Through the Bible with Les Feldick, Book 22
LESSON ONE * PART I
JUSTIFICATION - GOD DECLARES US JUST AS IF WE HAVE NEVER SINNED. ROMANS
CHAPTER 5
Let's turn to Romans Chapter 5. The main subject we have dealt with in the past
couple of chapters is justification. Remember, when Scripture repeats
something two or more times in a short period, it's for emphasis, and it's the
same way with this whole theme of the doctrine of justification. This is
something you don't take lightly or gloss over, and say, "Oh well, I don't
understand it anyway." There are a few things I think are crucial. The first
one is Faith, and that is simply Taking God at His Word. In other words,
what He says is, when we believe it, this is what God is pleased with. And
that's all faith is; nothing more. And then this term of justification. It's
that judicial act of God, where the Sovereign God in all of His Holiness and
righteousness, the moment He sees the sinner believe the Gospel (Ref. I
Corinthians 15:1-4) then God declares him justified. Just as if he had never
sinned. Now that's hard for us to comprehend, and certainly none of us
`feel' it.
`Feel' is the word that so many people use mistakenly when it comes to
our Christian experience. "Well, I don't feel this and I don't feel that."
Listen, The Bible never uses the word `feel,' we're not supposed to feel
justified, or forgiven. You know you are because The Book says
so, and that's what we have to keep hammering away at people. Don't try to
figure it out in the human, because it can't be done. Rather just rest on what
God has said, and The Word says that when we recognize we are indeed a child of
Adam, there's that great gulf fixed between us and the Creator; and the only
way back to a fellowship with Him is by believing the Gospel. "That Christ
died for our sins, and that He was buried and that He arose from the dead."
And the moment we believe that with all our heart, then God just does
everything on our behalf, and remember I put all those terms on the board
several lessons ago. One of them was "Justification." Romans Chapter
5:
Romans 5:1,2a
"THEREFORE, being justified by faith (just as if we had
never sinned by virtue of us taking God at His Word), we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
"By whom also we have access by faith..."
See how this is emphasized? We have access into this glorious state as a
believer now in relationship with The Creator Himself. My, when I see the
people in the world and all their activities, they think they are living it up.
And even if they can live it to the fullest for a whole 70 years, what is that
compared to billions upon billions and billions of years that eternity will be?
If only people could get the perspective, that we're not talking about just
limiting ourselves, and ignoring all the pleasures of this world that we might
have a few years of bliss, but rather for us it's an eternity forever and ever
and ever. And for the world who are out there thinking that they're living it
up, it's at most for a whole life-time of seventy years or so. But you see out
of that seventy years, how many years can most people really live it up? Ten to
twenty? The old body can't take it much longer than that, and then instead of
an eternity of bliss and glory they're facing an eternity of regret, doom, and
separation from The Creator.
It's so ridiculous that you wonder people can reject it. I can't comprehend it.
I mean if God was expecting us to cross a raging river and hope that we could
make it, or if He was expecting us to climb some sheer cliff as you see some of
these rock climbers do; if God was putting that kind of requirement on our
Salvation, then I could see people not buying it. After all, that's just too
difficult; but here He's made it so easy. He's made it so simple, and the
rewards are so great even in this life, and yet the world just passes it by and
walks it underfoot. I'll never understand it. Now verse 2 again:
Romans 5:2-6a
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (that's indeed what we're
looking forward to). And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience, and
experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Now come in
at verse 6 and let's begin our study today. "For when we were
yet without strength,..."
Now remember how many times I have taken you back to Israel on the shores of
the Red Sea? To me it's as vivid an example as there is in Scripture. How the
Nation of Israel stood there on the shores of the Red Sea with the Egyptian
armies behind them ready to destroy them, forbidding mountains on their right,
and no possibility of going to the left. So they are locked in, and they're
without strength, and they knew not what to do. And instead of trying to hurry
up and build bridges or find boats and rafts what did God tell them to do?
"Stand still, and wait for the power of God." And of course they didn't
have to wait very long, because He opened the Red Sea and Israel went through
on dry ground. You all know the account. That's exactly where we found
ourselves before we had Salvation. We, too, were without strength. We were
without hope, and helpless, and there was nothing we could do. And then God
just opens the way through His Grace. Verse 6 again:
Romans 5:6
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly."
Remember as we saw back in Chapter 4, what kind of people were we? Ungodly! Now
the word `ungodly' does not mean necessarily that they have to be on skid row.
And it doesn't always mean that they have to come to the end of themselves,
because the little prefix `un' simply means what? Without. So these people are
without God, though they may be good people. They may be the very epitome of
society. They may be the very best of church members, but if they have never
experienced God's saving Grace they're ungodly, because they are without God in
their lives. Do you see that? And so let's be careful of the terminology.
Always remember, God saves the down and out, but He also saves the up and out,
and everything in between. So in due time, then, Christ died for those that
were without God. Now a verse just comes to mind that we need to look at in II
Corinthians Chapter 4, and this again says it all. And for those of us who try
to enlighten the unbeliever, those who are going their merry way to a
Christ-less eternity, we sometime wonder why we can't get through to these
people. I can tell from some of our letters and phone calls that we are getting
through to a lot of people, but I know there's millions more that we can't
touch, and here's the reason, and we had better understand that this is what
The Book says about it.
II Corinthians 4:3
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:"
The believer understands what the Gospel is all about, it's what got him where
he is. But for the lost masses of humanity, they really don't know the plight
that they're in, and don't really understand why they are what they are. But
you see The Bible makes it so plain. Now who's hiding the Gospel from the lost?
A lot of time I teach you that God hides things from the human race and that
was His prerogative as we've seen so often from Luke 18.
Luke 18:31-34
"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them,
`Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall
rise again.' And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid
from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." God did that
for a purpose in those verses, but now we're dealing with the other side of the
coin. Look at verses 3 and 4 again in II Corinthians 4:
II Corinthians 4:3,4
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In
whom (the lost of this world) the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not (Satan has blinders on them, and you and I
can't take them off. That takes an act of God. Satan has so blinded the
unbelieving world), lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them."
Now doesn't that say it all? This is why we have such a hard time trying to
convince the masses of their needs, they are blinded by the god of this world,
and I don't have to tell you who that is. That's the old Devil himself, and
unless God somehow strips away that blindness, then even you and I are
helpless. In that same light, turn to Acts Chapter 16. And this again is what
everyone of us, as we try to deal with people, have to understand. Yes we have
to do our part, we have to open the Scriptures, but we can't stuff it down
their throat. We can't force them to believe it, that's going to take an act of
God Himself. Here in Acts Chapter 16 Paul and Barnabas are now in the Greek
city of Philippi up in Northern Greece. They had just begun their work on the
Continent of Europe. And as they went out to a little place (where evidently
some Jews were permitted to worship since they didn't have a synagogue in
Philippi), they come to this little park along the river, and some Jewish women
were there who believed in God, but they were as lost as lost can be.
Acts 16:14
"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the
city of Thyatira, which worshipped God (she believed in God, she was
religious, but she was still lost), heard us: whose heart the Lord opened
(we must never lose sight of Who opens the heart. Now we must do our part
but God has to open their spiritual heart. He has to open their understanding
that they can believe the Gospel), that she attended unto the things which
were spoken of Paul." God used the human instrument Paul, but He had to
open her spiritual heart and eyes. Now back to Romans Chapter 5. Remember the
last word of verse 6 was `ungodly.'
Romans 5:7
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die (now that
makes sense doesn't it? Why should Christ die for a world of people who didn't
need Salvation? It would have been ridiculous to the extreme. Even Christ used
an example when He said that the well didn't need a doctor, but rather the
sick, and it's the same way here. He wouldn't have had to die if the world was
righteous, but the world isn't): yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die." Now I love this next verse. I think I've known it since
I was a kid.
Romans 5:8
"But God (you know how I'm always pointing out that three
letter word `but.' Here's another good example. For righteous men there would
be no need for Christ to die, even if people were good it wouldn't be quite so
mandatory, But God) commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Now we were dealing with a young lady when we had our seminar out in Denver,
and hopefully by now she's into the tapes so she will probably hear me rehearse
this. But as we dealt with her that evening around the dinner table, the first
opposition she had was this. She said, "Les, I'm not that bad. I've never
really sinned, or did anything immoral. I've never stolen from anybody." So
we had to go all the way back to Genesis and show the young lady that it all
began with Adam, and many people need that, so she wasn't unique. There are
hosts of people that do not understand that we're not sinners because we break
God's laws, but rather we break God's law because we're sinners, and that began
with Adam. So we took the young lady all during the dinner hour to these
various concepts that it was in Adam that every human being became a sinner. I
guess by ten o'clock that evening she was beginning to almost bat her eyes
because she was hearing things that she had never heard before. She had been in
church the Sunday before, but she had never heard this. So this is why we have
to show people that they're unrighteous, and ungodly not because of what
they're doing or their lifestyle, but because God has decreed every child of
Adam as being a sinner. Now we can have good sinners, wet sinners, dry sinners,
but we are all sinners until we recognize it, and are saved of course by
believing the Gospel. Verse 8 again:
Romans 5:8
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Remember that Paul writes to believers. So he is writing to you and I who have
become believers of this Gospel, telling us again what God did on our behalf.
Remember we, too, were at one time sinners. We're sons and daughters of Adam
just as well as everyone else. And while we were in that sinful state, God had
already taken the pain to go to the Cross to purchase mankind's Salvation. I
was thinking as I was driving here to Tulsa today. You know I love to teach
this Book and I love to teach the beginning back in Genesis, and I love
teaching the endings in Revelation, but as I mentioned here a few lessons ago,
it's kind of hard to get people to zero in on where we are in the Book of
Romans. But The Lord has been answering our prayers, and now we're getting
almost as many calls and letters commenting on the Book of Romans as we did on
the Book of Revelation, and I would have never expected that, so we just trust
The Lord is using the teaching in this Book.
How many times have you heard people say, "Well, when I can clean up my
life, and can quit this bad habit, then I'll become a Christian." I
remember several years ago I was holding a series of morning and evening
classes up in Iowa, and a dear lady was the first one that would come to the
morning and evening classes. She would be there at least a half hour early so
that I could lay out the Scriptures to her. Finally, one evening I asked her
why in the world she didn't just simply believe the Gospel, and enter into this
glorious life. And do you know what her answer was? "Les, if I could just
quit the booze I would." Do you hear that? She was probably a borderline
alcoholic. But listen, that isn't the way it's done. You become a believer and
then God helps you quit the problem, but most can't see it that way. But this
verse makes it so plain:
Romans 5:8b,9a
"...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." That's
exactly where God finds us. Now go into verse 9.
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood,..."
In other words, through faith in His Blood. You know I don't ascribe to the
teaching that we have to drink of the literal Blood of Christ as some are
taught. But by faith we have the power of His shed Blood applied to our need. I
think it was old Doctor De Haan of the old Radio Bible Class that I remember
hearing years ago, and he made a statement one morning that I never forgot. He
said that according to our physical chemistry, if you were to place
something into a little basin of blood, it's going to come out blood red or at
least a dark shade of brown. But in God's chemistry when something is placed in
the Blood of Christ, it comes out as white as new fallen snow." Now that's
God's chemistry, and this is what we must understand. We think, "How can we be
washed in the Blood and come out white?" Well, in the physical it can't be
done, but in the spiritual realm, in God's chemistry the red in the Blood of
Christ makes us as white as snow. Looking at this verse again:
Romans 5:9
"Much more then, being now justified..."
Declared by a judicial act of God, we are now just as if we had never sinned.
Think about that for a moment. Just as if we had never sinned. In other words,
where does that place us? All the way back to when? To Adam before he fell. Not
in the physical; this old body is still going to be corrupt, this old body is
still going to be prone to disease. And I've told people for twenty-five years,
if an alcoholic gets saved, don't expect that body that has been wrecked by
alcohol and cirrhosis of the liver to become new. He's not going to get a new
liver. I know The Lord can do a lot of things, but when a body has been ravaged
by sin, then Salvation isn't going to give us a new physical body. But in the
eyes of God being justified, yes, God sees us as Adam was before he ever fell.
Because this is the whole theme of this Book from cover to cover: that God
wants to reconcile the human being back to what he was in Adam before sin
entered in. But now as born-again believers, justified and placed securely
in Christ, we can never fall as Adam did. And you see this is exactly what
God can do when we believe the Gospel; He can declare us just as if we had
never sinned. Now I'm going to keep almost shouting that at people for months
to come, because so few professing believers even realize that we are to reckon
ourselves just as if we had never sinned because that is what God has declared
us to be.
Now I think psychology even comes in here, and I have nothing against
psychology if it's used correctly. However, some of it can be abused. But
psychologically speaking, if you were to tell a young man coming up out of high
school years, "Well, you're never going to amount to anything, you'll never
be anything but a drunk and probably end up in prison." I can just about
guarantee that he will end up just exactly that, because he is psychologically
programmed to believe that everybody expects him to be a drunk and a reform
school drop-out. But on the other hand if we encourage a young person, "Now,
you can be this and you can do that, and you can be the glory of God in
person," then he'll quite likely be that. Now bring this into this same
psychological mindset, that if I constantly remind myself, and my wife and I
help each other to remember throughout the day and week, that in God's eyes we
are just as if we have never sinned, psychologically, what's that going to help
us do? To be just that. Listen, if I am a justified person then I had better
live accordingly because this is the way I've been divinely planned to operate.
But, you see, the lost person doesn't have that going for him. And so he says,
"Well, everybody else is doing it, why shouldn't I?" And so they find
themselves in broken homes, in prison, and in all sorts of problems simply
because they won't take God at His Word. Finishing verse 9:
Romans 5:9
"Much more then, being now justified by his blood (we
can't go around that. You remember I put that on the board several weeks ago as
one of the absolutes of Scripture? That without the shedding of blood there is
no remission? The liberals and the preachers can do whatever they want with it
but you can't go around, over or under it. You have to face it head on. That
without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Let's read on now) we
shall be saved from wrath through him."
Not for anything we've done, but by simply believing in that finished work of
the Cross. I can't put it in any more simple words. The finished work of the
Cross, how that Christ died for my sins. His Blood was shed that I might be
declared just as if I'd never sinned. He rose from the dead in power and
victory and when we believe it, God has guaranteed, as we're going to see in
our next lesson, that we're going to have eternal life. Oh, we're not just
going to have it better for the 50 years that we've got in this world, but
eternal life. Which means forever and ever and ever in His presence. And
I think too many people lose sight of that. And I guess the best little glimpse
we've ever gotten is when Paul in I Corinthians 2:9 had just a glimpse of it
and then he came back and he said..., "Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the
things that have been prepared for them that love Him."
_______
LESSON ONE * PART II
JUSTIFICATION - GOD DECLARES US JUST AS IF WE HAVE NEVER SINNED. ROMANS
CHAPTER 5
Now let's just come right back to Romans Chapter 5 where we left off in our
last lesson, and we will begin with verse 10.
Romans 5:10a
"For if, when we were enemies,..." People don't realize
that until we become a believer we're enemies of God, and to prove my point
turn over to Romans Chapter 8.
Romans 8:6,7
"For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death (the
end result of Spiritual death); but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind (the unsaved person) is enmity
(enemy) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be."
I don't like to broadcast that to the world because I'm afraid they'll get the
idea, "See, no wonder I do what I do." Well, that's right, they're not subject
to God's law. I'm amazed that our society holds together as well as it does.
They're not subject to the laws of God, but rather they're enemies of God, and
you can bring it into the secular realm. The Russian Government can't come over
and do anything to me. Why? Because I'm not a citizen of Russia, and not under
their control. Consequently, I can do whatever I want to as far as Russian law
is concerned. It's the same way spiritually with lost people. They're not under
God's control, actually. But rather they're enemies, they're aliens, and we had
better get it straight, because until we come God's way, that's exactly the way
He looks at the mass river of humanity. They're enemies of God! God doesn't
stop loving His enemies. God keeps pouring out His Grace upon them, and
offering them their Salvation. Now Romans 5:10 again:
Romans 5:10
"For if, when we were enemies, were were reconciled
(reconciled is one of the crucial terms in Paul's letters. That the work of
the Cross now has made reconciliation not just possible but available to the
whole human race. So if we were reconciled) to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled (he's talking to you and I as believers), we
shall be saved by (not His death, but by) his life."
See how the whole thing comes together? He had to die, He had to shed His Blood
in payment for our sin, but He didn't stay in the grave. He arose victorious
the Scripture says, over sin and death and hell. And since He was victorious,
then we are also. So that's been imputed to our account so now we not only have
Salvation for this life, but also for all of eternity. We have already within
us eternal life. That's why believers over the ages have been able to go to a
martyrs death with no fear. I've often wondered how did these people stand
there at the stake as they piled the brush around them. I imagine that was just
to cause mental anguish, just thinking about what was coming. But you don't
hear any accounts of how they screamed and begged for mercy. On the contrary,
they were usually singing hymns and offering a prayer. That's the amazing
reality of people who have eternal life. They can burn the flesh, they can take
this life, but they can't touch my eternal life or yours. And this is what Paul
is admonishing us to understand; that now, by virtue of the work of the Cross,
yes, we're justified, we're declared just as if we have never sinned, but also
we have eternal life. Reading on.
Romans 5:11
"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ (the world is bent on happiness. Everybody wants to be happy,
but very few people talk about joy, and do you know what the difference is?
Happiness is the result of our material surroundings, and joy is a spiritual
attribute, and that is why Paul hardly ever uses the word happy, but he can say
over and over like in the Book of Philippians, "Rejoice, and again I say
rejoice." And that comes from the root word `joy.' When we have eternal
life, regardless whether we're happy or not, we have that joy that is
unspeakable, and that's why believers don't necessarily have to enjoy a lot of
the world's goods. Believers can be happy in poverty as well as in wealth
because joy is a spiritual thing), by whom we have now received the
atonement."
And again we have to stop at words like `atonement' because everyone of them
are so doctrinally heavy. Justification is a tremendous doctrinal term that
most Christians know nothing of. Eternal life is a doctrinal term, and is
something that can never be taken from us, and now we come to this big word
`atonement.' Now as it's used in the Old Testament (unfortunately, and I don't
know how in the world it happened), it wasn't the appropriate word for the Day
of Atonement back in Israel's history. Although the High Priest did everything
exactly right, and even though he offered the blood of the sacrifice on the
Holy of Holies and Mercy Seat, yet it never took away a single sin. It was just
simply a stop-gap waiting for the coming of Christ. So actually the word
`atonement' was a misnomer, and it should have been a word that had to do with
covering or a sweeping under the rug, which was actually what God was doing
with the sins of the Old Testament believer. He swept them under the rug until
the true Atonement was finalized when the Blood of Christ was shed. And when
Christ shed His Blood, even the stuff under the rug was atoned for and they
were forgiven.
