:22:24.07\00:22:25.41
That law of sin is
what I'm referring to,
00:22:25.44\00:22:27.74
that law of sin
that controlling.
00:22:27.78\00:22:30.61
It is first an enslaving power
and then a controlling power.
00:22:30.65\00:22:36.05
When we yield, we are enslaved.
00:22:36.08\00:22:39.09
And then he controls
00:22:39.12\00:22:40.62
and the seed naturally produces
the results in our lives,
00:22:40.66\00:22:44.43
and Galatians
brings out all those seeds.
00:22:44.46\00:22:46.90
But let me wind
up on this point.
00:22:46.96\00:22:48.56
I like the fact that
00:22:48.60\00:22:49.93
the Lord has given
us a way to break this.
00:22:50.00\00:22:51.53
Galatians 2:20,
00:22:51.57\00:22:52.97
"I have been
crucified with Christ.
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.94
It is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me.
00:22:55.97\00:22:58.87
And the life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:22:58.91\00:23:01.51
this flesh we have every day,
00:23:01.54\00:23:03.18
I live by faith
in the Son of God,
00:23:03.21\00:23:04.98
who loved me, and
gave Himself for me."
00:23:05.01\00:23:07.78
When we allow Christ to come in,
00:23:07.82\00:23:09.68
that old man is dead
and daily the fruit is born
00:23:09.72\00:23:13.02
under the
righteousness of Christ.
00:23:13.05\00:23:14.62
Amen. Pastor CA.
00:23:14.66\00:23:15.99
Amen. Amen.
00:23:16.02\00:23:17.36
I just have to add one thing
00:23:17.43\00:23:18.76
because that was
so beautifully done.
00:23:18.79\00:23:20.13
I have a fairly
extensive study on the world
00:23:20.16\00:23:22.00
using many of those same quotes
00:23:22.03\00:23:23.47
that we've been
talking about among ourselves,
00:23:23.53\00:23:26.53
and I always,
00:23:26.57\00:23:27.90
it has always occurred to me
00:23:27.94\00:23:29.27
that to use the will not
to do something is incorrect
00:23:29.30\00:23:31.64
use of the will.
00:23:31.67\00:23:33.01
If you have an addiction or
something and you're saying,
00:23:33.04\00:23:35.04
I'm going to use my
will not to think about this.
00:23:35.08\00:23:39.05
And it's
incorrect use of the will.
00:23:39.08\00:23:40.48
There are some days
00:23:40.52\00:23:41.85
when you can
put down a cigarette
00:23:41.88\00:23:43.22
through the force of your will.
00:23:43.25\00:23:45.09
Today I'm not going to smoke
and you defeat it that day.
00:23:45.12\00:23:48.79
But tomorrow you lose to it
00:23:48.82\00:23:50.89
because your will is
not enough to sustain you.
00:23:50.93\00:23:52.89
What you've got a
will to do is serve Jesus
00:23:52.93\00:23:55.26
and then He works
out His will through you,
00:23:55.30\00:23:57.97
then comes your victory,
00:23:58.00\00:23:59.33
that's the
correct use of the will.
00:23:59.37\00:24:00.77
And if you put down
00:24:00.84\00:24:02.17
the cigarette
today without Jesus,
00:24:02.20\00:24:05.31
who's going to
turn for the cigarette
00:24:05.34\00:24:06.68
you smoke yesterday,
or the day before that,
00:24:06.71\00:24:08.28
you still need Christ
00:24:08.31\00:24:09.71
because you cannot be
righteous without Him,
00:24:09.74\00:24:11.18
so thank you, man.
00:24:11.21\00:24:12.55
We've talked about this
00:24:12.58\00:24:13.92
and we've gone
through this before,
00:24:13.95\00:24:15.28
it's good stuff.
00:24:15.32\00:24:16.69
And I got to rebuttal,
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.05
it is giving your
will over to Christ
00:24:18.09\00:24:19.42
and let him become no longer
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.12
I who live but
Christ living in me.
00:24:21.16\00:24:22.96
Well said. Well said.
00:24:22.99\00:24:24.89
We could go back on this
word for a good lifetime.
00:24:24.93\00:24:27.00
This is a two hour
study, if we don't get an hour,
00:24:27.03\00:24:28.63
that's terrible.
00:24:28.66\00:24:30.03
Yeah, the law is
holy I'm on to...
00:24:30.07\00:24:31.97
I'm going to try to
stay in a very narrow lane
00:24:32.00\00:24:34.14
because there's so much stuff
00:24:34.20\00:24:35.64
and this is such
a good study that
00:24:35.67\00:24:37.71
and it flows so
easily one to the other.
00:24:37.74\00:24:40.04
I just want to read Romans 7:12,
00:24:40.08\00:24:44.21
it's a fairly short scripture
00:24:44.25\00:24:47.48
but it is pregnant with meaning.
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.35
"Therefore the law is
holy, and the commandment holy,
00:24:50.39\00:24:53.62
just and good."
00:24:53.66\00:24:55.76
As I said before,
00:24:55.79\00:24:57.13
you will find that Paul
repeats, repeats, repeats,
00:24:57.19\00:25:00.83
of course, repetition
does deepen the impression.
00:25:00.86\00:25:03.67
But since he's bringing
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.23
some radical new
concepts into play,
00:25:05.27\00:25:08.57
he repeats them
and comes to them
00:25:08.60\00:25:12.01
from many directions,
00:25:12.04\00:25:13.38
you know, in sermonizing
00:25:13.41\00:25:15.84
when you take
your harmless glasses
00:25:15.88\00:25:17.35
and say try to hit it one way,
00:25:17.38\00:25:18.95
half will get it in and
try to hit it another way
00:25:18.98\00:25:20.92
and then try to
hit it a third way.
00:25:20.95\00:25:23.39
And some people will
get it the first time,
00:25:23.42\00:25:25.32
some will get it
in the second time,
00:25:25.35\00:25:26.69
some will get it in a third.
00:25:26.76\00:25:28.09
And so Paul is doing that.
00:25:28.12\00:25:29.46
Paul is dealing with
the necessity of the law,
00:25:29.49\00:25:32.73
the value of the law,
the purpose of the law,
00:25:32.76\00:25:35.50
the power of the law,
the purview of the law,
00:25:35.53\00:25:38.43
and now he becomes
very intellectually honest
00:25:38.47\00:25:40.74
by talking about man versus law.
00:25:40.80\00:25:43.47
How does what I have said to you
00:25:43.51\00:25:45.91
in the previous
several chapters,
00:25:45.94\00:25:47.34
how do I relate to that?
00:25:47.38\00:25:48.98
And as such how
can you relate to that?
00:25:49.01\00:25:51.68
So I like the fact
00:25:51.71\00:25:54.12
that he is
intellectually honest,
00:25:54.18\00:25:55.52
he doesn't come
to this discussion
00:25:55.55\00:25:57.95
as one saying, I
got this all together.
00:25:57.99\00:26:01.32
He is showing us now
in the next two chapters
00:26:01.36\00:26:03.99
that I'm struggling to now.
