Romans 8:10-11 Pt 4

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Have you ever wanted to just completely give up? Have you ever reached a point where you're just so irritated, frustrated? You just feel defeated, discouraged, depressed, and you're just like, what's the use? It just doesn't matter. It's meaningless, it's vanity of vanities, it's useless, it's a waste of time. No one else seems to care. So why are you so bothered by it? Like, have you ever had some of those feelings, maybe not those exact words. Well, if you have felt that way, well I guess you're in the right place. But you're not gonna get any really good answers today. I don't think I'm gonna make you feel any better. So I guess maybe we can just by the end of this, we can all just give up together. Now, with all of that said, it is Saturday, September the twenty eighth, twenty twenty four. It is currently eleven oh one am Central time, and I am coming to you live from the Theology Central studio located right here in Albilene, Texas. Now, you know, for the last few broadcasts, I've started off with something like, this is Patrol one. Come in headquarters, headquarters. This is Patrol one.

1:33 Please come in Patrol one. This is headquarters. Go ahead. Yes, I'm at the First Baptist Church and we have a horrible discovery. We have discovered three hundred dead bodies. Remember, we've been going through this. I've been acting this out. Obviously the acting hasn't been very good. But I've been acting this out right. And why have I been acting this out? Because I've been creating this kind of scenario, this metaphor, this illustration, to try to drive home this reality that as Christians, there's a reality. Nobody wants to admit it, but the reality is this that Christians continue to sin. In fact, I've been very dogmatic about a couple of points. Right, we cannot keep the law of God, non Christian Christian, we cannot keep the law of God.

2:26 How do I know this? Well, I can give you some very specific commands. Be holy as He is holy. You're never going to be as holy as He is holy, meaning you're in a perpetual state of disobedience. So number one, you will never keep the law of God. Number two, that means you're in a perpetual state of disobedience. You are in a perpetual state of disobedience, and for some weird reason, Christianity has a hard time of acknowledging that. Now, if you're in a perpetual state of disobedience, then how do you understand the Christian life? Right? How do you view it? Because if we're in a perpetual state of disobedience, then the Christian life is a life of sin. We continue to sin, but they have this weird thing like, okay, well we may continue to sin, but you will not commit these sins. Well, wait a minute, if I can't be perfect and I'm going to continue to sin, how do you know which sins you're going to commit? And which sense I'm going to commit? And why are some sins outside of the realm of possibility or possibly even means you're not saved or you know something horrible has to happen, while all these other sins are okay. It's this confounding, confusing world of Christianity. And not only is that a reality that nobody really wants to admit, while that is a reality that everyone is living, whether they want to admit it or not. At the very same time, Christians are running around saying, no, when you became saved, you're a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are new. Well, if I'm a new creature, old things are gone and everything is new, then why

3:58 do we continue to sin? Oh, you have a new heart, you have a new nature, you have a new mind. You now have the power of God living inside of you to make you holy. Well. If I have the power of God inside of me, if I have the Holy Spirit inside of me to make me holy, well, then perfection should not just be expected, it should just be immediately understood and experienced. I said, well, no, it doesn't happen instantaneously. It's progressive. So you're telling me the power of God they're supposed to be driving me to holiness can't just get me there. It's this progressive thing. And then Christians will then ultimately admit, but you'll never get there. So I'm never going to be perfect. Well, you're never going to be perfect. So if I'm never going to be perfect, that means that I'm a perpetual state of sin. If I'm in a perpetual state of sin, how can then you say, well, if you commit this sin or this sin, well then something bad happens. How can I control which sin I'm going to commit? If you're telling me that I can't be perfect, that means there's going to be some sin. So who gets to determine which sin?

4:59 Oh? It just bec maddening. And if you start trying to talk to Christians about it, you just end up talking in circles and they will they will make these claims and then immediately backtrack, and then make the claim and then immediately backtrack and then make like, well, this is the way it's supposed to be, and then you'll just challenge that. So you're saying I can be perfect, Well no, so that means I'm in a perpetual stay of sin. Well yeah, but you have to be transformed. Well, so I'm transformed, But how do you measure transformation? Well, you'll sind less sin less? And what way externally or internally? Because I can sind less externally, but that doesn't mean I'm sinning less internally, And how do you measure that?

5:40 And if I'm sinning less in one area, what if I'm not sending less in another area? How are you measuring which is less and which is more based off some just arbitrary subjective standard by which you measure, by which you test, and in many cases to send you seeing I can't commit, You're just choosing certain sins. Well, this sin you can't, but this sin you can. Wait. Why is this sin and worse than this sin? Other than maybe from a human perspective, I obviously understand from human perspective or human you know circumstances. Well, I'm not even looking. But if we're not supposed to be looking at it from a human perspective, right, aren't we supposed to be looking at it from a theological perspective, from God's perspective? So we have been working on this non stop, and it's just it's I've reached the point where I'm just like, I'm exhausted. I'm like, I don't even know what to do anymore, because there aren't any answers. And the more you listen, the more sermons you listen to, we've already we've been working on sermons on Romans eight ten through eleven. Why have we been working on sermons on those two verses? Because remember I found the book Six Secrets of the Christian life and remember their entire theory. Well, the reason Christians continue to sin is because even though we've been transformed on the inside, our bodies are dead, and our bodies cannot respond to all of that transform nature and the spirit inside of us. So there's a disconnect.

7:06 My body is dead to all the spiritual change that's happened inside of me, but inside I've been perfectly transformed, but my body can't respond. So what is needed, Well, my body just needs to be resurrected. Well, how is it resurrected? Well, so far, the best answer we've been given is well, you just have to study and read your Bible, and then well that's not a resurrection. Then it's supposedly a progressive transformation that I guess the more I read my body, the more I read my Bible and study my Bible, the more my body then can respond to. And it's like it didn't even make any sense. And there's no real explanation. Other people we've listened to, other sermons, they've not even really given an explanation. On one hand, they say you can keep the law. They literally have said that doubled down. You can keep it, but you can't be perfect. Wait, if I can keep it, then I can be perfect. So I can keep I don't do they offer an explanation. No, they say, you can't be carnal, you can't be fleshley, because Christians there are no such things as cardinal Christians. However, you can be a wretched man and sin, and you will continue to sin. However, you're not carnal or fleshley, and so then they try to draw some subjective difference between it.

8:21 It's a lot of play on words. They make it sound like you basically are perfect, but then you can't be perfect. You will sin, but you won't sin. You don't have to sin, but you can't. And it's just I started joking. I used to joke that listening to some sermons just wants to, you know, make me want to stop by the liquor store. And by this and this series, I've basically said, forget the liquor store. I'm just going straight to rehab because I don't have any answers. I have tried to go through entire history of Christianity looking for how Christians have tried to handle this. Not we just there's no answers. Ladies and gentlemen, there's none, and so I'm going to be working on this, probably a little bit more. I don't know how the next week is going to be. I probably will be working a little bit on this Tomorrow at Victory Baptist Church, at least the first hour. The second hour we need to get to the next Therefore, in Romans, who knows, I may dedicate two hours to some of these issues tomorrow.