Now, for you and I under Paul's Gospel, oh, the minute we believe, we
experience the fullness of atonement, and break the word into the three
syllables that it makes. At-one-ment, and that's the best definition I
can find. That as soon as we believe we are at-one-ment with God
Himself. Why? Because we're right back like He was in Adam, and we have once
again reconciliation which is another one of those heavy words.
We're reconciled to God, we're in full fellowship with Him, we're His, we're a
joint heir, and all these good things have happened simply because we believed
the Gospel. Now I'm not taking away other ramifications of the Christian
experience. The only reason I don't mention the local church any more than I do
is because there are so many local churches that I wouldn't want anybody to
even try to get anything from because they're going to be misled, and they're
not going to be fed from The Word. But I'm not saying they all are.
My, I remember years ago a young couple left our area of the world and went
down to Dallas. As they were preparing to leave (and they were just newly
converted through our class), I gave them this little bit of advice. Now Dallas
is huge; there are hundreds of churches, so don't just go to whatever
denomination you happen to be in. Look around and visit, because in a city that
size you're bound to find a church that teaches and preaches The Word pretty
much as I do. And you know, in about three months they wrote the sweetest
letter to the effect that's exactly what they had done. They had found a
church, not in their denomination, but they found one that teaches just like I
do. This church has fellowship and a passion for lost souls. So when I refrain
from pushing the local church, it's not because I'm against the local church,
it's just that I have to be so careful that people are admonished to get
involved in a church that's true to The Book. We know that a lot of them are
not. I can't help that, and I'm not criticizing any one group in particular.
I've found you can find good ones in various denominations. So the word
`atonement' again. We have been made at one with God Himself as the result
of that shed Blood and the work of the Cross.
Now verse 12, and Paul is going to bridge some information here that nowhere
else in Scripture can be found. Jesus never mentioned it. I'm sure the reason
He didn't was because He waited for the revelations that were given to this
apostle to do it. Jesus never taught as far as I can determine, the
ramifications of Adam, his sin, and how it carries over into the whole human
race. He certainly taught that all were sinners. But to tie it back into Adam
like Paul does, I don't find it. Nor can I find it anywhere in the Old
Testament; but here it comes from Paul, laid out as plain as day.
Romans 5:12
"Wherefore, as by one man (not one woman, don't you lay
the blame on Eve. It's Adams fault) sin entered into the world,..."
Now when you see this word `sin' in the singular from this point forward in
Romans just put in there "the old sin nature" or "old Adam," unless the
setting just totally violates it. Because there's a big difference between sin
and sins. Sin is that factory that is within us, it's that fallen nature that
we have inherited from Adam. Sins (plural) are the acts that are promoted by
old Adam. Now do I make that clear? In other words, we are a sinner by being
the offspring of Adam; then as a sinner we commit sins. And notice here in
verse 12 that it's `sin' (singular). So, by one man the old sin nature came on
the scene. And that sin nature can think nothing but things that are contrary
to the will of God. And that's what makes the human race enemies of God. People
can try to train old Adam, dress him up, and make him look pretty good, but
then The Word of God comes along and prods it and all of a sudden people lose
control of their old sin nature, because it's the enemy of God.
Romans 5:12
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world (and
what came with it?), and death by sin;..."
I suppose there are theologians that would disagree with me, but I do not feel
that anything died, even in the animal world, back there in the Garden of Eden
until Adam sinned. Now that's my own conviction. The reason I feel that way is
because you see everything ate of that which grew naturally. They ate of the
herbs, fruits, and grasses, so consequently, nothing lost it's life in order to
support another species. So until Adam sinned, nothing died. Death was an
unknown entity. But as soon as Adam sinned, the curse fell not just on Adam and
Even, but on the whole creation. I sometimes wonder if maybe the whole universe
isn't under the curse, but we know the curse fell on everything, and with the
curse came death. Now remember when we were back in Genesis, I even tied that
into good science. The laws of thermal dynamics; the first law of thermal
dynamics says that nothing is being created or destroyed. The second law of
thermal dynamics says what? Everything is dying and going into a less usable
state. I feel the first law was applicable until Adam sinned, but the moment he
sinned and death entered, the second law of thermal dynamics came into play.
And so everything now dies, corrupts, and degenerates.
Romans 5:12
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,..."
If the Lord tarries, death will pass upon everyone of us physically. We hope
we're close enough to the end now that most of us are going to live to hear the
trumpet call. I'm a firm believer in that. I honestly feel that unless
something takes me ahead of time, that I'm going to be alive when that great
trumpet sounds. Recently, when we were in Denver, I had a fellow named Jim tell
me that he had twenty-eight men working for him. He tells them almost every
morning that one of these days they are going to see old Jim's pickup stopped
at a stoplight in Denver and it will be empty. And he tells them not to bother
looking for him because he's out of here. Things like that just thrill me
because Jim came from a background which had none of this knowledge. All true
believers have this blessed hope. But remember, death has passed upon the whole
human race, and creation. Everything now faces death.
Now I'm very close to nature, being a farmer and rancher, and I'm out there
among all these things that live and die constantly. I find that even in the
insect world (they may not have brains enough to have it all figured out), they
all try to avoid death. Even the fly on the wall, when you try to swat him,
escapes for his life. And it's the same way through all of nature; everything
is trying to maintain life, they all hate death. As a rancher I can have a
critter die out there in the pasture, and the rest of the herd will have some
kind of a hateful reaction to that dead animal. Everything hates death; why
shouldn't we? I don't know anybody that treasures death. I can even remember my
dear old grandmother who was 96 years old. I can see her sitting in that
rocking chair crocheting, and she would say, "Oh I wish the Lord would
come." But as soon as her heart would flutter a little bit what would she
say? Call the doctor. And that's just the perfect example of not wanting to
die. I know that there are probably some who are racked with pain that are
maybe looking forward to it, but under normal circumstances we all hate death.
And that's as it should be; it's part of the curse. It's part of the fall of
Adam that we should detest death.
Romans 5:12b
"...and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned:"
Everyone's a sinner according to Romans 3:23 because it started with Adam. Now
I've had people say, "Why in the world did God do that? Why did He let Adam
sin?" Well you see it was in the Sovereign working of God that mankind
should be left with that alternative, otherwise there would be no free choice.
There would be no exercise of the will if Satan would not have been permitted
to have come into the Garden of Eden. And if sin hadn't entered, then the human
race would have been without choice; they would have been like robots. But
we're not robots, we're a created being, we're given a choice, and we can
reject or accept God's tremendous offer of Salvation. Now in verse 13 is a
little parentheses, and it's kind of hard to explain, but I'll try.
Romans 5:13
"(For until the law [from Adam until Moses, which would be
about 2500 years] sin [or Adamic nature] was in the world [the
pre-flood people had the old sin nature, they were no different than we
are]; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)"
Now that's really not as tough as it sounds. The best example I can give of that is
this. Say you've been used to going through an intersection (maybe out on the
edge of town or out in the country), where it's been more or less the first one
there is first served, and you could go through that intersection without
stopping. But traffic has increased, and maybe there's been a traffic fatality
or two, and so the powers that be finally put in a stop sign. But you go on
through that intersection like you've always done; now what happens? Well, the
cops are going to pull you over and say, "Hey, you've broken the law."
You tell him that you've always gone through that intersection without
stopping, and he will tell you, "That's true, but now there's a stop sign,
and that makes all the difference in the world."
Now it's exactly what we have here. From Adam until the Law of Moses there was
no written law, and there was no formal system of worship, but once the Law was
given, that changed everything, and now people are to behold the law. But until
then, God could not impute their individual acts of transgression because they
were not, per se, breaking a law. Now they had a conscience; we saw that back
in Romans Chapter 2, and a conscience was written in the hearts of everyone
even before the Law was given. So all Paul is saying is that until the Law was
given, God didn't impute all of their acts of disobedience because they were
not, per se, breaking a law, even though they were going contrary to
conscience.
Romans 5:14a
"Nevertheless (so don't say, "Oh well, they had it pretty
good." No they were just as responsible as we are) death reigned from Adam
to Moses,..."
Now in the Book of Romans when you see the word `sin' I want you to think of the
old sin nature, the old Adam. And when you see the word `reigned,' think
of a king on his throne. And so what we're going to have now is, as soon as
Adam fell, death reigned like a king because it was tied to sin. Now reading
on.
Romans 5:14a
"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them
that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,..."
Now what does that mean? Well, what was Adam's sin? Just a simple act of
disobedience by eating what God said not to eat. Were all the millions of
people that lived between Adam and Moses guilty of eating the forbidden fruit?
No. They didn't commit the same sin that Adam did, but in actuality they were
still disobedient to other things that God had put even in their conscience. Go
back to Romans Chapter 2 and refresh your memory. Remember, Paul is referring
to the fact that the Jews have had the Law for 1500 years, so he's going to
those who didn't have the law which were Gentiles.
Romans 2:14,15
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law (that is the
law of Moses), do by nature (naturally) the things contained in the
law, these (Gentiles), having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience..."
So even though they didn't have the Ten Commandments, did those people have
moral system? Yes, of course they did, and it was based on conscience. I've
told you about missionaries that have come from the jungles of South America,
where uncivilized tribes of people still run around in their loin cloths, and
still hunt with blow guns, and spears, but within their own tribal community
those uncivilized people have a moral code that would put America to shame.
Where do they get it? From their conscience. So when the Scripture says,
"That even though they did not have the law, yet they were guilty of sin just
as much as anyone else."
LESSON ONE * PART III
JUSTIFICATION - GOD DECLARES US JUST AS IF WE HAVE NEVER SINNED. ROMANS
CHAPTER 5
Let's get back to the subject at hand - justification by faith and faith alone,
and how the need for it began back in the Garden of Eden when Adam fell, and
death came with sin. The human race is faced with that dilemma that not only
are we sinners, but we are also in a circumstance of death. Spiritual death has
already taken place, because we're born dead spiritually, and physical death is
coming. Every human being will approach it someday if The Lord tarries. First,
let's read the last three verses from the last lesson.
Romans 5:12-14
"Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin [the old
Adamic nature] entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned (for until the Law, sin was in the
world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death
reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression [they were not faced with a tree and a
forbidden fruit]: who is the figure [or picture] of him that was to
come)."
We didn't get to comment on that last portion of the verse so we'll touch on it
now. Adam, you see, is the first man, and Christ is the second Man, or second
Adam. Let's pick that up in a reference so turn with me to I Corinthians 15 for
a moment, because I want people to know that we don't just pull this out of the
woodwork someplace. Hopefully what I teach I can back up with Scripture. On
your way to Chapter 15 let's stop for a moment in Chapter 2 and I'll show you
something. Our class was discussing that many people don't realize that until
they become a believer, a child of God by virtue of Salvation and faith, that
this Book is utterly impossible to comprehend. Oh, the unbeliever may be able
to read some of the stories and some of the miracles, and get something out of
it. But when it comes to the basic deep things of Scripture no one can
understand them until they become a child of God.
I've been very blunt with some people. I know I had one gentlemen that came to
my class for three years. Now I'm not one to take them by the nape of the neck,
and try to force them into a conversion experience. Well, every week I was just
tickled that he was there, but he would tell me, "Les, I just can't
understand all this." And I said, "When you become a believer you will!"
Now you can't do that with everybody, but with him it was just fine. He finally
did become a believer, and now of course he's just like a weed - he's just
growing and can now comprehend the Scriptures. And that's scriptural, that
isn't just my own idea and I can show you that here in I Corinthians Chapter 2
where Paul makes that so plain.
I Corinthians 2:13,14
"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things
with spiritual. But the natural man (the unsaved, the lost man)
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them (why?), because they are spiritually
discerned (or understood)."
So we have to be real patient. I think that's one of the attributes God has
given me when I deal with unbelievers. I'm very patient. I don't care if it
takes three years for them to come to the place of understanding the Gospel. I
would hope it would be sooner, but nevertheless I'm still going to be patient
with them because I realize where they're coming from. They can't comprehend
these things until God opens their eyes and heart, and we leave that to His
timing. Now Chapter 15, picking up with the subject of the first man, Adam, and
Christ the second. We have to understand that the first man Adam, even with
that simple act of disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit, plunged the
whole human race into condemnation. Every human being beginning with Cain has
been a fallen creature by virtue of Adam's act of rebellion. But God didn't
leave it there. Now He comes around and comes with the second Man, The Christ,
and He makes it possible for every degenerate son of Adam to become a
regenerate son of God. It's just that simple, and yet it's complex. So now
looking at I Corinthians 15:45.
I Corinthians 15:45
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living
soul (that's back in Genesis Chapter 2 I think it is, where God breathed
into him the breath of life, and he became a living soul): the last Adam
(Jesus, The Christ. The next two words, "was made," have been added by the
translators unfortunately. I think they're better left out) was made a
quickening spirit. Now the word `quickening' here means
life-giving. When God quickens something He gives it life. For example
Ephesians 2:1:
Ephesians 2:1
"AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sins (He hath made us alive);"
So the first Adam was made a living soul by virtue of creation, in
perfect fellowship with his Maker. The Lord could walk with him in the cool of
the day, and there was nothing between them, just perfect fellowship. Then the
second Adam was brought on the scene as a life-giving Spirit in the Person of
Jesus Christ, The God-Man.
Someone asked me why only Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic
Gospels and not John? Well, you see, those three Gospels deal with Christ in
His humanity. In other words, Matthew depicts Him as King Who would one
day rule on David's throne as a human King. He came up through the genealogy of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and down that royal family of David. Now in Mark
He's depicted as the Servant, and everything that He does shows His
willingness to be a Servant, and again from His human side. Then Luke
depicts Him of course as the Son of Man, so constantly throughout that
Gospel again we see that human side of Him.
Then John comes along and depicts Him as the Son of God in His Deity. So
now you can pick up little tidbits that Matthew, Mark, and Luke give of the
account of temptations in the wilderness, and John doesn't. Why not? Because
those temptations had an immediate effect upon the human side of Him, but had
no effect upon His Deity side, so John leaves it out. His agony in the Garden
of Gethsemane, when He sweated drops of Blood, as it were, and He agonized and
pleaded with the Twelve to pray with Him, John is the only one that doesn't
record this. Why? That was part of His human side, and not the Deity side, so
John can leave those things out. These things are what makes such differences
as you study your Scripture. Yes, He was the God-Man, He was total God, He was
total man, and they never crossed over. You can go back into His earthly
ministry. There was a time when the average person who got into some of the
situations that Jesus did would have let the God side take over, but He never
did. So we have to take it by faith that He was Deity, but He was also human.
Now bringing this into the text here with the Apostle Paul, as Adam was the
first Federal Head of the human race, so Christ now becomes the culmination of
all this because we're not just dealing with the physical, we're dealing with
the spiritual. The next verse:
I Corinthians 15:46
"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which
is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual."
Now remember when we were way back in the Old Testament I would make this point
constantly. That the rule of thumb all the way through Scripture is that you
would have the natural first and then the spiritual. First Cain and then Abel.
First Ishmael and then Isaac. First Esau and then Jacob. First King Saul and
then King David; and you find this all through Scripture. And now here it comes
again. First Adam, the natural, and then the second Adam, The Christ, the
spiritual. And we have one big set of circumstances in the future, and that
will be in the Tribulation. First will come the Anti-christ the human, and then
Christ the spiritual at His second coming. You can't separate them all through
Scripture, so Paul makes the point. Looking at the verse again:
I Corinthians 15:46-48
"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which
is natural (referring to Adam); and afterward that which is spiritual."
In other words, all of us began with the natural man Adam. And the reason
we call him natural was God created him out of the dust of the earth.
"The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from
heaven (see how plain that is?). As is the earthy (the offspring of
Adam), such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly (the
spiritual realm), such are they also that are heavenly."
All the way up through the Old Testament, especially when we began studying
Israel, I pointed out Israel was God's earthly people. All their promises were
earthly, they had no concept of dying and going to Heaven. They only saw the
grave, and many of them, of course, didn't believe in life hereafter, but those
that did only saw a Kingdom on this earth which has been promised to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of them. They were an earthly people. Now when
we get to the Church Age, oh, what a difference! Now we're not an earthly
people, but rather a heavenly people. Our citizenship according to the Apostle
Paul, is already in Heaven. Oh, we're still tied to the old earth, but our
citizenship is in Heaven as we see in the Book of Colossians. This is Paul's
prayer on behalf of the Colossi believers.
Colossians 1:12,13
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
(or prepared us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light: Who (in reference to God the Father) hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath (past tense) translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son:
Well, where is the Kingdom tonight? It's up in Heaven; it's where Christ is.
And so this is why we are already citizens of glory, because that's where
Christ is. Now, one day when He comes and brings the Kingdom back to earth, we
will be with Him there also. And then of course we will be reigning and ruling
with Him on the earth. Now come back to I Corinthians 15 again as we didn't
quite get finished. Going on to verse 49 (and remember, verse 48 shows things
that are earthy, things that are heavenly are heavenly):
I Corinthians 15::49,50
"And as we have borne the image of the earthy (of course
we are, we're sons of Adam, flesh and blood), we shall also bear the image
of the heavenly (we're going to move from the natural state to the
heavenly). Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
So what has to happen? We'll have to have a new body. That just stands to
reason, and it will be fashioned after Christ's Resurrected Body. That's our
hope, that one day we'll have that glorious body that won't be contained by
walls or ceilings or space. And yet I think we will enjoy the pleasures of
eating and enjoying some of these things, and it will all be possible because
our Lord ate out there on the shores of Galilee after the Resurrection.
Luke 24:36-43
"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of
them, and saith unto them, `Peace be unto you.' But they were terrified and
affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them,
`Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands
and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not
flesh and bones, as ye see me have,' And when he had thus spoken, he shewed
them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and
wondered, he said unto them, `Have ye here any meat?' And they gave him a piece
of broiled fish, and of an honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before
them."
Isn't that just as plain as day? Now come back to Romans Chapter 5, verse 15.
