Now there are, I believe, for
every true believer, two things that he desires more than anything
else. There are two things that every
believer, in truth and in heart, wants, deeply and desperately. And these two things he hasn't
been able to find in himself ever. They're not there. He's not been able to find these
two things in the law, in the rules and regulations and standards
set up by religious men. He's not found them there. He's not found them in religion. After the Wednesday night service
down in Arkansas, A week ago tonight, I talked with a man about religion and about positions
on various things that he felt strongly about, and I kept bringing
him back to the vital issue, and that's Christ. Not so much the date of his return,
but the one who will return, or even what will happen when
he returns, but looking for his coming. Not looking for his coming,
but for his coming. He called me the next morning
at the place where I was staying, greatly troubled, greatly distressed,
greatly disturbed. And he said, I've read religious
literature till my eyes are weary. And I've listened to preachers
till my ears are weary with hearing. I'm so confused. I'm so hard
to live with. I'm so mean to my wife. I'm so
hard on my children. I'd just like to know, how do
you come to Christ? Forty-five years old. Been in
religion for so many years. But you don't find what I'm going
to talk about tonight in religion. In fact, actually, you get farther
away from it. You don't find it in rules and
regulations and laws. You don't find it in the natural
heart. You say, what are those two things?
Well, they're these. I want, and I believe you want,
complete deliverance, deliverance from the guilt and curse of sin. I want acceptance with the Father. I want forgiveness. I want to
know that I have in Him a perfect righteousness. Don't you? Don't
you want to know that? Isn't that what you want? accepted
in the beloved before God having a perfect righteousness. Don't
you want that? I do. And secondly, I want a power
within me, a power that the natural man
knows nothing about, a power that religious men know nothing
about. And I'm not speaking of a power
as only an influence, but a person, a spirit. I want a spirit and
power within me strong enough, strong enough to counteract the
evil influences without and within, strong enough to keep me in the
faith of Christ Jesus. strong enough that whatever the
conflict, whatever the trial, whatever the battle, whatever
the loss, that He will enable me to die
in the faith of Christ Jesus. That's what I want. In other words, I want to be
in union with God and stay there. That's what I'm talking about. I want to be in union with God
and stay there. I want what Christ told the woman,
lying at His feet, having been condemned of the multitude of
religious people. And after they had departed,
He looked at her and said, Woman, where are your accusers? Doth no man accuse thee? She
said, No man. Neither do I. Neither do I. Now you think what
he said. This is God speaking. I do not condemn thee. I find
no fault. I find nothing with which to
charge you. Now go and sin no more. Those are the two things
I'm talking about. Acceptance and perseverance. That's what we're talking about.
This is justification and perseverance. Justification and continuance
in the faith. An old hymn writer wrote this,
O my distrustful heart, how small my faith appears, but greater,
Lord, thou art than all my doubts and fears. Unchangeable in his
will, whatever be my frame, but his loving heart is still eternally
and always the same. That's what I've got to have.
A changeable me needs an unchangeable God. A changeable man needs an unchangeable
foundation. Is that right? Thou, Lord, will
carry on and perfectly perform the work that Thou hast begun
in me, a sinful worm. But if ever it could come to
pass, that a sheep of Christ might
fall away. I know my fickle, feeble soul,
the legs would fall a thousand times a day. Were not thy love
so firm, so free, thou soon, Lord, would surely take it away
from me. But he never will. An unchanging
God, acceptance with him and his perpetual care that leads
me to persevere. Is that what we're talking about?
All right, Romans 8. There's no chapter in the Word
which more fully expresses where and how this blessing of God
is to be found than Romans 8. There's no chapter that more
fully expresses where and how this blessing is to be found.
Not a profession only, but a heart possession. reality, the reality
of redemption. Look at verse one. There is therefore
now, right now. This is a present blessing, not
reserved for future days. This is not something for the
future. It's now. There is therefore now, right now. Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, right now. And what we're talking about
is not something that's going to happen after all. It's right
now. It's a present blessing, a present possession. There's
therefore now no condemnation, no judgment. Now, the apostle
doesn't say here that we're not condemnable and contemptible.
We're certainly condemnable, for there's sin in us, and sin
is condemnable. But there is no charge and no
judgment and no condemnation and no curse and no penalty upon
them, listen, who are in Christ Jesus. Now, there it is. There's what we're talking about.
