Good morning. Pardon me just a moment. It is such a joy. To be amidst
gospel called people. I work day in and out with people. Who, for the most part, as far
as I know, are not called by the gospel. It can be very taxing
on the soul. But it's a pleasure to be here
this morning. And my dear wife, Penny, sends her love. She couldn't
make it this morning. And of course, our brother Paul
said to say hello, and he looks forward to, I think it's November,
I believe it is, come to preach for you. And Regina, Mark, thank
you all for your hospitality. Now, I have a lot to go over this
morning, so let's go ahead and get started. That's a lot to
cover. Turn to Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7. I just want to read a few verses.
I'll make some introductory comments. And then we'll try to get in
this passage. In detail, Paul, of course, is continuing here
his letter to our brothers and sisters who are at Rome. And he says, he writes in chapter
seven, verse one, know you 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. 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, 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. But if her husband be dead, she
is freed from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though
she be married to another man. Here it is. 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 was raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 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, 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. In my text this morning, our
brother Paul takes even God's holy law, and he takes that law
itself and uses a caveat of the law of God to flip the legalist's
twisted logic on its own head. The law is clear, and make no
bones about it. The law is clear. Marriage unites
one man and one woman for life. While both parties live, marriage
to another constitutes adultery. The caveat, though, is this. The death of one partner so fully
severs that first union. This is the law. The death of
one partner so fully severs that union that the survivor is not
only free from the first union, but is freed to marry another. That's the caveat of the law.
Married to two people at one time, adultery, adultery, married
to two people and the first one still is adultery. If death occurs,
there's freedom to marry another. And of course, clearly that's
what Paul, I'll not read it again, but that's what Paul clearly
says that the law teaches in chapter seven, verses one through
three. Now, let me try to give you an
illustration. Remember I said Paul takes the legalist twisted
logic and turns it on its own head by this caveat in the law. I want to try to illustrate that.
I want to try to illustrate to you the utter madness of legalism. I mean utter madness of legalism. Consider a surviving widow, okay? Her first husband dies. She is
widowed. She remarries. Now, with this
second husband, this new husband, every day, every day after he
goes to work five days a week, and he works a tough, difficult
job, sweat, pain, dirt, difficult. But every evening when he comes
home, she prepares his bath. While the bath is preparing,
she goes and prepares the afternoon meal. And after the afternoon
meal, and they retire for a bit and relax and talk about the
events of the day, she goes in and lays out all the bedclothes,
lays out his bedclothes, lays out her bedclothes. And she delights
to do that. She is happy to do this. Her
second husband, takes care of her, and loves her, and cares
for her. One evening, he comes home, and
of course, as the routine goes, as the duty which she delights
in, she fills the bath. She begins to prepare the meal.
But after he has finished bathing, and gets dressed and ready for
the evening meal, she empties the tub, refills the bath. He thinks, well, this is probably
for her. She'll take her bath after we eat. Well, at dinner,
he goes to the table. She has three place settings.