9:24 I don't know. I haven't made a decision yet because on one hand, I want the people there to ensure that they understand this reality. But I know I can't be I guess this is where I'm at. I can't be the only Christian who understands this reality. When I listen to preaching and listen to Christians talk, it appears that I am the only one who understands this reality. I know that's not the case. I know there are some, but I think the ones who will admit this reality or in the minority of the minority of the minority of the minority, And if you bring this up, you're the one viewed as crazy. But I don't know how Christians just live their lives convincing themselves that they're better than they actually are, that they're better than other people and they cannot see how they are in a perpetual state of sin. It's like here, it's like, this is how Christianity really works, if we really want to get down to it. Forget God, forget transformed. We use all of that language, but what it comes down to is this is the Christianity everyone's okay with. Just don't commit these sins, whatever they are. For you just name four of them, five of them, six of them. There's just a couple of big ones. But everything else, well, no one's really perfect. And it's okay if we commit all these other sins. I mean, I mean, we may feel bad about it, and we say, but we don't really worry that much about them, right. So, really, Christianity is

10:55 just a moral system that has some sins that are not acceptable and we can you know, most of them are sexual sins. Those are that's that's that's a bridge too far if you if you cross that line, well then you're finished. Now. All the other sins, it's okay. A little gossip, slander, backbiting, unloving, not loving your enemy, bitterness, I'm forgetting. Now we'll hear sermons about it and feel bad about it. I'm not saying we won't, but I mean the reality is, we don't really care about any of those sins. Oh we say we do, but we really don't. Because if we really did care about those sins and they really bothered us, then you every Christian would be having the same crisis that I'm having, which is and I've been having at my whole Christian life. Well, wait a minute, why do we continue to sind? Why do we continue to sind? Why do we continue to sind? Why? Well, and again, you just understand the logical problem you fall into, right, because on one hand, you say, no, you're a new creature.

11:57 Old things are passed away, All things have become new. You have a new heart, you have a new soul, you have a new heart, a new mind, a new spirit. Everything has changed insight of you. And that you can keep the law of God by the power of God. That's the claims Christians make. Well, then why do you sin? What is keeping you from perfection? Now? The minute you something is the minute you acknowledge you can't be perfect. The minute you acknowledge that, then you've got to logically then answer, what is keeping you from it. Now you claim you have all this power, you have all this ability, then why can't you be perfect? And then my argument is logically, whatever is keeping you from perfection is stronger and more powerful than all of those things you claim have changed, and all those things you claim are helping you get to holiness. No, whatever is keeping you from it is stronger than all the things trying to get you to it. Well, then what is it that's stronger.

13:00 You're saying your sinful nature is stronger. You're saying the human will is stronger. And if the human will is stronger, why if God has changed your heart and nature, then where is the will coming from that doesn't want to be holy? That even is even more confusing, I say, I watched some say, well, the problem you don't understand is that man has free will. Well, that free will arises from the desires. That will chooses what comes from its nature. From what where the desires come from? Will? If I have a completely new heart and a completely you know, new nature, and the Spirit of God is inside of me, then my will would be influenced by that nature and that new heart. So that why is the nature? Why is my will going against that nature that would make no sense. So then they can't explain that.

13:53 So there's nothing that makes any sense other than you have to then come to the conclusion that that obviously we're not as transformed on the inside as we claim. If if something is keeping us from perfection, it would have to be something from inside of us, or you have to or the unde. You really become uncomfortable. You have to acknowledge, Well, God doesn't want us to be holy, and some Christians cannot obviously accept that. So then what's the end. Nobody has the answer. But I've demonstrated over and over and over that even church history, even those in church history, have acknowledged that we're in a perpetual state of sin. That's why throughout church history, and especially in many liturgical traditions and even some that may not be so liturgical, there was a basic idea that when you come to church, how do we begin by acknowledging and confessing our sins? Because we know that we have sinned, that we all show up to church as sinners. Again, let me read from one such liturgical tradition. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and justin will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Most Merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin. That is literally from a liturgical confession Christians saying we are still

15:24 in bondage to sin. Well, most of Evangelicalism will argue, no, no, no, no no, we're no longer in bondage. Decin we've been set free. Well, if you've been set free, you should be able to be perfect. Well, you can't be perfect, then whatever is keeping you from perfection, You're still in bondage to But we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you and thought word. Indeed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone, we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your son, jeesezus Christ, have mercy on us forgive us. The early Church understood that we're in a perpetual state of sin nobody, But at the same time, much of Christianity speaks as if no, you've been set free. You now have power, You have a new this knew this, knew this, knew this, knew this. So we're still working through this. We're still trying to find the answers. We're still trying to figure out what to do with the three hundred dead bodies that we found. All right, and again, I could go back to that illustration. I'm almost just frustrated at this point.

16:38 If I'm headquarters, I call back to Patrol one. Hey, Patrol one, this is headquarters. Those three hundred bodies. We've identified those bodies as Christians. They're delusional, they're insane. They are self deceived. They think they're better than everyone else. They think they've been completely transformed. They think they're better than you, they think they're better than everything. They think they basically can be perfect. So let them live in their own self delusion. Pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful. Oh, yes, you do so good, you're almost without sin, you're so perfect, you're so transformed, And just just talk to them like they're a little kid. Just say yeah, you're so right, Yeah you're the best, you're the greatest, like you're talking to a little you know dog, Oh, you're such a good boy, and just tell them how wonderful they are, and then they can go around living a self deluded, self deceived life of thinking they're better than everyone else, or everyone else on the outside looking in, we know that they're not. I know that sounds really negative, but that's kind of almost where I want to take the illustration at this point, so you can hear my own frustration, because in some ways I feel like I've been working on this question my whole Christian life, and every time, you know, Christians get mad at me and want to argue with me about this, they almost inevitably because when they push and they push, and then I just I'll just stop and say, okay, okay, So you're telling me you're perfect, Well, no, you're telling me you can be perfect. No, you're telling me you're a holy as God is holy? Well, no are you telling me you love your neighbors yourself? Well, know, then

18:09 why are you arguing with me? If you acknowledge and I acknowledge that we neither one of us can be perfect and that means we're perpetually in a state of sin, then we have to answer the questions about why and how come. So we're going to continue to work on that. But here's what we're going to do. I want you, I don't know for how many days. I want you to start looking up sermons on the sermon's two point ohero app about things like a new heart, a new mind, a new nature, old nature, old heart. So things like new heart, new mind, new nature, old heart, old mind, old nature, transformation, transformation, And you'll find this really weird thing within Christianity, because on one hand, Christianity will tell you you have been transformed, because if you're in Christ you're a new creature. Old things are passed away, all things have become new, and they won't acknowledge that as a positional reality. They'll talk about it as a practical reality. However, ten seconds later in the sermon, we have to continue to fight against sin. We have to continue to be transformed.

19:21 Wait a minute, if I've been transformed, then why do I need to continue to be transformed? Either I was or I wasn't create And within same sermons you'll get this contradiction. You're a new creature, oh that all things have become new. You have a new heart, you have a new mind, you have a new nature, Yet we continue to fight and struggle against sin. What where is the sin? If I have a new heart, new mind, new nature, I've been completely transformed. The old is completely gone, and I have God living inside of me empowering me. Then I don't need to fight against anything because everything's been done. So for the next you know, I don't even know how many days, just start working on it, and I'm going to get us started. I found a sermon entitled new heart, new mind, new life, trans the Transformative Power of Christ, or something along those lines. It's a long title, new mind, new life, new heart, transformative Power of Christ, something along those lines. And I don't even I think. I just looked up new heart or something along those lines. You can look up different phrases new heart, new mind, old heart, old nature, new nature, and you'll you'll well, you'll see what you'll see what you find and you can let me know. So we're

