Open your Bibles with me to Romans
8, verse 1. Let me make an announcement. Brother Mike Bartram has been
working for months on a special tape featuring the songs that
he's been singing here for many years, Behold the Lamb of King
of Kings, precious name, something about that name, how great thou
art, thou art worthy, oh, how merciful, amazing grace redeemed,
he included me, to God be the glory. And that song is finished,
and he prepared it on a cassette tape, professionally recorded,
with good background music. It's one of the most outstanding,
or the most outstanding, music tape emphasizing the gospel that
I've ever heard. We finally got them. We've got
about 300 of them. They're $6 a piece. If you'd
like to have one, see Mike or Martha or Bob at the bookstore. and purchase it, make a good
Christmas gift. It's just superb. You take it
and listen to it, and you want more to share it with your friends. It's exceptional, absolutely
exceptional. Romans 8, verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation. That word is judgment, wrath. judgment, God dealing on the
basis of the broken law in judgment with sinners under the curse
of the law. And there is no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. Now, from early childhood, all
of us are familiar with this fear of condemnation. It starts
early. It starts early. Fear of wrath
and judgment and fear of someone dealing with you and judgment
for your failures. I, over in my office at the house,
I keep, you can look at me until I don't need to keep it, but
I keep chocolate on my desk all the time. And my little granddaughter
Hannah, once in a while she'll come in there and I'll get permission
from her mother to give her a piece of chocolate. And so we don't
do this too often because they don't want her to have chocolate
too often, but she comes in and Bobo has chocolate on his desk
always. And so one day, without her mother's
permission or mine either one, she invaded the chocolate And
not knowing how to disguise her sins like we grown folks do,
it was all over her mouth and her hands. Couldn't hide it. So she was dealt with in condemnation
and judgment very severely, very severely. Well, she didn't forget
it because a few weeks later they were over at the house and
we were having Sunday dinner. And I said, I'll eat a good dinner
and we'll have some chocolate. So she ate her dinner and came
down to the table, and I said, Go in there and get the chocolate
off the desk in the study. You know what she said? She said,
I won't get in trouble, will I? Two years old. So we know, don't we? It starts
early. Condemnation, fear of judgment
and wrath. God, someone dealing with us
in judgment. It's like when you boys and girls
in grade school, daddy's told you, don't throw the baseball
toward the house, don't throw the baseball toward the house.
One day you threw the baseball and broke the window. And all
day long you're waiting on him to come home because you knew
it was condemnation. Judgment in the evening, judgment,
he's going to deal with me, judgment. And then we got up in junior
high, you know, in middle school, and we know a little bit about
condemnation there. We go to school, and we've goofed
off all year, and we've got a bad grade in history, or we've got
a bad grade in English, and the teacher gives out the report
cards, and the parents have to see them, because they have to
sign them. And all the way home, you know what's coming, judgment,
taking home that bad grade. And then when you get up to a
teenager and you learn how to drive, Dad tells you, don't take
the car now, I've got it cleaned up, we're going to take a trip,
and don't take it. And you go out and say, well, I'm just going
to run down to the drugstore, and that's the day you run into
the fireplug. Judgment, judgment. But you know, when we come to
this thing, and we're all familiar with this, the fear of judgment
and condemnation, but how can we possibly, how can I? I can easily talk about these
things. with which we're so familiar, but how can I possibly put into
words the horror of facing God? Facing my dad is nothing like
facing God. It's not even to be compared.