Now the reason that Paul has been laying all of this out in front of us is to
again establish a basic doctrine especially for us as Gentiles. Recently, when
we had our seminar in Minneapolis, I had a Jewish lady come and ask some
questions. She said that she was a Jewish believer, but she said that she was
getting kind of worried. She asked, "If the rapture were to take place tonight,
because I'm a Jew, will I be left behind?" Oh, lands no, because you're a
member of the Body of Christ. When we come into the Body of Christ, the Church,
it doesn't matter what color we are. It doesn't matter if we are Jew or
Gentile. We are all one in Christ if we have believed the Gospel for our
Salvation (Reference I Corinthians 15:1-4). So when the rapture takes place,
yes, Jewish believers are going to go along with us as will people who may have
come from other backgrounds, because we are one in Christ. Now verse 15:
Romans 5:15
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if
through the offence of one (this is Adam) many (or all as the
Scripture says in other places) be dead, much more the grace of
God,..."
In reality, according to what God has done, every human being who was born of
Adam should one day be in glory, because there is none left out. But why won't
they be? They have chosen not to be. The Scripture makes it plain that all have
had their opportunity. I know that's hard to swallow, but God in His
Sovereignty understands and that's what the Scripture has explained.
Romans 5:15b
"... and the gift (the people who think they must work for
their Salvation are flying in the face of this Book, because it's a gift.
That's something that God has done for the human race out of the goodness of
His heart. He has given it as a gift. But many people will try to work for it,
and God won't stand for it. So the gift) by grace, which is by one man,
Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."
Do you see how the Scriptures go back and forth with the terminology? In some
places Christ is called God over and over. Here Paul refers to Him as the Man.
Now that's not taking away from His Deity; it's just simply going right along
with His whole virgin birth that He was born God in the flesh, but He was also
born human. So I like to refer to Him as the God-Man.
Romans 5:16a
"And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the
gift:..."
That's a double negative there and that can get confusing. Maybe I can clarify
it. As I've said before, we are not sinners because we ate of the forbidden
fruit. We're not guilty of the similitude of Adam's sin. That's what he did. We
didn't do anything to merit condemnation, we inherited it. We're sons of Adam,
and we are immediately born into this world spiritually dead. Spiritually an
enemy of God. Now it's hard for me to explain, but that's God's business and He
doesn't make any mistakes. So we just have to take it by faith that this is the
way God has set the whole thing in motion. That He created Adam innocent,
sinless, perfect; but Adam fell, and then God decreed that everyone that came
from Adam would be a fallen creature. But He did everything to bring that
fallen creature back to his original state if they will only believe. It's
always been by faith. Adam and Eve were restored into fellowship by faith,
and it was that way all the way up through the Old Testament. We didn't go
through what Adam did. Neither did Christ go through what Adam did, but He
superseded it. Everything that Adam accomplished to bring the human race into
condemnation, God, through the Person of Jesus Christ, has reconciled it. He's
paid the debt, and done everything possible to bring man back unto Himself. Now
reading the verse in it's entirety.
Romans 5:16
"And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the
judgment was by one (Adam) to condemnation, but the free gift is of many
offences unto justification."
Oh, it's beyond our comprehension and that's why we have to take it by faith.
There is no way you can understand it. I know I can't, and I don't even pretend
to, but I know The Book says it and I believe it, and I can rest in it. I never
have to worry or wonder if I'm going to make it. I know there are many people
who have spent a lifetime preaching The Word, and as they face the grim reaper
they start to wonder and worry, "Where am I going to spend eternity? Have I
done enough good? Have I done this or that? Am I going to make it." Wouldn't
that be awful to be in that situation? Remember, none of us could do enough
good to merit Salvation. But we rest by faith on this finished work of the
Cross. Don't worry about where you will spend eternity if you have placed your
faith in the Gospel. So the free gift, that which we do not work for, is of
many offences. In other words, everyone of us are guilty of a whole train-load
of sins. But they've all been canceled, and paid for by the work of the Cross.
I know I have people out there that are sitting there shaking their heads. But
listen, this isn't my idea, this is exactly what The Book says. And that's why
I like for them to put the Scripture on the screen. I'd rather you see the
Scripture for yourself and just read it as it's on the screen.
Romans 5:16b
"...but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification."
_______
LESSON ONE * PART IV
JUSTIFICATION - GOD DECLARES US JUST AS IF WE HAVE NEVER SINNED. ROMANS
CHAPTER 5
Now as we begin our last lesson for today, I trust that you are studying with
us. Iris and I hope that every one of you have an interest in reading your
Bible, understanding it, and hopefully coming to a knowledge of Salvation
because that's why this Book is given to the human race: that we can be brought
back into a fellowship with The Creator. In the last lesson we commented on
verse 15 and 16, so let's read them once again before going into verse 17.
Remember, Paul wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. I've always stressed
Paul's Apostleship for the Church Age as compared with Christ's earthly
ministry and the Four Gospels. Many people will say, "I'm going to go by
what Jesus said." These people mean well, but they're not thinking. Because
everything that Jesus said in His earthly ministry, with the exception of the
last chapter of each one of the Four Gospels after His Resurrection, was said
before the Cross. He hadn't died yet, He hadn't shed His blood. So if you're
going by what Jesus said in His earthly ministry then you're going by that
which was before the Cross. Now when you get to the Apostle Paul he makes it so
plain that everything he has received, he received from the risen Lord in
glory. So Paul's words are still the words of Jesus, only now in the time
that's most appropriate - post Resurrection. He has finished the work of
the Cross, and so I stand by my guns that we have to adhere to the writings of
Paul because this is where the meat of our doctrine really lies.
Romans 5:15,16
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if
through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the
gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many
(in other words all that will believe)."
"And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift (in other
words, as Adam plunged the human race into condemnation with his act of sin, so
Christ has lifted the human race, by virtue of death on the Cross): for the
judgment was by one to condemnation (every one is under that
condemnation), but the free gift is of many offences unto
justification."
And like I've said in the last three lessons, Paul is just hammering this theme
of justification home. I don't want anyone who has heard me teach these first
few chapters of Romans ever forget this word "Justification." This is
what we are, we're justified by a judicial decree of the Almighty God Himself,
that since we have believed the Gospel for our Salvation, then He can restore
us back as Adam was before he fell. Of course we're still going to sin, and He
has made compensation for all of that by virtue of His Advocacy at the Father's
right hand. Now let's move on into verse 17.
Romans 5:17a
"For if by one man's offence (Adam's) death reigned
(as a king) by one (because of Adam); much more..."
Do you see how Paul is constantly driving home the Grace of God, which is going
to compensate for the fall of Adam, is greater than anything Adam did? And this
is what we have to understand, that, yes, it seems like God is severe in
condemning everyone who was born out of Adam's race, but yet He's not severe
because He's made the way back for every human being without lifting a finger.
If God would makes us do something almost impossible for our Salvation then
that would be different, but He doesn't. He just lays it right out in front of
every human being. You know when I teach John Chapter 10 the good shepherd
chapter, I always ask where is the door to that sheep fold? Is it up on some
cliff? Is it across the ocean? No it's on ground level, it's where anybody can
walk through it. It's accessible for anyone to go into the door of the sheep
fold. So Salvation is not something that people have to obtain or work for or
grasp at, but rather it's right in front of every human being. Now reading
on.
Romans 5:17
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign (not like old death does, but now we're going to reign forever) in
life by one, Jesus Christ."
Not because of what I do, but because of what He accomplished. So as Adam was
the federal head of the human race, and he plunged everyone into a place of
condemnation, the second Adam, Jesus Christ has accomplished everything that is
necessary to bring fallen man back to Himself. The only difference is now there
has to be an exercise of will. Now I know there is a lot of controversy of how
much will is exercised in Salvation, and how much of it is in election. But
nevertheless, I sort of bring the two extremes to the middle, and granted, God
has to open our eyes, and hearts. But on the other hand man has the prerogative
to reject it. And I think that is what will be so hard on lost people when they
go through all eternity regretting their rejection of God's opportunity.
Now verse 18. Notice that verse starts out with "Therefore." When
Paul uses `therefore' and `wherefore,' just go back and see what he has said.
This is so heavy and important that it's just repeated over and over for about
two or three chapters. That means God wants us to get it straight. Yet
Salvation can be by nothing that man can do, but it's all been accomplished by
the work of the Cross, and He is just in being the Justifier of those who
believe. He's not cutting corners. God isn't winking at man's sins. He has paid
the total price for it so now He can be just in justifying the unbeliever.
Romans 5:18
"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men
to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (this constantly
brings the two into play) the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life."
Now this isn't just in Romans. Come back with me to the Book of Ephesians for a
moment. We haven't bounced back and forth in these past few lessons because
Romans is so self explanatory. But for a change of pace let's look at Ephesians
Chapter 2. Now remember, Paul always writes to the believer.
Ephesians 2:1-3
AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sins (why? Because of Adam); Wherein in time past ye walked according to
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air
(remember II Corinthians 4:3,4. Well here it is again), the spirit that
now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our
conversation (or manner of living) in times past in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature
(what does that mean? We're born with it) the children of wrath, even as
others."
That's where we have come from. Now verse 4. Oh, for twenty-five years I've
been teaching people to look for this next little word. "But" and
that's the flip side. Oh, we were the children of wrath, and disobedience, we
were enemies of God, but what happened?
Ephesians 2:4,5a
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins (we were filthy with sin),
hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ,..."
Now what's that a picture of? His Resurrection. Remember I always like
to put it this way. When Christ was on the Cross God saw you and I there with
Him. When He was in the tomb, whom did God see there with Him? You and I. And
as He rose from the dead in Resurrection power, who was in there with Him? You
and I. And here Paul brings it out. We have been raised out of that deadness.
Ephesians 2:6
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
We are so special tonight. Just because we believe the Gospel for our
Salvation, He considers us as already seated with Him in the heavenlies. And so
we wait for Him to come and take us to Himself. I had one listener write that
she had just lost a loved one, and wanted some comfort. She knew that she was a
believer, and I just sent back a few verses to her; and I got her answer today.
What a comfort to know that our loved ones, if we know they were believers, are
in His presence. They're already seated in the heavenlies, and so it's not that
big a jump from here to there, and that's why we don't have to fear death. They
can kill the body, but they can't kill that which is already a citizen of
Heaven.
Ephesians 2:7,8
"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (now for a
couple of verses that most of us have all memorized some where along the line).
For by grace (unmerited favor) are ye saved (and what's the
vehicle that saves you?) through faith (now Grace has made it possible,
but faith is the vehicle); and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God:" Now I know this is nothing new for you, but get these things down pat
so that you can share with your unsaved friends and neighbors that there is
nothing that they can do. They can not join enough churches, they can't go to
enough baptisms, they can't go through anything else that you can name, because
if they could it would no longer be a gift. But when they just simply receive
it by faith, Oh, then God does everything that needs to be done.
Ephesians 2:9
" Not of works, lest any man should boast."
But that's not going to be the case. There isn't going to be a single soul in
Heaven that's going to be able to brag about what they did to get there.
Because everyone, and that also includes the Old Testament believer, is
going to be there because of "Faith + Nothing." Now verse 10, and it
doesn't stop there. We're not just saved to go on our way and do nothing about
it. God has the next step in our life as a believer and that is:
Ephesians 2:10
"For we are his workmanship (we're the result of actually
a recreation of God Himself, so we become a workmanship), in Christ Jesus
unto good works (absolutely we're to let the world understand where we're
coming from. We've been created for good works), which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them."
In other words, before He ever created Adam, and He saw the whole mess that
mankind was going to go into, yet He had already fore-ordained that His
believers, those that were His should maintain good works. Now I have to think
even as I speak, "What about Abraham?" What kind of a man was Abraham in the
eyes of his contemporaries? They thought the world of him. From what I can
gather, Abraham never had a bad word said about him except the one time he
tried to pawn off his wife as his sister, but Abraham was well-spoken of, the
great businessman that he must have been, and it was the same way with Jacob.
Jacob was a rascal, he was a cheat, but once he met The Lord there at Peniel
there was never another bad word said about him. He was an example for others
from then on. And on up through the Old Testament and into the New we find that
every time one of God's choice servants come on the scene, we see good works.
That's what we're created for, and He knew that before He ever created Adam
that this would be the result of a Salvation experience. Now for the next few
moments let's go back Romans Chapter 5.
Romans 5:18
"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men
to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life."
I know it's repetition, but it's for a purpose. The Scripture repeats all of
this and I'm repeating it, because God wants us to understand and not be in a
fog about it whatsoever, that the moment we believe the finished work of the
Cross, God has justified us by virtue of His shed Blood. He has declared us
"Just as if we have never sinned." That has such a psychological impact.
When we move through our daily life, and we are constantly aware from the
moment we awake until we go to sleep at night that we are a justified person, I
can guarantee that will effect our behavior. If it doesn't, there's something
wrong. When you understand you're declared a justified person by an act of God,
it must have an effect.
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's disobedience many (all) were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Now for a moment let's go to the Book of Philippians Chapter 2. Absolutely,
Christ was obedient. Just as surely as Isaac was when Abraham laid him upon
that altar. There is nothing in Scripture that he fought back, he was totally
obedient to the wishes of his father Abraham. Here we have that in Christ in
verse 5:
Philippians 2:5-8
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (He
was equal with God); But made himself of no reputation (Who made
Him that way? He did Himself. He lowered Himself from being the mighty Creator
God to a man walking the streets of dusty Palestine), and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross." Now what could He have done? He could have zapped the
whole thing. He could have stricken every Roman soldier, and every Jewish
Priest in Jerusalem with just a spoken word. But He was obedient because He
knew it was the will of the Father, the Godhead of which He was part. Now back
to Romans again:
Romans 5:20
"Moreover the law entered (that was 2500 years after
Adam), that the offence might abound (the Law entered so that God could
get control of sinful men. The Law showed how sinful man really was. That's all
the Law could do then and that's all the Law can do today. It has no saving
power, or no power of justification whatsoever; it shows us our sins). But
where sin abounded (by the time that Christ came in His first advent the
whole world was steeped in idolatry, and paganism, and sin abounded. We think
it's bad today, and they talk about new this and new that, but nothing has
changed. Everything that we see today has been part and parcel of the human
race down through history, the only thing is it's so magnified tonight because
of our tremendous numbers, but nevertheless it still stands that where sin
abounded), grace did much more abound: "
_______
LESSON TWO * PART I
WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE MUCH MORE ABOUNDS. ROMANS 6:1-14
Let's get back into Romans Chapter 5, verses 20, and 21. As I teach the Old
Testament, especially Genesis and the Book of Revelation, there is no problem
keeping people's interest. But when you start teaching in a book like Romans,
people are not as excited. They should be because this is where we are. But I
will say that the response from our television audience has been almost as good
as it was when we were teaching the exciting Book of Revelation. My, I had a
call from the state of Indiana the other day, and this fellow couldn't say
enough for what Romans was doing for him.
Romans 5:20
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence (the fall, the
sin) might abound (sounds like the Law caused sin to abound doesn't it?
It wasn't that the Law caused people to sin more, but the Law caused people
to realize how sinful they were. We're not sinners because we break the
Law, but rather we break the Law because we're sinners. Our whole sin problem
began with Adam, we have inherited it; so the very nature of mankind is to be
sinful. When the Law came in all it could do was show man how sinful he really
was. That is what Paul is trying to drive home in these chapters). But where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
I like to call this three letter word `sin' singular, the old Adam, or
the old sin nature. Never lose sight of that, and you won't do any violence to
Scripture if you use it synonymous as such.
Romans 5:20b
"...But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
Go back into human history, or even in our own present day. When you read of
the horrendous atrocities that armed forces can commit against their enemy. How
can they do that? Take the country of Yugoslavia. How can these young men from
one area of the world that are fighting against their enemies lose all sense of
morality. They think any female is free game for their animal appetite, and
nobody seems to try to take that appetite away from them; they appear to have
full liberty. In fact I read the statement of one general of a bygone time. He
said, "Well that's just one of the privileges of being a foot soldier."
Where do they get such thinking? Why do these young men suddenly lose
everything that they must have learned at their momma's knee? It's that old sin
nature, and everyone of us, as we saw back in Romans Chapters 1 and 2, are
capable of those same things. I tried to explain in Chapter 3, when the old sin
nature is exposed for what it really is, and God says, "we are all sinners,"
then we must stop and realize that under like circumstances we would
probably be prone to do the same thing.
During my own service days, back in basic training (I was older than most of
the kids that were coming in), these seventeen year-olds, especially, would be
doing things I just knew they didn't do back home. I would ask them about it
once in a while. "Did you do this at home?" They would answer, "Oh no!" "Well,
why do you do it here?" I asked. They replied, "Because nobody knows me here."
Isn't that the perfect answer? Even the unbeliever can be inhibited by virtue
of his surroundings, his circumstances, his parental influence, and the
influence of community. But you put them in a totally strange environment, away
from home, and the old Adam has free course. See, this is just what happens
then when soldiers of an invading army can just pillage a community and rape
the women, and seemly it doesn't bother them. That's the old Adam. And every
one of us before we were saved would have been capable of those same things,
because that's where the human race is coming from. So this is what Paul is
trying to show, that the old Adam abounds with sin, but where sin abounds
the Grace of God is always greater.
Romans 5:21
"That as sin (the old Adam) hath reigned (like a
king) unto death, even so might grace reign..."
Like a king. We have these two alternatives. We can either let old Adam rule
supreme, or we can let the Grace of God come in and overwhelm old Adam. God's
grace rules supreme, and that's where the matter of choice comes in. God will
not force anybody, so we should never try to force these things down anyone's
throat. That's not the way it's supposed to work. As The Lord creates interest
in them, and they begin to ask questions, we should be ready with all the
Scriptures at our command, and then be able to bring them to a knowledge of
what The Book is trying to say.
Romans 5:21
"That as sin (old Adam) hath reigned unto death
(misery. Look at the world's misery caused by Old Adam), even so might
grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord."
I maintain that this is a narrow Book, and Christianity is a narrow concept.
Christianity doesn't reach out and say, "If you're a Muslim, or any other
religion you can still profess Christianity." That doesn't work, because the
Scripture says, "There is no other name given under Heaven among men whereby
we must be saved." That makes it very narrow doesn't it? Yet it's absolute.
You know I've been stressing the absoluteness of The Word of God, and I always
like to stress that this Book stands head and shoulders above any other
religious book in this world, because it's the only Book on earth that tells
the future, hundreds and thousands of years in advance. It has been fulfilled
so far, and the rest will be. There is not another book on earth that can do
that. The Bible is absolute, and we can trust it. Grace abounds more even where
sin abounds.