20:52 just gonna jump in. I don't even know how long this is gonna go. But look, this is really where it comes down to. Christianity continues to sell the idea that everything on the inside is basically perfect. Well if everything on the inside of you, and everything on the inside of me is supposedly perfect. Don't you see the problem? Because Jesus said all the didn't and you can check this on But the Bible seems to indicate that the problem is that the inside is wrong, and it's from the inside that the sin originates from. The sin originates from a corrupt internal part of our us, or the sin is arising from inside of us. Our external actions are simply a reflection of our internal condition. Our external words, our external actions is all because our thoughts our desires are flawed, and that flaw is inside of us. Well, if we continue to sin, that would seem to indicate there's still something wrong on the inside of us. And Christians are really weird about like, well, there's sin, it's just the influence of sin that's left. Wait, so we have a completely new heart, new nature. Where is the influence residing If the heart is changed and the nature has changed and the mind is changed, can someone explain it to me? So then they try to say, well, the influence is in the physical body, But isn't the

22:25 physical body moved by the internal size. It's just it becomes nobody can articulate it in a way that makes any sense. But for somewhere reason they can just throw out all the words they want and everyone the pew will just be like makes sense, makes sense. And I'm sitting there going what are you aimning? Because again, if you were waiting in the parking lot to ask some of the Christians to really articulate what they have heard and make it make sense in a practical way, they can't do it, or they have to deny the very reality you know they're living. So we're gonna look at this.

23:05 We're gonna see where this goes. I don't know how far we're gonna make it. Well, just I bet you pretty quick we're gonna get well. I have my predictions. Let's just find out. Are you ready? Here we go. Romans Chapter eight. I'm gonna read one through thirteen. The key verses today are ten through thirteen. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

23:49 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death, for what the law could not do, and that it was weak through the God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned, sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded as death, but to be spiritually minded his life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be so. Then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by your spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after

25:22 the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you, through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. You may be seated. Now, when I picked this, I had no idea that Romans eight ten to eleven once again show up. I was picking it just because we've been talking about a new heart, new mind, we've been talking about these things. Well, let's just kind of let's kind of move forward, right, we still have it, we stole. We need to do some work on Romans eight, and we will, but you know, we'll get we'll get back to that. Let's let's advance this a little bit. Well, it looks like we're not advancing.

26:05 We're right back to Romans eight ten through eleven, which seems to be where everyone goes for some of these issues. And we're gonna see what answer. We're gonna see if we get an answer. So I have a feeling where this is going to go. I don't know if this is going to take the exact direction as the book Six Secrets of the Christian Life, which we've we've worked through and I told everyone to get a copy of So I don't know, but here we go. We're right back. We can't get away from Romans eight ten to eleven. It seems like we are trapped here. But all right, let's see where we're gonna what we're gonna find out.

26:46 Let me go to the Lord in prayer. Do heav'nly? Father, He asked you to be with us this morning as we dive into your word. Help us to absorb your truths as a sponge. Help us to hide your word in our heart. Be with us. We give you glory and praise. Amen. The title for this message today is new Heart, new mind, new life, the transformative power of Christ. Again.

27:28 The key verses are ten through thirteen. But let me set the stage for verse ten to thirteen by keeping you up to date. And verse one, we see that there's no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. And the evidence of those who are in Christ Jesus. What don't walk after the flesh, but after the spirit. They Okay, here we go. The problems began, The problems begin to mount, The problems begin to grow. All right, so here we go. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. How does he put it? What is the evidence? How do you know if you are in Christ Jesus? You walk not after the flesh? You walk not after the flesh. Now, the minute you say that is the proof that you are in Christ Jesus. So now the key is for at this point, if you need assurance of your salvation, if you need assurance of your faith, you don't look to Christ.

28:37 You don't look at his perfection, you don't look at his completed work. You look to your life. And you've got to determine if you're walking after the flesh. How do you know if you're walking after the flesh? What is the evidence of walking after the flesh? Now? Now, because you've got to this cannot be subjective. This has to be clearly defined. It has to be an objection the active standard, because you're telling people the only way you know you're saved, the only way you know that there is now therefore no condemnation, is because you no longer walk in the flesh. Now that's a mess. So that means every Christian who believes they're saved has to convince themselves that they don't walk after the flesh, which stand Therefore, you're inferring that everyone who is a save they are. So that means there should be an amazing difference between those outside of the church and those inside the church. If we inside the church claim to be saved.

29:34 But then I would go to First Corinthians the Book of First Corinthians, the Letter of First Corinthians, where Paul refers to the people at the Church of as Christians over and over and over and over and over, yet he says that they are carnal. Well, how if your cardinal, are you not walking after the flesh? Are you not with this? Maybe as far as we're going to get in this sermon review, I'm gonna I'm gonna do a little work here, right and I'm gonna, hm, I'm gonna you know, you know, I'm gonna be working. I'm gonna go to Ai really quick because I'm just confused. In Romans eight one, Paul refers to walking in the flesh.

30:26 Please provide. An explanation and some clear, some clear. Examples of what it means to walk to in the flesh. All right, let's see what how Ai answers this. All right now, Now I'm laughing. I'm laughing because one. I know, I know me and AI are going to get into a disagreement here because what's happening is Ai, AI is going to I mean, it's open Ai. It's gonna pull from you know, the world of Christianity. And I know how the world of Christianity is going to answer this.

31:27 But let's see here, all right, So to walk Now, this is what AI says. Now remember his entire thesis right here. I mean he started right out the gate, right to right out the gate. If you if there is no there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What is the proof that you are in Christ Jesus? You no longer walk after the flesh? Now that he's making a very objective standard. Now the way the second he makes such a definitive, dogmatic declaration, the minute he does that, then it requires then a clear delineation of what that means. It has to mean something. There's going to be a clear outline.

32:13 This is what it means to walk in the flesh. And if you do this, you are not saved. Now everyone's sitting in the pew will say amen to this, but nobody will take a second going wait, a minute, Like you think people in the drive home will be like, did you hear that? If we're truly in Christ, we won't walk after the flesh? Well do you think you walk up the flesh? Well? I know you walk at the flesh and the kids in the back seat were going you both walk in the flesh. You're both lost? So can we stop going to church? Now? Can we go get some pizza? All right? Because they are going to know it, but all right, here we go. So to walk in the flesh refers to living according to the sinful human nature that is opposed to God and his will. Okay, now let's go back to our initial dogmatic declaration. Every Christian is in a perpetual state of sin because every Christian cannot get to perfection. No Christian can keep God's law. What let me give you an example again. You know what I'm going to say, What is the law? Be holy as He is holy? Can you do it? No, you're in a perpetual state of sin. Or if you're in a perpetual state of sin, are you not then living according to the sinful human nature that is opposed to God and his will? Because you're living and a perpetual state of opposition to His will. So if walking according to the flesh means you're not saved, especially if we understand that this just means living according to the sinful human

33:45 nature that is opposed to God and his will, then you are who saved. The flesh often represents humanity's natural desires, which are corrupted by sin. To walk in the flesh means to live a life driven by selfishness, world desires and actions that gratify one's selfish inclinations. Then then seeking to live in alignment with God's spirit. Christians, look, we could say, well, we're trying to live an alignment with God's spirit, but we live according to our own worldly, sinful desires over and over and over and over. You know, time and time again. What do you spend more time doing? What do you spend more time doing? Do you spend more time in prayer, Bible reading, fasting, church listening, discerments?

34:28 Come on, come on, you know you know you spend more time doing all kinds of other things. Now, there's always the exceptions. There are some who may say, oh that's it. I'm I'm not gonna have a TV. I'm not gonna do anything for entertainment. I'm just and the others will say, well, you don't have to do that. Well, then how do you then can you measure? Look, if if the whole proof of your salvation is you've got to demonstrate that you don't walk according to the flesh, then you would be the one most concerned about that. You'd be like, Okay, I gotta prove it. I gotta prove it. So now the entire salvation becomes a performance based test of you determining that you're not doing anything according to the flesh. But even if you give up your TV, you entertain tainment, you give up all of that. Come on, you can see it in Christians. You can see their selfishness. All they do is focus on themselves.