Facing my mother with a bad report card or facing my parents with
a dent in the car, is nothing compared with facing God at the
judgment charge with sin. Now, that's something I wish
I could deal with, but I'm just not able. I just say, where am
I, Adam, running high? If I'd been Adam, I'd run here,
too. Well might Belshazzar's loins,
the scripture said, his loins were loosed and his knees knocked
together. Fear of God, fear of judgment,
fear of condemnation, no escaping the wrath of God. When that old jailer was shaken
with the earthquake and the hinges fell off the doors and the windows
fell out, well might the jailer fall trembling. fearful. He saw the power of God. If we
could see the awesome power of God, I believe it would be a
little more trembling on our part, too, fear and trembling. Well might men in eternity cry
for the mountains and rocks This is what it says, it says, in
that day they'll cry for the mountains and rocks to fall on
them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne. Just cover me up, just block
me out. You know, one time Ronnie Lewis
heard a message on the radio and brought me the outline. A man pushed a good message on
a strange prayer meeting, a strange prayer meeting. One believer
is praying as unbelievers pray. And they weren't praying to God,
they were praying to the rocks. And they weren't praying for
life, they were praying for death. And they weren't praying that
they might be brought to God, they were praying that they might
get palm oil from God. Do you remember that? And where might they cry for
the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne? But wait a minute, look
here, look at verse 1 again. Paul writes there's no condemnation. There's no fear. I'm interested
in that. I'll tell you, no judgment, no
condemnation, and these preachers can talk all they want to about
the seven judgments and the five judgments and the ten judgments
and all the other judgments, but for the believer there ain't
no judgment. You can write it down. It has
to be. If I am brought under any condition or circumstances
before God to be judged, I'm a goner. That's all there is
to it. If there's any judgment, if there's
any reckoning, day of reckoning or accounting, I don't have anything. God has got to see me in Christ,
receive me in Christ, accept me in Christ, and consider me
in Christ, and put my judgment away in Christ. Isn't that right,
John? If you're talking about judgment, you don't want any
part of it. We say our works are going to
be judged. They ain't worth judging. I haven't done anything. Paul says there's now, there
is therefore now, right now, no judgment. No condemnation. That's what I'm interested in.
No accounting. No day of reckoning. No judgment. Now then, I told our class this
morning, anytime You consider communion with God or fellowship
with God, you better keep two things in mind. Who he is and
who you are. The holiness of God and the insufficiency
and inability and corruption of the sinner. Now you better
keep those two things in mind. And so people who know God's
holy and know their centers, they just must, you just must
have an interest in this passage of Scripture. There is therefore
now, right now, no judgment, no condemnation, no day of reckoning,
no wrath, no fear. And here's my question. For whom
is this glorious, wonderful promise intended? Now, are you interested? This center is. All right, let's
see for whom it's intended. It says, therefore, right now,
not later, but right now, put a check on that word, no condemnation,
not a little bit, no judgment, no condemnation to them who are
in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, number one.
Now then, my friends, and this is something right here that
very few preachers know anything about, and still less people
in the church. Very few preachers ever speak
on it, very few teachers ever deal with it. In Christ Jesus,
when we talk about being in Christ, we're talking about representation
and federal headship. Now, we've got to look at this.
There's no judgment. God is holy, God must punish
sin. God is truth, God must deal with
the transgressor. We are sinners, there's nothing
about us that can recommend us to God, there's nothing about
us good, we're non-righteous, all of sin, none seeketh after
God. And we're gonna meet. Talks about
the one with whom we have to do, one we have to do. But there's
no judgment and no wrath and no condemnation for these sinners
who are in Christ Jesus. Who are in Christ Jesus, and
that's representation. That's how we're in Christ Jesus,
federal headship. Now turn with me to two scriptures.
Over to 1 Corinthians 15. In Christ Jesus. I'm going to put this as plain
so these boys and girls can, at least in their heads, understand
what I'm talking about. It doesn't say we're not condemnable.
It doesn't say we don't deserve condemnation. It doesn't say
we haven't done anything worthy of condemnation. We're worthy
of condemnation. But in Christ, there's none. In Christ, there's no judgment.
In Christ, there's no curse, if you're in Christ. Alright,
look at 1 Corinthians 15, verse 21. For since my man came death,
that's Adam, isn't it? Upon whom did death come? Oh,
who were in him. You see, Adam is the federal
head. Adam is the first man. Adam was
created. I'm going to make this as simple
as I can. God never created but one man. He created Adam. Adam
means red earth. That's from whence he came. Adam means man. Man, red earth. God made one man. And every one
of us came from Adam. Even Eve came from Adam. God
put Adam to sleep and took Eve out of Adam. He's the head. He's
the representative. He's the trunk of the tree. And
when his firstborn Cain came into the world, Cain came out
of Adam. Abel came out of Adam. Seth came out of Adam. And Cain's
boy came out of Adam. See, it's right on down the line
as each child is born. They all came from Adam. He's
the root stock. And when Adam stood, the whole
human race stood, and when Adam sinned and fell, the whole human
race fell. That's what it says. It says
here in verse 21, "...since by man came death, by man also came
the resurrection of the dead." Oh, there's another Adam! Here
is the man who represents all who came out of his loins and
all who were in it. You see one time Abraham, now
watch this, Abraham went to the battle of the kings and he came
back. He rescued Lot and all of his
friends and the high priest of God called Melchizedek met him. Now you who read Hebrews are
familiar with this. Melchizedek is Christ. Melchizedek
is without mother or father, without beginning of days or
end of days, a priest forever. The king of Salem, the high priest
of God. He came and met Abraham. Christ
met Abraham. Christ in the person of Melchizedek.