00:26:04.06\00:26:05.76
Some say this is
autobiographical,
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.66
some say it is not.
00:26:07.66\00:26:09.63
That's not really
the crux of the argument,
00:26:09.66\00:26:11.80
it's not really important.
00:26:11.83\00:26:13.17
What is important
00:26:13.20\00:26:14.54
is that somebody
is going through this,
00:26:14.57\00:26:17.04
somebody was
going through it then
00:26:17.11\00:26:18.44
and somebody is
going through it now.
00:26:18.47\00:26:19.94
So whether it's
autobiographical or not,
00:26:19.97\00:26:21.74
it's not really that
important save to say
00:26:21.78\00:26:24.95
that all God's people
will wrestle with these issues
00:26:24.98\00:26:28.62
at some point in
their Christian walk.
00:26:28.65\00:26:30.59
You've got to ask
00:26:30.62\00:26:31.95
how much does Jesus mean to me
00:26:31.99\00:26:33.96
and how much am I willing
to surrender my life to Jesus?
00:26:33.99\00:26:37.13
Success only comes through total
00:26:37.16\00:26:38.83
and complete surrender.
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.20
So the lesson asked
the question at its outset.
00:26:40.23\00:26:43.20
How do I
understand this text in light,
00:26:43.23\00:26:46.80
then in the context of what Paul
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.24
has been discussing?
00:26:48.27\00:26:49.60
Well, again he's talking
about the necessity of the value
00:26:49.64\00:26:52.31
of the purpose of the purview
and power of in man versus law.
00:26:52.34\00:26:58.21
The idea of law
settles into a nice place
00:26:58.25\00:27:03.08
when we realize and reaffirm.
00:27:03.12\00:27:05.35
And Paul does this
over and over again.
00:27:05.39\00:27:07.99
What the purpose of the law is
00:27:08.02\00:27:10.79
and that that's
foundational to everything
00:27:10.86\00:27:13.19
that when you
talk about coming out
00:27:13.23\00:27:15.30
from under the law or
not being saved by the law.
00:27:15.33\00:27:19.10
When you understand what
the law is supposed to do,
00:27:19.13\00:27:21.67
you can use a
brick to drive a nail.
00:27:21.70\00:27:25.67
It's not the most efficient way
00:27:25.71\00:27:27.91
because that's not
the purpose of a brick,
00:27:27.94\00:27:29.51
you can do it
00:27:29.54\00:27:30.88
but that's not the
purpose of a brick.
00:27:30.95\00:27:32.45
So when we talk about the
law and you try to use the law
00:27:32.48\00:27:35.72
as a means of righteousness
you're trying to drive a nail
00:27:35.75\00:27:37.92
with the brick,
00:27:37.95\00:27:39.29
it's not what the
law is intended to do.
00:27:39.32\00:27:41.09
It was intended to
show you some other things.
00:27:41.12\00:27:43.19
So Paul returns to that
in this particular passage.
00:27:43.22\00:27:49.00
And I want to just
run through quickly.
00:27:49.03\00:27:50.37
Give you a bunch of text
00:27:50.43\00:27:51.77
that I don't have
time to go through
00:27:51.80\00:27:53.13
but they all deal
00:27:53.17\00:27:54.50
with the necessity value
purpose purview of the law.
00:27:54.54\00:27:57.41
We looked at Romans 3:20,
00:27:57.47\00:27:59.94
James 2:10, Ephesians 2:8-10,
00:28:00.04\00:28:04.21
we talked about
that, and 1 John 2:3-6.
00:28:04.28\00:28:08.72
If I had time I
would go through them all
00:28:08.75\00:28:10.22
but we got so much to say.
00:28:10.25\00:28:12.39
The law is holy just and good.
00:28:12.42\00:28:14.49
Now we know that
he's talking about
00:28:14.52\00:28:17.06
and, Jill, you
mentioned this before
00:28:17.09\00:28:18.43
that he's talking
about the Ten Commandments
00:28:18.46\00:28:20.16
because he says,
00:28:20.23\00:28:21.53
"I would not have
known covetousness,"
00:28:21.56\00:28:22.90
so that, that establishes for us
00:28:22.93\00:28:24.77
what he's talking
about, that is in Romans 7:7.
00:28:24.80\00:28:28.47
And then again it
is repeated in 11:9,
00:28:28.50\00:28:30.94
so we know he's talking
about the Ten Commandments
00:28:30.97\00:28:33.11
as being holy, just and good.
00:28:33.14\00:28:37.25
And I want to
just run through holy,
00:28:37.28\00:28:38.61
just and good.
00:28:38.65\00:28:40.02
Holy, interestingly enough
here the root word hagios,
00:28:40.05\00:28:43.99
or hagios is the same
word that is used sometimes
00:28:44.02\00:28:47.56
for sanctification,
for blamelessness,
00:28:47.59\00:28:50.03
and for
consecration and sanctity.
00:28:50.06\00:28:52.39
So he's talking about something
00:28:52.43\00:28:54.60
that is holy and
that helps us to be holy.
00:28:54.63\00:29:01.00
Same root words
00:29:01.04\00:29:02.44
so when you come
from the same root
00:29:02.47\00:29:04.24
you're going to the same place.
00:29:04.27\00:29:07.21
The commandment is just.
00:29:07.24\00:29:10.38
The word deals with
being equitable and innocent
00:29:10.41\00:29:14.28
and I really
like that combination
00:29:14.35\00:29:15.95
if you study into the
Greek, equitable and innocent.
00:29:15.98\00:29:18.95
The law is not
trying to hurt anybody,
00:29:18.99\00:29:22.22
it's not trying
to destroy anybody,
00:29:22.26\00:29:24.46
what it's trying
to do is show you
00:29:24.49\00:29:25.83
where you're wrong.
00:29:25.86\00:29:27.23
It's innocent,
it's hands are open,
00:29:27.23\00:29:28.56
there's nothing
hidden, nothing secret,
00:29:28.60\00:29:31.53
it's just trying to keep you
going in the right direction.
00:29:31.57\00:29:34.77
So it is equitable and innocent.
00:29:34.80\00:29:37.31
In other words,
God is not planning,
00:29:37.34\00:29:38.74
trying to play
any angle, Shelley.
00:29:38.77\00:29:41.04
He is not
trying to keep you out,
00:29:41.08\00:29:42.91
He's trying to get you in.
00:29:42.94\00:29:44.58
You know, and
we need to remember
00:29:44.61\00:29:46.08
that when we look at the
law, He's trying to get us in.
00:29:46.11\00:29:48.15
So the law is
innocent, it is what it is,
00:29:48.18\00:29:51.52
it is a transcript
of the character of God.
00:29:51.55\00:29:53.86
It is a pure, innocent thing
00:29:53.89\00:29:56.59
that is trying to do its
best to keep you in line.
00:29:56.62\00:30:00.90
That's what it does.
00:30:00.93\00:30:02.23
And that word is dikaiosyne.
00:30:02.26\00:30:07.40
And then good.
00:30:07.44\00:30:10.94
Several words but the one
00:30:10.97\00:30:14.71
that I like the
best is beneficial,
00:30:14.74\00:30:17.75
the law is beneficial,
it is of benefit to you.