There's therefore, right now, this very moment, no charge,
no judgment, no condemnation, no penalty, no curse, no fall
to them who are in Christ Jesus. Well, how do you get in Christ
Jesus? Well, I thought about that. I wrote that question down.
How are we in Christ Jesus? Well, first of all, we're in
Christ Jesus by divine election. That's how we're in Christ Jesus.
Our Lord said that we're chosen in Him before the foundation
of the world. We're chosen in Christ. In John
6, He said, All that my Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I know was cast out. I came down from
heaven, not to do my will, but the will of Him that sent me.
And this is the will of Him that sent me, that if ever I want
which He hath given me, I'll lose nothing. We're in Christ
by the gift of the Father, but secondly, we're in Christ by
divine association. divine association. He came down
here and identified himself with us. He was numbered with the
transgressors. He partook of and participated
in our sinful flesh. Did you know that? Turn with
me to Hebrews chapter two. Now, turn over here and let's
look at it. Hebrews, the second chapter. Hebrews chapter two. And let's begin reading with
verse fourteen, verse sixteen. Hebrews 2.60, you know, John
said, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. We beheld His glory. Christ became
a man. We're in Him by divine association,
by divine identification. He became a man. He chose to
identify Himself with us. That's what this says in Hebrews
2. And verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but
he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren. And the purpose of
that was this, that he might be a merciful, faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God and to make reconciliation
for the sins of the people. He came down here where we are
and became what we are and identified himself with us that we might
become what he is. and be where He is. That's it.
He identified Himself with us. He chose to make us one with
Him. That's right. And then turn to
John 17. How are we in Christ? Now listen
to this. John 17. We're in Christ by divine
election. We're in Christ by divine association
or identification. And we're in Christ by divinely
given faith. In John 17, beginning with verse
20, listen to our Lord. And neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their
word." That's how we're in Christ, by faith. We're in Christ by
divine election. We're in Christ by His choosing
to take on Himself human flesh, and number Himself with us, and
become identified with us, and become by His own choice and
will one with us. That's how we're in Christ. He
made that identification. He made the condensation. He
came down here where we are, and then we're in Him by faith.
I read on, verse 21, that they all may be one, as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us, that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou hast given me, I have given them, that they may be one as
we are one." Can you comprehend that? But that's what I'm saying
now. Better than just sassy down the
aisle, shake a preacher's hand, and become one in Christ, or
with Christ, as the Father and Son of one. This is a divine
operation. This is a mystery. Greater is
the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
And greater is the mystery of Godliness that you should be
one with God the Spirit. It's not something you decide
to do. This is a mystery here. There is therefore now, right
now, no judgment, no curse, no penalty, no condemnation, no
fault to them who are in Christ. But how in the name of common
sense does a man get in that place? By divine election. We're chosen in Christ. By divine
association, he did not take on him the nature of angel. He
took your flesh and my flesh. He chose to be numbered with
us. He chose to be identified with us. He chose to be joined
with us as a head to the body and vines to the brain. And by
faith. That's right. By faith. That's
what he says here. Verse twenty, neither pray I
for these alone, but for them which shall, might, ought to,
shall believe on me through their way. that they may be one as
we are one. Now you think about that. Verse
23, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one. That's in Christ Jesus. Now you
can sit and look at that for a long time, can't you? That's
what it is to be in Christ Jesus. You can be in the church and
not be in Christ Jesus. You can be in that pool up there a dozen
times and not be in Christ Jesus. You can be in full fellowship
with the folks out here, you can be in the ministry and not
be in Christ Jesus. You can be in the doctrine and not be in
Christ Jesus. To be in Christ Jesus requires an act of God. Not Congress, an act of God.
To be in Christ Jesus requires a work of God. That's what it
means to be in Christ Jesus. Turn back to Romans 8 now. Now
you see the impact of that verse? Let's not ever be guilty of reading
it flippantly and carelessly again. There is now, there is
therefore now, right now and forever. No judgment, no condemnation,
no curse to them, sons of Aaron, sinners, who are in Christ Jesus.