Romans 6:1,2a
"WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (shall
we continue to let old Adam have his way and reign as king?), that grace may
abound? God forbid...."
Don't even think such a thought. Now if I understand Greek correctly the term
`God' isn't even in verse 2. It's rather "banish the thought."
Just because God's Grace is so overwhelming that we are now free to do as
we please, let old Adam control us, and God will somehow take care of it. If
you explain to some curiosity seeker that the Grace of God is greater than all
our sins, that we're not under any demands of the Law, but rather we're living
under Grace, they will shake their heads, and say, "Well you're telling me that
you can do whatever you want to do, and God's Grace will take care of it?" No,
I've never taught that. In fact I've told my classes now for over 25 years that
"Grace is not license." Grace is not license; it doesn't give us the
freedom to do as we please; it just simply changes our appetites, and our
motives. But beginning here in Romans 3:7 Paul was up against the same thing.
Romans 3:7-9
"For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie
unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be
slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) [We are being
falsely accused of this very thing that when we proclaim the Grace of God as
being so great, and so free, then they accuse us of saying, "Well you can just
do as you please because the Grace of God will take care of it." But look at
Paul's answer] Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved
both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin (and under His
Grace);" Now Chapter 6 again. Paul says:
Romans 6:1b,2
"...Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid
(and here is the reason), How shall we, that are dead to sin (old
Adam), live any longer therein?" When did our old Adam die? The moment
we believed the Gospel. God reckoned him dead, crucified. See that's what Paul
meant in Galatians Chapter 2.
Galatians 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Now the whole work of the Gospel in the hearts of men is that we can put old
Adam on the Cross, reckon him as dead, no longer ruling as a king; he is kaput,
and now we have Christ living and reigning in His Grace. Now verse 3: Here is
where I'll probably run into a buzz saw of controversy, but I'm going to teach
it as I feel The Lord has led me to, although it's completely opposite of what
I used to practice years and years ago. I used this verse just as much as
anybody to convince people of water baptism, but I suddenly saw that this goes
way beyond water baptism. And all I ask people to do is not take my word for
it, but open their eyes, and take off the blinders of tradition, and look at
what The Book says.
Romans 6:3
"Know ye not, that so many of us were baptized into (not
the Church, not a denomination, but rather baptized into) Jesus Christ
(water can't do that, water can't put anybody into the Body of Christ, and
I can prove that from Scripture. This has to be the work of the Spirit of God.
It will break down if you try to make this teach water baptism) were
baptized into his death?"
Let's look at some references. Turn with me first to I Corinthians Chapter 12,
and look what The Book says (regardless of what I say). Here is Paul's use of
the word which is strictly Pauline. Now when I use the word `Pauline' I hope
everybody understands I mean that which came from the pen of the Apostle Paul.
This is a Pauline term, "The Body of Christ." In Ephesians 1, he makes
it so plain as he uses the, "Body of Christ, and the Church which is His
Body." It's the same concept here in I Corinthians Chapter 12, except in
verse 12 he's using the human body as an example.
I Corinthians 12:12
"For as the body (this human body) is one, and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are
(still) one body (now he's talking about this body - we have eyes,
fingers, toes, hands, legs, the whole body, and all of its members are still
singular in its purpose. They are singular in their nerve endings. If you
strike your thumb with a hammer, the whole body will hurt, not just the thumb,
because it all goes to that central nervous system. Paul is using that as an
example. And look what he says at the end of the verse): so also is
Christ.
He is the Head of the Body which is composed of many members. Now I know there
are some that just ridicule this idea of the so-called Body of Christ as being
an invisible entity, but the Scriptures don't. The Scripture teaches it,
especially in Paul's writings, that we now become members of the Body of Christ
of which He is the Head in Heaven, and we're the Body still here on the earth.
How did we become then a member of the Body of Christ? How did we get into that
organism? Well we didn't sign up for it, some preacher didn't baptize you into
it. But first you had to believe the Gospel (Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4), and
the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately the moment we believe did what's
in verse 13:
I Corinthians 12:13
"For by one Spirit (see how clear that is? And it's
capitalized so it's the Holy Spirit) are we (what's the next word?)
all baptized into one body,..." That doesn't mean everybody is going to be
saved. Paul only writes to believers, so when he says all, he's not including
the lost, but rather every believer.
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into (not a local
Church or denomination, but into) one body,..."
Now that's an act of God, that's something that we can't put our hands on.
That's in the area of the invisible again. When we started our study in Romans,
I put all the things on the blackboard that God did the moment we believed. And
I said that everyone of them are such that you can't put your fingers on them.
You can't see them, or touch them, but we know they happened. How? By faith.
Because The Book says so that this is what God did, and we believe it. I can't
look back and say I could feel when the Holy Spirit put me into the Body, or
that others saw it happen. No, I can't say that, and neither can you. But we
know it happened because The Book says it did. The moment that every child of
God believes, the Holy Spirit baptizes them into the Body of Christ.
Now the word `baptized' in the Greek, even in classic Greek such as Homer would
use, the word "Baptizo" many times would refer to a ship being sunk at
sea. So what did the word really imply? Well, I always like to use the phrase
"totally engulfed," When something was baptizoed, when something was
baptized it was totally engulfed. That didn't always mean by water, and in the
spiritual realm it could mean a lot of things. In other words, Israel, coming
out of Egypt was spoken of as being baptized unto Moses. What does that mean?
The Nation of Israel was totally engulfed in Moses' leadership. And when we
speak of something being baptized it's again meaning that it's totally engulfed
by it. For example:
I Corinthians 12:13a
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,..."
We were totally engulfed, we weren't just set up on the edge someplace, but
rather we were engulfed in all this. Let's finish this verse and then let's
turn to the Book of Colossians for a moment.
I Corinthians 12:13
"For by one Spirit are we all (every believer, not just
the most spiritual) baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Now let's turn to Colossians Chapter 3, and see where that puts us. Here's
where this baptism puts us as we're in the Body, and here is our position
tonight as believers.
Colossians 3:3
"For ye are dead (old Adam), and your life (that
which took the place of Old Adam, that new creation) is hid with Christ
(where) in God."
See how plain that is? So the moment we believed, we were placed into the Body
of Christ, and that Body of Christ is hid in God. And that gives me another
loaded shell for my security of a person that is genuinely saved. There is no
one that can get at us there. Now let's back up in Colossians in Chapter 1. All
of these things took place by virtue of the Holy Spirit baptizing us, engulfing
us again in the Body of Christ, into the very core of God's being, even while
He is still in Heaven, and we're still on the earth, yet our position is there.
Here Paul has been praying on behalf of the Colossi believers. And he comes
down to the end of his prayer in verse 12.
Colossians 1:12,13
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
(or prepared us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light: Who (speaking of God the Father) hath (past tense)
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into (See
that position? Just like being baptized, engulfed by) the kingdom of his
dear Son:"
LESSON TWO * PART II
WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE MUCH MORE ABOUNDS. ROMANS 6:1-14
Back to Romans Chapter 6. We have the same kind of language so we'll read verse
3 as we go into verse 4.
Romans 6:3
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ (that was the work of the Holy Spirit. Ref. I Corinthians 12:13)
were baptized into his death?"
Remember the Gospel, that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and
that He arose again from the dead. Now that's the Gospel, and we have to go
through that spiritually at least in the mind of God, and we experience it by
faith, that when He died, we died. As He was buried, we also were buried. And
as He arose from the grave, we arose in newness of life. And as I said in the
last lesson, this goes way beyond what water baptism can do. This is the work
of the Almighty Himself, and now verse 4:
Romans 6:4
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life."
Now I don't know of any denomination that teaches that when they baptize you
with water, they are baptizing you into death. Most are baptizing you into the
Church, or into the denomination, but you see this is into something far
different. Now this means that Christ was really dead. He proved that by being
in the tomb for three days and three nights. He was really dead, and the same
thing has to happen to us in the realm of old Adam. Old Adam has to die, and we
have to be sure he's dead, and so as He died, we died in the mind of God. He
saw us in the tomb, and that's the baptism He speaks of in verse 4. That again
as we were engulfed in that three days in the tomb experience of Christ
Himself, so also we have died, and we'll see that in more detail in the Book of
Romans.
Now, in order for us to experience the resurrection from the grave we naturally
had to go into it. But we're not going to stay there any more than Christ did,
we are resurrected out of it. Turn for a moment to the Book of Ephesians.
Because this a theme Paul never drops all through his epistles, he's always
hammering this home. That Christ died for our sins, and that as He died, we
have to die, and out of that death we get new eternal life. Now let's look at
Ephesians Chapter 2 for a moment. Paul always writes to believers. I'm forever
telling you Paul always writes to believers, and to make my point let's flip
back to Ephesians Chapter 1.
Ephesians 1:1
"PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the
saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:" See this
is to every believer, and every believer according to Scripture is a saint. So
these Pauline letters all start basically the same way, and that's where I get
it that Paul writes only to the believer. Now on to Chapter 2, and see how this
all fits together.
Ephesians 2:1
"AND you (as a believer) hath (it's already
done) he quickened, (made alive with eternal life) who were dead in
trespasses and sins;" In other words, the unsaved world in all their
activity as they go barreling up and down these freeways, and as they are in
their offices, and all their fast lane experiences - what are they? They're
dead! It's a world full of dead people; not physically dead, but spiritually
dead. They are wrapped up in the spider web of Satan, and I'll show you a verse
for that in just a moment.
Ephesians 2:2,3
"Wherein (in that life of sin) in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air (Satan), the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all (you and I, every believer has come
out of that kind of lifestyle) had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
Back in the forties or fifties there was a popular song which went something
like, "Doing what comes naturally." When you do what comes naturally,
who are you abiding by? The old nature under the control of Satan. But then we
have the flip side in verse 4:
Ephesians 2:4
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us,"
The flip side is we are no longer in that lifestyle. Now because of God's Grace
and His mercy, we are experiencing His love. Back to Romans 6. So we have been
engulfed into the very death of Christ Himself. We have to identify with that.
Old Adam has to die, and we have to be separated from him. Verse 4 again:
Romans 6:4
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
(in the same manner) we also should walk in newness of life."
A verse comes to mind in II Corinthians that we can use here. These are
concepts that not too many people are hearing, and yet it's so fundamental to
our Christian plan of Salvation.
II Corinthians 5:17,18
"Therefore if any man be in (positional term. That person
who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body) Christ, he is a new
creature (creation is a better word than creature, because our Salvation is
a work of creation, a work of the power of God): old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new."
"And all things are of God (as a believer don't ever get the idea
that you're going to have a rose petal pathway. No way, we're going to have
just as many trials and tests as the world. The only difference is we have a
stabilizing power that's going to see us through it), who hath reconciled us
to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us (it's our responsibility
to share this with those around us) the ministry of reconciliation;"
Now come back to Romans again. So now we have been raised from the dead even as
Christ was, we are now quickened, we have been given new life, we've been given
a whole new set of principles and values, and then in verse 5 he's going to
explain it with even a more simple explanation. And he's going to do that by
using the word "Planted." This may give away my age, but how many of you
remember the old radio comedy team of Fibber McGee and Molly, one of the
characters of their program was the old undertaker. Remember that? His name was
Digger O'Dell, and I can't help but think of old Digger every time I see this
verse, because he was always going out to plant somebody. We used to laugh at
that, but it was so Scripturally true. That's just exactly what we do when we
take a loved one to the cemetery who's a believer. And if the Lord tarries long
enough and I go the way of the cemetery, they're going to do the same thing
with me; they're going to plant me. That's exactly what Paul is alluding to,
and that is, when the body is placed in the earth in death, it's waiting for
the resurrection day. And out of that death will come resurrection life, and
that's why he uses the term. I'm going to take you back, and Jesus used the same analogy. Alright, verse 5 ...
Romans 6:5
"For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his
death (what he's talking about? The tomb. If we have been in the tomb as He
was; if we have been buried because we're dead, and old Adam is now crucified,
here's the guarantee), we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection:"
Just as surely as He rose from the dead, then one day we will also, if we have
to go that route. I'm trusting that before that happens The Lord is going to
come, and we're going to be out of here. (Ref. I Thessalonians 4:13-18) Now
verse 6, and here Paul is going to recap. How is all of this possible? What's
he talking about?
Romans 6:6a
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him,..."
What does crucifixion do? It puts to death, it kills. Turn for a moment to John
Chapter 12, and I'm going to show you that Paul is not out in left field with
all of this. He's following right in the concept of Christ Himself as He spoke
just before He was crucified. Here it's building up for the week of Passover,
and there are multitudes of Jews who have come in from the then-known world for
this Feast of Passover. But just as when we go to Israel, we like to go down to
the Wailing Wall, and watch the carrying on of these Jews at their Wailing
Wall, I imagine that it was pretty much the same way back then. Some Gentiles
may have been visiting Jerusalem on business, and so forth, because I
personally don't think these Greeks were proselytes, but probably just
curiosity seekers, and they had been hearing about this Jesus of Nazareth, and
all the miracles that He had been performing. Let's start at verse 20. It picks
up with these Gentiles in the midst of all these Jews.
John 12:20,21
"And there were certain Greeks (Gentiles) among them
that came up to worship at the feast: The same (Gentiles, and we don't know
how many there were) came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of
Galilee, and desired him, saying, `Sir, we would see Jesus.'"
We would like to talk to this fellow. My we've heard a lot about Him. You know
Philip had a hot potato, and he didn't know exactly how to handle it because he
knew that Jesus had nothing to do with Gentiles (Ref. Matthew 10:5) for three
years, with but two exceptions, and they were tough ones. So Philip was
wondering how he was going to handle this. Philip knows Jesus isn't going to
see a Gentile so he cops out by taking the problem over to Andrew.
John 12:22
"Philip cometh and telleth Andrew (can't you just picture
that conversation? And I can hear old Andrew tell Philip, "Now wait a minute
Philip, we can't take this responsibility on ourselves, we had better at least
go in and ask Him." So Philip and Andrew pick their way through the crowd and
find Jesus.): and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus."
John 12:23,24
"And Jesus answered them (Philip, and Andrew), saying
(bring them in? Take me to them? No!), `The hour is come (probably
within 48 hours before He would be on the Cross), that the Son of man should
be glorified (speaking of His death, burial, and Resurrection). Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except a corn (kernel) of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit.'"
Now what's He talking about? If you take that kernel of wheat, and leave it in
a granary some place it will never reproduce, but rather what does it have to
do? It has to be planted, and when you plant something then you're burying it.
Now as a result of that burial, the moisture, the sunshine, and all the
activity in nature, what happens to that kernel of wheat? It dies, it rots, but
out of that death will come that new green shoot. Out of that little green
shoot will come the stem, and maybe a hundred kernels. Now Jesus is using that
simple illustration in reference to His own death, burial, and Resurrection.
That unless He is to die, and spend those three days and nights in the grave,
and be resurrected from the dead, then there would be no Salvation for those
Greeks. See, He's already looking forward to the time when the Gospel (Ref I
Corinthians 15:1-4) would go to the Gentiles.
I know a lot of people don't understand this, but all the way from Genesis
Chapter 12 to the Apostle Paul there were precious few Gentiles that had access
to Salvation. There were a few exceptions, such as the city of Nineveh, Ruth,
the Moabites, and Rahab, but for the most part it was Jew only, and Paul makes
that plain in the Book of Ephesians Chapter 2. In fact, let's look at it for a
moment so I can show you what I'm talking about. Again Paul is writing to the
Gentile believers at Ephesus, and in that area of the world.
Ephesians 2:11,12
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision
in the flesh made by hands (in other words, the Jew would refer to the
Gentiles as uncircumcised); That at that time (when God was dealing with
the Circumcision only, the Jew, and the Circumcision had no time for the
Gentiles in spiritual things) ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel (that left them out of the Covenant promise of
Israel) and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world:"
Now that was the lot of those Greeks. But they weren't without hope, because
what was soon to take place? His death, burial, and His Resurrection, and then
as He would come forth from the grave just like that wheat that would grow up,
it wouldn't just come up with one kernel, but many. So this is the whole
concept of Scripture, and that is this whole idea of death, burial, and
Resurrection, and I think that is why God has saturated nature with it. Every
place we look we are reminded of death, burial, and resurrection. As we live in
a temperate climate the seasons speak of it, we go into winter, and everything
is dead, and dormant. But come springtime we have new life. See, that's
resurrection life, and I think that's the reason The Lord planned to have
Easter, as we call it, in the springtime. And of course that's what gave Satan
the option to adulterate Easter, but nevertheless we're to look beyond the
adulteration of Satan, and look at the truth of Scripture that everything is
wrapped up in His death, burial, and Resurrection. Now come back to Romans
Chapter 6, and completing verse 6:
Romans 6:6
"Knowing this, that our old man (old Adam or sin
nature) is crucified with him (that's when our old Adam was crucified,
and that was when Christ was. A lot of people can't understand what we have to
do with Someone who died 2000 years ago, and that's a logical question. But it
has everything to do with us today, because you see it was God Himself Who was
there on the Cross. And God's eternal. With God 2000 years is like a snap of
the finger. So far as He's concerned, His death, burial and Resurrection was
almost contemporary with us), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin."
The thought I want to leave as we wind down this lessons is this. Every
believer of all the ages God saw in Christ. I mean that's one of the
miracles of Scriptures. This is one of the miracles of Salvation, that
regardless of whether it was Adam or the last person that will find Salvation
at the end of time as we know it, everyone of them God saw in the person of
Christ as He hung on that Cross.
LESSON TWO * PART III
WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE MUCH MORE ABOUNDS. ROMANS 6:1-14
Now let's get down to the subject at hand, and that would be in Romans Chapter
6, and this whole idea of overcoming the old sin nature, old Adam, and to enter
into this new life which, of course, is what Christianity is all about.
Christianity is not a religion, it's not just something that we work for, it is
something that is all accomplished by the Grace of God and by His power, and
that alone. Now let's review verse 6 and come right on into verse 7.
Romans 6:6a
"Knowing this, that our old man (the old nature) is
crucified (put to death)...:
Let's stop and qualify. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, and God
had made only one stipulation, one responsibility, and that was not to eat of
that one tree, God said:
Genesis 2:16,17
"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, `Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die.'"