35:13 All they do is worry about themselves. I mean, come on, we all see it. Look. Walking in the flesh, this is a simple definition. Walking in the flesh is basically living in a way that prioritizes self over God. It's literally, all of us we put ourself before God time and time again. This is a way of living. This is a way of living that includes pursuing things like immediate pleasure, materialism, or personal power without regards for God's moral law or his desire for holiness. So uh, selfish ambition and pride can be a walking according to the flesh. Harboring unforgiveness or bitterness can be walking in the flesh, excessive focus on physical pleasure. It doesn't have to be some horrible, horrible sin. So if this is the way we're going to understand this, ladies and gentlemen, we're finished. You have to then convince yourself well, well, I mean sometimes I do, but overall you have to play these little games to make a dogmatic assertion that the only way you the way you know you are there is therefore no condemnation.

36:42 The only way to know that you are in Christ Jesus, therefore you're not condemned, is that you walk not according to the flesh. Then you would have to, I mean, you would need clear indication of like you would need an indicator like beep beeppppppppep walking according to the flesh. Now, what if you walk according to the flesh for a couple of weeks? Does that prove you? And never say? Well? Then some people say, well no, it just means that the overall trajectory of your life will show you walked after the spirit more than you walked after the flesh, Meaning you can have no assurance of your salvation until you get to the end of your life. Then you look up back over the end of your life and you try to determine which way you walk the most, then you can have assurance. But that would make your entire salvation not resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, but it would be everything focusing on what you did and didn't do. That's supposedly the opposite of what Christianity teaches.

37:34 That sounds like Roman Catholicism. We're supposed to say, my assurance rest not in what I do, can do, should do, may do, would do, will do. It is all found in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And if I am in Christ, I walk not after the flesh, not practically but positionally. In Christ Jesus, I don't walk after the flesh. I'm perfectly in Christ, and he did not walk after the flesh. I'm in him. His obedience is now imputed to my account, and I stand perfect in Him. So if you want to say that, if I'm truly saved, I will not walk after the flesh, I will say, well, I'm in Christ, Jesus, he didn't walk after the flesh, so I'm truly saved. But see if I try to say that, people say, oh, now you're an Antinomian. Now you're destroying the gospel. Well, you just turned the gospel into a performance based system which you cannot even really clearly identify when I have crossed the line, and I'm no longer saved or was never saved. So we're already off to a very very very very very rough start here.

38:37 We're off to a very very rough start. But so I just want you to here's what I want you to do today. Come on, I want you to make a chart walk after the flesh. Now, you can use AI, you can use commentaries, just listen, just look if you need to, you can look up sermons walk after the flesh, and just start making a list of all the things that indicate when you're walking after the flesh, and just be deeply honest with yourself, Be deeply honest with yourself. If you've been in church long enough, does that describe the church? It clearly describes I mean, does this clearly not seem to describe these people? And I brethren could not speak unto you as undo spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it. Neither yet now are ye able, For ye are yet carnal. And then look at all the sins in the Church of Corinth carnal fleshly, carnal fleshly.

39:52 Paul does not say, hey, guys, you're not saved. Why not? He could have started the church he had started the letter the First Corinthians, going hey, guys, I noticed that there's a lot of problems in this church. And there's no point me going through all the problems. There's no point in me trying to work through all of this because the problem is none of you were saved, because if you were saved, you wouldn't be doing any of the things you're doing. So instead of me going through all of these issues trying to correct them, I need to just start by saying, all of you get saved, and then once you get saved, then the problems will just magically fix themselves because you'll no longer walk after the flesh. So then dune da da da, you'll be good. I mean, I mean if so, if you're if you walk after the flesh, you're not saved. Then the solution isn't to say, well, try to do this, and try to do this, and you need to do this, and you need to do that. No, I don't have to do anything. I just get saved and I no longer walk after the flesh. So dun du da da, I get saved to have superpowers. But Christians walk after the flesh all the time.

40:59 They have a new inclination in them, a new desire, a new power, a new position. See, we don't walk after the flesh anymore. We have a new inclination, we have a new desire, we have a new power. That means Christians should never walk after the flesh. Ever, you have a new heart, you have a new desire, you have a new inclination, you have a new power. See why then why do we talk about fighting against sin? There's nothing to fight against. If I have a new desire, if I have a new inclination, then I won't I don't even have a desire to walk after the flesh. Here's all the things of the flesh.

41:41 I don't even feel that anymore, because I've been changed on the inside. So now I'm just gonna go do my own I'm just gonna now walk after the spirit. It must be great to be able to stand behind a pulpit and say, we don't do this anymore. We don't do this anymore. Have you ever been in churches? Political backstabbing, gossip? Oh, man, the stuff that goes on. Now I don't feel well. That's because most people in churches aren't safe. The people who say that are always the one who now stand in judgment of everyone else.

42:25 But you, of course have got it all figured out. Can we just admit we're all still sinners? Can we? Why can we not just ever bring ourselves to acknowledge that and then bill work on the problem from that reality. But we can't work on the problem because Christianity begins by training to basically claim, no, we don't do that anymore. We've just magically been cured. We have a new status. We were once condemned, but we are not condemned now. Why Because our justification is in the person of Christ. Verse two talks about how the law of the Spirit liberated us and it sets us free from both sin and death. Verse three, God sends his son to be the sin offering for his people shows how God takes action to deal with the problem of our sin. In fact, the only solution to the world's problem today is the Lord Jesus Christ, none other.

43:40 Verse four talks about the righteous requirements of the law is being fulfilled in us. We can't keep the law. Why because in our flesh we are weak. Hence why God saved us put a spirit within us that we're able to be obedient to the laws in rules of God. All right, you just heard it. We couldn't keep the law. God put a spirit in us. Now we can. So you can keep the law. Now, ladies and gentlemen. The minute you say you can keep the law, you know what to expect. Now, right, perfection, you can keep it.

44:29 You can. It's not a lack of ability. You're not unable. There's not an inability. You possess power to keep the law. So now, when you read the Bible and it says be holy as He is holy, you can do that. When Jesus says, be ye perfect as your hevling Father is perfect, you can do that. When the Bible says love God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. You can do that. When the Bible says love your neighbors yourself, you can do that. When the Bible says love your enemy, you can do that. When it says turn the other cheek, you can do that. When it's says to resist not evil, you can do that. When it says, bless those who persecute you, you can do that. When it says don't look at a woman with lust, you can stop all lust. When it says anger, you can stop all anger. LUs you can stop everything. You can stop all sin internally and externally. Because if you can keep the law, then you can be perfect. Because to violate one part of the law, you're guilty of all of it. So if you can keep it, then you can keep it all. You can keep it perfectly.

45:25 Therefore you can be perfect. There is no excuse for you not to be perfect. Therefore, one sin, you should be excommunicated from a church. Because if you can keep the law, there is no excuse for you not keeping it other than you. I don't know. Nobody knows exactly why we can't keep it. Then why do we not keep it? Why do we not keep it? Don't you see why do we not keep it? Let me try to figure out, see what would be what's the thing keeping me from doing it? Now, I see this is where it gets all convoluted. Wait, well you have a will. Well wait a minute, my will would be driven by my nature, you said, I have a new nature, a new inclination, a new desire, and a new power. So I have all of those new things inside of me. Then there's nothing inside of me that would keep that would make me not want to keep it. So then where is the desire to not keep the law coming from?