And he blessed him. He had bread and wine with him
and blessed him. And Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. He paid tithes of all he worshipped. He paid tithes. He went through
that farm to Melchizedek. You know who Levite was? Levite
is the father of the priest. All the sons of Aaron are Levites. They came out of Levi, they came
out of Aaron. And Aaron and Levi weren't even
born. But the scripture says Levi and Aaron paid tithes to
Melchizedek in the loins of Abraham. And the less is blessed of the
greater, always. And that's what we're talking
about, representation. When Abraham stood there and
faced Melchizedek, the great priest, the high priest of God,
the king of Salem, and Abraham paid tithes to him and worshipped
before him, even Aaron and the priest who were to come were
paying tithes to and worshipping Melchizedek by representation. And that's what I'm saying, when
Adam sinned, we sinned. Now there's another Adam. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all who are in Christ be made alive. All
right, look at 1 Corinthians 15, one other verse. Over here
in verse 47. In verse 47. Let's start with
verse 45. And so it is written, the first
man, Adam, was made a living soul, the first man. The last
Adam was made a quickening spirit, and by the first man came death,
sin, judgment, and a curse upon all who were in him. Just like
Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek in the lorns of Abraham, so we
paid worship to our own will and Satan in the lorns of our
daddy Adam. We fell in Adam. We sinned in
him. We rebelled against God in Adam. That's what's said.
The first man was made a living soul, the last Adam was a quickening
spirit. Howbeit that was not first, which
is spiritual, Christ came later, but that which is natural, and
afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth,
earthly. The second man is the Lord from heaven. Just two men.
As is the earthly, such are they that are earthly. That's all
of us. Anybody here not from Adam? Everybody in the whole
world's from Adam. Black man, white man, red man,
yellow man. God confused their languages
at the Tower of Babel. They went off in different directions,
but they're all still from Adam. And being from Adam, they're
sinners. Being from Adam, they're fallen creatures. Being from
Adam, they're flesh. All from Adam. All right? Read on. And as is the heavenly,
spiritual, the second man is Jesus Christ. Such are they also
that are heavenly." Who is that? That's people who've been born
of God, born of the Spirit, and born again. They have a spiritual
nature, they have the nature of God. They're in Christ. So
all men are in Adam. All men of the flesh, all who
were born of him. We're in him as a representative,
we're in him as a federal head. We're in him positionally, we're
in him naturally. We're born from Adam. Being in
Christ is to be in Christ as our representative, in Christ
as our federal head, in Christ as the head of a covenant people. We're in Christ. All right, here's
the question then. How do we get in Christ? Before
I get to that, I want you to turn to Romans 5. See, one other
scripture here, Romans 5 verse 19. You see, this is by representation
and imputation. As sin came into the world by
representation and became ours by imputation, so righteousness
came into the world by God's divine will, federal headship,
and by imputation. Look at Romans 5, 19. For as
by one man's disobedience, that's Adam, the many were made sinners,
the many, many, many, many, many, many. by Adam's fall, by Adam's
sin, by Adam's representation. You see that? Even so. So, by the obedience of one,
by the representative, shall many be made holy, righteous,
and perfect. Well, here's the question. How
do we get in Christ? We know how we got in Adam. Adam
was the man created. We were born from his loins.
We were born from his seed. But how did we get in Christ?
Turn to Ephesians 1. I'll tell you how we got in Christ.