Three place settings. Fine meal prepared, lays out
food in three different plates. Well, he thinks maybe a guest. Maybe she hasn't informed me
of this. Yes, after dinner, they relax
and retire. He kind of lets it slide. Doesn't
really quite realize what's going on. After they've retired, maybe
watch a little TV. They decide to retire to bed
and he goes into the bedroom and there's his bedclothes. There's her bedclothes. And there's
a third set of bedclothes. She did not bathe. There was
no guests for dinner. And there's three sets of bedclothes
on the bed. Why? He asked. Why? Is this so? Now here's her response. These things, this second bath,
that third plate filled with the food that you worked hard
to buy and I worked hard to prepare, that third plate of food, that
third set of bedclothes, These are for my first husband. I would say that that would could
be considered a psychological break with reality. Don't you
think so? If my wife did that to me, if
I did that to my wife, I would say one of us is kind of going
off kilter just a little. Madness. Madness. And yet this is exactly what
legalism would have a believer do. We're freed to marry another. And we're freed to serve that
second husband, if you will. Not the first. Our union with
the first has been dissolved by death. So let's proceed with
what Paul says. You see, this illustration that
I give you kind of symbolizes the legalist's twisted logic,
their twisted intent when they demand the believer live under
the law. Now, let me tell you, God's people
love the law, just like the widow loves her first husband. but
that union because of death has been severed. It's over. She is free, free to marry another. And dare I say this, legalism is a sort of religious
twist of necrophilia. Necrophilia. Paul is clear. He's
clear in our text. The law is also clear. Think about it. This is what
Paul is saying. A death has occurred. A death has occurred and fully
severed that first legal union for the believer. The believer is not only freed
from the law. The believer is not only freed
from the law, but he or she is freed to marry another. When this dawned on me, this
passage, really, I suppose I've kind of knew this truth for a
long time. It's all of a sudden like this
passage just jumped out. The believer is not only freed
from the law, but freed to marry another. The believer's fruit
unto God is a new status, a new mode. As Paul put it, it's a
new spirit, different from and rather than the old legal letter. And let's read that in verses
four, five, and six again, because that's the message. Verses one,
two, and three is the standard of the law with its caveat concerning
death. But four, five, and six, is the
message of the gospel of the free reigning grace of God. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead. You see it? So a death has occurred. You become dead to the law, but
not in something we did, but by the body of Christ. So a death
has occurred, but it's not even our death, but all the law requires
is what? Death. Death. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, but for a
reason, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto
God. For when we were in the flesh, the emotions of sins,
which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth
fruit unto death. And let me say this, it could
bring forth nothing else. Nothing else. When we were in
the flesh, under the law, in that first union, that first
union was nothing but death. Not through a fault in the law,
but through the utter corruption within ourselves. But we, but
now, I'm sorry, but now we are delivered from the law. That being dead wherein we were
held, that we should serve, and this is what I was pointing out,
that we should serve in newness of spirit. And, see that next
word? N-O-T. Not! Not! Not! In oldness of the letter. That's my subject and title.
You might say, Freed to Marry Another. Freed to Marry Another. Now don't raise your hand, but
anybody want to hear more? Anybody want to hear what Paul
You want me to elaborate a little bit on what these four, verse
four, five, and six says? I think so, if you're truly a
believer. Consider three basic principles
that we can draw from the text. And this is what I will deal
with this morning. First of all, there is the foundation of free
to marry another. There has to be a foundation
for it. Jump ahead. Someone says, well, you're dead
to me. Does that dissolve the union? A husband says to a wife,
you're dead to me. Does that dissolve the union
in God's sight? The wife says to the husband,
you're dead to me. Does that dissolve the union
in God's sight? Though that person may truly,
in their whole psyche, be done with this person. But it takes
a real, listen to me, I said, I'm jumping ahead. It takes a
real corporeal death to dissolve the first union, not a thought
death or perceived death. This, the law demands. So the foundation of free to
marry another, Then we'll see what Paul means with the deliverance,
the actual deliverance of freed to marry another. And then, God
willing, we will look at the newness of freed to marry another. So first, the foundation of freed
to marry another. The foundation is really just
Under this heady, the foundation of freed to marry another, there's
just one point. Now I will elaborate, God willing,
on that point. The foundation of being freed
to marry another is an act of God, not an act of us. That's why Paul's clear. Look
at it. It's an act of God, not an act
of us. Two things before we look at
the verses. This is an act of Christ's death in his body. I note that. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ. So it's an act of Christ's death
in his body. But a second thought under, it's
an act of Christ wedding us to himself, that ye should be married. not marry. And somebody says,
that's just playing in words. No, it's not playing in words.
It's the difference between salvation by grace and salvation by human
action. That you should be married to
another, not that you should marry another, though married
to another we are. Again, the whole foundation that
Paul lays out here is that this is an act of God. We were a part of what happened,
but we didn't perform one thing about it. Think about it. How do I know that this, wherefore
my brethren, you are become dead to the law by the body of Christ.