46:11 You said, Well, it comes from the body. But isn't the body driven by the internal side? All of those things inside of us would drive the body. Right are you saying the body can't respond to all those in where's the disconnect? First four highlights the transformation that takes place for believers, enabling them to fulfill the law's righteous requirements. For five, see we are enabled according to his view, we are enabled. We are enabled by the spirit to keep the law. Meaning my ability is God given. If God gives me the ability to keep the law, that is a perfect ability. It's not a partial ability. You know, I would say that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. It is fulfilled in me by faith.

47:10 I believe this is a positional reality where I know it's not a practical reality. I look, he can say that all day behind a pulpit. I know nobody in his church is keeping the law. He's not keeping the law, no one, because the law demands perfection. So why do we constantly teach everyone that you can do something you can't do? You know what this sets up? It sets up the expectation of everyone's gonna be perfect little boys and girls. And when then when someone's not perfect, everybody's like, oh, why did you sin? I don't know why you sinned because you don't have to ever sin again because you can keep the law. So then what do we do We throw we basically you're like, okay, come here, come here, Hey, you sinned. You gotta go. You're gonna make us look bad.

47:57 We can't have you around us. You're horrible because there's something wrong with you. Get out, go you're unclean, Separate yourself from us, don't get near us, don't touch us with your uncleanliness. Because we're the perfect ones. We can take up the stones and throw them at everyone else because we are without sin, because we can keep the law. Now, the minute you backtrack and say no, no, no, no, no, no no no, we can keep it, but no one does. That makes literally no sense. You can't say, well, we can keep it, but nobody's perfect. No, if you can, there would be millions of perfect people. Why because you wouldn't have to be fighting against your nature, because you've already articulated, as most Christians do, that your new nature, your new wants, your new desire. Everything is transformed. So there's nothing fighting against you from keeping the law other than external factors. But how can those external factors have any impact on you? Because the external factors are tempting you with things your new nature no longer desires, I should not have any impact on you in any way, shape or form.

49:07 Contrast between the living according to the flesh versus those who live according to the spirit. We see the two opposing minds. You see the true believer and the false believer. You see the unregenerate sinner the unbeliever, and you see the regenerate saint a believer. It introduces the idea of two opposing mindsets, one focused on sin, after sin after the flesh, one focused on the spirit and after God's will. Verse six shows a mind governed by the flesh is death, but a mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace, and emphasizes the consequences of living a to the flesh versus living according to the Spirit. Verse seven, a mind governed by the flesh is what it's hostile to God.

50:09 Is that enmity with God. It cannot submit to the law of God. A unregenerate sinner cannot comprehend spiritual things, nor do they seek after God. Apart from the Spirit, you and your flesh can't do anything to please Him. The unregenerate sinner who rejects Christ cannot please God, no matter how hard they live morally, no matter how good they live. The Bible says, even those who set themselves to do good, if it ain't done to the glory of God, all is vain. All is vain. What you put your hand to isn't done for the glory of God, it is vain. Verse eight. Those in the realm of the flesh cannot please God and summarizes our hopelessness of trying to live according to the flesh and please God, it is impossible. Hence the purpose of Christ's atonement Church.

51:32 We come now to a passage that pierces the very soul of the Christian faith in Romans chapter eight. I want to briefly touch on verse nine through thirteen as well. The apostle Paul presents a portrait of the Christian life. Here we are confronted with the truth. Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spirit, revealing the brutal truth that our natural human inclination are at odds with God's will. The flesh, driven by sin and rebellion, can only lead to death and destruction. But the Spirit, who is the very breath of God, empowers believers to live according to God's holy and righteous purposes.

52:23 Now once again he's tripling down. God empowers you to do it. You are empowered by the omnipotent God to live the Christian life. Therefore, if I'm being empowered by the omnipotent God to live the Christian life, then you can be perfect. I can be perfect, and there is no excuse. So then why do we continue to sin? Why? Why? Why? Why? Well, if you go with the typical teaching in almost every church in America, the only conclusion would be, if you sin, you are lost, because there is no reason for you to sin because you everything on the inside has been transformed, and you have been given the power of God to keep the law and you can do it. So if you don't keep the law perfectly, you show you are not saved, because even the desire not to keep the law would be called your salvation into question, because everything in your nature is supposedly being transformed, So the desire to keep the law should should be the way you're operating.

53:34 So where is anything contrary of God coming from? Where is it coming from? Typically we say the call is coming inside the house, it's inside of you. They're saying, no, there's nothing inside of you that goes against God. Everything inside you wants God, and you've got power inside of you to keep God's law and you can do it. So then what is the problem? We are reminded though we are not slaves to sin, but servants to righteousness. We are not captive to the flesh anymore. Sin no longer has dominion over those who have been set free from the power and influence of sin.

54:20 Okay, now, wait, if you've been set free from the power and influence of sin, then you can be perfect. If you cannot get to perfection, what is keeping you from perfection? See if I've been completely set free from even the influence of sin, I have been set free from the power of sin. I am no longer in bondage to sin. Practically speaking, this is the typical Christian teaching. Then I should be able to be perfect. If I can't get to perfect then whatever is keeping me from perfection, I'm in bondage to It has the power. This is what I've been saying over and over and over and over again. And I know that my perspective goes against everything that Christians teach. But I'm sorry. It's the It's just logic. You've been set free. There's no more influence of sin coming from inside the house, so there's nothing influencing you to sin. It's all gone, and you've set free from the power, then you can be perfect. He said, Well, you can't be perfect. What is keeping me from perfection?

55:24 Whatever's keeping me from perfection, I'm in bondage to It has the power, It has the control because it is stopping me. Why can't I be perfect, and why do we continue to sin if there is basically no more sin in us? But we are free men and woman in Christ. And the passages that we're gonna look at also shatters any illusion about a comfortable or complacent Christianity. Sadly, I have to touch on that a lot, because you have false Christianity so prominent in the United States. If you were to ask what it means to be a Christian, most people will give you a poor description of what it means to be a Christian. True faith is not simply a mental essence or cultural conformity, but a radical surrender to the spirit's transformative work. Those who are in Christ are called to die to self and live for the glory of God. You have the messages today are all about self glory, love yourself, puff yourself, forgive yourself, pointing

56:56 so much attention to self. Where the truth is we deny ourselves. Jesus said, if any man who will be willing to come after me must face three willingnesses, deny yourself, take up the cross, and follow me. You must come after him with the heart that says I'm not about my will anymore. I am willing to suffer for your sake, taking up the cross. I'm willing to follow you in the trenches. I'm willing to follow you in the valleys. I'm willing to follow you no matter what. It's not about me anymore. I am now a man or a woman.

