If you wish to follow along,
turn to Romans chapter seven. We're moving on into Romans chapter
seven now. I will just mention one thing,
and that was a good message, Joe, that you preached about
Noah finding grace. There are those who believe that
Noah was somehow different from the rest of the world, and that's
why he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But that passage
tells us, I mean it actually tells us, not the date, but the
era, E-R-A, not E-R-R, however you spell it. The time frame
in which Noah found grace and became a justified man. He was just in all his generations. So before his children were born,
at least the first one, Noah was not a just man. He was just
like everybody else because he declared to be a just man in
all his generations. Not all generations, in his generations,
and it names the three sons. So it was right before he had
that first son, at least, is when God Almighty showed Noah
grace. I just thought I'd point it out because this is something
I'd never seen until I was sitting right there while Joe was preaching.
Romans 7. Know ye not, brethren, for I
speak to them that know the law. Which gives clear reference to
me that there were some among the church at Rome that did not
understand or know the law. They had no upbringing in the
law. They were what we might call just rank Gentiles and had
no understanding of the law. But he says, no you're not brethren,
for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath
dominion over a man as long as he liveth. Paul is absolutely correct here.
He is being moved by the Spirit of God. But he doesn't then talk
about a man. He talks about the woman. He
talks about the woman. For the woman which hath a husband
is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if
the husband be dead, and let's get this right, not divorced.
The law, Moses allowed for divorce. And I'll look at that later,
maybe I'll mention it again later, but Moses allowed for divorce
in the law because of fornication. But he said from the beginning
it was not so. God created a man and a woman,
and the two, one man, one woman, shall be made one flesh. And
Christ said this is the way it was from the beginning. So this
is not about divorce. Anyone, according to law, now
listen to me, under law, if you're here this morning and you were
married and you've been divorced and your spouse still lives,
especially if you're a woman, that's what this is saying, you
are an adulteress. That's what the law calls you.
Is that not what it says? But if her husband be dead, that's
the only thing. If the husband be dead, she is
loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband
liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. It's just what she is, it's how
it is, that's the way it is under law. No reprieve. But if her
husband be dead, she is freed from that law. so that she be no adulteress,
though she be married to another man. So when she has this second
husband, if the first husband is dead, then by law, she is
right. She is not an adulteress. Wherefore,
do you see that? Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead, to the law by the body of Christ. He does not
say the law is dead. And I have give antidotes that
illustrated that about the woman who had the husband, husband
dies, she remarries and then she sets out two or three plates,
one for her, one for the dead husband, one for the living husband.
And it's a valid truth, but it's not exactly what Paul's talking
about here. Because the law didn't die, We died, if we're brethren,
if we are believers, we died to the law by the body of Christ. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead. Not ye ought to be, but you are. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should
be married to another. Which lets me know at one time
there was a real sense in which I was married to the law. But
when God Almighty saves us, when God Almighty brings life and
conversion to us, we're freed from the law because we're dead
to it. And we're dead to it by the body
of Jesus Christ. Anything short of this is an
insult to the death of Christ. Any trying to join the believer
back to the law or trying to claim the believer is still connected
to the law in any way is an insult to the second husband. Wherefore,
my brethren, y'all shall become dead to the law by the body of
Christ, that ye should be married to another, and there is no doubt
as to who this is, even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God. because when we were
under the law, we did not bring forth fruit unto God. For when
we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law,
did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death, and that's
all it ever did. Even when Paul said, according
to the law, I was blameless, he's not saying he wasn't dead.
and he was still dead. Fruit unto death, but now we
are delivered from the law. Now, as I have tried to point
out when we began this study in Romans, if you have a thus
saith the Lord for any specific thing, it is absolute truth. and you can preach it and believe
it and give testimony to it with confidence, all the detractors
notwithstanding. But do not think then that you
can then say, since that is true, then this must be true. If you
do not have a thus saith the Lord for the this, you must leave
thee this alone. Now, I don't know if everyone
here, people out there, people here this later will comprehend
what I'm saying, but at one time we had a man in this congregation
that did comprehend what I was saying. sat right back there,
and every time I said it, I would see his face grimace. I'd see
his face grimace. We have thus saith the Lord to
believe what we believe, think what we think, and walk the way
we walk, or we have nothing. And we're not left up for us
to fill in the gaps, because if there is a gap, it's because
God meant to keep that from us. That's right. The secret things
belong to who? The Lord. So as the one man told,
I think it was Henry, I don't remember, but said, we need to
figure out what the secret things are. They're secret, you can't.
