fencepostdigest

Recently I have been asking this question of myself over and over again, “Who am I?” The reason for the question is the world in which I am living is and has changed so rapidly over the last 20+ years, and the change has not been a positive one. At least, in America.

In America, In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, “Who am I?”

I was born and reared in Lubbock, Texas which was a city of less than 200 thousand when I left after high school. Those first 20 years were about growing up in a Christian home and from the first week of my life onward to this very moment I have been in a Baptist church. I was born-again and baptized into the First Baptist Church family at the age of 7. At the age of 18 God called me into vocational ministry during a James Robison Crusade at FBC. I recall the voice of God speaking to me almost as if He were sitting next to me in that pew.

In the summer of 1968 I found myself as a Summer Missionary in Winnemucca, Nevada and being mentored by LaVern Inzer, the Home Missionary out there. 10 years later after completing college and seminary studies, the Pine Hill Baptist Church in Sicily Island, Louisiana called me to be their pastor. And I remember thinking as I looked into the faces of those dear people and Aubrey Brooks who was probably 70 years old, “What am I doing as the Pastor of these people and what can I tell them?” From 1968 until 2017 I lived and worked in small-town churches which included a 13-year stint planting churches in Peru.

Today, This is What I Know

And today this is what I know, “Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 2 And although you were dead in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved!” Ephesians 1:23-2:5 NET2.

“Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. 8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian – is not of God.” 1 John 3:7-10.

We who are Followers of the Christ do not live a lifestyle of disobedience by following the forces of evil, the minions of Satan. This is who I am because of the Cross, because of the Christ.

Jesus says a great deal about hypocrisy in Matthew 23 and when I read and study it my heart runs quickly for I sometimes fear that I may fit that description and do not want anyone to think of me in those terms. However, I also know that the task to which I am called will cause people who are not Followers of the Christ to see me as a hypocrite. I confess that I do sin and fall far short of God’s glory, but I also know that when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, judgment and righteousness my choice to repent is an easy one to make. There is no other choice but to walk His path of righteousness.

Who am I? A citizen of the kingdom of God by His grace. 

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture references are taken from the NASB translation unless otherwise noted.

Ephesians 1:3-6.

3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

God’s Grace is Freely Given

The word translated ‘heavenly’ in verse 3 is the same word found in John 3:12, “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”. “In the heavenly places” refers to the location from which these blessings originate. The heavenly places about which Paul speaks of every Believer as being present in this spiritual life, Although we are presently in this physical body the spiritual blessings about which Paul speaks are ours to enjoy now because spiritually speaking we are with Christ in the heavens. Think about it for a moment, God has already united us in Christ from the moment of our rebirth of which Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Spiritually speaking we can say that we are present with Him where He is. The “heavenly” might be explained as being the existence of the Believer’s spiritual relationship with the Christ on earth.

In time our bodies will die and our spirits will enter into His presence as seen in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because * we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.”

Paul utilizes the expression, “in the name of the Lord—grace and peace,” in order to bless the recipients of his letters. “Grace from God” directs the Apostle’s purpose to  Believers and “His peace” speaks of His presence in spiritual conflicts that are encountered. Paul presents God’s grace and peace because it seems to make sense that His peace cannot be established before His grace. “Why?” you might ask, does Paul write in chapter 2 of this letter, “you are saved by His grace through faith.” And it is also reasonable that His grace comes before one can know His peace.

Purposed Faith

Because God gives us His blessing of grace through faith and there is no need to ask for them again. However, we must accept His gifts by faith and give thanks to Him. I utilize the expression of faith found in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” There is another quote which follows verse one above which is attributed to Manley Beasley, “Faith is acting as if it is so in order for it to be so for with God it already is so.” “it” refers to whatever one has prayed for and “it” will come to pass when God’s glory is sought for. We must understand that the word ‘heavenly’ points to that which is of heaven is in stark contrast to everything we hold dear. And we can see this in the following verses from the HCSB:

1 Peter 1:3-4, “For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.”

Colossians 3:1-4, “So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Hebrews 3:1-4, “Therefore, holy brothers and companions in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession; He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God’s household. For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house. Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God.”

Believers Are Predestined for Adoption

Now, we move to vv. 4 and 5 which may or may not cause some questions about whether you may or may not be a Follower of the Christ. For many, these verses cause concern and may present disturbing questions. Serious conversation oftentimes results in the loss of friendships, split churches and good-byes to pastors. But here is what the Apostle writes, 4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,” NASB.