We got in Christ, now watch this, this is important. And I'm just
telling you the truth. It's my business to fix the truth.
It's the business of the Spirit of God to give understanding
to men who want to know the truth. How did we get in Christ? Ephesians
1. Now watch this, verse 3. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessing. Now, we know how we got our sins,
and our nature, and our flesh, and our hate, and our lust, and
our fear. We got it from Adam. We're flesh. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. Can't get clean water from an impure fountain. That's
how we get it. But how do we get these spiritual
blessings? How do we get these heavenly blessings? How do we
get this new heart, new nature, new direction? How do we get
this spiritual nature? Spiritual blessings in the heavenlies,
in Christ. There's no condemnation to them
who are in Christ. There's no judgment to them who
are in Christ. Well, how do I get in Christ? That's where it all
is, in Christ. But how do I get in Christ? Well,
I watch it. According as he hath chosen us, he chose us in Christ. He chose us in Christ. That's
how you got in Christ. The Father chose you in Christ.
And he did it before the foundation of the world. And he did it that
in Christ we should be holy. And in Christ we should be without
blame before him. In love, having predestinated
us to the adoption of children. How did you get to be a child
of God? It was God's predestinating will. By Jesus Christ to himself
it was according to the good pleasure of his will. That's
how you got in Christ. The will of God chose you and
put you in Christ. That's how you got there. In
Christ is where the blessings are. That's how you got there.
Read on. And he did it to the praise of the glory of his grace
wherein he hath made us accepted in Christ. In Christ. In whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sin according to the riches of his grace. That's how I got in
Christ. God chose me and put me there. How did I get in Christ? I got
in Christ not only by divine election, but by divine regeneration. Now turn to 1 Corinthians 12.
There's more to this than just God electing you. You see, this
is where some of the people stop right here and say, well, if
I'm elected, I'm going to be in heaven. No, you're not. No, I beg your
pardon. Something else got to take place.
Something else. And we are in Christ not only
because we were chosen in Christ, but we were in Christ because
we were prepared by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Now watch
1 Corinthians 12, verse 12. For as the bodies were, talking
about the human body, and has many members. He has a hand,
and a foot, and a toe, and a thumb. And all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. Christ is
the head, we're the body. Is that correct? Or, by one Spirit,
are we all baptized into the body of Christ? The Holy Spirit puts you there,
whether you be a Jew or a Gentile, whether you be bond or free,
and you've been made actually, realistically, experimentally,
made to drink into one Spirit. That's right. There's regeneration.
We're born again. There's something that takes
place in time when the Spirit of God, like the wind, blows
where it pleases, and you can't tell from whence it cometh or
whether it goeth, but it comes and goes. Such are they that
are born of the Spirit of God. As many as received Christ, to
them gave he the power to become sons of God, which were born,
not of natural blood, genealogy, not of the will of the flesh,
not of the will of man, but they're born of God. There came a day,
God chose you in Christ before the world began. But there's
a time, and I don't say you have to go to a moment, a day, a week,
or a month, or even a year, and say, this is when I was baptized
into Christ. I couldn't tell you. But I do
know it took place. And God gave me a new heart and
a new nature and revealed Christ to me and put me into Christ. I was born again. Spiritual life. But, that's not all. We're in Christ by faith. Now
you look with me at Galatians 3. Now watch this, Galatians
chapter 3. Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verse
26. Now listen to it. Now, you just listen to this.
In Galatians 3, 26, it says, For you are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. That's how you're a child of
God, by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. How are we baptized?
By one Spirit into the body of Christ. You have actually, intelligently,
willingly, lovingly, put on Christ. Put on Christ. That's so by faith. There's neither Jew nor Greek,
there's neither bond nor creed, there's neither male nor female.
For you are one in Christ, and if you be Christ, then are you
Abraham's seed, and you're heirs according to promise. Look over
at verse 6 through 9, it's the same chapter. Even as Abraham believed God,
and it was counted to him for righteousness, know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. Verse 9, so then they which be
of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. My questions answered. I question that. There's no condemnation. There's no judgment. There's
no fear. There's nothing waiting me but a kiss from the Father,
like the prodigal son. A welcome home and a fatted carriage
and a ring and a crown and a robe. You know why? Because I'm in
Christ. I'm in Christ. And what does
it mean to be in Christ? It means I've been chosen of
God. It's an act of God. It's according to his good pleasure.