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Now, this
is not the reason why we're in Christ Jesus. He says, we walk
not after the flesh, but we walk after the Spirit. And that's
not the reason why we're in Christ Jesus. The reason you're in Christ
Jesus is God willed it. God decreed it, and God determined
it, and God brought it to pass. But this right here is a description
of those who are in Christ Jesus. That's what this is. This is
a description of those who are in Christ Jesus. He said those
people who are in Christ Jesus, my man, they're blessed. There's
no condemnation. There's no judgment. There's
no damnation. They're in Christ Jesus, and
here's what they're like. They don't walk after the flesh. They
walk after the Spirit. What's a man's walk? A person's
walk is his general conduct. his general conduct, his general
conversation, his general attitude. That's his walk, tenor of life.
It's not how he is like this dear man on the phone. It's not
how he is when he's in the building here. It's not how he is when
he's around recognized religious people. It's how he is generally
in conduct, conversation, and attitude. A person's walk is
what he is privately. What he is privately, without
the common hedges or restraints or recognized barriers. This
is how he is privately, even publicly. He's general, the tenor
of his life. What's a person's walk? It's
the tenor of his ordinary life. It's the tenor of his everyday
life. It's the everyday principles by which he acts and thinks and
behaves. That's his walk. That's his walk. And the walk of those in Christ
Jesus is not after the flesh. That's not their general conversation.
That's not the bend of their will. That's not the tenor of
their life. That's not the general direction. The general direction
is a walk with God. And these promises—no condemnation,
no curse, no judgment—these promises of God only apply to those who
give evidence of his grace within. Now watch this. Listen carefully
to this. And we know that all things work together for good.
No, sir. No, they don't. They only work
together for good to those who love God and to those who are
called according to His purpose. Isn't that correct? It's not
a condition, ma'am, but it's a description. You can't say
God's promises are conditional. I beg your pardon. God's promises
are free and sovereign. But God's promises always carry
with them a description of the people to whom they're given.
All things work together for good to them who love God, to
them who are called according to His purpose. Listen to this.
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.
What's the description? If we walk in the light, as He
is in the light, and have fellowship with Him, then the blood of Jesus
Christ cleanses us from all sin. Turn to Colossians 1. I want
you to see this. Colossians chapter 1. I won't
wear you, but I'm just making a point. I'm saying that the
promises of God, a man can claim them all he wants to, but they're
not his. A woman can claim them, they're not hers. I beg your
pardon, they cannot be hers. Only those who fit the description
set forth in the promise. Is that right, Gary? Only. Look
at Colossians 1, beginning with verse 21. that were sometimes alienated
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled,
reconciled to God in the body of his flesh through death to
present you, O praise God, wholly unblamable, unreprovable in his
sight." Whoa! If, if, if. That's not a condition, that's
a description, if you continue in the faith. and be not, be
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel, then you can say, that's mine. And this word I've
just given you from Romans 8, if you'll turn back there a minute,
there is therefore now no condemnation. Let's don't run around quoting
that, claiming that, or professing that, unless we can say, we walk
in the Spirit, but not in the flesh. And those who are in Christ Jesus,
two things Therefore now, right now, no condemnation to them
who are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh. Now look at
the second verse. 5. 5. The law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. What have we just been talking
about? This man's walk. It's not perfect. Now, you know
better than that. There's no man or woman. You're
perfect in the flesh. I'm talking about the general
conduct. I'm talking about the general
direction. I'm talking about the bent of
the will. I'm talking about what we are publicly and privately
and individually and inwardly and in the direction of our lives
and the affections of our hearts. We walk in the Spirit. We belong
to Him. Or something's happened. What
he's saying is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Now, the
word law there is not the Ten Commandments. You can read it
this way. For the Ten Commandments of the spirit of life in Christ
has delivered me from the Ten Commandments of the law of sin
and death. No. Now listen to it. Listen
to me. We use the word law in several
ways. There's the law of gravity. That's the law. We made a law,
that's a rule. What do you expect that book
to do when I let it go? Go up? No, sir. Go down. That's a rule. That's
a law. It's a law of nature. It's the
laws of nature. There's a law or principle, a
rule, a first mention in the Word of God. And what Paul is
saying then, now listen, the Apostle is saying this, I do
not any longer walk like I used to walk. I do not any longer
live by the same principles which once ruled and governed my life.