That's the whole point. Ah, but the things that are revealed,
what are they? They're to us and to our children. So he goes on. For when we were
in the flesh, the motions of sin which were by the law. Somebody
says, well sin's our problem. Yes, but so was the law. So it's
not because the law is bad, the law's holy, just, and good. But
as Paul, it was a perfect analogy. The law's like that x-ray you
take. It can show you the problem,
but it can't fix the problem. And at best, it can show you
the problem, and it will never show you the problem unless God
Almighty gives you life from above so you can see what the
problem is. because most people think the
law is just a bunch of do's and don'ts, and if I got more do's
than I have don'ts, I'll probably be okay. This is not true. Did
work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death, but now
ye are delivered from the law, and I thank God for that. That being dead, wherein we were
held. This is captive language. Before God Almighty delivered
us from the law by regeneration and conversion, we were captives
to sin and the law. That, that we should serve, how? In newness of spirit and not,
and not in the oldness of the letter. Now I will not this morning
try to argue about what Paul's talking about. He's talking about
the law. He's talking about morality,
he's talking about righteousness, he's talking about that which
is holy, just, and good. And if you've ever been divorced,
if you've been married to more than one person at one time,
and I don't care what the law of the country says, I don't
care what the courthouse says, God said you're married to somebody,
they're still alive, and you marry somebody else, you are
guilty of adultery. That includes me, that includes
you, that includes anybody out there. But I thought, why this
legal illustration here? My flesh, as I began to read
this, my flesh was like, okay, why? This is odd. Chapter seven
and its beginning words are odd. In other words, why this dead
to the law gospel truth now? Why now? You see, the truth of
the gospel never suffers, it never allows, you can use whatever
language you want to, it never permits spiritual adultery. Never. If you're married to Christ,
you're not married to the law. If you're married to the law,
you're not married to Christ. And there can be no mixing of
those two. Because any mixing of those two
is spiritual adultery. It is forbidden, and that's my
title, spiritual adultery forbidden. And you know, most people don't
think about spiritual adultery, do they? They just think about
a relationship between one fallen man and one fallen woman and
how that all works. We're talking about a relationship
between fallen men and women with the holy, the thrice holy
God of heaven and earth. Paul is not bringing up a new
subject. He is just now delving into detail,
an old subject that he's already brought up over and over. That is, Paul has indicated this
gospel prohibition already. Chapter two, let me just read
it, bear with me. Chapter two, verse 12, for as
many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law.
And as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the
law. So in other words, God will not let sin go. Your ignorance
of the law will not set you free from God. It won't do it. But
look, for as many as have sinned without law shall perish without
law. As many have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.
For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the
doers of the law shall be justified. You see it? It's not respecting
the law. It's not giving great credence
to the law. It is actually doing the law. And if you're gonna be just before
God, by law, you've got to do the law. That's one thing he
mentions. Now look, here's another one. Chapter two, verse 17. Behold, thou art called a Jew,
and restest in the law. Oh, how many people do that?
There's even a bunch of Gentiles now that are resting in the law.