57:38 You are dedicated to servitude to the Lord. Your mind is consumed, or should be, at least, with the things of God. You love to talk about God. You want to tell others about the one who saved you and delivered you. You want to share this truth in a world that is full of false truths. Those who are in Christ are called to die itself a live for God, enabled by the Spirit's power and grace. And as we delve into these powers. Again, I don't know why we would be called to die tosself because we would already be dead because the old is completely gone and everything is new. So what am I dying to? And only that he's taking passages about discipleship, making it now about salvation, So then that salvation really is more than just believing in Jesus. There's going to be a list of things you have to do, and if you don't do these things, then you were never saved. So therefore salvation is based not on what Christ did, but on what you do. But you're not. Okay, it just and we're getting ready to get into the never ending circle. We're going to get into the never ending circle. So basically, look man like those other people, all those other people out there, that's false Christianity. But of course they've got real Christianity. Everyone else's Christianity is flawed, but they've got real Christianity because they do all of these things. They've all died to themselves, long to live for themselves. They only live for God's glory. They have new desires. They basically are perfect. It's all those other people out there outside of their church, that's all a

59:10 bunch of garbage and trash, and they're not saved. But hey, they are the saved ones, and that the way Christianity always works. We're the good ones. Everyone else is the bad ones. Passages. May the Spirit of God stir within us a deep longing for holiness and hunger for righteousness, and I steidfast, resolved to mortify the flesh and live according to the spirit. Maybe we be awakened to the reality of our own spiritual warfare and armed with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Let us prayfully approach this text.

59:53 Now I'm confused, right, because they've already articulated that we have new desires, knew everything, everything's new on the inside. But now he says, we got to mortify the flesh. What am I mortifying? What am I fighting? If everything has been transformed on the inside and I have a new heart, new desire, new inclinations, I've been completely set free from sin. I'm no longer in bondage all of those things he said. But at the same time, now he's seemingly to say that we're still fighting something. What am I fighting? You've already said I have the ability to keep the law. Well, I have the ability to do it, but I gotta fight to do it.

1:00:40 That we may be transformed by its truths and empowered to live for the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The first point I want to notice with you, I have four points is our new identity. And verse nine it says, by you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If so be the Spirit of God dwelling you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of christy it's none of his. We see our new identity. You're not in the flesh, but you're in the spirit. And verse nine, we see the co. This is like the second or third sermon that's using very I mean like it's like there is a template on how to outline this passage almost every I think all the sermons have outlined Romans eight basically nine to eleven A with the exact same words. Even though the word doesn't appear here. The word doesn't appear here about our new identity, it's not here. So I would like to track down which commentary this outline is probably derived from.

1:01:51 I guarantee that you could you find the church. I bet you can find the commentary. I bet you can find the commentary. Do I have uh? I don't. I don't think I have a MacArthur. If you have a MacArthur's commentary, look up at the commentary on Romans eight, nine through eleven and see if point number one is new identity. I bet you I could be wrong. I have a strong feeling MacArthur commentary is really driving driving this point home. In fact, I'm gonna see I don't know, hang on, how okay, I'm gonna see here, maybe AI can help me. How does the.

1:02:33 McArthur commentary outline outline Romans eight nine through eleven. Okay, well they okay, they focus on the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. So the way they have it is MacArthur doesn't start with a new identity. So maybe it's not the MacArthur commentary. If AI is correct here, I'd have to look and see. Obviously, it can't give me the actual text. So all right, so new identity. But one of the other sermons had the exact same I think two others, maybe even three others I've heard, have used the almost the exact same outline. That always makes me a little worried, right, because it's almost like there's a certain way of looking at this text and everyone's just following that template following and I don't like that, right, I don't like that. So but let's see. I know we're already over an hour, but let's see where this goes.

1:03:51 Contrast between the believers for more life as an unbeliever described in Versus five through eight, and their new life in Christ. As unbelievers, we were characterized by living according to the flesh in verse five, setting our minds on fleshly desires in verse six, being hostile towards God in verse seven, and being unable to please God in verse eight. However, in verse nine, we are introduced to a new reality, a new status, a new identity in Christ, one that is marked by spiritual life, a mind set on the Spirit, and the ability then now finally to please God. According to verse nine, we are identified by being in in the spirit, which signifies living under the Holy Spirit's dominion, guidance, and leadership. You can't be in the spirit and walking in the flesh. This text doesn't teach that if your evidence of those who are in the spirit are after the spirit.

1:05:10 See if you if you're walking into spirit, you cannot walk in the flesh. So I asked Ai, I said, is it common to outline Romans eight nine through eleven with the point being a new identity? Yes? And a I said, it is common for commentators and teachers to outline Romans eight nine through eleven with the first point being something like a new identity. This outline emphasizes the shift and a believer status in nature once they are in dwelt by the Holy Spirit. Here's why this structure fits well with this text and then a new identity and then they go through So it is common. So it is I knew it was common. I knew it was common. Now my problem is my problem with this, and so let me just explain this. Look, I don't care. I don't care if pastors. Pastors can do whatever they want.

1:05:52 They can do whatever they want, they can preach anyway they want. That's on them. My argument or my perspective is I'm going to challenge it because here's my fear. Once the text gets looked at a certain way and it becomes the common way, it becomes their traditional way. And pastors in many cases are just borrowing from commentaries, right, And I don't like that. I would prefer us. The commentaries are what we go to after we've done all the work. We can only to see if they agree or disagree. The commentaries are putting forth their hypotheses and how to look at the text. Now, you can go to the commentary and say, we're going to use this commentary, but we're going to use it as they're presenting their hypotheses, and we're going to test this hypothesis and see if it works or it doesn't work. Now, I'm okay with that approach, right, Or I can say, hey, I've worked on the text, here's my hypothesis. Now we're going to compare my hypotheses to the majority of commentaries and see if we're in agreement or disagreement and try to figure out why. See, those are two different. Those approaches I think are actually studying the Bible. Here, we're gonna use this commentary. Here's the hypothesis. Let's challenge it, let's test it, let's play the devil's advocate. Right, Okay, here's my hypothesis.

1:07:10 But we're gonna compare mind to the commentaries, and then you can figure out which one you think is right. See, now we're actually engaging the text. What I don't like is pastors just opening up commentaries, taking from those commentaries, presenting it in a dogmatic, assertive way, as if this is the way it is. Everyone in the pew says, amen, we studied the Bible. No, you studied someone's commentary. You didn't actually engage the text. It sounds like you're engaging the text. You just borrowed someone's commentary. And in many cases the pastors will not say from the pulpit which commentary. Basically the sermon is taken from I'm not saying verbatim.

1:07:50 I'm not saying it's plagiarism. I'm not making any of those accusations. But basically, I'm giving you today what is in this commentary. And I had this commentary, you had already know where I'm going in my entire sermon. Now, to me, that's not actually engaging the text. That's just me saying, hey, I read the commentary. I'm going to give you the summary of the commentary so you don't have to read it. And that's what coming to churches where the pastor gives you book reports.

1:08:30 There are only two fundamental realms. Prior Surmer last week, there are only two types of mindsets, two types of people of this world. You're either being in the flesh or you're in the spirit. What person are you today? This dualistic distinction represents two radically different modes of existence, with the former defined by carnal en klina in the latter marked by spiritual transformation and divine direction. We were once immersed in this world, conformed to its sinful patterns that was in our environment, but according to scripture, our past identity before coming to Christ was one of spiritual death, darkness, blindness, slavery to sin. We were enmity with God. We were children of wrath. We were dead in trespasses and sins.

1:09:47 We were separated from God under the dominion of Satan and living in rebellion against God. Desire here today, if you are a believer in Christ, is to not being rebellion against God. It should effect affect your heart. Touch your heart today? I want to please God, the very one who lived a perfect life. My desire should touch my heart? Or does my desire originate from my heart? Do I have the desire that then changes my heart? So my heart? Is my heart not changed? I thought I already have a new heart.

1:10:36 This message has a new heart in the title, So do I? So is my desire change? My desire should touch my heart? Should my desire be flowing from my heart? See, whenever we get into this it gets so stinking convoluted. Like I said, Wait, if I have a new heart, then my desires be coming from my heart. Now my desire is coming from outside my heart, but then touches my heart. I don't get it. Where's the desire coming from? Is the desire coming from So my heart is old. But I then I have a new desire that originates from I guess maybe the spirit that's inside of me. And then that new desire then touches my heart so that my heart's not actually new. So then I have a spirit with an old heart.