For the grace of God, or the new order of things established
in me by the indwelling Christ, has had a powerful and sanctifying
influence on me and in me And he's freed me from the reign
and rule of the old man and the old nature. That's what he's
saying. This principle of Christ, this rule of Christ, you see
what he's saying? Look at the verse again. The law of Christ,
the rule of Christ, the principle of Christ, of the spirit of life
in Christ has freed me from that old slavery and that old rule
and that old nature that reigned over me. That way of saying things
is exactly what it says. There's been a mighty work done,
not a decision made, a work done. I'm under new management. I see
things differently from the way I used to see them. Turn back
to Romans 6. I evaluate things differently
from the way I used to evaluate them. Used to be the only thing it
took to please me was a fine meal and a and a drink and a
fast car and a fine boat and a place on the beach, a crowd
of people around me laughing and cutting up, financial security
and prosperity. That's what ruled my life. Ambition
and pride and vainglory and all these things. I'm under new management.
And this new man who has come in, this new spirit and principle
now reigns over me. He's got me faced in a different
direction from the way I used to go. He's got me evaluating
things on a different principle altogether. Those things are
not my great concern. It's to know Christ. It's to
win Christ. It's to be found in Him. It's
to have fellowship with His people. It's peace and joy and contentment
of soul and heart and spirit that I care about now. I'm still
a human being. I've still got an old nature
drawn by certain things, but it doesn't rule and reign like
it did. Christ now reigns and rules.
Does that make sense, what I'm saying? Like D.J. Ward says, well, say
so. In other words, what he's saying
is the law, the law of spring contends with the law of winter
until summer is established. That's right. Winters here, and the law of
spring comes in. Works it over. Does a job on
it. Summertime. And that's what God
does. He saves a man. He does a job
on him. He does a job on him. And a fellow that's the same
as he was, with just some religious doctrine, God didn't do a job
on him. A man did a job on him. A man
worked him over. A man trifled with him. When
God does a work on a man or does a job on a man, there's a change. And it's this law or rule or
principle of Christ that overcomes and conquers the rule of sin.
Look at Romans 6. Chapter 6, verse 14. Sin shall
not have dominion over you. Does sin still reign over you?
You're not under the law. You're under grace. What then?
What, shall we sin? Because we're not under the law,
but under grace? God have mercy, whoever thought of such a thing.
God fulfill, Paul said. Don't you know that to whom you
are yielding yourselves constantly, servants to obey your servants
you are? To whomever you're yielding yourself,
if you're yielding yourself to sin, and the world, then you're
still a servant of the world, whether of sin unto death or
obedience unto righteousness. Watch verse seventy, but God
be thanked. You were the servant slaves of sin. It ruled and reigned. It governed you. It occupied
your thought. It ruled your life. But you have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered
unto you, being then made free from sin. You're servants, all
right, but you're the servants of righteousness. You're servants. You're bond slaves, but you're
Christ's bond slaves. That's the difference. I look
back at Romans 8. Now, watch this. This is very
interesting here. In Romans 8, verse 3, "...for
what the law..." Now, however this is true, I believe that's
the... Like a friend of mine said one
time, Scripture is bifocal. There's a primary reference,
and then there's also other references. And what I'm saying is this verse
is saying that this new man in Christ Jesus, this new spirit
of God, has freed me from that reign of sin and rule of sin
and governing principles of sin and given me a new master, a
new direction. But also it's true that the covenant
of grace in Christ Jesus has forever freed me from the covenant
of works under the law. I'm free. The covenant of Christ
has freed me from the covenant of works. But now look at verse
3. What the law could not do. This is speaking about any law
imposed by God. Whether it be the moral law or
the covenant of works or the Levitical law. Any law imposed
by God. Any law imposed by God. What
it can't do. What can't it do? No law can
make an evil man holy. You can stand in the pulpit and
hear people under the reign of sin, and under the reign of self,
and under the reign of flesh, and under the reign of the world,
and you can hammer them and beat them with rules and laws and
regulation, and you'll never change one evil man into a holy
man. Never, never, never. No law can make a man hate what
he loves. No law can repeal its own sentence. Laws may make men outwardly submissive
through threats of punishment or promise of rewards, but when
you leave the law off, you've got the same rebel. That's what
a lot of these holiness movements have done. They've lightened
their laws, and they've found out that they didn't change a
single person that they had under those rules. That's right. haven't changed a single person.
Why is this? Why is that? Why can't God just send a law
down here and say that these subjects, here are his subjects,
this is his world, we're his people, why can't he just say,
don't do that, do this, and will consequently do it? Or won't
do it? I'll tell you why, listen to verse three. What the law
could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. You mean the
law is weak? Oh, no. The law is not weak.