He chose men from every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue under
heaven and gave them to Christ, made Christ their surety and
put them in Christ, gave them heavenly blessing. But there
was a time here when the Holy Spirit, by his sovereign supernatural,
of his own will, beget us through the word of truth and baptized
us into the body of Christ. And there was a time when the
gospel came and we believed it. We believed it. And embraced
Christ. Like Paul said, I know whom I
have believed. I am persuaded he's able to keep
that which I've committed unto him. I've committed unto him. our commission unto him against
that day. All right, I can't explain everything
that it means to be in Christ, but I do know that's where it
is. That's where the mercy is, that's where the blessings are,
and that's where there's no condemnation in Christ. Can we leave that
point now? Let's go to the next one. Romans
chapter 8. Let's go back here again. Romans
chapter 8. I just got real excited about
this message because it just helped me so much. And I thought,
well, I can preach this. I can put this down where the
little lambs are, not put up there where the giraffes and
the long necks can reach it. You know, put it down here where
anybody that's hungry can eat this feed. There is, look at
Romans 8, there is therefore right now no judgment, no day
of reckoning, no condemnation, them who are in Christ Jesus.
Now what does it say next about, who walk not after the flesh
but after the Spirit. Now what does that mean? Alright,
let's see if we can find that. The promise of no condemnation
is to the same people, those who are in Christ, and because
they are in Christ, they walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. You're not talking about two different groups of people, they're
the same people. It's like God says all things work together
for good to them who love God, who are called according to his
purpose, same people. They love God because they're
called. And they walk not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit
because they're in Christ Jesus. But let's see what we can do
with this. It says he walked. Now, what is a man's walk? What
is a walk? Well, a walk here is the tenor
of his life. The tenor of his life. The governing
principles of his life. That's what we're talking about.
The true man. The true person. Secondly, it's
the bent of his will. It's the direction of his will.
And it's thirdly, the direction of his heart and life. And so
it says here that there's no condemnation to them who are
in Christ, and these people who are in Christ, they do not walk
after the flesh, but they walk after the spirit. Now here, there's
two or three meanings to this. Number one, let's look at verse
2, 3, and 4. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and
death. I don't walk in the law of flesh and commandments and
rituals and ceremony, which is the law of the flesh. I don't
walk in that anymore. Those who are in Christ do not
look to and walk in and trust in the law of commandments and
the works of the flesh and the deeds of religion for acceptance
with God. They walk in the Spirit, in a
revelation of Christ. Now see if that's not so as I
read 2, 3, and 4. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus, this gospel of Christ Jesus, has freed me
from the bondage of the law, and the curse of the law, and
the works and doings of the law, and the sacrifices of the law.
Verse 3, for what the law could not do. Neither the Ten Commandments
or the Levitical law. What the law could not do because
it was weak through the flesh. The law wasn't weak. It was our
flesh that was weak. We couldn't keep it. We couldn't
obey it. We couldn't walk in it. God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and false sin can build sin in
the flesh, that the righteousness, the holiness of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the commandments, and
after the law, and after the rituals, but after the Spirit,
the gospel of Christ. You see that? That's what that's
saying in those verses. Now, we'll go to something else
in a minute, but that's what that's saying. No judgment, no condemnation,
no fear of wrath to those who are in Christ Jesus. And these
people in Christ Jesus, they're not baptized in order to be saved.
They don't tithe in order to win the favor of God. They don't
go to church in order to keep in the good mercies of God. They
don't dress right, and do right, and talk right, and live right,
and do all these things according to some laws and rules laid down
in order that they can have this dose, sir. They walk in the spirit. The spirit of the gospel, the
spirit of faith, the spirit of life. You see that? They walk
not after the law of commandments and the flesh. They walk in the
spirit. All right, secondly, now let's look at verse 5. Why,
they that are after the flesh, those that have not been born
again, those that have not been regenerated, those who have not
been baptized into Christ, those who have not seen Christ in his
representative person, in his righteousness and holiness, those
who are still bound to the religion of the flesh, they that are after
the flesh and those who have natural minds that haven't been
born again, they demand the things of the flesh. They demand. What's that mind there mean?