How do I know this is talking about death? Because immediately
he says, even to him who is raised from the dead. So you see it. Christ was given a body that
he might suffer in our stead, poor, poorly. Literally, actually,
he stood in our place. It behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren. Again, raised from the dead. But again, remember, not marry
another, but to be married to, or, let me read, 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 that
is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto
God. Now, let us note, my brothers
and sisters, Paul did not say the law is dead. The law's still very much alive. The law is as alive as God is,
if you will pardon that phrase, because that law issued forth
from the heart and mind of the eternal God. Christ himself said,
I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Who is dead? We are dead to the
law. You see that? So a death has
occurred. A union-severing death has occurred. But even then, it's not our death. For were it our death that were
required, we would have died the death of corruption. We would
have died the death of unbelief. We would have died under the
judgment of God. Wherefore, that is based upon,
I want to paraphrase this word, wherefore, based upon this caveat
in the law, wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the
law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another. Christ, death, now listen to
me, Christ's death fully severed
the first legal union for all for whom he died. The caveat of the law is a corporeal
death happens, the union is severed. A corporeal death happened, the
union is severed. Somebody says, you're too bold.
I'm afraid I'm not bold enough. Christ is quite clear. And again,
I say, why a body? Why didn't he just say, wherefore
my brethren also are become dead to the law by the death of Christ?
Because his death was more than just some physical laying down
of existence. Peter put it this way, and it's
so simple Yet so profound, he bore our sins, where? Just in his mind? Just in his
thoughts? No, he bore my sins and your
sins, if you're a believer, he bore our sins in his own body
on the tree. That is, to me, astounding. Look at it again. Wherefore,
my brethren, remember, it's not the law that's dead. We're dead
to the law, but not by any action of ourselves. Wherefore, my brethren,
you also become dead to the law by the body of Christ. But it's
for a purpose. That we should be married to But let's now look at the second
thought. The deliverance, the actual deliverance of freed to
marry another. Consider this, my brothers and
sisters. According to the Apostle Paul
in the first part of verse 6, and let me just read it. The
first part of verse 6, but now we are delivered from the law. Yes or no? Do you bow to that
truth? Do you believe that truth? Do
you hold that truth to be absolute or not? Don't be setting third plates
on the table. Don't be laying out a third set
of bedclothes. Take flowers to the graveyard
if you will, that's fine. but you're married to another.
And your devotion and your love is to him himself. Is that proper English? To him
himself. Think about it. We are actually
delivered from the law which held us in death. Do you see
it? But now we are delivered from
the law that being dead wherein we were hailed. You see that? Now, dude, verse, the last part
of verse six is not an explanation of the first part of verse six. Did I say that? The last part
of verse six, yes, is not an explanation of the first part
of verse six. It is the results of. But now
we are delivered from the dark law that being dead wherein we
were healed. If I ever seek to be under the
law, I put myself in bondage. And Christ's death was meant
not for bondage, but for what? Freedom, liberty, but not liberty
to serve myself, but to serve my new husband. So again, we are actually delivered
from the law which held us, but it didn't just hold us. We were
kicking and screaming, trying to get away. We loved it. It
was death. Here's how bad it was. When we
were in the first legal union, when our experience, when we
were dead in trespasses and sins, we did not see that union for
what it was, death. We thought it was our way of
life. We thought this was actually the way that might just please
God. But Paul here and in other places
says over and over again that the law is a glorious condemnation
of what? Death. Here's another thought
about the deliverance of free to marry another. We are delivered
from the deadly fruit of that first union. We are delivered
from the deadly fruit of sin. Sin being motivated by the enmity
in our flesh. And you know what the law did?