Now I call that the very first fundamental law in Scripture. Then it's repeated
in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 18:4
"Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so
also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Then Paul in that classic third Chapter of Romans tells us:
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God;"
And so God has mandated that as soon as Adam sinned, and as soon as every son
of Adam has sinned, what has to be the result? Death! And there is no getting
around it. The soul that sinneth has to die. It's a command of God, but God
gave mankind what we call a loophole. Yes we have to die, but we do not have to
die in ourselves, we can take Christ's death as our substitution. And so this
is the whole concept then of Salvation, and that is, yes, we have to die
because we're sinners, but if we will just simply believe the Gospel, then
Christ's death takes our place. That's what we call the substitutionary death
of Christ. He took my place, and He took yours. So that's why Paul has to teach
that the old Adam has to be crucified, he has to be put to death because he's a
sinner. Now let's read on.
Romans 6:7
"For he that is dead is freed from sin (or old
Adam)."
I used to have two judges in my classes years ago, and one of them has since
passed away, and when we would come to something like this, then naturally it
always helped to get the feedback from somebody who has firsthand knowledge on
these things. And when we would come to this idea that old Adam had to die in
order to be broken from any relationship in the future, then I would use the
analogy, especially with one of these judges in the class, by saying, "Now
look, you have someone up for murder, and you've gone all the way through the
trial process, and it's evident that he was guilty. In fact, you can almost bet
that the jury is going to vote to put him to death, but what if about a week
before it's all over the guy dies? He's dead, then what?" Well, you all know
how those judges answered. The trial's over. It's all done, because you don't
try a dead man. Even though he was as guilty as can be there is nothing you can
do once he dies. Well, it's the same way with regard to old Adam, the only way
we can separate ourselves from that old Adamic nature is to put old Adam to
death. And the moment that he dies, he loses that control over us. Have you got
the picture? And that's exactly what verse 7 is saying.
Romans 6:7
"For he that is dead (been crucified) is now freed from
sin (old Adam)."
And until old Adam is put to death, he reigns as a king. Now verse 8, so Paul
is building all of this for our own information to increase our faith of where
we are as believers.
Romans 6:8
"Now if we be dead with Christ (if we have identified with
that death then that's when we died, and that all comes by faith when we
believe the Gospel), we believe that we shall also live with him:"
So it isn't a matter of being put to death, and then it's over, but when old
Adam is put to death then life really begins. So it all begins when we enter
into this new relationship with God as part and parcel of our everyday
existence and experiences. Now let's move on to verse 9; we're going to make a
little headway today.
Romans 6:9
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him."
Now this is another concept that we have to get locked into our thinking.
Christ did not have to die over and over again. Let's turn back to the Book of
Hebrews for a moment, because there is one word back there that I want people
to never forget, and it's the word "ONCE." Here in Hebrews, we find Paul has
been referring back to Aaron's priesthood in Israel, and here in verse 27 he's
speaking of those priests.
Hebrews 7:27
"Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for his own sins (that is now referring to Christ
compared to the Jewish high priest), and then for the people's: for this he
did once, when he offered up himself. Now turn on over to Chapter 9, and
let's begin with verse 11.
Hebrews 9:11,12
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say,
not of this building (or creation, in other words, speaking of the One in
Heaven); Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us."
That finished it, that settled it. It's so sad as we move through the active
world around us, and we see these multitudes of people, and all their fast lane
living. And they think no further than this life. They never think of eternity,
they never think in terms of God, and His Word, and they never come to realize
that everything has already been done on their behalf if they would just
believe the Gospel for their Salvation. (Ref: I Corinthians 15:1-4) If they had
requirements that were almost impossible to reach then it would be a different
story, but that's not what they have to do. All they have to do is believe the
Gospel, and God's will take care of the so-called hard decisions. Now let's
also look at verse 25 and 26.
Hebrews 9:25-26
"Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high
priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others (the
animals); For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once in the end of the world (age) hath he appeared to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Now I have one more here in
Hebrews, and that will be in Chapter 10:
Hebrews 10:10-13
"By the which will we are sanctified (or set apart)
through the offering of the body (not the Church which is His Body, but
rather His physical body of flesh) of Jesus Christ once for all (never
to have to be done again). And every priest standeth daily ministering and
offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But
this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever
them that are sanctified."
For how long? Forever. Now I would like to show you a verse I promised to share
with you in our last lesson. And this is the dilemma that the world is in, and
that we're up against, as we commiserate with them. So come back to II
Corinthians Chapter 4, and my lands, if this doesn't say it all, I don't know
what does. I think God isn't willing that we get flustered or get discouraged,
or give up, and I guess I'm as tempted as anyone at times. But let's just
realize what we're up against as we think of the unsaved world, unconcerned,
living their life only for today with no thought for eternity, and here's their
problem.
II Corinthians 4:3
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost."
Again, I was thinking the other day that maybe the world out there doesn't
understand what the Scripture means when it says that they are lost, and I'm
afraid there are too many who do not. But the Lord Himself many times used
earthly analogies, and one He used so many times was the sheep. We know a sheep
would not last 48 hours out in a wilderness without the protection of the
shepherd. They have no means of self-defense, no way to defend themselves.
They're dumb. They're lost the minute you turn them loose, and again as I was
thinking about this, I pictured a sheep out in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
How long would that critter last? Well, maybe hours at the most. There may not
be as many wild animals out there as there would be in some other area, but
whatever, when you find a sheep out in that kind of circumstance where death
lurks at any moment, what is he? He's lost! He's helpless and lost, and that's
exactly what the Scripture is talking about.
This is mankind without Salvation, they are lost, they are without any
direction in life, they have no anchor, they have no real solid principles. The
old Adamic nature is ruling and reigning like a king, but they're lost. Now
that's exactly what the word `lost' means as it's used here in verse 3. They
have no idea that they're lost, and neither does a sheep until it's too late,
and then he can't do anything about it. Now verse 4, and here is the crucial
dilemma.
II Corinthians 4:4
"In whom the god (Satan) of this world (remember
what Ephesians 2 said in the last lesson. That they are steeped in deadness,
and the works of the flesh. It's the same thing here - Satan) hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not. lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
The reason they can't believe The Word is because Satan has them totally
blinded. Now you want to remember that you don't have to be in total darkness
to be blinded. As I get older, I'm realizing that night driving isn't as simple
as it used to be because lights blind me more than they used to. So what can
blind you? A bright light, and that's what happens to a lot of people of this
world who are lost. The things of this world are so bright, and so glistening,
and so attractive, but it's blinding them. The glorious Gospel of Christ is
there for them, but they cannot see it. Now back to Romans Chapter 6, and
reading verse 9 again.
Romans 6:9,10
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin
once (He died to take care of that old Adamic nature of mankind once):
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."
Romans 6:11
"Likewise (what does that mean? That puts us into that
same category, so likewise) reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Now I'm going to say something that a lot of people aren't going to like, but
it's the truth of Scripture. When we became believers, those of you who are
genuine children of God, you're believers, you've accepted the Gospel and it's
power for your Salvation; do you know that's when we were really given the free
will? See, the lost person out there doesn't have as much freedom as he thinks
he does. He's entwined in the spider web of the Devil, the flesh, and the
world. He's all wrapped up, and only the power of God can break that. But once
the power of God breaks that binding force of the lost person he's set free,
and this is the freedom that Paul expounds on. Now if we're going to have true
freedom, what's that going to do to the exercise of our will? Hey, that leaves
it with us. But look at this word here in verse 11:
Romans 6:11a
"Likewise reckon..."
What does that mean? Come to a mental conclusion. You have this freedom now. It
isn't something that's commanded, or demanded or has already been done, but
rather now it's left with our free will that we're going to have to come to
some place of decision even as a believer. Are we going to live spiritual lives
or are we going to live carnal, fleshly lives? Yes, it's possible for a
Christian to make that kind of choice. The admonition of course is to be led of
the Spirit, to live profitable lives, and to bring honor, and glory to the God
of glory by keeping old Adam in subjection. But you have that free will, God
has not taken that away from the believer. Reading on:
Romans 6:11
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin
(old Adam) but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." In other
words you believed, and understand all that the Gospel has done for you. Now
look at the next verse:
Romans 6:12
"Let (implies choice) not sin (old Adam) reign
(like a king. Now of course this is the dilemma with a lot of unhappy
believers. They're miserable. Why? Because old Adam is still controlling them,
he doesn't have to. And the implication from Scripture is, choose to be a
spirit-filled believer, and not a fleshly-minded believer. But still a
believer. Now reading on. Don't let sin reign) in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof."
Can it happen? Sure it can. Now God is not pleased when this happens, and the
first thing I have to do is remind people when they say, "Well then, they
are no longer saved." I always say, "Now wait a minute." If a true
believer is going to fool around in sin, and bring reproach upon the name of
Christ, the first thing God will do is discipline him. That's over in Hebrews
just as plain as day.
Hebrews 12:6-9
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with
sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave
them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of
spirits, and live?"
God doesn't chasten the unbeliever, but He will chasten the believer if he
starts dabbling in sin. If the chastening doesn't wake him up, and bring him to
par then what will God do? Take him out. We call that the sin unto death, and
Paul certainly teaches that. (Ref: I Corinthians 5:1-5) Let's just read verse
5: This is a story about a believer who was committing a terrible sin.
I Corinthians 5:5
"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
I think it's rather sobering that we as believers had better be aware that if
we start being obnoxious in our Christian behavior then God is going to spank.
And God is the originator of discipline, He knows how. You know there are a lot
of child psychologists that try to tell the parents how to discipline. You talk
to them first, and then talk a little stronger second, and maybe send them to
their room. Only when things get real tough do you give them that spanking on
their little rear which is the real discipline. Well, God knows how to do all
that better. So He will begin with discipline, and if discipline won't do it,
then He's going to give us a good old whipping. And if that doesn't do it, then
we're out of here, and I've seen it happen where a believer just refuses to
come back, and bring honour to the glory of God, and just that quick they're
gone. Now I certainly don't believe they were lost. I believe that God took
them out for a purpose so that they would no longer bring reproach to His name.
God will not permit His name to be dragged by a believer through the mud of
this world. Let's close with verse 13.
Romans 6:12,13a
"Let not sin therefore reign (like a king) in your
mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield
(it's a choice word again. Are we going to keep old Adam under subjection?
Are we going to let Christ, and His Spirit reign like a king? Or are we going
to give old Adam free reign, and let him reign like a king?)..."
_______
LESSON TWO * PART IV
WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE MUCH MORE ABOUNDS. ROMANS 6:1-14
Returning to our study in Romans Chapter 6, I would like to begin by reviewing
verse 13 again, and then getting into verse 14 and 15.
Romans 6:13a
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin:..."
Or old Adam. Now I'm emphasizing this exercise of will in the life of a
believer because the word here again doesn't demand, or it doesn't say that
we're not going to have an opportunity to have a choice, but it's a matter of
yielding. The constant admonition of Paul's letters to the believer is,
"Don't give in to old Adam." We see in I Corinthians that Paul tells us
that he kept his body in subjection and under control.
I Corinthians 9:27
"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest
that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway."
Now that doesn't mean that you have to become a clergy or a monk in a monastery
or anything like that. I've always maintained that the Christian life is the
greatest life of freedom of anything that the world has ever known.
I've read that back in the dark ages some of the priests of the Roman Church,
just to show their humility and servitude, would wear garments made of hair
with the hair next to their skin. This was to torment themselves supposedly to
please God, and show their humility. That's not what the Scripture asks. We do
not have to go through some kind of torture in order to be a spiritual person.
The Christian life is a life of joy; it's a life of responsibility, yes, but
it's also a life that lets us enjoy it to the full. God does not mandate that,
just because you're a believer, you have to be as poor as a pauper. On the
other hand I do not agree with these who say that if you're a believer you will
automatically become a millionaire. But whether you're rich or poor or
in-between we have this satisfying life that God has now imparted to us while
we're in this earthly sojourn.
Romans 6:13
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead (because that's what we are. We have been raised from
that deadness in the old Adam), and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God." Now here comes what I want to spend most of this
lesson on, and that is verse 14.
Romans 6:14
"For sin (singular, old Adam, the old Adamic nature)
shall not have dominion over you (now I trust all of you know what dominion
is. That's something that rules like a king, and so Paul is admonishing us that
we don't let old Adam have dominion over you. And this almost seems like
anti-climatic. Don't let him have dominion or let him influence you to live the
life of the flesh): for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
You would think it should be the other way around. You can't let old Adam have
dominion over you because you're under Law, and the Law stipulates what you can
and cannot do. That's not what it says, it's the opposite of that. You
are under grace. It's hard to comprehend isn't it? Here we have full freedom,
we're not under any demands of a set of rules and regulations. And under those
circumstances I can still keep old Adam under subjection? Yes! See that's the
beauty of the Gospel of the Grace of God.
Now, look at the timeline again (front of book). Has mankind always had this
kind of freedom? No. For 1500 years the Nation of Israel was under the Law, and
when I talk about the Law, I always have to remind people that it was severe.
The Law was demanding, and there was no hanky panky under the Law, it was
severe to the extreme. You know the illustration I always like to give is if
someone picked up sticks on the Sabbath day what was the result? Death. See?
There were no ifs, ands, or buts - they were out of there. The same way with
other great sins. If they would have committed murder, for example, there was
no such thing as umpteen years of appeals. They were dead, so the law was very
demanding.
So on the timeline at 2000 B.C. we have the call of Abram out of Ur of the
Chaldees. And after Isaac had Jacob, and out of him came the twelve sons, then
coming out of Egypt we have the Nation of Israel making it's appearance under
the leadership of Moses (Israel had become a nation while they were in slavery
in Egypt), and then we had the giving of the Law shortly after that, and that,
of course, was by Moses. The Lord gave it to him at Mt. Sinai. So we had Law
1500 years before the Cross. And when Christ came on the scene in His earthly
ministry for those three years, was He under the Law? Yes. And He confined His
ministry, again with the exception of two people, to the Nation of Israel under
the Law. This is what I try to get across to people. I don't downplay the Four
Gospels, saying you should not read them or have anything to do with them, any
more than I would the Old Testament. But as I have been saying over the past
several months, you do not get Church doctrine, or Grace doctrine in the
Four Gospels. It's not in there. God is still dealing with the Nation of
Israel under the Covenant promises, and under the Law, so consequently, there
is nothing of Grace in there as we understand Grace.
Again, I always have to qualify. Grace has always been the attribute of God,
because when Adam sinned way back there in the Garden of Eden, what attribute
of God caused Him to go seeking for Adam and Eve? It was His Grace, we know it
was. He didn't have to, He could have just let them go, or zapped them and
started over, but it was His Grace that went back, and reconciled Adam, and Eve
unto Himself. I just had a question in the mail this morning again. "Will
Adam be in Heaven or was He lost?" No, Adam is going to be in Heaven,
because his faith, you see, put him back in fellowship with his Creator, and
Eve as well. Now one of our best study Bibles makes the comment that "Grace
began with the Cross." Well as an attribute, of course, it did, but in
experience there is still no Gospel of Grace even in the early chapters of
Acts, and you can't find it. But once the Apostle Paul is converted on the road
to Damascus, and he makes his appearance to Ananias, the first thing that God
reveals is that He is going to send this man where? To the Gentiles.
Acts 9:13-15
"Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this
man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath
authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' But the
Lord said unto him, `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me. to bear my
name before the Gentiles,...'"
Well He couldn't send an apostle to the Gentiles, and promote the Law of Israel
because that was only for the Nation of Israel. So it stands to reason that if
He's going to go to the non-Jewish world then He's going to have to go to
something totally different than Judaism even though He is going to go first to
the Jew and then the Gentile. Now let me show you how the Scripture qualifies
that. Let's jump ahead to the Book of Galatians, Chapter 2, for a moment, and
this is all part and parcel of dividing Law and Grace, and there are a lot of
people that absolutely don't understand that. Remember Paul is writing here to
the Churches there in Asia Minor who are being deluged with Judaisers who are
trying to bring these Gentile believers under the Law. Legalism!
Galatians 2:1
"THEN fourteen years after (Paul's conversion on the road to
Damascus) I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me
also." Now remember by this time he's been up there in Asia Minor on his
missionary journeys. He has established Gentile Churches, and he has gotten
word that they are being tempted with legalism, so he hurriedly writes this
little epistle. Now verse 2, and this is the one I want you to see. Paul
writes:
Galatians 2:2
"And I went up by revelation (it was a supernatural trip.
God had instructed it, and had led him up there), and communicated unto them
(that would be Peter and the eleven, and other leaders of the Jerusalem
believers) that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles (I Corinthians
15:1-4),..."
Hey, that was something totally different than what the Jews in Jerusalem knew
about. It was an advance on what they knew, of course. But it was still
something that they could not comprehend, that God was now going to go to the
Gentile, pagan, idolatrous world, and bring those people to a place of
reconciliation with Himself outside of Judaism. That was incomprehensible They
couldn't believe that the God of Abraham would go to those pagans, and bring
them to a place of Salvation without bringing them under the law of Israel. If
you doubt what I'm saying, come back to Acts 15 for a little bit. You will find
this Chapter in Acts, and the second Chapter here in Galatians, are almost
identical. It's all the same set of events, and this is what Paul was up
against when he was trying to bring the Gospel of the Grace of God in the midst
of Judaisers who were still under the Law. That's something that a lot of
people can't see, and it took me a long time to see it. Now it's the same time
frame, about 14 years after Paul's conversion which was about 38 A.D. so this
was about 52 A.D., and that makes it about 22 or 23 years after Pentecost,
and don't lose sight of that.
Acts 15:1
"AND certain men which came down from Judaea taught the
brethren (that is these Gentile believers at Antioch), and said, `Except
ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.'"
Now that's what The Book says. I don't care what traditionalists say. The Book
says that these Jewish believers at Jerusalem were still so saturated
with the Law that they tried to bring those Gentile believers of Paul's
ministry up in Antioch under it. But Paul said that these Gentile
believers were already saved and that they didn't have to keep the law of Moses
because they are now under my Gospel which I'm preaching to the Gentiles.
Now you say, "Well that's just one verse Les, and I'm not satisfied."
All right then come on down to verse 5. Paul is now at Jerusalem, and he's
meeting with the Twelve, and the other leaders of the Church there.
Acts 15:5
"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
believed (notice they were believers. They believed for their Salvation
that Jesus was the Christ. And that was what they had to believe under Judaism.