It means just that. Those who are in the flesh, those
who are after the flesh, those who have not been born again,
those who are not children of God, they are dominated by and
controlled by and their minds are set on the things of the
world and the things of the flesh. That's their life. That's their
tenor of life. That's their direction. That's
their bent of will. It's gratification of this flesh. It's like the heathen Christ
said, what shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we
wear, wherewithal shall we be clothed, where shall we go, what
shall we find some honor here, or praise there? These people,
this thought, they that are after the flesh, who've never been
born again, who know not God, they demand the things of the
flesh. That's their concern. That's
their life! That's the benevolent tenor of
their life. They mind those things, but they, they're after the Spirit.
What are they interested in? They're interested in the things
of God. Set your affections on things of God. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God. This is what the Apostle Paul is talking about here. He
said, I was a Hebrew of Hebrews. My mother was a Hebrew. My father
was a Hebrew. I was born in the tribe of Benjamin.
That's pride. That's position. That's prestige. That's acclaim. That's something
in this world. Concerning the law, I was blameless. Moral man. A good man. A respected
man. An influential man. I was somebody. I was high up in religion. I sat at the feet of Gamaliel.
I had credentials, and I had a doctorate, and I had all these
things, but I count these but loss. I count them but rubbish,
that I may win Christ. My mind, my heart, my affections,
the bed of my will, my desires, are not on the things anymore
of this world and flesh, but on the things of God. And that's
what that's saying. There's no condemnation to them
who are in Christ. And these people who are in Christ,
they don't walk after a rule of religion. They don't earn
their way. They don't buy their way. They
don't do their way. They walk not after a law of
fleshly commandments and rituals and duties and church membership.
You belong to this denomination, you're saved. You do this and
you're saved. You do that and you're saved. I'm saved because
I'm in Christ. I walk not according to the law
of commandments or the law of the flesh. I walk according to
the Spirit of God. And another thing, my affections
and desires are not set on and dominated by the things of this
earth. I want to know Him. See what
I'm saying? That's what that's saying there.
Verse 6, for to be carnal in mind. What's the word carnal?
It's natural. It's just natural. What's your mind on now? What's
your heart on? What do you think on during the
week? What's the direction of your life? Now you think about
it. The people for whom there's no
condemnation are not people who are dominated by and controlled
by and taken up with nothing under God's shining sun but this
world in flesh. They're sold out to it. What
people think of them is more important than what God thinks
of them. What they have in the hand, what they have in the bank,
what they have in security, what they have built up, what their
friends, their influence, they're just dominated by this world. Well, that's not the folks here.
There's no condemnation. Now, you look at it. It's as
clear as a bell if you look at it. Start with verse 1, now stay
with it, it's so important. There's no condemnation, no judgment,
no fear, no wrath to them who are in Christ. I told you how
we got in Christ. And then it says, and they walk
not after the flesh. Their walk is the tenor of their
life, it's the bend of the wheel, it's the principle of conduct,
it's the principle of thought, it's the principle of attitude,
it's the principle of spirit, and they're going to walk after
the flesh. This religious flesh, this law of commandment, this
law of do's and don'ts, this law of zeal, this law of denominationalism,
they don't walk that way. They walk after the spirit, a
revelation of the spirit of the gospel. That's where they walk.
That's where they think. They're looking to Christ. They're
not looking on the statues and pictures and crosses and uniforms
and trash. They're looking to Christ. And
neither are they taken up in the mind with the world. Their
minds have been weaned from this world. They're not trying to
get more and help more and hold more and do more. They're trying
to find some rest in Christ Jesus. That's right. They don't mind
the things of the flesh. That's not them. They're not
picking up with that. These women pushing their children into,
they're pushing their daughters into dating and pushing them
into getting a man, pushing them to marry somebody important,
pushing them to school, pushing them to get their degree and
shoving them into the rear. I don't understand that. It'd
be better if they're sitting on a creek bank fishing somewhere
in a pair of overalls and know God. That's right. Know God. But this world, the
people of Ashland, Kentucky, everywhere I go, are just taking
that with bigger and bigger and greater and finer and more. Somebody said that democracy
will never work because of man's greed. And I think they're about
right. Can man govern himself? He's
making a shabby job of it in this country. Because he's mine. Look at verse 6. To be commonly
minded, rarely minded, naturally minded, nothing but the will,
is death. It's death. But to be spiritually
minded. What is to be spiritually minded?