The law is not weak. The law is unbending. The law
is strong. But the law is rendered totally
powerless because of our weakness, our flesh. That's what's wrong. The law cannot do one thing for
you because of you. That's right. Because of me.
Because of the weakness of our flesh. The law can't save because
we're unwilling to keep it. The law can't redeem because
we're unable to keep it. The law can't sanctify because
we have no will to obey. The natural mind is enmity against
God. It's not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. Can Ethiopian change his skin?
Nope. Can you make a law that'll change
his skin? Nope. Can the leopard change
his spots? Nope. Can you make a law and
change it? Nope. Neither can you do good that
are accustomed to doing evil. But here's the good news, now
watch this. This is what happened to me, what the law couldn't
do. Because of the weakness of my flesh, because of the inability
of my flesh, because actually my flesh loves sin. Oh yes it
does. Yeah, this is condemnation. Light
came into this world, but men love darkness. They flat love
it. They're not just drawn to it,
they love it. because their deeds are evil. Here's the good news. God, oh,
we're starting with where it ought to start. God. What the
law couldn't do and man couldn't do and religion couldn't do and
covenants couldn't do and rules couldn't do and nobody else could
do, God could do. What is this that the law can't
do? It can't justify a sinner, or save a sinner, or make a rebel
righteous, or change a heart, or defeat sin, or disarm Satan,
or enable God to be just and justify. The law, Jim, can't
do any of those things. The law can't do nothing but
say you're guilty. That's all it can do. But God
can do something. That which is impossible with
men is possible with God. God can do something. Well, what'd
God do? He sent His Son. He sent his own son. He sent
himself, because God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.
Philip said, Show us the Father. He said, You're looking at it.
Either send me or send the Father. The government's on his shoulders.
His name, this wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. God sending Himself, His own
Son, how? In the likeness of sinful flesh,
in our mess. In the likeness of sinful flesh.
Christ was born of a woman. He was a man. He was flesh, in
the likeness of sinful flesh, with all its infirmities, with
all its temptations. He was made of a woman, made
under the law to redeem them that were under the law. Cursed
is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the
book of the law to do them. But Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. God sent His
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, for sin,
yeah, for an offspring, as an offspring for sin, as a sacrifice
for sin. That's how He came. What'd He
do? He condemned sin in the flesh.
He put our sins away, having paid all that was due. He in
the flesh obeyed every precept and disarmed the avenger. He
in the flesh fully honored the holy law and fully satisfied
the holy justice of God as a representative of his people. The law speaks,
it must be done. And the answer comes back, it
is done. The covenant says it must be
obeyed. The answer comes back, it has
been obeyed. Justice cries out, the sinner
must die. The answer comes back, he died.
He's already dead and been buried. So you've got nothing to say.
Justice. The holiness of God says he must
be perfect. The answer comes back, he is. And so there is therefore now
no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. For what the law could never
do, never do, never do, or any laws or rules any man ever made
could never do, God did it. And God did it in sending his
Son in the likeness of our flesh, And there's an offering for sin,
and there's a sacrifice for sin, and He condemns sin in the flesh. He satisfied every command, demand,
and requirement, paid it all. For whom? Verse 4, that the righteousness
of the Lord. And brethren, this is not a sleight-of-hand
deal here. This is not God calling something
something that's not something. I think people generally in religion
get that idea, they say, well, God says I'm holy. I am holy. God would never call something
holy, it wasn't holy. Would he? Well, God has accepted
me, but I'm, well, I tell you, no, in Christ you're holy, but
God wouldn't have accepted you. The Lord's not playing tricks.
It says here that Christ did all this in order that the very
holiness and righteousness and perfection of God's holy law
might be literally fulfilled in us. Literally, actually fulfilled
in us. And that's no game. It's done. The great transaction's done. Is that everybody? No. It's those
who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. That's
who that is. That's who that is. That's the
description. That ain't the reason. But that's the description. You
keep tagging it on there. You spiritually minded or worldly
minded? Let me read the next verses. They do nothing in the
world but describe that man or woman. Verse 5, For they that
are after the flesh, They mind the things of the flesh. That's
where their mind dwells. That's where their mind lives.
That's what they think about all the time. They think about
the flesh. Themselves. Selfishly. Wearily. Materially. That's what they think about.