Behold thou called a Jew and restest in the law and makest
thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things
that are more excellent be instructed out of the law. Pretty sanctified
kind of guy. You know what he's talking about
there? Pretty sanctified kind of gal. We've had that happen
right here in this place too. Mm-hmm, yeah. and are confident
that thyself are a guide of the blind and a light of them that
are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish and a teacher
of babes, which has the form of knowledge and of the truth
and the law. Thou therefore which teaches another, do you do the
same things you teach somebody else not to do. And anybody under
law does. Because no one keeps God's holy
law. James puts it this way, you know
of this one. You offend in one point, you're guilty of all. You are a law breaker. Look at what else Paul says,
chapter three, verse 19. Now we know that whatsoever the
law saith, it saith them who are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before
God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Now folks,
we think this is primer. We've heard this here for more
than, you've heard it here for my 37 years at least, and some
of you heard it before that. This ain't no new message we're
preaching now. We've not veered away from the
truth we began to preach in the beginning. Therefore, by the
deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in God's
sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. But now the righteousness of
God, without the law, is manifested. Now there's already three places
Paul's done dealt with this. Just brought it up briefly, right? He's not done yet. Chapter three,
verse 27. Let me find my spot. Chapter three, where is boasting
then? It is excluded, by what law? By the law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also. See, it is one God which shall
justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through
faith. So what matters? Faith. And faith
is connected to grace, not law. Paul's clear on that in another
epistle. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid,
yea, we establish the law. But Paul's not done yet. Chapter
four and verse 13. For the promise that he, that
is Abraham, should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham
or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is negated as absolutely nothing. Faith
is made void, do you see that? Faith is made void and the promise
made of none effect. I have reason to believe that
I can state exactly where Paul stood on this matter. Believers
are not under the law. Believers are dead to the law
by the body of Christ. But he hadn't done yet, mentioning
this. Chapter five, verse 20. Chapter
five, verse 20, moreover the law entered that the offense
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace,
do you see it? There it is, there's the hope.
There's the answer. Grace did much more abound. So chapter seven, he ain't just
introducing the subject, is he? Chapter seven, he gets into some
of the nitty gritty of the subject, doesn't he? But he wasn't done
yet. Chapter six, look at it. Verse 14 and 15. For sin shall not have dominion
over you. Why? Because all of a sudden
now we're these righteous people. We're regenerated and converted
and now we just live like we're supposed to live. That's not
it. For sin shall not have dominion over you for you're not under
the law but under grace. What then, shall we sin, because
we're not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Whatever you yield yourself to,
shows it to be your master. That's what he says in verse
16. So when he says, no you're not, brethren, for I speak to
them that know the law, he ain't just now brought up the subject
of this thing, has he? You see, the reformed ilk, I
didn't say reformers. I didn't say the reformers. There's
a lot of people who think that Reformed Baptists, Reformed Presbyterian,
and I am not giving a blanket condemnation or judgment of all
people who call themselves Reformers, or Reformed, I should say. But
AKA, most Reformers that I've heard, these Reformed people,
another word for it, they are the legalist of our day. Because
they'll use what parts of the law they like, they'll use what
parts of church rule that they like, they'll use what parts
of ecclesiastical rule they like, and they'll throw everything
else to the wind. And they pick and choose what they want to
put you under. If you're a believer, you're
married to Christ, and nothing else. You're not married to the law,
you're not married to self, you're not married to your works, you're
married to Christ to bring forth fruit unto God. Now either you're
married to Christ or you're not. And you can't be married to Christ
and somebody else. Because grace don't bring that
about. So again, the reformed ilk, aka
the legalists of our day who teach salvation by Christ, but
maybe sanctification by law, commandment keeping, or those
who want a union to Christ and law, they are adulterers. Is that not what Paul's clearly
pointed out in Romans 7, verses one through six? Spiritual adultery
is more damning than natural adultery. You hear what I'm saying? Now it's all damning, but spiritual
adultery is more damning because there is forgiveness for natural
adultery. You join yourself, you claim
to be joined to Christ and you join yourself to anything else,
you are an adulteress of which there is no reprieve. Either Christ saved you and redeemed
you fully and joined yourself to Him and released you from
everything else, or you are not married to Him. And that includes
me. Now what I want to do, and I'll
try to be as brief as I can, I want to read These six verses
again, but I'm going to do so, and I'm gonna, with each thing,
there's gonna be five scriptural facts that I'm gonna state here,
and then we'll look at how those facts are stated in these words,
in this portion of chapter seven. Here's the first thing. Remember,
there are three things. And before I go any further, let me remind
us all that yes, Moses allowed for divorce in the law, but that
didn't make it right. and the Lord himself said so,
and I'm not gonna take time to go back, I'm not here to argue
that, it's a fact. You can find that in Matthew 19, verses three
through nine, Christ teaches this very thing. First of all,
there's the first point, the law, the law. Only one marital
union concurrent is allowed, period. Right? Only one marital union concurrent,
that is, at the same time, is allowed. Know ye not, brethren,
for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath
dominion over a man as long as he liveth. But the law had a
flaw in it, and Paul even mentions that in Hebrews. There was one
flaw in the law. The priesthood came from Levi.