They had to believe that Jesus was Who He said He was), saying, `That it was
needful to circumcise them (who are `them?' The Gentile believers at
Antioch. And so they're telling Paul and Barnabas that they have to circumcise
those Gentiles), and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'"
That's what The Book says. This as plain as day, and then people try to tell me
that the Gospel of Grace started way back there. No it didn't because this kind
of demand wouldn't have been placed on these Gentile believers if that was the
case. Now let's come back again to Galatians Chapter 2 just for a moment.
Remember the setting now. Paul had been ministering to Gentiles up at Antioch,
where the Scriptures says, "They were first called Christians." But here
we find Peter and the rest of these Jewish believers are all shook up at Paul
because he is claiming these Gentiles as saved people, but they're not keeping
the Law of Judaism, and they thought that was impossible so they bring them to
Jerusalem.
Galatians 2:4
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who
came in privily to spy out our liberty (to be free from the Law) which
we have in Christ Jesus (as Grace Age believers we're in Christ, we're in
the Body, and certainly Paul and Barnabas were as well), that they might
bring us into bondage." Now what does that mean? Back under the Law. Oh
these Jewish believers at Jerusalem were still trying to hang the Law not only
on Paul and Barnabas, but also on those Antioch Gentile believers.
Galatians 2:5
"To whom (Paul says) we gave place by subjection, no,
not for an hour (they didn't give in); that the truth of the gospel
(Paul's Gospel that he preached to the Gentile) might continue with
you."
What would have happened to Christianity if these Jewish leaders at Jerusalem
would have convinced Paul that the Gentile believers had to subject themselves
to the Mosaic system? It would have died, and that would be the end of it. But
you see Paul didn't give in, thanks, of course, to a Sovereign God of all
Grace, but nevertheless this is where it was all hanging in the balance, that
if Paul would have given in, our Gospel as we now know it, would have died, but
of course our God wouldn't have allowed that. Now drop on down to verse 9. I
guess this is why a lot of people don't like Paul. They don't like what he
says, and so they ignore him.
Galatians 2:9
"And when James, Cephas (Peter), and John, who seemed
to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and
Barnabas the right hands of fellowship (when they finally comprehended that
Paul was on the right track with regard to these Gentiles they finally gave in
and said, "Okay, we agree." So they shook hands on it); that we should go
unto the heathen (Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision
(Jews)."
Isn't that as plain as day? This is what introduced this whole Gospel of Grace,
that now we Gentiles are not subjected to the Jewish system, we're not subject
to the legalism of Judaism because we're set free from all of that, and our
Gospel is simply believing that Christ died for me and rose from the dead for
my Salvation. I did nothing. That doesn't mean that we stop there. We move on
because we have been created unto good works. Absolutely we have. That's what
Paul has been talking about in these previous verses, that we don't give in to
old Adam, we now live above the desires of old Adam, we now have the indwelling
Holy Spirit, we have Christ Himself becoming the Head of our daily living.
Verse 14 again.
Romans 6:14
"For sin (old Adam) shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
For the last 1900 + years God has been dealing with the whole human race, not
just Gentiles, but even the Nation of Israel on the basis of His Grace. I'll
say it again: "Very few people even among Christendom understand the Grace
of God." I don't understand it, and don't even pretend to. It's far beyond
human comprehension. What am I talking about? That the God of creation Himself,
one of the Persons in that invisible triune Godhead, stepped out, and took on
human flesh, walked among sinful men, subjected Himself to the desires of
sinful men, was sinless, and He let them nail Him to a Roman Cross. He
permitted it; He could have zapped the whole Roman Empire with one word had He
wanted to. But He suffered and died simply because He was ready to pour out
Salvation to the whole human race. Now that's Grace!
And then you take it a little further. Here we are now, especially in our
beloved nation with the past 200 years of our Christian heritage, enjoying a
standard of living like no other people ever in human history. What is that?
Grace. We don't deserve it. Just because we're Americans is no reason we have
the right to enjoy 90% of the world's resources with just 6% of its people. But
God has seen fit in His Grace to pour it out upon us. And so everything that
you and I enjoy, every breath of air, every bite of food, every good thing is
Grace, and we don't deserve it. So this is the whole comprehension of Paul's
Gospel, and that is that God has poured out His Grace, not just upon America
and Israel, but rather the whole world. And of course that becomes our
responsibility to let the world know that the Grace of God reaches to the
vilest person.
Going back a couple of lessons we learned that where sin abounds, the Grace of
God is always greater. I read an account one time of Dwight L. Moody, and he
had preached a tremendous sermon in Chicago on the Grace of God, and after all
the audience had cleared out there was one poor old reprobate sitting on the
back row weeping. Moody walked back, and said, "Young man what's the matter
with you?" And the young man said, "Don't tell me the Grace of God can
help, because you don't know what I've been." This young man had been a
recruiter for the prostitution trade of Chicago. And so the man told Moody that
because of him countless numbers of beautiful young girls have ended up
alcoholics and drug addicts, and many had been murdered or had committed
suicide. And then the young man said to Moody, "You mean to tell me that God
will still save me?" Dwight L. Moody said, "That's the Grace of God."
And that is as good an example as you could find other than the Apostle
Paul himself. The Grace of God can go far beyond the vilest sinner that we can
dream of. It's almost unbelievable if it weren't that The Word so clearly
declares it.
Romans 6:14b
"...ye are not under the law, but under grace."
LESSON THREE * PART I
THE OLD SIN NATURE VS THE NEW NATURE
ROMANS 6 & 7
In our classes we are informal, trying to reach folks regardless of where they
are, across all denominational lines. And just because I reach across
denominational lines doesn't mean I will ever compromise in order to do so. I
teach The Book as I feel it needs to be taught. Now let's continue with our
study in the Book of Romans. I'm taking it slowly because I know that most of
what I've been teaching, the average churchgoer and believer never have any
contact with. We realize that most of our Sunday school material will not go
into the depth of these doctrines, so that is why we are taking it rather
slowly. We left off last lesson in Romans 6 at verse 14. Remember, I've been
stressing in these past few lessons that the word `sin' (singular) is the old
Adamic nature that we're born with, and that's why it is singular. It's the
fountainhead then of sins (plural). So the old Adam is what produces sins
(plural), and we always have to keep that separated as we study Scripture.
Romans 6:14
"For sin (the old sin nature, old Adam) shall not have
dominion over you (now in the last lesson I was stressing, "reigning like a
king," or we can crucify old Adam, and let the Grace of God in the Person of
Christ and the Holy Spirit reign as King); for ye are not under the law,
but under grace."
Now I always have to stop and qualify, as I've done for the last several years,
that when I maintain that we're not under the Law that doesn't mean that we
cast aside the Ten Commandments as no good, because they are still holy,
perfect, and still the mind of God. They are still the criteria for social
behavior whether it's Christian or non-Christian. The Ten Commandments do not
become a criteria of doctrine, and that's why I have no compunction about
having the Ten Commandments in our public schools, because the Ten Commandments
in themselves are not a religious doctrine, but rather simply the mind of God,
that everything within those Ten Commandment is for mankind's own good. And
that's what we have to understand when we have the Ten Commandments hanging on
a classroom wall, we are not placing a demand on any child regardless what
beliefs they have or don't have, but rather the basic laws of the Ten
Commandments just simply establish a good society. And when a society rebels
against those Commandments they're in trouble. And, consequently, empires have
fallen, one right after the other because they ignore these basic tenants of
God's Law. But also remember the Ten Commandments are not a criteria for
Salvation, or a set of doctrines, and we're not under them as the Nation of
Israel was, and all their legalist priesthood, and sacrifices and so forth, and
this is what Paul is referring to. We're not under that legalist system, we're
under Grace, and that's as different as daylight is from dark.
Romans 6:15,16a
"What then? shall we sin (let old Adam continue to rule
supreme), because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
Notice the answer is God forbid, but I think a more accurate
translation is, "Banish the thought." Don't even think such a thing,
because it's nowhere near what God is trying to show us.
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are..."
Now he just brings this into the everyday world. If you are employed by someone
then naturally he is the one who is going to tell you what he expects of you.
He is the one who will be paying your wages, and he is the one you are to give
your allegiance to, because you're his employee. Now of course the word
`servants' is implying the same thing. Paul again is going to bring everything
back to this idea of old Adam. Maybe some people are beginning to get tired of
hearing me use that term over the last few chapters, but as I again was
preparing my thoughts for this lesson last night, I got to thinking that's the
reason Paul is making such a big deal over these two themes that we have been
emphasizing over and over ever since we came into Chapter 4.
First it was `Justification.' You are justified, you're declared just as if you
have never sinned. For almost two chapters that was repeated over and over,
that you're justified by faith, and faith alone. Now in Chapter 6, Paul is
telling us over and over that we have to deal with "Old Adam." Old Adam has to
be crucified, and put to death. I think that I came to the right conclusion in
my preparation, and that is to show that no kind of human endeavor can do what
is being accomplished in these two or three chapters. In other words, no amount
of Church membership, works, baptism, sacraments, or elements you can put in
here, nothing can do what Paul is teaching in justification by faith, and in
putting old Adam to death. Works can't do that, because it has to be the works
of the Creator God Himself, and I think that's where the emphasis lies.
All around us whether it be in the city, small town, country, or Timbuktu, most
people are still of the impression that they have to do something. This is
totally foreign to that kind of thinking, so I'm going to go along with Paul,
and keep repeating it until he stops repeating it, which will be when we get to
Chapter 8. Then all of a sudden we will break out into the sunlight of how free
and secure we are, but until we do we'll keep repeating as he does.
Romans 6:16
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey (if you are a child of Adam, then
that's the one you're going to be serving); whether of sin unto death, or
(the other side of the coin) of obedience unto righteousness?"
You can be obedient to the invitation of God and His grace and enjoy righteousness,
right standing with God, now and for
all eternity. See, that's the only choice in life. Whether we are living in
America, Europe, or some third world country there are only two choices for
life. Are you going to serve the old Adam who is under the control of Satan,
and be entrapped in his eternal doom, or are we going to turn our back on him,
and enjoy God's righteousness, bliss, and heaven for ever.
Romans 6:17-19
"But God be thanked, that ye were (past tense) the
servants of sin (our past), but (now the flip side) ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you (Paul's
Gospel as found in I Corinthians 15:1-4). Being then made free from sin
(old Adam), ye became the servants (bond slave) of
righteousness." See how clear this comes out now after repeating it over
and over?
"I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh
(what's Paul saying in so many words? "I'm coming down to your level. I'm
speaking on your level, because you are still human, and in the flesh, and I'm
not coming with some high and mighty statement you can't comprehend"): for
as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto
iniquity;..."
Now what's he describing? The life of a person out there in the world. Never
lose sight of the fact that everyone of these Gentile converts that Paul has
brought out of darkness into the light of the Gospel were pagan idolaters. In
fact let's look at I Thessalonians for a moment, and this says it all. If I can
just get people to understand that as Paul writes to these believers he is
writing to Gentile men and women who had been steeped in idolatry. They had
been in all the idolatrous, and pagan practices that were rampant in the
ancient world. You know I always like to make mention of the fact that we think
that we're living in a whole new world, that we are living in a whole new
social strata, I mean, after all, we have finally arrived. No we haven't. We're
living in the same old sin that has plagued the world since the beginning.
Idolatry and paganism promoted it more than a lot of things that are taking
place in our society. Here in I Thessalonians Chapter 1, let's start with verse
9.
I Thessalonians 1:9
"For they themselves (the ones up there in Northern and
Southern Greece that Macedonia and Achaia in verse 8) shew of us what manner
of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God;"
Do you see that? Thessalonica was in Northern Greece not far from Philippi, and
every place that Paul gained converts this would have held true. They turned
from idols to the living God. Now that took something, and again you want to
realize that when people are saved and become believers, and come out of a
culture that is totally different to Christianity, then they come under
pressure and persecution. As Paul writes, he keeps this uppermost in his mind
that these new converts did not have an easy row living in the midst of their
idolatrous friends and relatives. Now back to Romans 6:20.
Romans 6:20
"For when ye were (past tense) the servants (under
the dominion of old Adam) of sin, ye were free from righteousness."
What? God doesn't expect the unsaved person to live righteously. You can't
legislate Christian morals and principles. We'd like to, I know, because we
think it would make for a better world, but we just can't do it. You cannot
legislate morality. Let me show you in Romans 8. It shocks people when I point
this out. This certainly isn't giving the unbelieving world more free reign
than they already have, but rather saying what the Word of God says.
Romans 8:7a
"Because the carnal mind..." Now the word `carnal' as Paul
uses it can be used two different ways. He'll speak of a carnal believer, that
is a Christian who is still fleshly-minded, but he's saved, and he's in the
Body of Christ. But he has not come out of that old lifestyle, as Paul has been
begging him to do in Romans Chapters 6 and 7, but he's carnal, he's more
fleshly concerned than he is spiritual. On the other hand Paul can speak of
carnal people as being totally unsaved. They are totally lost, so the text has
to define the word for you. But here Paul is talking about the unsaved carnal
person. Now the whole verse:
"Because the carnal mind (the lost) is enmity (an enemy)
against God (most lost people if you tell them that they're an enemy of God
they'd swat you. But whether they know it or not, the Book says the lost are
enemies of God): for it (the carnal unbeliever) is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be."
Do you see how that fits with what I just said? You can not legislate
Christian morality on the world, and that's why we don't even attempt to
try. God doesn't want us to, because it won't work. The only thing that will
work is when they have that inner change, the work of God in their lives. Now
back to Romans Chapter 6.
Romans 6:20,21
"For when ye were the servants of sin (old Adam), ye
were free from righteousness." So when you're lost you're under no demands
to live righteously. God doesn't expect it. Now in the next verse Paul is going
back into their idolatrous life style and ask:
"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the
end of those things is death."
Well, they had the fruit of ungodliness, that was the end result of their
lifestyle in idolatry. You let a person produce nothing but bad fruit
throughout his entire sojourn on earth, what's his end? Spiritual death.
Separation from God forever and ever and ever as we see the last part of that
verse, and that's what The Book says. That the end result of a person who is
going to live under total control of old Adam, and passes off the scene having
done nothing different, death is the result. Not only physical, but also
spiritual death as well. Let's go for a moment to the Book of Revelation
Chapter 20, and look at the spiritual death that Paul is referring to. He's not
just talking about dying physically, but rather a spiritual death. I don't have
time here to go back and review the whole chapter so we'll have to jump in at
verse 5. Remember that chapter 20 is at the end of the Tribulation, the
Millennial reign of Christ, the Kingdom has come in, and He's going to reign
and rule for a thousand years, and now John writes:
Revelations 20:5,6
"But the rest of the dead (the lost who have not
experienced resurrection) lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection." In other words, at the end of
the thousand years, that's when the Great White Throne Judgment will come about
for the lost. The first resurrection is for believers only.
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (this
will be from Adam to the last person saved); on such (the believer)
the second death hath no power,..."
So what's the second death that He's talking about? The eternal doom, when they
will be sent away from the presence of God back over here in Chapter 20:11-15
at the Great White Throne Judgment. They will never again have any contact, or
conversation with their Creator God because they are totally separated. That is
the spiritual death. This is the same thing Paul is talking about in Romans.
Either we take care of old Adam, and enter into this righteousness we call
Salvation, and have eternal bliss in the presence of God, or we let old Adam
reign supreme, and pass off the scene, never having done anything about it, and
go to the second death.
Romans 6:22
"But now (in their saved estate) being made free from
sin (old Adam), and become servants to God, ye have your fruit (now
you are producing something totally different. Can you see that? The old Adam
produced fruit to nothing but condemnation and evil. But being made free from
old Adam you have entered in to the Salvation experience that God has offered,
and become) unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." We can't
comprehend what it means to live forever in God's presence, but that's what the
Scripture is talking about. We can enjoy the saving Grace of God in this life,
but it's not going to stop at the grave; it's going to take us on into the
everlasting life, that eternal abiding with God Himself. This is what Paul is
burning himself out for. When he sets himself up as an example, that's
something I can go for, because he was just as human as I am. Paul suffered
those privations for the sake of the Gospel beyond what we can imagine.
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin (or you might say, the wages that
old Adam pays is the second death, eternal doom) is death; but (the flip
side is) the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord."
Now the key word in this verse is "Gift" You're all acquainted with
gifts, and we all like to get a gift, but as soon as you contribute something
to the cost of that gift, then it's no longer a gift. And there again is what
the majority of even Christendom is trying to do: take away the gift aspect of
Salvation, and they want to work for it. They think they have to do something.
And of course I always have to qualify what I'm talking about. I'm talking
about Salvation, and then of course after we have entered into Salvation, yes
then all these other things have to fall into place. There has to be the good
works, the manifestation of our saving faith, there has to be this whole idea
of bringing honor and glory to God. And as the catechism says, "Enjoy Him
Forever."
LESSON THREE * PART II
THE OLD SIN NATURE VS THE NEW NATURE
ROMANS 6 & 7
Now in our last lesson we left off with the last verse in Chapter 6. And
remember that Paul has just been constantly hammering home our having to deal
with old Adam. That sin nature with which we are born, and where the multitudes
of the human race are existing., and are under the control of that old Adamic
nature which is prone to rebellion, which is contrary to the will of God
because it is under the control of God's greatest adversary, and that is Satan.
I just happened to think of a verse we were going to use a couple of lessons
ago, and never got back to it, and it goes right in line with what I've just
said. So turn with me to II Corinthians Chapter 4. This says it better than I
could ever hope to. Here is where the human race is in such a dilemma, and
those of us who are trying our best to awaken them to their needs, it's our
dilemma, because this is what we're up against.
II Corinthians 4:3,4
"But if our gospel (ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4) be hid
(and it is), it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not (who blinded them?
Satan, the god of this world), lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
Now that's a dilemma. I mean that is something that mankind is constantly
laboring under; that Satan has totally blinded their eyes to the truth of the
Word of God. Now in that same light let's use another verse that we use so
often, at least in my classes during the week. Come with me back to the Book of
Acts Chapter 16. I share this passage so often, in fact I did in my class last
night. This is what you and I as believers have to understand, and we have to
pray to this end. There is not a thing we can do until God takes away this
Satan-inspired blindness. Here in Acts we have Paul and Silas teaching in the
city of Philippi, in Northern Greece, and they've gone out to a little
riverside park, and there Paul found a few Jewish women in a devotional time,
they couldn't have full synagogue services of course.
Acts 16:13,14
"And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side,
where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women
which resorted thither (we don't know how many). And a certain woman
named Lydia, a seller of purple (a business lady), of the city of
Thyatira, which worshipped God (she was religious, but not a Christian),
heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which
were spoken of Paul."