Think on these things. Whatsoever things are righteous,
holy, pure, of good report, having to do with God. Think on these
things. Think on them. Isn't that right? Think on them. Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God. If you love the world, you can't
love God. It's not subject to the law of God. This carnal mind
has never been brought into subjection. It's never had its ear bored.
It's never become a bond slave. It's never been in love with
Jesus Christ. It's never been taken up with
Christ. Still married to their old husband. Not subject to the law of God.
It can't be. Got to have a new nature, a new
mind. So then they, they're in this flesh. They that are in
the flesh of commandments, the flesh of law, the flesh of works,
the flesh of religion, the do's and don'ts, the rules and regulations,
can't please God. Those that are in the cardinally
minded, taken up with the world, care about the world, care about
all these things, what people think, do, honors, prestige,
rank, position, treasure, cannot please God. That's what that
says. You can't make it say anything
else either. Or else we don't. But verse 10 says if Christ be
in you, if you're in Christ and He's in you, this body is dead. This body is dead. What does
that mean? It means this old body is headed for the graveyard.
That's what it means. Everything connected with this
old body is dead. Dead. This flesh is dead. This
body is dead because of sin. There's nothing to be gained saved out of it. Everything connected
with the world and Adam has got to be buried. But the Spirit
is alive because of His righteousness. I'll live forever. This new nature,
this new man. It's going to live forever. This
old body, and my family, and my friends, and what I've accomplished
in this flesh, and what I have, it's death. It's got the stamp
of death on it. It's grave is its destination,
but the spirit is alive because of Christ's righteousness. You
see that? But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from
the dead, if He dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from
the dead will quicken your mortal bodies too. By His Spirit that
dwells in you. Just like Christ had a resurrection,
I'm going to have one. Isn't that glorious? Therefore
brethren, we are debtors. Not to this flesh. I don't owe
this flesh anything. Not to live after it. But if
you live after the flesh, you'll die. But if you, through the
Spirit, do mortify this old body, you'll live. For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they're the sons of God. You see now,
there's no condemnation to them who are in Christ. And they walk
not after the flesh. the law of commandments, the
do's and don'ts, and the duties of religion. That's not how they
find their favor with God. And they've been weaned from
this world. And they know that this body is headed for the grave,
it's headed for corruption, it's headed for decay. But this new
life, Christ in us, because of His holiness and His righteousness,
we're bound for glory. And not only that, but God who
raised up Christ from the dead is going to raise and quicken
this mortal body and make it like Him. Now let me give you
one thing in closing. No condemnation. I'll give you
four reasons. Look at verse 14. We're the sons
of God. We are the sons of God. Verse
15, you've not received the spirit of bondage again to fill. You
receive the spirit of adoption. You cry, Abba, Father, Father.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirits. We're children
of God. And God will never condemn his children. That's right. I'm going to be in my father's
house because I'm my father's son. Even the prodigal is going
to be in the father's house. He's son of God. He's son of
God. Look at verse 6, 17. And if you're children, then
you're heirs. You're not a criminal, you're an heir. and your joint error with Christ,
if so be that we suffer with him, we'll be glorified together.
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, you say,
I'm having a hard time. It ain't nothing compared to
the glory that shall be revealed in us. It's not worthy to be
compared. All the miseries of life aren't
worthy to be compared with the glories of Christ. Look at verse
19, now watch this, I want to give you this. By the earnest
expectation of the creature, that's creation, Just write creation
right there. waited for the manifestations
of the sons of God, waiting for our resurrection. Father, creation
was made subject to vanity, to sin, to the consequences of sin,
just like those trees dying out there, and the flowers die, and
the animals die, not willingly, but by reason of him who has
subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only
they, but us too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves. I'm tired of it, aren't you?
Weary of it. There's nothing here. I'm waiting
for the adoption. I'm waiting, namely, the redemption
of my body.