00:30:17.78\00:30:21.08
It will make you better.
00:30:21.12\00:30:22.45
It will show you
where you are going wrong.
00:30:22.48\00:30:25.25
It will keep you
in the right way.
00:30:25.29\00:30:27.12
It will help you to
walk with God and show you.
00:30:27.16\00:30:30.89
It's beneficial to your walk.
00:30:30.93\00:30:32.99
Not only it's beneficial,
it's necessary to your walk,
00:30:33.03\00:30:36.16
you cannot walk straight...
00:30:36.20\00:30:40.57
apart from the law.
00:30:40.60\00:30:41.94
The law keeps
you in the right...
00:30:41.97\00:30:44.97
Well, I'm
tempted to tell a story
00:30:45.01\00:30:46.34
but I'm looking at
the time, we can't do it.
00:30:46.37\00:30:49.74
The Bible says or
the lesson says rather
00:30:49.78\00:30:52.08
because the
Jews revered the law,
00:30:52.11\00:30:54.62
Paul exalted in
every way possible.
00:30:54.65\00:30:56.38
In other words, the
way to get to a man's heart
00:30:56.42\00:30:58.35
is through a stomach
if he is a good eater.
00:30:58.39\00:31:00.16
The way to get to the
Jews is to try to do it
00:31:00.19\00:31:02.16
through and
exposition of the law.
00:31:02.19\00:31:04.16
So Paul is like
Christ a tactician,
00:31:04.23\00:31:07.40
he knows his people,
he knows his audience,
00:31:07.40\00:31:09.70
and he knows how
to get through them,
00:31:09.73\00:31:11.43
trying to trash the law.
00:31:11.47\00:31:13.50
First of all it's
biblically unsound,
00:31:13.54\00:31:14.87
but secondly it
just wouldn't work
00:31:14.90\00:31:16.24
with these people,
it just would not work.
00:31:16.27\00:31:18.14
So he's uplifting the law
but he's giving them the way,
00:31:18.17\00:31:22.11
the law ought to be used.
00:31:22.14\00:31:24.31
Now quickly on my last...
00:31:24.35\00:31:25.68
Oh, my goodness, time.
00:31:25.71\00:31:27.08
Who does he blame?
Who does Paul blame?
00:31:30.15\00:31:31.59
He blames the
law in his own flesh,
00:31:31.62\00:31:34.82
or rather sin.
00:31:34.86\00:31:36.32
Got to get that straight,
he bring sin in his own flesh.
00:31:36.36\00:31:40.16
The law is not weak,
00:31:40.20\00:31:42.60
he is weak through sinful flesh.
00:31:42.63\00:31:44.63
And that's what he's
saying, that I want to do right,
00:31:44.67\00:31:50.24
the law shows
me how to do right.
00:31:50.27\00:31:53.01
But if I try in my own flesh,
I'm defeated before I begin.
00:31:53.04\00:31:56.98
How can an unrighteous
person keep a righteous holy law
00:31:57.01\00:32:02.78
that is the expression
of a righteous holy God?
00:32:02.82\00:32:05.42
It's just, it's non sequitur.
00:32:05.45\00:32:07.56
If an unrighteousness
person is going to meet
00:32:07.59\00:32:10.13
the demands of a righteous law,
00:32:10.16\00:32:11.89
he's got to have the
righteousness of that law
00:32:11.93\00:32:14.56
giver working in him.
00:32:14.56\00:32:16.23
And that's what Paul is saying,
00:32:16.26\00:32:20.44
"I don't have the
ability to resist,
00:32:20.50\00:32:22.70
I don't have the
ability to keep up with the law,
00:32:22.74\00:32:25.87
I don't have the ability
to meet the dictates of law,
00:32:25.91\00:32:29.64
but in Christ I am
more than a conqueror.
00:32:29.68\00:32:32.85
In Christ I can do these things.
00:32:32.88\00:32:35.18
In Christ I can meet
the demands of the law.
00:32:35.22\00:32:39.82
And that segues my dear lady
00:32:39.85\00:32:42.36
into what you are
going to be talking about,
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.36
in fact what both of
you are going to talk about.
00:32:44.39\00:32:47.46
I am almost
breaking a commandment,
00:32:47.50\00:32:49.33
I'm jealous
because you get to go
00:32:49.36\00:32:50.70
into this good stuff,
00:32:50.73\00:32:52.07
so I'm almost
covetous, and Paul says,
00:32:52.10\00:32:55.57
"I would not have
known covetousness except,
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.54
I saw this and
I know you got it,
00:32:57.57\00:32:58.91
so now I know covetousness,
so, Mollie, take it away.
00:32:58.94\00:33:01.78
Well, the portion that
I have is for a Wednesday
00:33:01.81\00:33:04.85
and it's the man
of Romans Sabbath.
00:33:04.88\00:33:07.42
And the scripture
that I'm going to cover
00:33:07.45\00:33:09.75
is Romans 7:16-20.
00:33:09.78\00:33:12.65
So turn to those
scriptures if you will please.
00:33:12.69\00:33:16.52
Now I want you to know something
00:33:16.56\00:33:18.73
in these scriptures
that we're about to cover,
00:33:18.76\00:33:21.53
Paul uses the word I 13 times,
00:33:21.56\00:33:25.93
and he uses the word
may or might 5 times.
00:33:25.97\00:33:30.94
So again CA
alluded earlier to the fact
00:33:30.97\00:33:33.88
that there is some controversy
00:33:33.94\00:33:35.78
and I'm going to look
at that controversy here
00:33:35.81\00:33:37.41
in just a moment.
00:33:37.45\00:33:38.78
But right now let's
read these scriptures again,
00:33:38.81\00:33:41.25
it's Romans 7:16-20.
00:33:41.28\00:33:44.65
"If then I do,
what I will not to do,
00:33:44.69\00:33:48.92
I agree with the
law that it is good.
00:33:48.96\00:33:51.46
But now it is no
longer I who do it,
00:33:51.49\00:33:54.93
but sin that dwells in
me, for I know that in me,
00:33:54.93\00:34:01.47
that is in my
flesh, nothing good dwells,
00:34:01.50\00:34:04.97
for to will is to
is present with me,
00:34:05.01\00:34:08.38
but how to perform
what is good I do not find.
00:34:08.41\00:34:12.18
For the good that I
will to do, I do not do,
00:34:12.21\00:34:15.68
but the evil I will
not to do that I practice.
00:34:15.72\00:34:20.29
Now if I do what
I will not to do,
00:34:20.36\00:34:23.16
it is no longer I who do
it but sin that dwells in me."
00:34:23.19\00:34:29.96
Well, Paul could be
speaking illustratively.
00:34:30.03\00:34:33.90
The most obvious way to take it
00:34:33.94\00:34:36.77
is that he is
speaking of his own experience.