The law incited a rebellion because of its prohibitions. The law's
not wrong to prohibit us to do certain things. We just do not
want to. Look at what it says. For when
we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the what? The law. The law did work in
our members to bring forth fruit unto what? Death, death, death. The more I tried, the more evident
it became, except to me, that I was living in death under that
first union. You remember the Apostle Paul,
he said, I was alive without the law once. What's he talking,
didn't you hear chapter seven? I was alive without the law once. Before he really understood what
the law was, a glorious condemnation of death, Paul thought the law
was life to him. He said, but when the commandment
came, sin revived. The law didn't die. I died. I died. You see, our sins of the flesh
are no longer the dominating factor. I did not say they're
not there. They are there. They are still
present with us. We still all too often find its
effects affecting us. But our sins of the flesh are
no longer the dominating factor. For the law deals with, now here's
a caveat, the law deals with the flesh. The law deals with
the old man. The law does not deal with the
new man. It doesn't. And this dawned on
me. I realized that every time I
was trying to keep the law, what I'm actually saying to God is
I can manage my flesh. I can at least keep my flesh
in check. And Paul says, that's not so. 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. But now we're delivered from
the law, that being dead, wherein we were hailed. And I'm going
to put it, but something happened. This, my brethren, you're dead
to the law by the body of Christ. Why? That we should serve in
newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Look at
Galatians chapter three, if you wish to look at it. I want to
show you this. In Galatians chapter three, let
me say straight up that Paul is not dealing exactly with what
he's dealing with in Romans 7, one through six. but it's still
pertinent to the subject because he deals somewhat with it. Look
at Galatians 3, just the first few verses. Oh foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you? Sounds like a little madness,
right? Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth
crucified among you. How was that done? Through the
preaching of the gospel. These people were in Galatia.
They never seen physically the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
but it had been set forth before them when they heard the gospel
preached. This only would I learn of you.
Now note his words. Received ye the spirit by the
works of the law or the hearing of faith. Now he is continuing. Are ye so foolish, having begun
in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the what? He didn't
say law there, does he? He says flesh. The reason is
because law, God's holy law, deals with flesh. The fruit of
the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such There is no law. That's freedom, isn't it? But
under the law, it's not freedom. Under the law, there is no freedom.
So it is no marvel to me that Paul cries out in Romans 6, verse
14, for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under
the law, but you're under what? Grace. You see, grace is not
just the subject we believe. It's a conquering power of God
that we are under. Grace is not an emotion in God. It is an act of God in mercy
and compassion through Jesus Christ. Somebody says, well,
I'm a believer in grace. Whoop-dee-doo. Have you ever been conquered? By grace. All right, let's go on. This
third point. The newness. The newness of freed
to marry another. Now, is it not clear that Paul
says there is a newness in this second service, this second union,
and it's totally different from the service of the first one,
right? Read it again, verse six, but now, we are delivered from
the law that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of spirit, and there's nothing wrong with that
being a small s. Granted, the whole testimony
of this book says it must be through the act of the spirit
of God, but he does it where? Inside here, in the inner man,
even ye in the new man. that man which is created in
the image of God, after the very image of him that created him. It is a new service, as he said,
that we should serve in newness of spirit and not, not along
with the oldness of the letter, is it? Legalism says Christ is fine,
he's necessary, but you need the old letter too. Paul says
no. The union-severing death that
occurred freed you from that first legal letter. Now you're
freed to marry another and serve another in a new spirit. Now I could stop right there,
I would have perfectly preached to you the truth. But I got a
feeling that somebody here is thinking, but preacher, could
you at least explain to me this newness of spirit? Could you
give me a few illustrations? Yeah. Yeah, I will. Now, first of all, this newness
of freed to marry another, the newness is first and foremost
God help us to get, God help me and you to get this. This
newness is first and foremost, a new husband. It's a new husband. A new husband. We're not freed
for mere freedom's sake. We're freed to marry another. I'll give you the illustrations,
bear with me. But there's a second thought in this newness of freedom
to marry another. The new husband gives life to
the new service because it's the resurrected Lord. The resurrected Lord. Now, turn
to 2 Peter 1. And we will hear from Peter. Well, let me change that. We
will hear from the Spirit of God Through Peter, a little idea
of what this means. That is, this new husband gives
life to the new service. 2 Peter 1, just the first few
verses. Simon Peter, a servant and an
apostle of Jesus Christ. To them that have obtained like
precious faith with us, how? Through your pulling yourself
by your own bootstraps. Huh? No. By an act of your own
will. No. How? Through the righteousness
of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. I came out of the grave, the
spiritual grave, by an act of God. It had nothing to do with
me. And I lived the life that I now
live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son
of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Look at what
he goes on to say. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. So it's not
about understanding the law, my brothers and sisters. It's
not about understanding the intricacies of that first union. It's about
getting to know your new husband. It's about getting to know your
new husband according as his divine power hath given unto
us all things that pertain to life and godliness. You might
say to me, but pastor, I don't see that. I understand your dilemma,
but God sees it. He's the one that's doing it.