See how plain that is? Here was a lady, probably in the upper crust of her day,
and to be a seller of purple she had to be rather well-to-do. She was Jewish,
she had a certain amount of religion and she had a certain amount of knowledge
about God, but was lost. Just as lost as the ones we read about in II
Corinthians Chapter 4. Her eyes were just as blinded by Satan as anybody
else's, but when Paul came on the scene, The Lord opened her spiritual
understanding. The Lord opened her heart, but that in itself didn't do it. She
had to attend to the things that were spoken by Paul. And you see that's where
you and I are as believers There is nothing that you and I can do to win a lost
person until The Lord opens their heart, and then when that happens we have to
be there with the truth of Scripture. And as I've taught over the years, God
has seen fit to leave His Word in the hands of human beings, not angels. Why
didn't God appoint angels to do His evangelism? Well, He saw fit to leave it in
the hands of believers to share these things, and Paul says in II Corinthians
Chapter 5 that we're ambassadors for Christ.
II Corinthians 5:20
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
You know what an ambassador is? He is someone who is serving his home
government, but in a foreign environment, and as that ambassador, then, we are
to bring people to a reconciliation with God. But back here in Romans 6, we
have been dealing with the old Adam, that we can't do anything in ourselves,
but rather it has to be a work of God to place old Adam on the Cross. He has to
be crucified, he has to be put to death. Now there are several areas of death
that we have to consider. Number one, as the result of Adam's fall, is physical
death. This old body is going to die if The Lord doesn't come. It's something
that every human being is going to experience. No one except Christ Himself is
going to escape physical death, that's part of the curse. But if you remember
the circles that I put on the board several lessons ago, inside this body of
flesh, God has placed that invisible part of us. The personality, the ego,
whatever you want to call it, and that is centered in the mind, will, and
emotion. Now that mind, will, and emotion that we're born with comprises the
old Adam.
Now even though old Adam is living in this body of flesh which is going to die,
we also have to appropriate a death to that old Adam to that spirit side of us,
and that, of course, is where Paul is dealing the most. When we talk about old
Adam having to die, that means that the old sin nature we're born with has to
die spiritually either in this life by appropriating the work of the Cross, and
having him reckoned as dead in Christ, or old Adam is going to experience death
at the Great White Throne, and as we saw in our last lesson, consigned to the
Lake of Fire forever and ever - that's the second death, and in the area of the
spirit. Now let's go into Chapter 7. Now I don't claim to be a theologian by
any stretch of the imagination, yet here is a chapter that theologians can
discuss and argue over, and never come to any conclusions. I personally can't
see this chapter as that difficult. I find Chapter 7 a thrilling chapter, and,
of course, Paul is dealing again with this same thing that we've been talking
about. How are we going to deal with old Adam, as over against the new divine
nature that Christ places in us at Salvation. Now remember that when Adam is
crucified there had to be something to immediately replace him or we would be
an empty entity. But God does replace old Adam with a new nature, the Divine
nature that comes from God by a creative work, and that's what we're going to
deal with now here in this chapter.
Romans 7:1
"KNOW ye not, brethren (believers), (for I speak to
them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as
he liveth?"
Now he's not just talking about the Mosaic Law here, he's talking about law as
it governs society. You and I live under the government, and the Constitution
of the United States, and that constitutional law is going to be over us, and
will control us till we die. But the moment we die, the American government
loses all control. They can't do anything to a dead person. Now that's what
Paul is driving at. The only way you can sever something is by death. The only
way you can stop the bank from foreclosing on a mortgage is, you die, and then
they can't do anything. I gave the example of a man on trial a couple of
lessons ago, he's as guilty as can be, but before the verdict can come in he
dies. The trial is then over because death has ended the whole thing. And here
Paul is using this same analogy, that now we're going to come into a marriage
relationship under the civil law of the land. Whether it's Israel or America,
it makes no difference.
Romans 7:2
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law
(not the Mosaic Law here, but rather the law of the land) to her husband
so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of
her husband."
Not the husband's dominion over her as such, but the law of the land under
which they were married is going to determine how they treat their community
property, and how they do all these other things under the law of the land. But
when the husband dies, now what? The woman is as free as a bird, she is no
longer under any of the previous demands of that husband. Why? Because he's
dead, and that settles it. Now verse 3:
Romans 7:3
"So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to
another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she
is free from that law (so, if her husband is dead, then she is free from
the law that kept those two people together. Do you see that? That's the law
that he's talking about. The law of the land that made them husband and
wife); so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man."
And now verse 4, and it's the key to the whole concept.
Romans 7:4a
"Wherefore,..." In a word he's saying, "I'm just laying
out an illustration," that, since the law of the land has kept husband and wife
together, and it lays out how they're going to handle their property, and their
wealth, and whether we like it or not there are laws stipulating how this will
be done.
Romans 7:4
"Wherefore, my brethren (Paul is talking to the believers
at Rome), ye also are become dead to the law (we're talking about the
law of Moses, the Mosaic system. How?) by the body of Christ;..." Now
not the invisible Body that we talked about a lesson or two ago, not that
invisible consortium or organism of believers baptized into Christ, the Church.
But rather this body is speaking of His body of flesh with which He was
crucified. Be sure you determine what we're talking about. Now reading the
verse again:
Romans 7:4
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
(Mosaic system) by the body of Christ (that was crucified); that
ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that
we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Now let's sort this all out. Paul says that just the same as a husband and wife
are by the law held together, they cannot operate, or function without the law
of the land being part and parcel. Well just for example, take income tax. That
income tax is set up for husband and wives, you either file jointly or
separately, it doesn't make a bit of difference. Uncle Sam looks over the
shoulder of you as husband and wife as long as you live, and it looks like it
will always be that way. But as soon as one of those partners die, the other is
free from the law that held them together. And now Paul is drawing the analogy
so also the lost person is under the demands of the Mosaic law, the Ten
Commandments. The lost person, whether he wants to admit it or not, is under
the very anathema of God when they commit adultery, steal, kill or any of the
things that are contrary to the law. Do you see that? I don't care how
anti-religious a person can be, I don't care if he's an atheist, those
commandments of God are still hanging over him. He can't escape them, and one
day he comes before the Great White Throne, he will be judged according to that
law. Don't ever lose sight of that. The Law, the Ten Commandments are
perfect, they're righteous, they're holy, and they're eternal. We can't
just write them off, and say, "Oh well, that was Old Testament stuff."
No, no, it's the eternal mind of God that's been revealed to mankind.
Now then, if we are going to come out from under that demand of those Ten
Commandments hanging over our heads, then there is only one way we can do
it. We've got to die. Do you hear that? We have to die.
Oh, not physically, but in that old Adam. And so here we go again, the same
old story. Old Adam has to be crucified, and the minute he is crucified, and is
dead in the eyes of God, the Ten Commandments no longer hang over him. He's
dead!
But we don't leave it there - we pick up another relationship (it's just
like the widow who has lost her husband somewhere down the road, what is she
free to do? Marry another. Absolutely! There is nothing in Scripture against
that). And in this new relationship now she can be giving her allegiance to
a second husband, but with old Adam we're not dealing with the physical, we're
dealing with the spiritual, so, as soon as old Adam is crucified, and he's
reckoned as dead, immediately God reckons that we're married, and have a new
relationship, not under the Mosaic Law, but under the love, and Grace, and
mercy of Christ Himself; and so we're married to Christ. Do you see that?
Now there is somebody (and I won't use their name on the letters they write,
and I don't even respond to them), that when I spoke of the Bride of Christ one
time, the envelope (which I did not open) came all marked on the outside
"Bride of Christ - Sir" Do you see what they were driving at? They
thought that I was referring to the Bride of Christ and you and I as believers
as female in gender. Well, this is merely a relationship, this is a position as
we see when we study the Book of Ephesians. That when we're married to Christ
in the analogy of Paul's writings it's that union between us and Christ like a
husband and wife, and, of course, Paul uses that in Ephesians Chapter 5.
Ephesians 5:25
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it:"
That's a constant analogy that Paul brings out, and here it is again in this
chapter in Romans. Crucify old Adam, put him to death so that he is broken from
the demands of the Ten Commandments, and be married to Christ. Let's jump ahead
a little bit here in Chapter 7, and verse 6, then I'll come back to verse 4 and
5.
Romans 7:6
"But now (that we're married to Christ) we are
delivered from the law (most people don't know that this verse is in their
Bible, but here it is as plain as day. Now that we're married to Christ as a
result of old Adam being crucified, now we are delivered from the law), that
being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of
spirit,..."
The Holy Spirit that comes in and indwells us becomes our law. See, we don't
become lawless because we're not under the Ten Commandments, because something
far better takes its place, the indwelling Spirit. And contrary to nuts that
are in institutions that say, "God told me to kill him," remember God never
tells someone to kill. God never tells someone to go out and break up a family
and home by committing adultery. God never does any of that, but that's what
they try to say. God, the Spirit never goes contrary to the basic laws of God.
The Holy Spirit will never instruct a believer to do wrong, and you know that.
So let's look at the verse again:
Romans 7:6
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead
wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the
oldness of the letter (the law, the Ten Commandments)." Now let's go back
up to verse 4 for a moment.
Romans 7:4
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by
the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Now remember, fruit is that productive result of whatever it may be. In other
words, you plant an apple tree, and I don't think you plant an apple tree just
for shade. Do you? I sure don't. If I want a shade tree, then I'll plant a
shade tree, but if I want apples, then I plant an apple tree, and hope that
someday in the future to receive the rewards of that tree. And what are the
rewards of that tree? Fruit. It's the same way when the groom and the bride
come together in their marriage relationship under normal circumstances - their
dream is to have a family. Isn't that right? What are those children? Their
fruit of that union. Now it's the same way in the believer. When we come into
this marriage relationship with Christ, what does God now look for? Fruit. And
what is the fruit of a believer now married to Christ? Other believers. That's
where soul winning, and witnessing comes in - that we can win other lost people
for Christ, and it becomes fruit. Now I mentioned in a previous lesson that I
do not ascribe to any kind of a Christianity that just takes people by the nape
of the neck and tries to push this down their throat. It doesn't work that way.
But we certainly have a concern for the spiritual needs of these lost people.
It just tears my heart out when I look at the masses of humanity, and realize
that most of them are going to a Devil's Hell. I don't know who they are, I
can't judge, and neither can you, but I just know from Scripture that most of
them are. Remember, God has always just had a small remnant, and it's certainly
no different today. Now grant you, we probably have a higher percentage of
believers in America, what with all the preaching and Bible teaching we have,
but you take the world population as a whole, what percentage of them are going
to be in God's Heaven? Well precious few, but those few are God's fruit, as a
result of His relationship with human beings.
_______
LESSON THREE * PART III
THE OLD SIN NATURE VS THE NEW NATURE
ROMANS 6 & 7
Now back to our study in Romans, and we'll jump right in at verses 5 and 6. Now
we made some comment on verse 6 in our last study, but we'll look at it briefly
again. Paul is still dealing with breaking the relationship with old Adam who
has to be crucified not by anything we do. We can't crucify ourselves, and I
guess that's one reason The Lord chose crucifixion rather than any other form
of death, because that's one form of death, you see, that man cannot accomplish
on his own. You cannot crucify yourself, you can't drive the nails into your
hands, and put the pole up in the air, because that had to be done by
outsiders. So I believe that was one reason that crucifixion was the death of
choice to carry through this whole theme, that as we are crucified with Christ
it is nothing we can do. We can not crucify ourselves, it is wholly, totally,
and completely a work of God on our behalf. Now then in verse 5 Paul is
reviewing all of this again, as he has done so often.
Romans 7:5
"For when we were in the flesh (under control of old
Adam), the motions (or results) of sins (plural. Now do you see
the difference? Sin is the old Adam, he is the fountainhead of our sins of
action. Old Adam is just simply the manufacturing point, but what we do are
sins and then it becomes plural), which were by the law (it goes right
back to the things the Law said to do and not to do, and which
man in turn does not do and does do), did work in our members
to bring forth fruit (the end production) unto death." That's all it
can work for as we saw in Romans 6:23:
Romans 6:23
"For the wages (that old Adam pays) of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now
Romans 7:6. What's the first word?
Romans 7:6
"But (and I always call that the flip side. Where old Adam
did nothing but generate sins that became fruit unto death, the flip side now
is) now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held
(under old Adam); that we should serve in newness of spirit (under
the control of the Holy Spirit), and not in the oldness of the letter
(or the Law)." Do you see how clearly this comes out. Now we move on
into verse 7.
Romans 7:7
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin (or like old Adam?
Is the Law something that just generates sin. Well what's his answer)? God
forbid. Nay, I had not known sin (old Adam), but by the law
(remember I said in the last lesson that the law hangs over the old Adamic
nature, and is constantly trying to convict him that he's breaking it. This is
what Paul is going to make reference to. It was the Law that showed Paul what
old Adam was all about): for I had not known lust, except the law had said,
`Thou shalt not covet.'"
Now this is an interesting commandment. Why does Paul pick this commandment
"Thou shalt not covet" as his example instead of "Thou shalt not kill, or
Thou shalt not steal? Well those of you who have been in my evening classes
know. This is the one commandment, out of the ten, that has to always be
committed first. Now I know that makes you frown, and I don't blame you. Let me
explain. You cannot kill unless you covet. You cannot steal unless you covet.
You cannot commit adultery unless you covet. You cannot destroy someone's
character with false gossip unless you covet. Can you see that? All the way
through the Ten Commandments the thing that triggers breaking the Law is
coveting.
Now after I have taught this, people will come back after they have had time to
think, and say, "Now wait a minute Les, how about when it says `Thou shalt
not take the name of The Lord thy God in vain,' where does coveting fit in
that?" It fits perfectly. Because, by and large, why do people curse and
swear? Why do people use foul language? They covet something, and what is it?
Attention. They think they're drawing attention to themselves with their foul
language, and so again, coveting triggers it. No matter how you look at it, you
cannot break one of the Ten Commandments unless, of course, you covet first,
and so that's why Paul is going to use this commandment as the primary example
of the law. Now verse 8:
Romans 7:8
"But sin (old Adam), taking occasion by the
commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (and if I understand
the word correctly, it's immoral thinking), For without the law sin (old
Adam) was dead."
Now what does he mean being dead? He's not functioning in the spirit realm
because he is not paying any attention to the Law. Now don't lose sight of what
kind of a man that Paul was. What was he? Religious. A religious fanatic in
fact. He was an Israelite, a Pharisee of the Pharisees of the Tribe of
Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day, he was the epitome of a Judaistic Jew. He
practiced the Jewish religion to the hilt, but as a Pharisee, religious,
self-righteous man that he was, was he paying any attention to the Law? No,
because he was above it. He had no compunction that he was a law-breaker
because he was so religious he was practically above the Law, so the Law wasn't
convicting him as he was going along his religious way, and people are no
different today. Now verse 9:
Romans 7:9
"For I was alive without the law once (in other words he
was functioning as a Pharisee, as a religious zealot, and the Law wasn't even
touching him. It was rolling off of him like water off a duck): but when the
commandment came, sin (old Adam) revived (woke up, and as soon as
the Law came down on the Adamic part of Paul, and woke him up, what happened to
Paul's old Adam?), and I died."
Do you see that? Come back with me to the Book of Acts. I hadn't planned on
doing this. I want you to get a perfect picture of what Paul really was as a
fanatical, religious Jew, and what he's referring to in Chapter 7 of Romans.
Acts 9:1-5a
"AND Saul (the Jew, the Pharisee, the religious
fanatic), yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples
of the Lord (these Jewish believers who had now embraced Christ as their
Messiah), went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus
to the synagogues (dealing mostly with Jews), that if he found any of
this way, whether they were men or women (he didn't care if it was women he
dragged into prison), he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he
journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a
light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him
(and, of course, this is The Lord from Heaven now speaking), `Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me?' And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?...'"
Now those of you who have made a study of the Old Testament, and I think that
it carries right into the early part of the New Testament, Who was Lord?
Jehovah! Jehovah! And I feel no violence to Scripture that had Saul not had
such an awe for the name, in all practical circumstances he would have said,
"Who art thou, Jehovah?" because he knew this voice was coming from the
presence of God, there was no doubt about that. And so I like to put it that he
knew he was talking to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was talking to
Jehovah. Now continuing on with verse 5.
Acts 9:5a
"And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, `I am
Jesus...'"
Man, who would even have thought such a thing in Paul's shoes. Jehovah is
claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth whom he hated, and detested, whom he thought
was an impostor, who was a blasphemer, and He's Jehovah? Well look what it did
to the man. It melted him like wax, and no wonder he fell to the ground blinded
physically in order to see spiritually Who Jesus really was. He was the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and you remember I proved this
when we were way back four or five years ago in Exodus, Remember when the voice
from the burning bush told Moses:
Exodus 3:14
"And God said unto Moses, `I AM THAT I AM:' and he said, `Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'"
And then remember I took you into John's Gospel Chapter 8, and as the Pharisees
again of Jesus day confronted Him:
John 8:57,58
"Then said the Jews unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years
old, and hast thou seen Abraham?' Jesus said unto them, `Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.'"
What was he telling them? I'm the same One that spoke from the burning bush,
I'm the Jehovah of the Old Testament, and of course He was. So now then Saul
had to recognize that the One he was hating, the One he was trying to stamp
out, this Jesus of Nazareth was the God that he thought he was worshipping. And
so he had to bring the two together. Now let's turn to Acts Chapter 26 for a
moment. And now, of course, as the Apostle has gone through all his trials and
sufferings, and he's coming down toward the end of his freedom, at least before
he will be imprisoned in Rome, look what he says in verse 9:
Acts 26:9
"I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" See what I just told you? He
really thought Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor, and he wanted to stamp out
anybody who had anything to do with this Jesus.
Acts 26:10,11
"Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints
did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and
when they were put to death (and what was their crime? Believing that Jesus
was the Christ), I gave my voice (or vote) against them (or I
voted to have them put to death)."
"And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme
(he was forcing these Jewish believers to renounce their faith in Jesus.
It's unbelievable, but this is what he was doing in the name of his religion.
There isn't any thing more tortuous, or inhuman than religious fanatics);
and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange
cities."
Acts 26:12a
"Whereupon as I went to Damascus..."