Under grace, the priesthood comes through Judah. And Paul says
there is a necessity, a change had to take place. But let me
tell you something, even under the law, even after God issued
forth the law on Sinai, no man was ever condemned for having
multiple wives at one time. Was he? No, he wasn't. In this matter, folks, the law
is one-sided. And somebody said, I don't like
that. It's the facts. Say what you will. For the woman,
that which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband
so long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she
is loose from the law of her husband. But the law did teach
this, headship is what matters. That's an important lesson. I'm
not even going into it. So then, If, while her husband
liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. So that's the first thing, the
law. Only one marital union concurrent is allowed, period. But now look,
the gospel. Only one marital union concurrent
is allowed, period. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ. It's not
you ought to be. It's not you can pick and choose which way
you wanna go with this. People are still just like those
Judaizers in Galatia. You got to have Jesus, but you
need a little bit something more than Jesus. That's what those Judaizers were
doing in Galatia. 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. Number three, under
law, flesh is paramount and death was the sure fruit. Again, for
when we were in the flesh, The motions of sins which were by
the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. That's the third thing. Under
the law, flesh is paramount and death was the fruit. Under grace,
we serve God. Being delivered from union to
the law, believers serve by an inner motivation of spirit, not
by outward conformity to rules. But now, we are delivered from
the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of spirit. And this world says, but you
gotta give men and women rules or they won't walk right. God
didn't give you any rule when he saved you, did he? What rule
did you have to fulfill for him to save you? The only rule that
was fulfilled was when Jesus Christ did the will of the Father
that died on Calvary's tree for you and sent his Holy Spirit
to you in power and his gospel to you in power and brought you
from darkness to light, from death to life. Now if he's able
to do that for me in my fallen state, he can keep me in this
state into which he's brought me now. This thing of trying
to mix a little bit of Jesus and a little bit of law is nothing
but an attempt by fallen men and women to say outright, to
teach what they won't say outright, God can't do it without you.
God needs your help in some way at least. Number five. Believers are dead to the law
and married to Christ. We already read that, verse four.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by
the body of Christ that ye should be married to another. This is clear gospel truth. I
mean, unless you're just trying to find a way out, just trying
somehow to deny the truth that is here. You cannot teach that
the truth of God as taught by the Apostle Paul was that you
got a little bit of Christ and a little bit of law. You can't
even teach that you got a whole lot of Christ and a little bit
of law. It's either you're under the
law or you're under grace. You're either married to the
law or you're married to Christ. There is no in between in God's
way of grace. This is clear gospel truth. And
let's listen. I will try to move along. Let's
listen to confirming gospel truth. I'm gonna read you one, two,
three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, about nine or 10
passages. Forgive me if I miscounted them.
And I'm just gonna read them and just make a comment or two
because I do this for this reason. The word of God says it a whole
lot clearly than what I do. And when I try to start defining
it a lot or explaining it a lot, I flub it up or I muddy the waters.
Listen to what is written. Now listen to these words. Don't
take time to turn to them. Just listen to what the word
of God says. Let me find it. For I, through
the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. So this is not just God trying
to prod me along to do something, this is Christ living in me. 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. I
do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come
by the law, then Christ died for nothing. You see that? Christ died in vain. Here's another
one. Let me just read it. For as many,
as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is
written, do you see it? It is written, cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. But that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God, it is clear and absolute, it
is evident. For the just shall live by faith. You see that? Here's another
one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given
which could have given life, verily righteousness should have
been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded
all under sin. that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before
faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith
which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law is our schoolmaster
unto Christ, or as it reads here, to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come,
We are no longer under a schoolmaster. Now, have I read to you inspired
words or have I turned to the philosophies of men? Now if you
don't believe this is the uninspired word, if you believe this is
just this old Jew's personal opinion, then I can't help you
at all. And what I'm saying will mean no difference. But if God
Almighty's convinced you that this is his inspired, infallible,
inerrant word, there is no doubt so far. And when I'm done reading
the rest of these four or five, I will have scratched the surface
of this truth being dealt with concerning law and grace. Christ
and law. Here's another one. Let me find
it. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised that he's a debtor to the whole law. So when these people come along
and say, well, the only real problem that these men were causing
was just circumcision, Paul says, that may be what they're saying,
but it goes a lot deeper than that. Because if you're circumcised,
that he's a debtor to the whole law, Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace. That sounds pretty serious, does
it not? All right, here's another one,
let me turn to it. All right, listen to what is
written here. Who hath made us able ministers
of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit.