It's not about us seeing it, though it's nice when he gives
us a little glimpse of it. Because we know it comes from
where? God. Look at it. According as his
divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness through the knowledge of him that called
us to glory and virtue. It's about the new husband. Be
called up with him. It's okay. You cannot be over-infatuated. with Jesus Christ. And that's
not even a good way to put it. You cannot be caught up with
Jesus Christ T-O-O much. You cannot. You cannot. It's okay to be drunk with the
knowledge of him. Whereby, he goes on. whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust." Why is it
that unbelief does not dominate you now, when it did once before? Oh, it's still there. It still
raises its ugly head, but it does not dominate. And it cannot
dominate, not because we are something, but because he, our
new husband, is everything. Again, I say the new husband
gives life to the new service. There's a third thought before
I give you the examples. The new service. is motivated
by a newness of spirit. And I will put it this way for
the sake of argument for right now. There's something in me
that was not in me before regeneration and conversion. It was not there. It could not be there other than
by an act of God. It's a new spirit. Now, let me
give you some examples. This newness, the newness of
freed to marry another. Now, I'll read this verse to
me, but turn to Ephesians 4. My brothers and sisters, bear
with me. I don't want to rush through this. Turn to Ephesians 4, but we'll
read that in a moment, a verse there in a moment. Think about
this. What does the law say? I'll give
you a couple examples. I've been told there are 600
and some laws in the law of God in the Old Testament. I've never
sat down and tried to count them. But we know there are 10 that
summarize the whole six, 700, right? And there are two that
summarize the 10. Love God with all you are, love
your neighbors as yourself. And think about it. What does
the law say about stealing? Thou shalt not. S-T-E-A-L. S-T-E-A-L. Period. Isn't that what the law
says? Thou shalt not steal. You know what this newness of
service says? And you'll find it here. We're
in Ephesians chapter 4. I'll give you the verse in a
moment. Here's what the newness of spirit says. It doesn't say,
oh, I'm free by grace. I can go steal all I want. We are often accused of indicating
that if not outright preaching it, right? I have been. Lord
knows the past couple of years, I've been called some of the
most awful things in the world. And that was by people that was
in the assembly. I've been preaching that for years. Here's what the
newness of spirit says. Let him that stole, steal no
more. You say, what's the same thing?
No, it's not. One, the law says thou shalt
not. If you break that one, what does
James say? You're guilty of what? All. But here's what grace says. Let
him that steal, steal no more. That's a whole new spirit. But
it's more than just that. Now let's read the verse, verse
28 of Ephesians 4. Pardon me just a moment. Ephesians 4, verse 28. Here it
is. Let him that stole steal no more. But grace goes even, if you don't
steal, you don't break the law concerning stealing, correct?
It's that simple. But all of us have in some way
or another. But look, let him that stole
steal no more, colon. This goes along with it, you
see it? There's a thought in and of itself. Let him that stole steal no more.
