Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Paul declared, Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Yet as he also says, The heir,
as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from the servant, though
he be lord of all. He is teaching that even though
a man might be one of the elect of God, appointed to be a joint
heir with Christ, yet until such time as he is made aware of his
standing, he is no different than any other man as far as
he knows. That is what Paul told the Ephesians concerning what
they were before the mercy of God was revealed to them by the
quickening work of the Spirit. where in time past he walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation
in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath even as others. Yet because they were not appointed
unto wrath, they were the recipients of God's mercy, and he has raised
them out of this darkness. Therefore the preaching of the
cross is to them which perish a very foolish and useless babbling.
But to those who are appointed to hear it, it is the revelation
of the power of God, displayed in removing all of their condemnation
and guilt, and ultimately freeing them from the body of this death
in the day of the resurrection. Thus Paul says that we are dead
to sin. Any honest believer must confess
that he could not possibly be saying that we do not still commit
sin. John said if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. So how then are we dead to sin?
We are dead to sin in its power to condemn us before God. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh. Our account is forever settled
in the heavens, as the Lord has imputed his righteousness to
us. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We're dead to
sin in its power to condemn us in our conscience. The writer
of Hebrews contrasts the inability of the offerings under the law
to deal with the power of sin. These continual offerings could
never give a guilty conscience peace. He goes on to say, however,
that by one offering Christ hath perfected forever them that are
sanctified. Now having a high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Free from the
law, O happy condition, Jesus hath died, and there is remission.
We are dead to sin and its power to enslave us to a love of sin
and unchecked enjoyment of the lusts of the flesh. Paul said,
For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would
not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find
then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with
me. For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man. But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin. Notice that Paul does not say that the principle of sin
is not still in his flesh. He says that his flesh wars against
the law or the principle of his mind. And it is in this mind
given to him by the power of God that he triumphs over sin.
This is exactly that which the prophet spoke of when he said,
I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their
hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me
a people. The children of God are greatly benefited by the
preaching of the gospel, which serves as a constant reminder
to them of the great blessings that are theirs in Jesus Christ. It is the purpose of Paul to
stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance when he exhorts
them to reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 of the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. Are your affections set on things
above, or are you satisfied with the things of this world? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.