00:34:36.81\00:34:39.37
Now here's what the question
are what some will argue
00:34:39.41\00:34:43.61
that this is
before Paul was converted,
00:34:43.65\00:34:46.38
others will argue no,
00:34:46.41\00:34:47.78
this is after Paul is converted,
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.68
or if it's illustratively
00:34:49.72\00:34:51.89
it's before someone is converted
00:34:51.92\00:34:53.82
or after someone is converted,
00:34:53.86\00:34:55.86
and I'm not a theologian
and I don't argue anyway.
00:34:55.89\00:34:59.63
Obviously his experience
00:34:59.66\00:35:02.66
is
representative of the experience
00:35:02.70\00:35:06.27
of all who have
struggled against sin.
00:35:06.30\00:35:08.60
So let me ask
everybody on this panel,
00:35:08.64\00:35:10.64
have you struggled with sin?
00:35:10.71\00:35:12.04
Absolutely.
00:35:12.07\00:35:13.41
So it can, it is
applicable to me in my
00:35:13.44\00:35:17.78
and I've made Jesus
Christ the Lord of my life.
00:35:17.81\00:35:20.72
I love the Lord Jesus
Christ. Do you know what?
00:35:20.75\00:35:24.02
There are times I want,
00:35:24.09\00:35:25.42
I have to say I'm going
to do this and you know what?
00:35:25.45\00:35:27.26
I don't do it,
00:35:27.29\00:35:28.62
then those things I
say I will never do,
00:35:28.66\00:35:30.96
I wind up doing.
00:35:30.99\00:35:32.33
But this is
something that I think
00:35:32.36\00:35:35.00
we are all coming
into the knowledge of...
00:35:35.03\00:35:37.67
And all of us must
come into the knowledge,
00:35:37.70\00:35:40.70
within myself I can do nothing.
00:35:40.74\00:35:43.27
But we're going to
look at a scripture,
00:35:43.30\00:35:45.34
I'll go ahead and share
that scripture with you.
00:35:45.37\00:35:47.24
We'll look at it.
00:35:47.28\00:35:48.68
I can do all things,
00:35:48.71\00:35:51.78
but it's only through
Christ as He strengthens you.
00:35:51.81\00:35:55.52
Let me finish this.
00:35:55.55\00:35:59.12
We all must learn
from Paul's experience,
00:35:59.15\00:36:02.52
it's the same
struggle we all contend with.
00:36:02.56\00:36:05.49
And here's what
that struggle is,
00:36:05.53\00:36:08.10
how to live a
yielded surrender life
00:36:08.13\00:36:13.07
as opposed to self sufficiency.
00:36:13.10\00:36:17.14
That's good.
00:36:17.21\00:36:18.57
Trusting in the Lord, in
every area and relationship
00:36:18.61\00:36:22.94
and still that's
trusting in I can do it myself.
00:36:22.98\00:36:26.61
And you know
that's a hard thing to do
00:36:26.65\00:36:29.08
and we've talked in
lessons past of how it is
00:36:29.12\00:36:33.36
so much easier
for us to do something
00:36:33.39\00:36:38.79
to earn our
salvation than to have faith,
00:36:38.83\00:36:42.60
faith you can't see.
00:36:42.63\00:36:44.23
And we as
Christians must walk by faith,
00:36:44.27\00:36:47.44
not by sight,
not by what we see.
00:36:47.50\00:36:50.57
And that faith
in Him is something
00:36:50.61\00:36:53.24
that's a learning process.
00:36:53.27\00:36:55.11
So what I
thought I would do today
00:36:55.14\00:36:58.61
is look at what
the root problem is.
00:36:58.65\00:37:01.98
Let's go to the root.
00:37:02.02\00:37:03.55
What is the root
problem in this situation?
00:37:03.62\00:37:07.72
And I think the root problem is
00:37:07.76\00:37:10.46
that in trying to do
things in our own strength
00:37:10.49\00:37:14.50
what we don't realize
00:37:14.56\00:37:16.40
is the sinfulness
of our own hearts.
00:37:16.43\00:37:20.14
We think we're
about ready for sainthood.
00:37:20.17\00:37:23.81
When in reality we are
selfish, or self-centered,
00:37:23.84\00:37:27.51
or
self-seeking, or self-serving,
00:37:27.58\00:37:29.71
we can do it ourselves.
00:37:29.74\00:37:32.08
And so and I'm
thinking of an illustration
00:37:32.11\00:37:36.35
that we have over in Exodus,
00:37:36.38\00:37:38.15
remember when God
gave Moses the covenant
00:37:38.19\00:37:44.59
and he came and he presented
that covenant to the people.
00:37:44.63\00:37:48.43
And what did
the people in unison
00:37:48.46\00:37:50.87
all of them say
concerning that covenant?
00:37:50.93\00:37:53.40
All that Lord has
said we're gonna do.
00:37:53.44\00:37:57.57
Okay, how much longer was it
00:37:57.61\00:37:59.77
before they were
dancing before a graven image?
00:37:59.81\00:38:02.41
Forty days.
00:38:02.44\00:38:04.31
Just in no time they had
totally broken the covenant.
00:38:04.35\00:38:08.18
Sister White says this,
00:38:08.22\00:38:10.22
"The people did not realize
00:38:10.25\00:38:12.32
the sinfulness of
their own hearts."
00:38:12.35\00:38:14.96
I'm concerned
that's where we all can be
00:38:14.99\00:38:18.69
and that without Christ
00:38:18.73\00:38:20.43
it was impossible for
them to keep God's law
00:38:20.46\00:38:24.77
and they readily
entered into a covenant
00:38:24.80\00:38:27.57
with God feeling
that they were able
00:38:27.64\00:38:29.80
to establish
their own righteousness.
00:38:29.84\00:38:32.74
They declared all
that the Lord had said
00:38:32.77\00:38:36.08
will we do and be
obedient but they weren't.
00:38:36.11\00:38:39.41
Now, did they
have good intentions?
00:38:39.45\00:38:41.72
Did they mean well? Were they?
00:38:41.75\00:38:43.92
You know, that's
self deception, is it not?
00:38:43.99\00:38:47.26
What's the scripture say?
00:38:47.29\00:38:50.16
"Be a doer of the
word, not a hearer."
00:38:50.23\00:38:52.93
The Amplified says,
00:38:52.96\00:38:54.30
"Not a forgetful hearer
deceiving your own selves.
00:38:54.30\00:38:58.87
They were in self deception.
00:38:58.90\00:39:00.80
They were saying we can do this
00:39:00.87\00:39:02.50
but they
couldn't and they didn't.
00:39:02.54\00:39:04.61
Jeremiah 17:9 says,
00:39:04.64\00:39:08.18
Remember we're
looking at the root problem
00:39:08.21\00:39:10.48
because when I show
you the root problem,
00:39:10.51\00:39:12.41
I want to show you
also the root solution.
00:39:12.45\00:39:15.72
Don't come to me with a problem
00:39:15.75\00:39:17.32
if you can't come
to me with a solution.
00:39:17.35\00:39:19.49
Root problem, Jeremiah 17:9,
00:39:19.52\00:39:22.42
"The heart is
deceitful above all things
00:39:22.46\00:39:27.60
and desperately
wicked who can know it?"