That's the new spirit. But look, but rather let him
see grace didn't decide. I just quit stealing. Huh? No, but rather let him labor. Get an honest trade. I don't
care if it's just digging a ditch to make some money, but not even
for yourself. Here's what great, here's that
new spirit. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let
him labor, working with his hands to the thing which is good, that
he may have to give to him that needeth. That goes far beyond
just thou shalt not steal. Now, I love you, but if you don't
like that, you're still married to the old husband. Because these
are the commands of the new husband, with a new spirit, a new status,
a new mode. One more. Thou, here's the law, thou shalt
not bear false witness. You know what the law says? And
I can say, period. I mean, look at those Ten Commandments,
thou shalt not, period. You know what Grace says? Wherefore
putting away lying, because it's still in this flesh. The law
tells your flesh you can't do that. If you do, you're under
death. Grace says you got it, but put
it away. You see it? Wherefore, putting
away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor. And don't take this too hard. When
I have to say that, you know that I'm expecting somebody might
take it too hard. Speaking truth with your neighbor
doesn't mean I speak my mind. Your mind and my mind ain't truth. What we think ain't truth. It's talking about tell me and
our neighbor what this book says. Tell them who they really are,
who you really are, and who God really is in Jesus Christ. Turn to Titus chapter two, where
we'll see Paul kind of summarizes this thing here. Titus chapter
two. And I don't have time to deal
with everything that Paul says here in these verses, but Titus
chapter 2, we'll begin in verse 11. And as I said, I don't have
time to deal with every nuance of the words he says, but some
things we will see clearly apply to this, what? The newness of
being freed to marry another. Verse 11, for the grace of God
that bringeth salvation, not offers, but brings. Bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men and I confess this morning it has It has but look
Teaching us that so what is teaching the believer the law? The grace of God that brings
salvation see if God's got the power and he does and To bring
me out of the spiritual grave, bless God he's got the power
to cause me to walk in newness of spirit and not in oldness
of the letter. Look what it is, go on. For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. And if
you're not being taught that, you're not married to the new
husband. It is that simple and that frightening
for those who are not being taught that. If your conscience lets
you live however you want to, including your flesh, you have
not had the old union severed and the new union established. Listen in here. I pray God it's
established for you in Christ, but he will establish it where?
In newness of spirit. It's got to be real down in here. Soberly, righteously, and godly
in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and glorious
appearing of the great God and our savior, Jesus Christ. Now
look at it. We see him both as the foundation.
What did I say? The foundation, the deliverance,
and the newness of this. Who gave himself for us that
he might redeem us from all iniquity. We love that part, now don't
we? But we also love this second part. And purify unto himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good works. If you hate good
works, if it's just, well, I got to do this, you're in trouble. Look, these things speak, therefore
I have the authority to say that to you, even as God's beloved
people. No, especially since you're God's
beloved people. These things speak and exhort
and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. We'll sum this up. Consider this.
I've kind of mentioned it, but I want to try to make God, not
me. It ain't about me. May God hammer
this home to us this morning. We are not freed for mere freedom's
sake. I've already said that, but let
me try to explain that just a little bit. If you're here, if you're
here, I don't know every person here. If you're here this morning
and you're not a believer, And you say, well, if I make a profession,
then I could be freed from the law. That's a valiant desire. But the question is, do you desire
to be married to Christ? If you just feel the weight of
the law and just want to be freed from the law, all you're going
to do is think you're freed from the law and you'll begin serving
your flesh. Now you might do it in a different
capacity. You might do it in a religious
moral capacity, but you'll still be walking in the flesh. Again,
we're not freed for mere freedom's sake. And believers, every believer
here this morning, you're not freed for mere freedom's sake.
Paul says we have liberty. Galatians chapter five, only
what? Only use not your liberty for
an occasion to the flesh. But by love, serve not yourself. And that's hard. The flesh says,
yeah, but I deserve a little bit. If I give you 90 toward
everybody else, give me at least a good 10. No. By love, serve
one another. You see, Christ wrought all that's
necessary to sever our first union to the law. He died in
his body. He cored poorly. Is that a right
word? In his own body bore our sins
on the tree. So what's that mean? They were
dealt with by God in him. God will never deal with our
sins that way ever again, because he said it is finished. Paid in full. I've done what
justice demanded. So again, Christ wrought all
that is necessary to sever our first union to the law, and he
has joined to us and joined us to him. I was just kind of standing
there. when it happened. And he made me to rejoice in
what was happening. And my brothers and sisters,
that's about as simple as I could put it. Because my flesh, when
it first began to happen, was, I don't like this. I don't like
this. I'm OK. I'm not that bad. And God's spirit kept saying,
yeah, you're that bad. would he give me a glimpse of
my new husband? You see, the death's already occurred. The union's been severed, we
just don't know it till he gives us life. Till he gives us life. My brothers and sisters, it's
okay to enjoy your binding espousal to Christ now. It's okay. I remember Tim James saying this
one time, may have said it more than once, but I heard him say
it on, it was on tape, he said, it's okay to believe God. And
that just hit me, it's okay to believe God. Because my flesh
says, yeah, believing's important, but it's not enough. It is if God gives the faith
to do the believing, mm-hmm. God holds the faith that he gives
and the believing that flows from it in high regard, because
faith is a fruit of what? Yea, rather, who? Him. We sing a song, and I don't mean
to be hypercritical. There's a song we sing, Creating
Faith in Him. So God creating faith in us. God don't create faith. Faith
is a fruit of God. God never created one of his
characteristics or one of his majesties. It's just always been. What's he do? He gives us a little
piece of it. Romans 12 pulpits in measure.
