And I'm going to go ahead and
get started. So if you would, turn with me to Romans 7. Romans
7. I mentioned this verse, I think
it was the last time I was here. Verse 14 of Romans 7. That's
where I want to start. Romans 7 verse 14. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. The law is spiritual. We hear
a lot of people talk today about being spiritual. Or maybe someone
says of another, they are a spiritual person. I'm not sure what they
are saying to make them say that, The apostle Paul who is writing
here was one who was a Pharisee amongst the Pharisees, as he
put it in Philippians. He was a lawyer, if you will.
He knew what the law said and what the law was. He studied
the law. Then Jesus Christ met him. What
does he say about himself now? I am carnal. What does that mean? pertaining to the flesh, bodily,
temporal, or it doesn't last. You can just say unregenerate. What does it mean to be unregenerate?
Simply put, it means not spiritual. Scripture says it this way, dead
in trespasses and in sin. And let's bring it full circle
real quick though. We are told in scripture that
if we are to worship God, we must do it in spirit and in truth. So a person must be spiritual
to worship God. But those speaking of being spiritual
or speaking of someone else being spiritual often have no idea
what they're talking about. I can't say that at any time
someone says that, that it's not true because it could be.
But we are not called on to call out those who are spiritual.
We're called upon to preach the gospel so that they who have
been given life will believe. There's one easy way to know
if it is currently true if someone is spiritual though. If they
speak lies on God, then they are not spiritual. Because you
must worship him in spirit and in truth. You cannot separate those two
things. So being carnal, and let's be clear, this is the Apostle
Paul telling us this and God has already met him and given
him spiritual life and converted him. Yet he says, I am carnal,
sold under sin. I have to say this, everyone
without exception has to say this as well. Or at least it's
true to say this about all of mankind without exception. Because
all of us are dead in trespasses and in sin as we're born in Adam.
Psalm 51.5 says, behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin
did my mother conceive me. But there are some who with them
there is a difference. Some have been met by Jesus Christ
just as the Apostle Paul had been, and have been made spiritual
by God. So they have to say, I am carnal,
sold under sin, and in fact, those are the only ones that
can and will truly say that and mean it and know it. I am still
on this thought of how some say that the law is my way to life,
or they say that the law is my way of life. The scripture does
not teach this. And I want to be clear here.
I did not say that the law was not part of a believer's life
or experience. I'm saying it's not a man or
a woman's way to get life, nor is a way of life or how we conduct
ourselves in this life. We see a four here. The verse
starts out with a four. So let's go back and see why
that four is there, verse 13. was then that which is good made
death unto me, God forbid, but sin that it might appear sin
working death in me by that which is good, that sin might by the
commandment might become exceeding sinful. The law is not bad, it's holy,
just, and good. But it is given to work death
in me because of sin, to show us how bad that sin really is.
That's what it is saying there in verse 13. So let's talk about
a few things as it concerns Romans 7, 14. Let's talk about carnal
versus spiritual and the believer's way of life or that which guides
them in their walk. We've already went through it
some, but I think it's obvious and most would agree that carnal
is not the same thing as spiritual. But this carnality, if you will,
is what I am and all men and women are by nature. It's just
what we are. It's still there with us. So
as we went through a couple of things a couple of Sundays ago
in 1 Timothy, the law was not made for a righteous man, but
for carnal men and women, those who are dead in trespasses and
in sin. I don't think I need to explain that or try to prove
that from scripture. It's already there, we've already
went over it. 1 Timothy is clear on that. The
law was for carnal men and women. The results of the law is always
the same, no matter what men and women might think. God, when
that time comes that everyone must give an account, will bring
up his law and it will prove all men and women guilty before
God. Man will not have an answer to
that on his own. The verdict will be as it is
now, guilty. I know what it does to a man
or a woman because I've been there before. Being unregenerate
at one time, I knew God's law was telling me to do something.
So I fervently attempted for a short while to do that which
it said to do. After so many attempts failed,
I gave up. But it appeased my conscience
for a time to do so. But then it would come back again
and again. It was like this never-ending
cycle. Doing, doing, doing. Failing, failing, failing. Conscience
being appeased for a moment for trying. Then being satisfied
with that for a while. But then at some point it still
started to start over all again. What I did not know, because
I was unregenerate, was this flesh was never going to be able
to accomplish one jot or tittle of the law. I did not know that
the law was weak through the flesh. Romans 8 3, for what the
law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. The law that is being spoken
of there is the Ten Commandments. I say this because it's in the
context of what Paul is speaking about. Back in Romans 7, he says,
excuse me, what shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but
by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said,
thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not covet is in the
Ten Commandments, Exodus 20, 17 we read. Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox,
nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. So we know when Paul there is
talking about the law, he is talking about the Ten Commandments.
So the law does show me what sin is. It shows me that I cannot
do his law. That is for the believer. This
is what the law teaches us as our schoolmaster. The law cannot
give us righteousness, or you can say life, because the life
we are talking about is a life unto God. Galatians 3.21 says,
is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there
had been a law given which could have given life, Barely righteousness
should have been by the law. Yeah So how does life or righteousness
come? Here is where spiritual comes
in Romans 18 and if Christ be in you the body is dead because
of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness Jesus
Christ told us that if he went away and he did that he would
send the comforter and He sent his Holy Spirit, and what does
that Holy Spirit do? Again, we can go back to Romans
8, Romans 8-11. But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Spiritual is being quickened
by his Spirit. That life being righteous, as
we went through a few weeks back, and the law is not made for a
righteous man. That's what his word tells us.