00:39:27.66\00:39:30.67
So Paul says
that the very things
00:39:30.70\00:39:34.90
he means to do
that he doesn't do,
00:39:34.94\00:39:37.41
and those things
he has determined
00:39:37.44\00:39:39.34
not to do anymore
he finds himself doing.
00:39:39.37\00:39:42.34
In our self-reliance,
00:39:42.38\00:39:44.15
we find ourselves
doing those things.
00:39:44.18\00:39:47.25
And just ask yourself,
00:39:47.32\00:39:49.05
how many times have
you said I just can't,
00:39:49.08\00:39:51.22
I can never do this, ever again,
00:39:51.25\00:39:53.76
I am never going
to tell another lie.
00:39:53.79\00:39:57.23
And then you find yourself
telling whopper gullies.
00:39:57.26\00:40:00.60
You all know what
whopper gullies are?
00:40:00.63\00:40:02.53
Pagans.
00:40:02.56\00:40:03.93
And so, but when
you go to God and say,
00:40:03.97\00:40:06.70
"God in my own
strength I cannot overcome this,
00:40:06.74\00:40:10.27
but Lord if You will
help me, then I'll overcome.
00:40:10.31\00:40:14.04
Then He will help you."
00:40:14.08\00:40:15.51
Amen.
00:40:15.54\00:40:16.91
Our only hope is
coming to the realization
00:40:16.95\00:40:19.21
that in our ability we
are destined to failure.
00:40:19.25\00:40:22.68
Now here's what we
need to do, step number one,
00:40:22.72\00:40:26.12
on how to recognize
that you have a sinful heart
00:40:26.15\00:40:29.56
and in your own
strength you can't do it.
00:40:29.59\00:40:31.63
Step number one, you
know what step number one is?
00:40:31.66\00:40:33.96
Repent of our self-reliance
instead of God-reliance.
00:40:34.00\00:40:39.00
Repent would be 1 John 1:9,
00:40:39.03\00:40:42.30
"If we confess our sins,
00:40:42.34\00:40:43.97
He is faithful
00:40:44.04\00:40:45.37
and just to
forgive us of our sins,
00:40:45.41\00:40:47.64
and then cleanse
us from that lying,
00:40:47.68\00:40:50.28
from that
cheating, from that stealing,
00:40:50.31\00:40:51.81
anything that you
will give to God."
00:40:51.85\00:40:54.15
And that word
repent doesn't mean...
00:40:54.18\00:40:57.05
To repent means
to not just explain
00:40:57.12\00:41:00.16
or not just
acknowledge that you've done.
00:41:00.19\00:41:02.79
It means to turn away from it.
00:41:02.82\00:41:04.93
And here are some scriptures
00:41:04.96\00:41:07.40
that I want you
to write these down,
00:41:07.40\00:41:08.96
I'm going to quote them for you.
00:41:09.00\00:41:10.87
But it's Psalms 139:23-24,
00:41:10.93\00:41:15.24
here's some
scriptures we can pray.
00:41:15.27\00:41:17.51
That would be,
00:41:17.57\00:41:18.91
"Search me, O God,
and know my heart."
00:41:18.94\00:41:21.58
Now what is desperately
wicked above all things?
00:41:21.61\00:41:23.95
That's your heart.
00:41:24.01\00:41:25.35
We do not know
what's in our hearts.
00:41:25.38\00:41:27.08
Search me, O God,
the Psalmist says,
00:41:27.12\00:41:29.22
"And know my heart, try
me and know my anxieties,
00:41:29.25\00:41:32.79
that would be my thoughts.
00:41:32.82\00:41:34.22
And see if there is
any wicked way in me,
00:41:34.26\00:41:37.03
and lead me in
the way everlasting."
00:41:37.09\00:41:38.56
How many of you want God
to show you the wickedness
00:41:38.59\00:41:41.43
that's in you so
you can confess it,
00:41:41.46\00:41:43.63
repent of it, and
turn away from it.
00:41:43.70\00:41:45.83
This is like having
an investigative judgment
00:41:45.87\00:41:48.57
before the
investigative judgment.
00:41:48.60\00:41:50.54
Let's get this stuff out of
us while there is still time.
00:41:50.57\00:41:54.31
Don't be shortsighted,
this isn't all there is,
00:41:54.34\00:41:56.78
there is an eternity to begin.
00:41:56.81\00:41:59.05
Psalms 139:13,
00:41:59.08\00:42:01.92
"Keep back your
servant from presumptuous sins,
00:42:01.95\00:42:05.72
let them not
have dominion over me,
00:42:05.75\00:42:07.99
then I shall be blameless,
00:42:08.02\00:42:09.62
and I shall be innocent
of great transgression."
00:42:09.66\00:42:12.96
One last word one
in that Psalms 19:14,
00:42:12.99\00:42:16.87
"Let the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart
00:42:16.93\00:42:21.90
be acceptable in your sight.
00:42:21.94\00:42:23.97
O Lord, my
strength and my redeemer."
00:42:24.01\00:42:26.47
Doesn't really matter
00:42:26.51\00:42:28.21
whether the struggle is
before or after salvation,
00:42:28.24\00:42:32.71
what is important is
what we're doing now,
00:42:32.75\00:42:35.85
that we've made Jesus
Christ the Lord of our life.
00:42:35.88\00:42:38.25
We've been transformed
out of the kingdom of darkness
00:42:38.29\00:42:41.06
into the kingdom
of God's dear Son.
00:42:41.09\00:42:43.09
Now let's live God
like in Christ Jesus.
00:42:43.12\00:42:46.33
Amen and amen.
00:42:46.36\00:42:47.83
Mollie, perfect set
up because, you know,
00:42:47.86\00:42:50.60
when you think
about the law of God,
00:42:50.63\00:42:52.57
it was the moral law of God
00:42:52.60\00:42:55.40
was in place before Sinai,
00:42:55.44\00:42:59.61
then the Law of Moses was added
00:42:59.64\00:43:03.18
because of transgressions
with all the civil laws
00:43:03.21\00:43:06.21
and it had to have
the ceremonial laws.
00:43:06.25\00:43:08.88
And Moses thought this
was such a glorious law
00:43:08.92\00:43:11.99
and that anybody who love God
00:43:12.02\00:43:13.96
should ought to
be able to keep it.
00:43:13.99\00:43:16.56
But he didn't recognize
00:43:16.59\00:43:18.63
what Paul is
about to say right now,
00:43:18.66\00:43:21.56
about this law of sin
that's in our members.
00:43:21.60\00:43:24.83
But Paul being a good
Pharisee of Pharisees,
00:43:24.87\00:43:30.97
he had a love
for the Law of Moses.
00:43:31.01\00:43:35.11
Did he not? He of course did.
00:43:35.14\00:43:38.11
And now he's saying
but I could never keep it.
00:43:38.15\00:43:42.15
It is important
for us to recognize
00:43:42.18\00:43:44.29
that the Ten Commandments
00:43:44.32\00:43:46.05
were not just
before Mount Sinai,
00:43:46.09\00:43:49.09
they were given in part of
00:43:49.12\00:43:51.79
the Mosaic
covenant at Mount Sinai.