The measure of faith. But bless God, if it comes from
and is of God, just think how much God honors that wee little
bit. Huh? That wee little bit. I want you
to think about it. I said, enjoy your binding espousal
to Christ now. One day, it will culminate. My brothers and sisters, I know
it may sound, I know it does sound to the flesh like a pipe
dream, like whistling in the dark. But we have the very promise
of Christ himself that one day this binding espousal will culminate
in seeing him in mercy and grace and compassion face to face. Turn to John chapter 17. I say that I can say that with
the authority of Christ himself because he willed it to be so. Now, I know you're aware of this
here. Dear beloved, Pastor Don taught
you all this for years. John 17, for the sake of time,
verse 20. John 17, 20, neither pray I for
these alone. Remember, that's the 11. Go back
and look at the context. Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.
That includes us right here. But look, that they all may be
one. As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me. And I will say this, one
day they will. They do not right now, but one
day they will. Let's move on. And the glory
which thou gavest me, look at the phrasing, I have given Not will, not later, what I have
given them. And again, I relate to your dilemma
because you maybe said, but I don't see that. I don't. Did the children
of Israel see all that they really had with them when they spoiled
the Egyptians and went out and not even a dog barked against
them? But they had everything with them when they began. that
they needed for the whole journey, including the building of the
Ark of God and the tavern. They didn't go to Walmart and
buy a shit of wood. They had spoiled everything they
had from the Egyptians. We've got it all from the get-go.
We just don't comprehend it. But it's there. And the glory
which thou gavest me, I've given them, that they, look, that they
may be one even as we are one. He's praying to the Father that
we be as one with them as he is with the Father. Now look,
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect, how? In one. Not in themselves, in
one. And that the world may know that
thou sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father,
Now, here it is. I will. Do you see it? I purpose. I decree. I can use all of those words.
Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with
me where I am that they may behold my glory. And we're going to see it not
like we do now darkly. But how's Paul put it? face to
face. Can you imagine? I try to imagine
it, but I know it's, I know it's probably got way too much flesh
in it, but standing before and then I kind of think just falling
down before the feet of the master. This is my own thoughts and him
reaching down and picking up my chin and looking me in the
eyes. and saying to me something along
the line, it's okay. I love you. And I've loved you
before the world began. And if he loved me before the
world began, knowing what I would be when the world began and when
I was born and still called me out of darkness into light in
spite of that, you think he don't love me now? Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me
before the foundation of the world. That's when and how he
loved us. O righteous Father, the world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me. I have declared unto them thy
name, and will declare it. Promised right there, Rex Bartley,
that he won't quit. Once he started revealing it
to me, he won't quit. I have declared unto them thy
name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast
loved me may be in them and I in them. And he prayed this for
us in that garden. He really, literally was in that
body, sweating, as it were, great drops of blood, praying this
for us. Listen to this song by Augustus
Toplady. Thou fountain of bliss, thy smile
I entreat. Overwhelmed with distress, I
mourn at thy feet. The joy of salvation, when shall
it be mine? The high consolation of friendship
divine. Awaken to see the depth of my
fall, for mercy on thee I earnestly call. Tis thine, the lost sinner,
to save and renew faith's mighty beginner and finisher too. Thy spirit alone repentance implants
and gives me to groan at feeling my wants. Amidst all my dejection,
dear Lord, I can trace some marks of election, some tokens of grace. Thou wilt not despise a sinner
distressed. All kind and all wise, thy season
is best. To thy sovereign pleasure resigned
I would be, and tarry at leisure, and hope still in me.