For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious,
so there is no doubt as to what he's talking about here. The,
the. 10 commandments. Look at it. For if the ministration of death
written and engraved in stones was glorious so that the children
of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for
the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. Do you see that? How shall not
then, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory. For even that which was made
glorious had no glory in this respect. That's an amazing statement.
Paul just said the law was not glorious. in disrespect, you
see, disrespect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. Compared to the glory of the
grace of God in Christ, the law has no glory. For if that which is done away
was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such
hope, we don't beat around the bush about this. Now that was
my paraphrase. We use great plainness of speech. That man that sat right back
there for years and years and years wouldn't have minded if
I'd have couched my language. To where you didn't really know
exactly what I was saying, but when I made it a point, or God
Almighty moved me and others as well to make a point, here's
exactly where we stand, it gets to where they can't stand it.
They can't stand it because they got no place to hide. And I'm
not gonna be ashamed of this word. Wait a minute, I'm not
done yet. Here's another one. Bear with
me, my brothers and sisters. Listen to what's said here. This
is just one verse. And be found in him, now take
my word, this is Christ this writer's talking about. And be
found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of
the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. Not even
my faith in him, but his faith toward God. which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. All right, we're not done yet.
And remember, I am but scratching the surface. Somebody said, well,
I'm getting bored. Well, then you got troubles. You got troubles. Because hearing this doesn't
remind you of your second husband? Then you never had a second husband.
and you're still married to the law whether you know it or not.
Because I tell you what, if you truly marry that second person
when the first one's dead and you truly love them, Ellen, you're
gonna love them just like you loved the first one. But maybe
even more. Because maybe you learned a few
lessons along the line that you didn't know with the first one.
Do you understand what I'm saying? And I'm just saying that based
upon what others have said, I've never been there. I've never
been there. Let me find my spot. Look at
it. If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received
the law. You hear that? This inspired
word. What further need was there that
another priest, if perfection came by the priesthood, that's
sanctification, folks. And that man, Mason Lilly, sat
right back there and said he believed the same thing we believed
for years. And when he began to turn on
the gospel, we didn't turn on him. He turned on us and our
Lord, our new husband. Now listen, if therefore perfection
were by the Levitical priesthood for under the people received
the law, what further need was there that another priest should
arise after the order of Melchizedek and not be called after the order
of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed,
there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are
spoken pertaineth to another tribe of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it is evident. In other words,
it's a clearly established fact. For it is evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah. of which tribe Moses spake nothing
concerning priesthood. And yet it is far more evident
for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there riseth another
priest who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment. Now right there this writer calls
it what it is. It's wholly just and good, but at the same time,
it is just a carnal commandment. It deals with the flesh. flesh, who is made not after
the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless
life. For he testifieth, thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, for there is
verily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for
the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. Our first husband can't
do nothing for us. At best, all he could ever do
was show us what sin is. But even he could never show
us how sinful sin is. Only the cross of Jesus Christ
shows us how sinful sin is. For the law made nothing perfect. I'll stand with the holy book
of God before I stand with men who reject the truth of the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the law made nothing perfect
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. Oh, wait a minute. I ain't done
yet. Let me read you another one.