00:43:51.83\00:43:54.30
But they were also then later
00:43:54.30\00:43:56.00
written in
stone by God and said,
00:43:56.03\00:43:58.63
"Put it inside the ark
00:43:58.67\00:44:01.20
because it's the
foundation of His government,
00:44:01.24\00:44:03.51
and then they become the
heart of the new covenant."
00:44:03.54\00:44:06.78
So we all have to figure out,
how are we going to do this?
00:44:06.81\00:44:10.08
So let's look at Romans 7:21.
00:44:10.15\00:44:14.68
You know we're talking about
00:44:14.72\00:44:16.42
how we can be
saved from this man
00:44:16.45\00:44:20.66
that this wretched man.
00:44:20.69\00:44:22.39
Romans 7:21, Paul says,
00:44:22.42\00:44:23.93
"I find then a law, that
evil is present within me,
00:44:23.96\00:44:28.70
the one who wills to do good.
00:44:28.73\00:44:31.47
For I delight in the law of
God according to my inward man.
00:44:31.50\00:44:36.04
But I see another
law in my members,
00:44:36.07\00:44:38.54
warring against
the law of my mind,
00:44:38.57\00:44:40.94
and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin
00:44:40.98\00:44:45.65
which is in my members."
00:44:45.68\00:44:48.18
This is a summary of
man's spiritual experience
00:44:48.22\00:44:51.65
as far as I'm concerned.
00:44:51.69\00:44:53.32
There's a conflict
between these two laws.
00:44:53.36\00:44:57.59
God's perfect holy
moral law in our inward man,
00:44:57.63\00:45:03.06
all we want to keep it,
00:45:03.10\00:45:04.67
we desire to
please God and do good.
00:45:04.70\00:45:09.54
Because His law reflects
His character and His purity.
00:45:09.57\00:45:13.41
And yes, we know
that this is outlining
00:45:13.48\00:45:16.98
the standard of the
behavior that he expects.
00:45:17.05\00:45:20.02
But what happens is
we've got this law of sin
00:45:20.05\00:45:23.79
that's warring against us
00:45:23.82\00:45:25.52
and it's very
real, it's very present.
00:45:25.55\00:45:28.56
This is the
indwelling propensity of sin
00:45:28.59\00:45:33.26
that comes to our members.
00:45:33.29\00:45:34.60
What is he talking about
00:45:34.63\00:45:35.96
when he says in my
members, in my tongue,
00:45:36.00\00:45:37.90
in my hands, in my
body, it brings my body,
00:45:37.93\00:45:41.87
this law of sin into captivity.
00:45:41.90\00:45:44.67
Even I would say
self righteousness
00:45:44.71\00:45:47.34
is part of that
00:45:47.38\00:45:48.71
that will bring you
into the captivity category.
00:45:48.74\00:45:52.55
So then what we see is
there's this constant warfare
00:45:52.58\00:45:55.98
and it's not just the devil
00:45:56.02\00:45:57.89
who's trying to trip us up
00:45:57.92\00:45:59.25
although he is trying
to trip us up day by day,
00:45:59.29\00:46:02.42
that's for certain.
00:46:02.46\00:46:04.16
But it's self,
it's this self that,
00:46:04.19\00:46:08.93
so even though God
gives us a new heart
00:46:08.96\00:46:11.87
when He gives us
the new covenant,
00:46:11.90\00:46:13.27
writes His laws on
our heart, in our mind.
00:46:13.34\00:46:16.17
We've got this flesh,
we're dealing with the self.
00:46:16.20\00:46:19.27
And so what happens is
the selfish nature of man
00:46:19.31\00:46:25.65
makes us vulnerable to sin.
00:46:25.68\00:46:27.85
And as Mollie so aptly put it,
00:46:27.88\00:46:30.59
if it is unsurrendered,
if it is unsubdued,
00:46:30.62\00:46:34.19
if we're being self reliant
00:46:34.26\00:46:36.22
and that's where
Christians get off into trouble
00:46:36.26\00:46:39.69
is we're self reliant.
00:46:39.73\00:46:42.66
You know, we want...
00:46:42.70\00:46:44.60
Oh yes, well,
00:46:44.63\00:46:45.97
I'm a good student of
the Bible, I'll study,
00:46:46.00\00:46:49.87
I do my devotions
twice daily, I go to church,
00:46:49.90\00:46:54.04
I'm on the Sabbath school,
00:46:54.08\00:46:55.98
you know, I
teach Sabbath school,
00:46:56.01\00:46:57.41
I do this, I do
that, I'm a good person.
00:46:57.45\00:47:01.35
And we're not
totally relying on the Lord.
00:47:01.38\00:47:05.49
So what the only good
that is within a Christian
00:47:05.52\00:47:10.56
is the Holy
Spirit's presence in us.
00:47:10.59\00:47:13.53
So and it's by His power
00:47:13.56\00:47:15.70
that He pick us up
when we fall, right,
00:47:15.73\00:47:17.37
and gives us the
ability to overcome.
00:47:17.40\00:47:19.60
So now here's Paul
saying, "Oh, yeah, that was me,"
00:47:19.63\00:47:24.94
you know, I
delight to do God's law,
00:47:24.97\00:47:29.18
but I find that
there's this other law,
00:47:29.21\00:47:31.98
nobody's talked about
00:47:32.01\00:47:33.35
before this law of
sin and death in me
00:47:33.42\00:47:34.75
and then he says in Romans 7:24,
00:47:34.78\00:47:38.89
"O, wretched man that I am!"
00:47:38.92\00:47:42.06
Can you hear the cry
of the internal strife,
00:47:42.09\00:47:45.13
wretched man that I am?
00:47:45.16\00:47:46.93
"Who will deliver me
from this body of death?"
00:47:47.00\00:47:50.93
He's got this
propensity toward sin,
00:47:50.97\00:47:53.13
he's engaged in a
constant conflict.
00:47:53.17\00:47:55.94
And if we're trying to
do it in our own strength,
00:47:55.97\00:47:59.17
it is a
helpless state of affair.
00:47:59.21\00:48:02.81
We are just besieged souls
00:48:02.84\00:48:05.85
and we can't overcome
it in our own strength.
00:48:05.88\00:48:08.65
But in the middle
of this heartfelt cry
00:48:08.68\00:48:13.15
of who can deliver me.
00:48:13.19\00:48:15.42
In verse 25, then
here's what he says,
00:48:15.46\00:48:18.96
this is the crux of the
matter, verse 25 he said,
00:48:18.99\00:48:22.90
"I thank God, through
Jesus Christ our Lord!
00:48:22.93\00:48:27.97
Who can deliver me?"
00:48:28.00\00:48:30.01
Jesus Christ my Lord.
00:48:30.04\00:48:32.57
There's an outburst of praise
00:48:32.61\00:48:35.71
that shines in God's light
00:48:35.74\00:48:37.65
into this otherwise
rather dark chapter,
00:48:37.68\00:48:39.91
would you not agree Romans
7 is a rather dark chapter.