1:11:17 Or then do I have a new nature old nature? How many natures do I have? How many hearts do I have? Well, exactly, But all of that ultimately doesn't matter, because according to him, were we already have new desires, We already have new inclinations, and we have the power to keep the law. But at the same time, he then sometimes struggle, describes it as somehow of a struggle. Well, where's the struggle originating from? Well, I guess maybe the struggle is originating that my heart's not actually changed. I don't even know anymore. Born of a virgin and was crushed for my sins. We used to live total opposition towards God. No matter how morally good you think you were, you weren't. God had to intervene. Anyone who's saved understands this first your own depravity. You can't be saved if you think you are good apart from God coming into your life. You don't know yourself yet, you know, the reason why you don't serve the Lord correctly is because you don't see your own sin and that you're gonna stand before God on the day of judgment.

1:12:36 Wait, the reason I don't serve God correctly is because I don't see my own sin. Wait wait, wait, wait, wait wait wait. I thought the reason I wouldn't serve God correctly is because I'm not saved. Because once I'm saved, I would then inevitably serve God correctly. Because you've already identified that I no longer walk in the flesh, and now I walk in the spirit. And now I have a new heart, I have a new desire, have a new inclination, I have a new power, and I can keep the law. Now you're giving me now an added reason why I don't serve God correctly? What? Why would I not serve God correctly? Because you've already identified that Christian salvation fixes it all. But now there would be what in the world I don't under Okay.

1:13:20 Right, God had to intervene, plucking us out of our past central state and transforming us, making something completely new, a whole new creation, so that we know inhabit a completely new sphere. Wait, so I've been completely transformed and I'm a whole new creation, then what am I fighting on one end? Okay, let's see if he's going to clear this up, because maybe he's just gonna basically say, hey, now you're perfect, right right? I mean, because if you take everything he said that supposedly happens at Salvation, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know how you can't say we aren't perfect and can't be perfect, and shouldn't be perfect. I mean, and if you're not perfect, you're not saved. Based on everything that how he has sold it. Let's see if he offers any clarification.

1:14:16 While we remain in this world, we are no longer defined by it. We are now in the Spirit, enjoying a brand new identity. Then it says this in verse nine, so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now only not only have we been united with the Spirit, but the Spirit has also taken up residence within us. This is a mutual in dwelling. You are in the Spirit, in the Spirit is within you. We are now living in the world realm of the Spirit. We are inhabited by God himself, and our lives are now a sacred place.

1:15:15 The dwelling of the Holy Spirit refers to God taking up permanent residence in the heart of those who have been placed who placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is seen at one Corinthian sixty nineteen through twenty, which states, what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God. And ye are not your own, for your bought with the price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. God doesn't known ten percent of you. He owns one hundred percent of you. You are, but it's a slaveling, which in fact he could. The Jews very much understood the history of their own enslavement, no matter what. We were once all slaves either way to sin. But now you are set free from being a slave to sin. Now we're speaking slave language to believers. You are now bought.

1:16:25 God is your master. You are not your own serve God. What was that price? It was the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are bought with a price, and therefore we are too called and commanded to glorify God in our body and in the spirit, which are God's The indwelling spirit creates new life, confirms our belonging to God. You are owned by God. You're not lived. You're not to live according to how you want to live.

1:17:08 You are to live according to how God wants you to live. How can I live according to How can I have a want that's different than God's want? Because you've said my wants have been transformed and changed, So why would there be a conflict between what I want and God wants? Because you've already said I have a new inclination, new desire, new new heart, new everything. If everything is new, then where is the want to that's contrary to God's want to coming from? Where is the problem still? Why is there still a problem? Like on one hand, he speaks as if there is no a problem, and then it will come back and see a hint that there's still a problem. So is there a problem or not a problem?

1:17:49 Can someone articulate exactly how this works? I'm hoping he'll clarify this because now we're over seventy seven minutes, so we need to wrap this up. I'm trying to get to some point where I can be like well, ladies and gentlemen, we've now inevitably found ourselves where we find ourselves in every one of these sermons a complete contradiction. But I'm hoping that that's not what happens. God has given us spiritual gifts. He empowered us to live for Christ, the Divine and dwelling in a sacred union. Christ lives his life through us, his people. The spirit empowers us to live a life pleasing to God, and the Father loves us with an unwavering love.

1:18:45 If you can live a life pleasing to God, then it would have to be perfect. If we're going to say that God, if we're looking at God being pleased by our practical action, because God is not pleased with imperfection or unholiness, for you would have to be holy as God is holy. So he's just saying that God now empowers you to be perfect, unless you're saying God can be pleased with imperfection. Now, God can be pleased with my imperfection because I'm in Christ Jesus. So positionally, when he sees me, he says, well done, my good and faithful servant, Because he sees the perfect obedience of his son. But if you're gonna say, practically, God empowers me to live a life that's pleasing to him, then it would have to be a perfect life. Right.

1:19:30 The divine presence that raised Christ from the dead now resides within us, making all things new. Behold, all things are new. You should relate with Paul. You should see this newness of your life. You should see God changing your desires and know with new inclinations a mind that is after God that wasn't like that before. So has he changed me? Or or is he changing me? Because you've made it sound like he already changed me. Now you're saying he's in the process of changing. Well, if he's in the process of changing, then that means not everything is new, because if he's changing, he's not changing what is new. He's changing what is old. So what is old that is being changed? Because you've already said that all things are new? So so can someone make some sense of this?

1:20:26 Let us marvel at this mutual in dwelling and allow it to shape our lives, our thoughts, interactions, maybe be forever changed by the incredible reality reality. And may we live as temples of the living God where God dwells readiating his glory to a world in need. First point, we saw our new identity. The second point, we saw the new residence within the third point we see the new resurrection power. And verse ten, if Christ be in you, the body is then because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Church. Let us carefully consider verse ten, a verse that shudders the facade of easy believism and reveals the magnificence of lordship of Christ. If Christ be in you, it states, And if Christ be in you, note the condition. If Christ be in you, note the condition. If then Christ be in you, not if you have simply uttered a prayer. The sinner's prayer has probably still sending more people to Hell today. Repeat

1:21:59 after me, Simon says, an umbiblical method. If Christ be in you, not if you have simply uttered a prayer or attended a church service. But if Christ generally resides within you, this is no shallow profession, but a life transforming reality. If Christ be in you, the body be dead because of. Sin. It says. Here Paul confronts us with the consequences of sin spiritual death. We are not merely slightly sick or in need of a little repair. We are spiritually lifeless, unable to respond to God or please Him in our own strength. But notice, but the spirit is life life because of righteousness. Our spirits are made alive, not by our own works or merits, but by the imputed righteousness of Christ. His perfect obedience is credited to our account by making us acceptable before a holy God. This verse shatters easy believism, which cheapens salvation and reduces it to a mere decision or an emotional experience. No, salvation is

1:23:34 a supral, supernatural work of God, whereby He quickens our dead spirits and clothes us in the righteousness of Christ. Amen verse eleven. But in the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your moral bodies by a spirit that dwelleth in you. But if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, the spirit of God is not a vague impersonal force, but the very person who raised Jesus from the dead. The Holy Spirit in dwells believers, making us temples of the Holy Spirit. And that He has raised up Christ from the dead. Shah also quicken your mortal bodies by a spirit that dwelleth in you. Does the Holy Spirit dwell in you. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a historical event, but a guarantee of our own personal resurrection. Our mortal bodies, prone to sin and decay, will be transformed into immortal, glorious bodies like Christ at the second Coming. This transformation is a sovereign work of God accomplished through his Spirit, who dwells in us now the sovereignty of God in salvation,

1:25:08 God is the one who raises us from the spiritual death and gives us a life. To our mortal bodies and the importance of union with Christ. We are crucified, buried, and resurrected with Christ, with Christ, ensuring our participation in his resurrection life, the certainty the glorification when we die. When Christ comes back, We're going to receive a glorified body. Our bodies will be redeemed and transformed conformed to Christ's glorious body. The passage declares that salvation is a divine work, not a human achievement. Our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ in our future glorification, not in this present life or this world. In God's sovereignty and power are the foundations of our faith, not our own strength or merit. But I want to make a quick thought.