But now, Hath he obtained a more excellent ministry? Look at the
context, this is Hebrews eight, look at it, it's Christ. Excellent
ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant
which was established upon better promises. For if the first covenant
had been faultless, So what is the writer saying? The first
covenant was faultless, or was faulty. Why? Because it dealt
with our fallen, corrupt humanity, our flesh. Look, for if the first
covenant had been faultless, there should no place have been
sought for the second, for finding fault with not the covenant,
them. We're the problem. We're the
problem for finding fault with them, he saith. Behold, the days
come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant, and it's
not gonna be like the old covenant. I paraphrase that last one. I've
already given you this one, but let me read it to you. For whosoever shall keep the
whole law. That's a big statement, isn't
it? And yet offend in one point. I mean, just one point. He is guilty of all. Somebody says, that can't be
right. It is right. That ain't fair. The law ain't
about fairness. It's about how bad we are down
inside here. For he that said do not commit
adultery said also don't kill. So you cannot pick and choose.
Well, I may be a little sexually too active, but at least I ain't
never killed anybody. You're still a lawbreaker. For
he that said, do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill. Now if
thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become
a transgressor of the law. The legalist relishes spiritual
adultery. They relish it. They love to
be married to two at the same time. And that way they can pick
and choose. If one thing makes them mad,
they can run to the other. And if the other thing makes
them mad, they can run to the other. Huh? You understand what
I'm saying? They hear something about the
gospel, they don't like it, they can run to the law. If they don't
hear something about the law, if they hear something about
the law, they don't like it, then they can run to Jesus. God didn't allow that. God doesn't
allow, the legalist relishes spiritual adultery, and generally
I find that they usually practice physical adultery. A lot of,
I mean, the person's sitting there pointing their fingers
at us for months, months, months, they've been married twice and
divorced, but wanting to point their finger at us as heretics. Now folks, let's call it what
it is. Call it what it is, the legalist has no shame or guilt
in whether it's physical adultery or spiritual adultery, because
to them it makes no difference. They can pick, well, you know,
I've been divorced but it wasn't my fault. No, really. So here you are, this great person,
and this other person doesn't realize that about you and wanted
to leave you? Evidently you wasn't as great as you thought you was.
Huh, now come on now. If you're married to a fine husband,
why would you want to divorce that husband? If you're married
to a fine woman, why would you want to divorce that woman? Only
unless you hate fineness. Only unless you hate fineness.
Somebody says, I don't understand what you're talking about. I
pray one day you do. You see, divorce is rampant in
this world. And it's come to the point now
where it's normal. It's not looked down upon anymore, is it? But
boy, a spiritual adultery is far more rampant. They, that is these legalists,
are as unfaithful to Christ as they are even to the law. Now
let me read you one more thing and I'll just close with that
and we'll have prayer close it out. I believe this is an excellent
summary of what I've just tried to speak to you about. This is Paul in Galatians 6.
And many of my references to you this morning was from the
book of Galatians. And even that person that started
calling us heretics, he was called, not by me, but called by someone
else later after he'd left this place and said, what about Paul's
letter to the Galatians? No answer whatsoever. Listen to what Paul wrote. As
many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh. Now a fair
show, you're not talking about they wanna go out and get drunk,
they wanna go out and take drugs, they wanna go out and whore around,
they're wanting to keep the law. They're making a fair show in
the flesh. They constrain you to be circumcised, only lest
they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. There's
where it boils down to it. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. Those folks better be glad I
came along and set them straight. But God forbid. There's when I say spiritual
adultery forbidden. but God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the
world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Yeah, we're
getting to it. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
availeth anything nor uncircumcision. That's not the point. What is
the point? But a new creature. but a new creature, and as many
as walk according to this rule, peace be on them. You see that?
Now we're not talking about not having to walk, but we're talking
about walking according to that rule. Has God Almighty done something
for you, or has he not? Has he give you a different want
to, or has he not? It is that simple, and yet that
profound. As many as walk according to
this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God. And here ought to be our attitude
toward those who refuse this. From henceforth let no man trouble
me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Amen. Father, teach us these
things. Help us not to be hateful and
mean, condescending, Lord, but help us to stand firm for Thy
truth. And I know that this religious
world thinks that humility is when we let men walk all over
us, but God help us give us the strength that they walk all over
us, let them walk all over us, but Lord help us never to stay
silent when they try to walk over your gospel, the gospel
of your son. Give us strength to continue
on in the free and reigning grace that is yours in Christ. In his
name I ask, amen.