00:48:39.95\00:48:43.69
The whole point
that Paul is making
00:48:43.72\00:48:48.02
is that
salvation belongs to God.
00:48:48.06\00:48:53.50
"Oh thank God,
through Jesus Christ,
00:48:53.53\00:48:56.63
He's going to deliver me."
00:48:56.67\00:48:58.67
And then he goes on saying,
00:48:58.70\00:49:00.57
so then with the mind
00:49:00.60\00:49:03.04
I myself serve the law of God
00:49:03.07\00:49:06.71
but with the
flesh the law of sin,
00:49:06.74\00:49:09.24
this is interesting.
00:49:09.28\00:49:10.98
Here he's just praise
God saying here is what?
00:49:11.01\00:49:13.95
But now he's come back
and he's kind of summarizing
00:49:13.98\00:49:16.45
what he's been saying
throughout the chapter.
00:49:16.48\00:49:19.12
You know, he's basically saying,
00:49:19.15\00:49:21.92
"Hey, this is
still going on in me
00:49:21.96\00:49:23.39
even though I'm a Christian,"
00:49:23.46\00:49:25.26
you know, even
though I belong to Jesus.
00:49:25.29\00:49:28.30
So what's the answer?
00:49:28.33\00:49:29.66
The answer is to
surrender day by day,
00:49:29.70\00:49:33.87
moment by moment, to
get our help from God.
00:49:33.94\00:49:38.67
It is to pick
up that cross daily
00:49:38.71\00:49:41.78
to give over control
of our wills to the Lord.
00:49:41.81\00:49:47.42
And, you know, I know
that I have prayed in the past.
00:49:47.45\00:49:51.89
And I remember once
00:49:51.92\00:49:54.16
I was praying so
hard to surrender
00:49:54.19\00:49:56.83
and then I said, "Lord,
I delight to do Your will."
00:49:56.86\00:50:00.80
And He said, "No, you don't."
00:50:00.83\00:50:03.47
I mean, I just heard that,
00:50:03.53\00:50:04.93
it wasn't
audible but I heard that.
00:50:04.97\00:50:06.94
"No, you don't."
00:50:07.00\00:50:09.17
And I said, "Well, Lord,
I'm willing to do Your will."
00:50:09.20\00:50:14.44
"If you were willing,
you would be doing it."
00:50:14.48\00:50:17.11
I said, "Lord, I'm
willing to be made willing."
00:50:17.15\00:50:18.95
"That's all I ask."
00:50:18.98\00:50:20.38
See we can't
even will to do good.
00:50:20.42\00:50:25.49
It is just a matter of
us coming before the Lord,
00:50:25.52\00:50:29.12
giving Him our will, and say,
00:50:29.16\00:50:31.43
"Lord, work in me
to will and to act
00:50:31.46\00:50:36.20
according to Your good purpose."
00:50:36.23\00:50:37.73
It is the Holy Spirit in you
00:50:37.77\00:50:40.27
that will take your will
00:50:40.30\00:50:43.34
that little
unstable floppy will,
00:50:43.37\00:50:46.94
and he will line
it up with God's will.
00:50:47.01\00:50:50.18
And as he causes
you to will as God wills
00:50:50.21\00:50:54.68
to desire the things of God.
00:50:54.72\00:50:57.52
What happens then
00:50:57.55\00:50:59.65
is there's still one
step that you've got to take,
00:50:59.69\00:51:03.63
you've got to step out in faith
00:51:03.66\00:51:06.93
on that new
desire, that new will.
00:51:07.00\00:51:09.33
And as soon as you do,
00:51:09.36\00:51:10.93
the power of the
Holy Spirit shows up
00:51:10.97\00:51:13.03
and God works in you to act.
00:51:13.07\00:51:15.60
So it is just, the
battle is not over,
00:51:15.64\00:51:18.97
it is a daily surrender.
00:51:19.01\00:51:22.24
The battle
continues the war is over.
00:51:22.28\00:51:24.31
There's great tension
in the Christian life.
00:51:24.35\00:51:27.32
We agree with God's
commands is being good
00:51:27.38\00:51:29.42
but we're painfully
aware of our shortcomings.
00:51:29.45\00:51:31.99
So we've got
this inward struggle
00:51:32.02\00:51:34.76
and it was as real
for Paul as it is for us.
00:51:34.79\00:51:37.73
But when we feel
overwhelmed as Paul did,
00:51:37.76\00:51:42.36
sometimes I don't
know about you all,
00:51:42.40\00:51:44.10
I still go through periods
00:51:44.13\00:51:45.47
where I feel a
little overwhelmed.
00:51:45.50\00:51:46.87
I just feel disappointed like,
00:51:46.90\00:51:48.37
"Oh, Lord, I'm
disappointing you, Father."
00:51:48.40\00:51:50.94
But when I do, what I do
is the same thing that Paul...
00:51:50.97\00:51:55.08
If I feel
overwhelmed by my shortcomings,
00:51:55.11\00:51:58.88
I just claim the
freedom that is in Christ Jesus,
00:51:58.91\00:52:02.65
I surrender to
Christ, and I thank Him,
00:52:02.68\00:52:06.55
I start quoting scriptures.
00:52:06.59\00:52:08.56
And I just thank
Him that He is the one.
00:52:08.59\00:52:13.13
I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord,
00:52:13.16\00:52:16.20
that He is the one
who will deliver me
00:52:16.23\00:52:19.43
from this law of sin and death.
00:52:19.47\00:52:21.84
Amen. Well done, Shelley.
00:52:21.87\00:52:23.67
Thank you each one of you.
What an incredible blessing.
00:52:23.71\00:52:26.78
My mind has been open and
expanded as we've studied,
00:52:26.84\00:52:30.01
and as we've shared together.
00:52:30.05\00:52:33.38
Few years ago, Greg
and I took a canoe trip
00:52:33.42\00:52:36.42
to the Current
River that's in Missouri,
00:52:36.45\00:52:39.15
I don't know if any of you
have been to the Current River.
00:52:39.19\00:52:41.22
And we rented a canoe,
and we floated down the river.
00:52:41.26\00:52:46.03
Now it comes from
natural springs that bubble up,
00:52:46.06\00:52:48.46
it's got a nice little current.
00:52:48.50\00:52:50.20
We went down the river
and it was a very pleasant.
00:52:50.23\00:52:53.77
Well, we went quite a
ways and Greg kept saying,
00:52:53.80\00:52:56.04
"Jill, don't you think
you want to turn around yet?"
00:52:56.07\00:52:58.21
"Oh no, I'm
having a great time."
00:52:58.24\00:53:00.78
"Jill, you know we
got to go upstream,
00:53:00.81\00:53:02.81
when we go back."
00:53:02.84\00:53:04.18
"Oh, I'm having a great time."
00:53:04.25\00:53:06.18
So when it came
time to turn around,
00:53:06.21\00:53:08.65
we turned the canoe around,
00:53:08.68\00:53:10.02
we started back to
where we had come from,
00:53:10.09\00:53:12.19
guess what happened?