The law was given to this flesh to show us we are guilty before
him. His spirit quickens us to giving
us life so that we can believe God and thereby God counts that
for righteousness, that for which he gave us the faith. So what
is it that governs our way of life? Or what is it that is our
guide on how we walk? So that's the next point. And
I want to stress this with another passage. We in no way can keep
God's holy law, the Ten Commandments or any other commandment that
goes along with it. Romans 8, 7 says, because the
carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. The law was not made
for a righteous man. We've got to keep that in mind.
It is made for a carnal man and that only for the purpose of
showing guilt before God. Because we read right here in
Romans 8 and 7 that the carnal mind cannot be under obedience
to the law of God, the Ten Commandments. We delight in God's law, it being
fulfilled in us by Jesus Christ and him giving us faith by his
spirit and through his gospel. Romans 1 and 1 we read. Paul,
a servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle, separated unto the
gospel. We are not separated unto the
law of God so that we can keep God's law. We have fulfilled
the law of God by the faith of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ,
I am righteous, so the law is not meant for a righteous man.
Folks, this is what God's word says. I'm not resting or banking on
what I do as a believer to get me to God or even to somehow
make me more perfect. I am counting on Jesus Christ
and what he did. He accomplished my salvation
that he has made me righteous before Christ, holy God. Don't
direct me somewhere else like the law. All I'll see there is bondage.
But in the gospel, I have liberty to serve Jesus Christ. The child of God is not set at
liberty to sin. We do sin because of this flesh.
No, we're set free from sin and death to serve the living God,
Jesus Christ. Philippians 127, we read, only
let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. What is the faith of the gospel?
It is the faith of Jesus Christ who came down, condescended,
being made of a woman, being made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. My way of life before God is
simply this. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief, and he accomplished what
he came to do, and he has saved me to the uttermost, so much
so that I will be with him one day. My way of life is to give
praise, honor, and glory to his wonderful name. It's as simple
as that. What he has done for me and to
me causes me to love him, his gospel, and his people. Oh, I
wished I could always walk as it becometh the gospel all the
time. However, I all too often have to cry out as Paul does,
oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body
of this devil? There's only one answer. I thank
God through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Turn over with me to Colossians
3 for just a minute. I want to read this passage because
I like it. Colossians 3, 1 through 4. This is what we look to, Colossians
3, 1 through 4. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. The Spirit's work is done one
time. But as the hymn we sang says,
revive us again. The gospel is the food of God's
sheep. John 21, 17, we read, this is
Christ speaking to Peter after he had denied him and after Christ
had come back and was sitting on the shore. He saith unto him
the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was greed because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou
me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou
knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep. Is Christ telling Peter to give
the sheep of Christ hamburgers and hot dogs? It can include
that. If you see a brother or sister
in need of food and you don't feed them, something is wrong.
But this is not talking about physical food. This is talking
about spiritual food. That food that not all men and
women can consume. Turn with me to John 6, John
6, and we'll see this. John 6. John 6, 53 through 58. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me and I in him. As the living father has
sent me and I live by the father, so he that eateth me, even he
shall live by me. This is that bread which came
down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat man and are dead.
He that eateth of this bread shall live forever. It refreshes us. It revives us. Each and every time we hear it,
every time we consume it, we go through this world having
to do the day-to-day things, if you will. We have to deal
with this wretched man on a daily basis. We are made to see that
we cannot do the things that we would. Those things that we
want to do, we cannot do. Those things that we don't want
to do, we do. This flesh is enmity against
God. but thank God he is pleased to
enable us to gather together, eat his body and drink his blood
by the hearing of the gospel in faith. To hear those words that tell
me that Jesus Christ came down and performed that transaction
on that tree so that I can be let free from bondage that the
law brings me under. To set me free to serve Jesus
Christ. Do you all remember what Joe
said one time? He said he was gonna start telling
people when they ask him, why do you drive so far to go to
church? And Joe said something, at least something like this.
Because I am free to serve Jesus Christ. All of us do what we
want to do. But those who are just carnal
can only do one thing. They offend God with their rebellion
against his holy law. They have no faith given to them
by the Spirit of our God and through the preaching of the
gospel. Hebrews 4.2 says, for unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Without
faith, we are told in scripture, it is impossible to please God.
They have no faith, so they cannot please God. But those who have
been regenerated and have had life breathed into them, they then have that fruit, which
is more than just faith. One other thing is love, but
there's other things as well. But this faith being given, mixed
with that faith of the gospel, it profits us who have been given
it. Because when we hear that gospel,
we believe God. When we do, God counts that for
righteousness. So every time I believe God,
I am performing a righteous act with nothing to boast in of myself
because I did not do anything to make it possible for me to
have this faith and I did not come up with this faith on my
own. It was given to me by God and that's all based on what
Christ did. When the gospel is proclaimed,
I see where life and immortality can be found, 2 Timothy 1 10,
but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior, Jesus
Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. Where is life and immortality? In Jesus Christ. The law was
spiritual. it being spiritual, I cannot
perform the law that I might have life, because I am carnal,
sold under sin. But even though I have this wretched
man hanging on me right now, I know Jesus Christ shall deliver
me from myself, from this flesh, that is, sin that dwelleth in
me. Not I, but sin that dwelleth
in me. That's what Paul says in this
passage, Romans 7. Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ
alone is the only thing that can and shall deliver me from
it. It is as sure as done as well. This law was not given to a righteous
man, one that has been made righteous in Jesus Christ, but his work
is sure. What he did accomplished something
on my behalf. Christ has told me so in his
words. Oh, that he might have someone
remind me of his word every day, reviving me so that I know that
I am free to serve him. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you
for allowing us to be here again today. Calls us dear Lord just
to be thankful, to be able to hear your word dear Lord. May
it be that if you are pleased dear Lord, maybe there are some
that have never heard your word dear Lord, maybe they might hear
it. and come to believe you. All these things we ask in your
name. Amen.