But they that are after the Spirit, or walk after the Spirit, they
do mind, and they're concerned with, and they're anxious for
the things of God. That's what they're interested
in. That's what they're interested in. Why, in the name of common
sense, Like last Sunday morning, when a man and his wife drive
all the way from Dale High, Louisiana, down to Alexandria, Louisiana,
to sit in a motel conviction room to hear me preach. Why? They're anxious about the things
of the Spirit. That's what they care about.
5, verse 6, to be carnally minded,
to be worldly minded, to be materially minded, is death. But to be spiritually
minded, to think on the things of God, and care about the things
of God, and be interested in the things of God, and pen after
the things of God, and hunger and thirst for righteousness,
is life and peace. Because the natural mind, the
carnal mind, is enmity against God. That natural mind is not
subject to the law of God, and it can't be. So then they that
are in the flesh, they can't please God. But you're not in
the flesh. You're in the Spirit. Well, I'm
still in the flesh, preacher, I know that. But you have a new
man, a new nature that dwells in this flesh. And that new man
and that new nature is interested in Christ, loves Christ. Peter
said, you know I love you. You know I love you. This is
my true interest. This is my main interest. This
is my real life. This is my great concern. If
Christ That's what it's all about. I'm not playing a game or putting
on a show or trying to impress somebody. Least of all, God,
this is me. This is where I want to be. This
is what I want to do. This is the people with whom
I want to be. This is the direction I want to go. I'm not happy in
the things of the world. I'm not happy with the people
of the world. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not where
I want to be when that's my surround. I'm there because I have to be.
Christ said, I don't pray that you should take them out of the
world, but you should keep them from the evil one. You do what you do because you
have to do it. You've got some responsibilities
and duties and obligations that require your attention. But that's
not your first love. That's not your main concern.
This is your first love. This is your main concern. And
you don't put yourself needlessly with this sort of situation. You don't seek it out. You may be thrown into it, but
you don't seek it out. You don't seek out. A person
who minds the things of God does not seek out the companionship
of the world. He doesn't seek that. He shuns
that where he doesn't have to do it. He doesn't seek the places
of the world. He doesn't go to the places of
the world because he's not happy there. How can darkness be happy,
light be happy with darkness? How can Baal have fellowship
with God and be happy? How can it be? You see, that's
what he's talking about. Those who walk after the flesh
are those who mind the things of the flesh. That's their love
and concern and delight. They like that sort of surrounding.
The man who walks after the Spirit loves and delights the things
of God. He doesn't seek out those things that are contrary to his
nature, that is, his spiritual nature. He knows the damage they'll
do to that spiritual nature. He said in verse nine, you're
not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be it that the
spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if any man have not the
spirit of Christ, he's none of his. If this spirit does not
dwell in you, you don't belong to Christ. I don't belong to
Christ. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin,
but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But it is the
Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you. He that raised up Christ from the dead will quicken your
mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. Therefore, brethren,
we're debtors. We're debtors. Not to the flesh,
not to live after the flesh. But if you live after the flesh,
you'll die. But if you, through the Spirit
of God, do put down and suppress and mortify the passions and
deeds yearnings and desires of this old natural body, you live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they're the sons
of God. Isn't that a blessing? No condemnation, no judgment
is ever in Christ. Whose general walk and the tenor
of his life and the bent of his will is toward the Lord, not
after the world. That's about the plan. our great God and our loving
Heavenly Father. That great, sovereign, almighty
King of kings and Lord of lords, owner of all things, created
all things by Your will and by Your power and for Your glory,
for Your own eternal praise, and yet came into this world
because of an everlasting, infinite, affectionate love of people,
and identified Thyself with us in our sinfulness, in our shame,
in our guilt, and took our sin in Thy body on the tree. Yet,
for sin, a sacrifice for sin, offering for sin, put away all
the judgment and all the curse and all the condemnation. that
the very holiness and righteousness and purity and perfection of
an eternal living God might be fulfilled in us. Lord God, we
praise Thee, we honor Thee, we extol Thee, we glorify Thee. We long above all things to be
accepted in Thy dear Son and to be kept by Your power and
by Your grace. in Christ Jesus. Lord, keep us,
and we'll be kept. Secure us and establish us in
the Rock Christ Jesus. And grant that in these hearts
and minds of ours, these innermost beings of every one of us, we
may pet after Thee like the thirsty deer petted for the water brooks.
O Lord, be a refreshing rain upon this dry ground, and make
the desert to blossom as the rose, that we may join Christ
Jesus our Lord. In his name we pray. Amen.