00:53:12.22\00:53:13.56
Half way through I'm like,
00:53:13.59\00:53:15.59
"Sweet heart, don't
you think you could paddle,
00:53:15.62\00:53:17.23
and I'll just sit and rest."
00:53:17.26\00:53:18.79
Now he'd been
paddling the whole time
00:53:18.83\00:53:21.23
but I was getting tired.
00:53:21.26\00:53:23.63
The point is when you're going
with Satan, with the world,
00:53:23.67\00:53:29.00
things can be kind of easy
00:53:29.04\00:53:30.67
because you're not
fighting against Satan at all.
00:53:30.71\00:53:35.04
But when you make a
decision to make Jesus Christ
00:53:35.08\00:53:37.61
the Lord of your life,
00:53:37.65\00:53:38.98
when you enter
into justification
00:53:39.01\00:53:41.22
and begin this
walk of sanctification,
00:53:41.25\00:53:44.05
what happens?
00:53:44.09\00:53:45.42
That war we have been
discussing in Romans 7.
00:53:45.45\00:53:49.32
That battle between
the law of sin and death,
00:53:49.36\00:53:52.23
that fleshly nature,
00:53:52.26\00:53:54.03
and the law of
the Spirit of Christ
00:53:54.10\00:53:55.76
in Christ Jesus that begins.
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.90
And I'm full of hope today
00:53:57.93\00:53:59.60
even though you said
it can be a dark chapter,
00:53:59.63\00:54:01.70
I'm full of hope
because we can surrender,
00:54:01.74\00:54:04.11
we can die to the flesh,
and we can live to the Spirit.
00:54:04.14\00:54:08.21
So I want to give
you each 30 seconds or so
00:54:08.24\00:54:10.85
for a closing thought,
00:54:10.88\00:54:12.21
maybe if you want
to say something about
00:54:12.25\00:54:13.75
your own part or something else.
00:54:13.82\00:54:16.12
Well, you know
there's something that I mean
00:54:16.15\00:54:18.29
this is just my
topic, I mean, I love it,
00:54:18.32\00:54:20.29
praise the Lord for that.
00:54:20.36\00:54:21.69
But I find two things
that are very important
00:54:21.72\00:54:23.93
and in both cases
you find the phrase,
00:54:23.96\00:54:25.99
"It is no longer I."
00:54:26.03\00:54:27.66
Romans 7 and Galatians 2:20.
00:54:27.73\00:54:30.17
In Romans 7, "It is no longer I,
00:54:30.23\00:54:33.23
is we're dead in sin."
00:54:33.30\00:54:34.64
In Galatians 2:20,
00:54:34.67\00:54:36.00
"It is no longer
I, we're dead to sin."
00:54:36.04\00:54:38.41
Now in both cases
this is a powerful point,
00:54:38.44\00:54:40.88
in both cases
the production of sin
00:54:40.94\00:54:43.18
or righteousness says
we are not in control,
00:54:43.21\00:54:46.15
so how we include it,
00:54:46.18\00:54:47.85
when we decide to
yield one way or the other.
00:54:47.88\00:54:51.25
It is no longer I.
00:54:51.29\00:54:52.62
Here it is, Romans 7:7,
00:54:52.65\00:54:54.36
"It is no longer I who do
it, but sin that dwells in me."
00:54:54.39\00:54:57.59
Galatians 2:20, "It
is no longer I who live,
00:54:57.63\00:55:00.73
but Christ lives in me."
00:55:00.76\00:55:02.36
In both cases it is no longer I,
00:55:02.40\00:55:04.07
so where do you come in?
00:55:04.10\00:55:05.60
You've got to decide who
is going to be in control.
00:55:05.63\00:55:09.10
When you put your
will on the side of Christ,
00:55:09.14\00:55:13.07
it is no longer you.
00:55:13.11\00:55:14.44
When you put your will
on the side of the enemy,
00:55:14.48\00:55:16.68
it is no longer you.
00:55:16.75\00:55:18.08
In both cases we lose control
to either sin or righteousness.
00:55:18.11\00:55:23.32
And both fruit will be
produced based on the way
00:55:23.39\00:55:25.92
we decide to yield.
00:55:25.95\00:55:27.56
"Do you not know to
whom you present yourselves,"
00:55:27.59\00:55:29.86
Romans 6:16.
00:55:29.89\00:55:31.23
Amen. Thank you,
Pastor. Pastor CA?
00:55:31.26\00:55:32.69
In looking at Romans
7, the backend of verse 6.
00:55:32.73\00:55:38.83
We have to be
honest with ourselves.
00:55:38.87\00:55:41.57
The secret is
realizing and being honest
00:55:41.60\00:55:44.87
with who you are.
00:55:44.91\00:55:47.04
And then a
realization of who Christ is,
00:55:47.08\00:55:50.45
and they are both
incredibly necessary.
00:55:50.51\00:55:53.15
You've got to admit, you
cannot do it without Him.
00:55:53.18\00:55:56.95
But you also have to
admit that the only way
00:55:56.99\00:55:59.65
it can be done is with Him.
00:55:59.69\00:56:02.36
You must be
honest with yourself,
00:56:02.39\00:56:03.76
there is a battle,
there's no sense pretending
00:56:03.79\00:56:05.13
that you don't have that battle,
00:56:05.16\00:56:06.86
you do have that battle.
00:56:06.93\00:56:08.23
You know who you are,
Christ knows who you are.
00:56:08.26\00:56:10.87
Your success is not in
you, it is in Christ Jesus.
00:56:10.90\00:56:13.84
Amen. Miss Mollie?
00:56:13.87\00:56:15.37
You know, the Apostle Paul
00:56:15.40\00:56:16.74
had struggles physically as well
00:56:16.81\00:56:18.47
and he went before the Lord,
00:56:18.51\00:56:19.84
and what did
the Lord, say to him
00:56:19.87\00:56:21.78
when he asked him to
remove this thing from him?
00:56:21.81\00:56:24.48
Grace is sufficient.
00:56:24.51\00:56:25.85
What the Lord said to Paul
was, "My grace is sufficient."
00:56:25.88\00:56:29.05
So that's what my encouragement
to all of us today,
00:56:29.08\00:56:31.75
God's grace is sufficient.
00:56:31.79\00:56:33.66
I have just a second so let me
share a scripture Psalm 143:10,
00:56:33.69\00:56:38.06
"Teach me to do your
will, for You are my God,
00:56:38.09\00:56:40.43
Your Spirit is good,
00:56:40.50\00:56:41.80
lead me in the
land of righteousness."
00:56:41.83\00:56:43.57
Pray that daily.
00:56:43.63\00:56:45.10
Amen, What an incredible study.
We thank you so much, panel.
00:56:45.13\00:56:48.20
And thank you for joining us.
00:56:48.24\00:56:50.47
We want to encourage you
00:56:50.51\00:56:51.84
to make Jesus Christ
the Lord of your life,
00:56:51.87\00:56:53.24
to choose to die
daily to self in sin
00:56:53.27\00:56:56.11
and live for the
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:56:56.14\00:56:58.55
We'll see you
next time. Bye-bye.
00:56:58.58\00:57:00.65