And as we saw in Chapter 9 that was his purpose in going to Damascus. Now if
you will come back to the Book of Romans Chapter 7, and keep all this in mind;
he's so religious, and such a fanatic that the Law wasn't even touching him,
even though he was guilty of what we can call murder, when he actually demanded
the death of these Jewish believers in his own mind, he was putting them to
death murderously. Now verse 10:
Romans 7:10
"And the commandment (the ten), which was ordained to
life, (remember they're Holy, and perfect, because up in verse 9, as soon
as old Adam in Saul woke up and realized that the Law was condemning him, what
happened? He said, "I woke up, I revived," and he became aware that the Law was
convicting him, and that he had only one prospect as a Law-breaker, and that
was eternal death) I found to be unto death." Now verse 11:
Romans 7:11
"For sin (old Adam), taking occasion by the commandment
(ten), deceived me, and by it slew me."
Paul says it was killing me. What does he mean? Let's compare Scripture with
Scripture so come back with me to verse 5 of this same chapter. This is exactly
what he's talking about.
Romans 7:5
"For when we (he could say when I) were in the flesh,
the motions of sins (in other words putting these people to death,
blaspheming the name of Christ, and what ever else he may have been guilty
of), which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit
unto death."
And Saul was no different. Saul the religious fanatic everyday of his life was
piling guilt, upon guilt, upon guilt, heading for the day when he too would
leave this life, and would come before the Great White Throne, and hear those
word, "Depart from me you religious fanatic, for I never knew you."
That's where Saul was headed. Now back to our text in verse 11. So old Adam
had been keeping him blind to the reality of the true purpose of the Law, which
was to convict him. Remember what it said back in Romans Chapter 3?
Romans 3:20b
"...for by the law is the knowledge of sin." All right,
that's where it finally came to even with Saul. Now verse 12.
Romans 7:12
"Wherefore the law (the ten) is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good."
Romans 7:13
"Was then that which is good made death unto me (in other
words, can the Commandments be something other than good? Well he answers
it)? God forbid (don't think such a thought. But here's what the Ten
really amounted to). But sin (old Adam), that it might appear sin
(old Adam. Now what's he saying? He's just making a double emphasis, but
old Adam in order that he could be seen for what he really is, bent in
rebellion, and evil, and ignoring the Law, but old Adam), working death in
me by that which is good (that sounds like double talk, but you see what
he's saying over and over? That the Law in itself was good and perfect, but
what was it doing to the man? It was killing him. It was convicting him);
that sin (old Adam) by the commandment might become exceeding
sinful."
Now I've got to take you back to Chapter 3 for a moment, because here's where
we get the explanation of what he's talking about. I know most people have
forgotten what we studied in Chapter 3. And keep this passage hooked up with
Saul of Tarsus.
Romans 3:20
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
The Law shows us what old Adam is really made of. Okay? Now come back to
Chapter 7. So what does the Law do for Saul of Tarsus? It compounds his
sinfulness. How by revealing everything that he does was sinful. Everything
that he was doing was contrary to the will of a Holy God. Now verse 14.
Romans 7:14
"For we know (any good religious Jew knew this) that
the law is spiritual (it was written by the finger of God, it was
supernaturally presented to the Nation of Israel. It was holy, and God given,
and spiritual): but I am carnal (in his pre-saved condition), sold
under sin (or old Adam)."
He's under the curse as the result of a fall, way back there in the Garden of
Eden, and that is what we have been emphasizing now for six chapters here in
this Book. That when Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race under the
curse, and separated them from their Creator. And Saul of Tarsus was no
different, religious as he was. And so verse 14 says that he was carnal,
fleshly, even though he was religious, yet the motivating power within him was
not the things that were pleasing to God, but quite the contrary, because he
was stamping out those who had recognized Jesus was indeed the Christ. Now
again we have to understand the mind-set of not only Saul of Tarsus, but all
the religious Jews of Jesus' day. Why were they so constantly against Him? They
could not believe that He was the Christ. He could not be the One promised all
the way back from Genesis Chapter 12.
_______
LESSON THREE * PART IV
THE OLD SIN NATURE VS THE NEW NATURE
ROMANS 6 & 7
You know as we teach we hope you are beginning to understand, and enjoy The
Bible. We've come to the place where I think that too many people just rely on
what people have written, and maybe within their denominational confines, and
they are so totally unaware of so many of these Scriptural truths. And, of
course, that's what thrills us when we hear from you that you're just beginning
to understand and see things that you have never seen before. We are even
getting letters from pastors who are enjoying our teachings. Now turn with me
to Chapter 7 again and we'll try to finish the chapter, or at least get close
to finishing it in this lesson. In our last lesson we finished at verse 14,
where Paul now is reconstructing how he had to deal with the old Adam as he
came under that conversion experience when he met Christ on the road to
Damascus. And now he comes to the conclusion in verse 14:
Romans 7:14
"For we know that the law is spiritual (absolutely. When I
say we're not under Law, but rather under Grace it isn't because the Law has
lost it's spiritual power, or condition, absolutely it's spiritual, it is the
very mind of God so far as mankind is concerned): but I am carnal, sold
under (the old Adamic nature or under) sin."
And as I made my closing remarks in the last lesson that when Adam fell, when
Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race into that condition, and,
consequently, Christ had to die in order to bring fallen mankind back to
Himself. And so lest some get rather judgmental toward God, and I know people
do, "Well, how in the world could God call me a sinner because of what Adam
did 6000 years ago?" Well, I can't answer that, but I just know that God's
mind is higher than our minds, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts,
and this is the way that He Sovereignly set it all in motion: that He put Adam
and Eve in the Garden, and gave them one simple responsibility - that they not
eat of that one tree, and it was just merely a means of testing to see if they
could remain obedient. There wasn't anything that wicked in the fruit, but it
was a means of testing. And Adam flunked totally, so he ate, and again a
Sovereign God declared that now that Adam had sinned then all his offspring
would inherit that sin nature.
So you see this is what we try to teach when we show that the blood circulatory
system of the fetus, as the mother carries it, is never touched by the mother's
blood, and that is what gives rise to the virgin birth. Mary could carry the
child Jesus and her blood never course through His veins. But the circulatory
system of every human fetus originates with the father. And so also with Christ
in His virgin birth, His blood system originated with the Father, and so it was
divine, sinless blood contrary to those of us who are the offspring of Adam. So
every child of Adam then is sold under the curse, he's under that old Adam. As
we come into verse 15, we come to verses that are sometimes hard to understand.
Maybe it will help if you understand that now Paul is writing as the believer
who now has reckoned old Adam as he's been teaching, crucified, dead, but he is
still left as an influence even in our Christian life.
Now I know there are two ways of looking at this, and I still maintain what
I've always taught, that old Adam is crucified, he's declared dead in the mind
of God. In other words the moment you and I believe the Gospel (Reference I
Corinthians 15:1-4) God saw you and I in the Person of Christ on the Cross.
Now, of course, God has to be the Omnipotent, Omniscient God that He is or that
wouldn't be possible, but it is possible because with Him nothing is
impossible. And so God saw every true believer in Christ, as He hung on that
Cross. As we saw back in Chapter 6, He saw us in Christ in the grave. As Christ
was buried, we were buried. He saw us in Christ when He rose in Resurrection
power and so we also are resurrected in newness of life. And now Paul comes in
explaining all of this from that believers point of view that, yes, we still
have to wrestle against the influence of that old Adamic nature, even though
God has reckoned it as crucified. God has declared it dead, but from experience
we'd better realize he is still with us. He is defeated and has been placed
under subjection of a new nature that has come in by virtue of the power of
God. But, here's where we all find ourselves, even as believers.
Romans 7:15
"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do
not; but what I hate, that do I." Isn't that confusing? But it really isn't
because he's talking about these two natures. Now let me show you a verse that
probably clarifies that even a little better. Turn to Galatians, Chapter 5 and
drop down to verse 16 and 17.
Galatians 5:16,17
"This I say then, `walk in the Spirit (now you remember
when we talked about our position in Christ? That when we became believers we
were baptized into the Body of Christ and that's now our position. We are in
Christ. He is still alluding to that same position doctrinally),... and you
shall not fulfil (or live after) the lust of the flesh.'"
Now again, who is the flesh? Old Adam! In other words, if we walk according to
the position that God has given us, we're not going to give in to the demands
of old Adam. Now I always like to qualify the word `position.' When you take
the president of a great corporation, or the president of the United States of
America, that presidency has been held by many different people. But it's
the position that we recognize. In other words, I can't name all the
past presidents of General Motors. But I can allude to the president's position
of General Motors. The same way with the White House. We can name certain
presidents, but I imagine very few of us can name all of them. But we're all
aware of the fact that America has never been without a president. The position
has always been filled by someone. Now, it's the same way with our position in
Christ. It is a position and we are to live in accord with that position, just
like we expect people in important places to live in accordance with that
position. And when they don't, we're disappointed. And, of course, God can be,
too. So walk in the Spirit, that position of being in Christ, and then you'll
not give in to the old desires of old Adam. Now verse 17, and I think this
proves my point.
Galatians 5:17
"For the flesh (old Adam) lusteth (or warreth)
against the Spirit, and the Spirit (that is the indwelling Spirit, that is
part of us now) against the flesh (old Adam)."
Do you see that now? I'm sure you've all heard the little anecdote that I heard
way back when I was a kid. I've heard it umpteen times since then and I've
repeated it because it is so apropos. There was an old fellow, who had lived a
life of degradation and had become an alcoholic and spent the good portion of
his life in the tavern or bar. Then one day The Lord saved him miraculously and
his whole life took on a new meaning. But the poor old fellow had to go by that
bar every day to go get his mail. And so he was rehearsing with a friend of his
one day, and he said, "You know, every time I start to go past that old
hangout, it's just like two little dogs inside are having a rip-roaring fight.
A little black dog is fighting against the little white dog. They fight tooth
and toenail. The little black dog says `Go inside, go back to your old
lifestyle.'" The little white dog says, "Go get the mail." And the
friend asks, "Well, which one of the dogs win?" And he says, "The one
I feed the best!" Well, you see that's so typical. The little dog that is
fed best is the one that's going to be victorious. It's a good anecdote. But
that's exactly where we find ourselves.
Now if we're going to feed old Adam with all the lustful desires of this world,
who is going to be victorious? Old Adam. But if we keep Adam starved and keep
feeding the Spirit side, that's where victory comes in. And this is why we have
to stay in The Book. You know, people think they can go to church twice a year
and maintain their Christianity. Impossible! You can't survive physically
eating twice a year, nor can you survive spiritually eating twice a year. It
has to be a constant refurbishing, or nourishing that inner man, the Spirit of
God, and we do that from The Book. And this is what enhances our whole
spiritual life. Just feeding on the Word of God, fellowship with fellow
believers, prayer time and all these things that make up what we call the
Christian life. So we have this warfare between the old Adam and the new. Now
let's go back to Chapter 7 and maybe you can see what the poor old apostle is
up against. He's just as human as we are remember.
Romans 7:15a
"For that which I do I allow not:...."
Now let's break it down. What he lets old Adam do, the Spirit side says, "It's
wrong. Don't do this." And then he says the other side of the coin is that
which I do not, that's what I do. Do you see it. And it's the same that we are
in our Christian experience. The things that we know that we should not
do we're constantly finding ourselves doing, when we're in defeat. And the
things that we should do, are so easy to make excuses for: "I'm too
tired. I'm going to stay home tonight. I'm not going to go to Bible Study." And
this is exactly how it works. Now let's go on.
Romans 7:16
"If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law
that it is good."
All he is doing is rebelling against the good statements of the Law. But old
Adam says "Forget the Law, that's God's side - we're anti-God." I've pointed
out over the years (and you have to agree with me because it's so simple),
everything that God says in this Book for mankind to do, for his own good, what
does most of mankind do? The opposite! Everything that this Book warns us not
to do, what does mankind in general do? They do it! In fact that's one of the
famous cliches lately isn't it? Well, just do it! Don't worry about whether
it's right or wrong, just do it. That's the old Adamic nature working and
taking sway of a life when God's word says this is harmful, this is going to
bring you nothing but sorrow and heartache. But Satan and the old nature say,
"Do it." Everybody else is. Does that make it right? No. So we have to go by
what the Scripture says and then not give in to old Adam but keep him under
control. As Paul says, "I then do not beat the air but I'm going to keep my
body under control." Now verse 17.
Romans 7:17
"Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in
me."
As a believer, when I do things that I know are wrong, it's not the true "I"
that I've now become, in Christ, but who is going to do it? Old Adam. Do you
see that.? Now, I'm almost running that term into the ground. I'll be off of it
as soon as we get to Chapter 8, but until then I'm going to keep driving it
home. That old Adam is the source of all our problems. That old sin nature. Now
that goes back to what I said a little bit ago, God reckons him as dead. We're
to understand that he has been defeated and we're to reckon him as such. But in
experience, before the day is over, old Adam is going to be at our throat. He's
going to be at us to try to get us to do something that is contrary to the will
of God. Now verse 18:
Romans 7:18a
"For I know that in me [now he's coming back to the flesh
side. That's in parenthesis] (that is, in my flesh) [that is in my old
Adamic nature] dwelleth no good thing:....."
Now that flies in the face of present day sociology doesn't it? Because the
sociologists are trying to constantly brainwash their kids, especially college
level kids, saying that, "You are so good, you can do whatever you want to do.
You can be whatever you want to be, because you have it within you to do so."
That's the positive thinkers as well. Well, that's contrary to Scripture. In
fact, a good friend of mine got all wrapped up with these motivational tapes
when they were having their heyday here a few years ago. I wrote and told him,
"Look out. You claim to be a believer and you're on thin ice because a believer
never takes this approach that you can be whatever you want to be if you just
think it. A believer has to say, "In myself I am nothing, but in Christ
then, yes, I can become anything." Now Paul is saying that from the old
Adamic nature's point of view there is nothing good.
Romans 7:18b
"....for to will is present with me; but how to perform that
which is good I find not."
Now I'm going to warn you, we haven't seen but one reference to the Holy Spirit
in these first seven chapters. But as soon as we break into Chapter 8, I think
it's 19 times in that one chapter, we're going to see the Holy Spirit. So you
see the question he is asking here is going to be answered in the next chapter.
But for now, he's still asking how am I going to do that which the new nature
wants me to do when the old nature keeps tipping the balances? Now verse 19:
Romans 7:19
"For the good that I would I do not (he repeats it
again): but the evil which I would not, that I do."
And here's where we all find ourselves. I've had people tell me or have told my
little wife, that they no longer sin. They have reached that pinnacle of
Christianity where they no longer commit sin. Well, bless their hearts, I
haven't been out of bed 15 minutes in the morning and I'm guilty, one way or
another. Usually in the thought processes. And so this is what we have to
realize. We never get to that place of perfection. It's just like the apostle
here, old Adam is never going to quit working on us. Old Adam is that part of
us that gets greedy, that gets envious, covetous. My, you see something that
your neighbor has got and the first thing, what does old Adam say? "Hey I've
got to have that." That's what Paul is warning against. We don't live on that
plane anymore. Now let's go on.
Romans 7:20
"Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but
sin (old Adam) that dwelleth in me."
Do you see how plain that is? I trust converting that word "sin" to "old Adam"
is doing as much for you as it has for me. This just opens up this portion of
the Scripture, that when we realize that it isn't sins, it isn't the things
that we do that are sinful that's our problem. The problem is the production
center of those thoughts and those sins, which is old Adam.
Romans 7:21
"I find then (not The Law but what) a law... (I
always like to explain right here that when Paul uses the term "law," whether
it's the Ten or whether it's the whole system of Judaism, or whether it's the
Law of Christ or some other law, he's pointing out something that is a fact of
life that we have to reckon with. And that's what he has here. "I find then a
fact of life that you just can't get around, you have to meet it head on")
when I would do good, evil is present with me."
We all experience that. You see the more you try to do what's pleasing to The
Lord, the more Satan is going to attack. And that's why I even plead with my
television audience as well as my class people. I know that our teaching is
starting to penetrate places that Satan doesn't want it to go. And I live in
constant fear of Satanic attack in one way or another. And the only thing
that's protecting me, I know, is the prayers of the saints. As I mentioned in
our last taping, nothing thrills me more than to get a letter from someone
saying, "Les, we pray for you and Iris two times a day, three times a day,"
and we need it, but so do you. And this is why I maintain we believers have
to constantly pray for one another. Because we're up against an adversary who
doesn't like anything we're doing. I've noticed even in my ministry among
people who have been so influential in getting this program going, how Satan is
attacking them. It's evident and they realize he is. So far, God has protected
us, but I covet your prayers and this is what Paul was up against as well. That
whenever he attempted to do something that was glorious for God, the Devil
opposed him. Now verse 22.
Romans 7:22
"For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:"
He's not talking about the Ten Commandments. But he's talking about a fact of
life that now since his conversion, Christ in the Person of the Holy Spirit is
dwelling where? Within him! That's the inward man he's talking about. That
Christ now dwells within. And He is the One that can give us victory over our
adversary first and foremost, old Adam. But old Adam is under the control of
Satan.
Romans 7:23,24
"But I see another law (fact of life) in my members,
warring against the law of my mind (it is a warfare between the new nature
and the old), and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin (fact of
life) which is in my members (that old Adam is in my members. That's
just simply paraphrasing and hopefully clarifying it)."
"O wretched man that I am (Paul hasn't mentioned the Holy Spirit's power
yet in these first seven chapters. That's going to break out in Chapter 8 so be
patient. Don't say, "Well, where's the Holy Spirit in Paul's life." He's there
but he's waiting until the appropriate time. He's just going to explode in
Chapter 8)! who shall deliver me from the body of this death (from this
influence of old Adam. How am I going to overcome it?)?"
Romans 7:25
"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the
mind I myself serve the law of God (not necessarily the Ten, but all of
God's principles, that becomes now the Law of God); but with the flesh the
law of sin."
I think in the book of Galatians Paul refers to it as the Law of Christ. Now
the Law of Christ will never fly in the face of the Ten Commandments, as I've
said earlier, but it's more than the Ten Commandments. The Law of Christ is
this complete liberty that we now have. Turn with me to Galatians as another
verse comes to mind.
Galatians 5:1
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with (what?) the yoke of
bondage."
Now, what is the yoke of bondage? The Law. Legalism. Anything that says, "But
you have to do this. You have to go through this ritual. You have to go through
this prescribed route." That's legalism. And grace says you do nothing but
believe the Gospel and let God do everything that needs to be done.
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Copyright © 1995 Les Feldick Ministries. All rights reserved.