1:26:18 Roman's eight to eleven also implies that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us presently, not just future, enabling us to walk in the victory over sin and death. As prior Versus has stated, the verse says that the spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also quicken your motive bodies. This quickening is not limited to our future resurrection, but is also a present reality. As we walk of the spirit, we can experience the power of Christ's resurrection in our daily lives, enabling us to overcomes sins dominion. For sin shall not have dominion over you, according to Roman six fourteen. For you not under the law, but under grace. What do you mean, then grace enables you to live in victory.

1:27:18 Grace enables you to that sin doesn't have dominion and control and power and influence over you. All right, So if sin doesn't have dominion, then that means we stop sinning. Because if I can if I cannot get to perfection, then I'm not free, and it still has dominion. He's yet to our he's yet to acknowledge the reality that everyone still sin. If so, you're saying, we can be victorious even though we live in perpetual sin. And if I have the power of God to help me stop sinning, then that power should be sufficient for me to stop sinning. Perfectly right, So what is stopping me from getting to perfection?

1:28:05 We are to live a life of righteousness Romans six nineteen. What fruit have even in those things wherein you are now ashamed from the end of those things is death, But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness in the end, everlasting life. We are to bear fruit for God Romans seven fourteen. Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law of the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. That's his purpose. You are married to another for a purpose to bring forth fruit unto God, not fruitlessness.

1:29:01 Not if you are dead here and you're still dead there, that's not what Christ did. We are to put to death the deeds of the body, according to verse thirteen, for he for if he live after the flask, you shall die. But if he, through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. And I want to briefly point out the personal pronouns also of the Holy Spirit him, he, His. The Holy Spirit isn't an it. The Holy Spirit is a person second the third person of the Trinity. The fact that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, but a person, the third person of the Trinity, who is intimately involved in our lives. By using personal pronouns, Scripture emphasizes the spirit's personhood, making it clear that he is a vital and active participant in our relationship with God. This is a crucial distinction, as it recognizes the Holy Spirit as a divine purpose the fourth point twelve through thirteen. Therefore, Okay, I guess I.

1:30:31 Don't know. I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. I really don't know, Ladies and gentlemen, we'd spent ninety minutes. I don't really have an answer yet I still don't have an answer. Look, here's the you can make all like even he had to backtrack a little bit, right because in one hand he makes this sound like total transformation. Everything has changed, But then yet we still have to fight, or we still have to mortify, we still have to do this. Well, what am I doing? Everything has already been changed and already been transformed. He doubled down, tripled down. You can keep the law, you have been given the power, You're completely set free from sin. You've completely transformed. You can keep the law, you can do it, and all your inclinations and desires have been completely transformed. But yet then there's this little bit he would never go so far to really explain, where why do we continue to sin?

1:31:25 What sin remains? Then he kind of talked about the influence of sin remaining. Where's the influence? Then he talks about our desire changing our heart other than our desires arising from our heart. Once you start breaking this down, see if you just step back and you just listen to it. In general, I know Christians will just say amen to it, right, and they won't give it much thought. But if they got in their cars and go wait a minute, you know, as they're driving home and really had deep conversations, I think everyone should be like, well, wait a minute, this sounds like you should be perfect and I should be perfect, But we've been you know. Let's say there's a husband and wife. I know you haven't perfect, and I know I haven't been perfect, and our kids in the back seat and they know we haven't been perfect. So where is the sin coming from?

1:32:06 Where is the imperfection coming from? Where is the struggle coming from? If we all have in this car, everyone in this car who's a Christian have been completely set free from sin. Our family should be basically paradise. It should be heaven on earth. There should be no conflict, there should be no problem because you can obey the law. I can obey the law, and everything inside us makes us want to obey the law. So there should be perfection. Perfection should be in our church, should be in our home. It should be everywhere. In fact, the world should be flocking to the church going there is perfection. There is absolute obedience to the law of God. It is perfect, it is holy. These people love their enemy, but no nobody says that. Nobody does that because everyone knows that Christians continually sin. So where is the sin coming from?

1:32:51 And this is not about easy believism. This is about the reality of sin. I'm going to continue to just state it over and over and over. No one can keep the law. No one saved, no one unsaved. We cannot. This means we're in a perpetual state of sin. Therefore we have to I think therefore it would be logical to infer that whatever is keeping us from perfection, whatever's keeping us in a perpetual state of sin, therefore, is more powerful than all the claims that we make. Because if all the things we say are trying to get us to holiness cannot get us to holiness. Whatever is keeping us from holiness, we are not free from We're still in bondage too, and we are creating a false narrative.

1:33:49 Why do we continue to sin? Where is the sin coming from? And again some people want to say, well, in the body, what moves the body, what gives the body the desire to do? The body is not operating independently from my brain and my nature, right, It's what I mean. You can't so separate it, Like the body's just laying there and it doesn't move. What's making it move my mind? My desires? Right? Well, if my desires in mind, and nature is moving the body, then the body can't be going against the very nature. Then nature would be saying, hey, go use your body for good. Well, because there's no wrong name, there's no wrong desires on the inside, like this becomes so convoluted and it's it's and look, I am not even criticizing this sermon because he's preaching what everyone else preaches. Like I've said it one hundred times. My perspective puts me outside the realm of everyone, and I know that. But you can put me outside the realm of Christianity. You can kick me out of Christianity. You can say whatever you want about me.

1:34:56 But here's what I do know. You still sin. You can deny, you can lie all the way until Jesus comes back, which just happens to be a sin. You can pretend, you can wrap yourself in robes of self righteousness. You can put on all the fig leaves you want. You can pretend, you can boast, you can say I thank the God that I'm not like all these other people. You can do that, but you know inside you sin in thought, word, indeed, by what you do and by what you don't do. You know you sin internally. You know you sin externally. You know you've never been holy as God is holy. You know you've never been perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. You know you've never loved God with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. You know you don't love your enemies. You know you don't love your neighbors yourself. You know you don't turn the other cheek. You you know that you look at others with lust. You know there's anger, you know there's bitterness.

1:35:49 You know there's pride. You know there's selfishness. You know there's envy. You know those things are inside of you. You know it inherently, deep down. I don't care. You can dress up all you want on Sunday and sit there in the front row and sing as loud as you want and give fifteen percent. You still are a sinner, and so am I. Until Christianity can acknowledge this reality, all of these things, we just we create a false narrative, and it's like, okay, okay, look, look, look, don't look. Don't look behind the curtain. Don't look behind the curtain. Just look at what I'm selling you. But someone's going to walk past the wizard of Oz and look behind the curtain. You're like, Oh, come on now, look at what we really have, sinners sinning. Thanks for listening everyone, have a great day. God bless