“Just as He Chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.” This phrase in no way says that God chooses some individuals for eternal bliss and condemns others to be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. However, what we discover is before God created the world He did decide to have a people only Himself. In the Old Testament, that nation is Israel. In the New Testament that group is the Church, the Bride of Christ. This body of faith is to be Holy and blameless before Him. God chose the body of Believers to be holy which is living proof His Church belongs to Him.

“He predestined us.” That is, He foreordained that the Church of Jesus Christ is to be adopted as His people. What we see here is a general election of God upon His Church and not a particular election of one person over another. God foreordained His Church as His children.  The act of predestination is simply God’s sovereign will which was and is the cause of our being ‘in Him.’

Theological Disagreement

For more than a decade I have read the arguments whereby the disagreement among theologians has caused predestination to be much more difficult than the Word of God explains. What I now know is the meaning of God’s purpose is not so to understand. The determining factor is the fantasy of men. From the beginning, God designed His creation to accomplish His will well in advance of His creation. I think this affects us human beings and everything else God spoke into being. Within the pages of God’s Word, we find His divine purpose in creating you and me. His will is that we would, through His grace and by faith in His Son, become children of God. In a nutshell, this is God’s purpose for every man and woman ever born on earth. He provided us the freedom to choose or the freedom of will which may or may not prevent many to effect God’s purposes in their lives.

I would argue, as others do, the failure to find salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is to reject God’s purpose is found in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. However, that which is contradictory to what Scripture teaches is the profound misconception which claims that God chooses who will inherit eternal life and electively causes others to deny the Christ without reason other than “God is sovereign.”

From John 3 the Doctrine of Predestination is not demonstrated , does not come from God and cannot be found in the words of Paul. I am not a Greek scholar, but from what I gather in Romans 9:22, the word ‘willing’ refers to the spontaneous will of God, growing out of His moral character and does not indicate His predetermined purpose. For some folks, this is simply too difficult to grasp.Now, let us move on.

God’s Authority

In v. 6 we find, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

In short, all is accomplished to the praise of the glory of His grace because through His Son, God chose to lavish His love upon His Church, His beloved. This is easily known and is the result of the Great Commission that Jesus instructed His disciples to proclaim as He ascended into the heavens, “Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 HCSB.

Jesus is Lord.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the saints and believers in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:1-2 HCSB.

Someone has written that the letters of Apostle Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and to his friend, Philemon, are simply about being ‘in Christ.’ Paul discusses in these letters the glory of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His letter to the Ephesians is divided into six chapters was not originally penned by the Apostle like that, but was later divided into verse and chapter by the translators. Paul provides for us the design and purpose of the Church with her calling and consummation “in Christ.” Every Divine purpose of God for the Church is related directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we oftentimes fail to see is that the local church is not a human organism, but her conduct must be observed from the standpoint that the Church is the Bride of Christ. What we must understand is that Paul has placed the foundation of this letter in the expression, ‘in Christ.’ If a person in the local church is not “in Christ,” he has no claim upon the supernatural blessing of redemption in Christ Jesus. We cannot expect to go to Heaven without being “in Christ.“

In Paul’s writings, we find that he was simply amazed by the fact that “by the will of God” he was made an Apostle. Hey, I find it quite the same that God called me to be a missionary, an evangelist and pastor. Everyone who works for him should be so amazed. We should stand amazed in His presence, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound….” Paul had no other glory in his life than that God, in the amazing wonder of His grace, had called him on that road to Damascus as he was en route to continue his persecution of the Church. The Spirit of God encircled him, changed him, and sent him as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul could never get over that he was, “Called by the will of God.”

Paul writes, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a gift that every Believer in Christ shares; grace and peace from our God and Savior. No matter our circumstances in this life our names are in the Book of Life because of His grace.

But there is something else here and that is His peace. Paul writes this in Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We, like Paul, should rejoice ‘in Christ’ and proclaim His grace to everyone and then the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. This is our responsibility if we are to know His peace.

Jesus is Lord!!

“Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.” Matthew 11:20-23 HCSB.

I wonder if most of us who are Followers of the Christ have paused long enough to understand just how close our Nation came to collapse and perhaps would have if Donald Trump had not been elected President? In asking that question, I must also as, “Is Jesus weeping over this once great and proud Nation?” No, I cannot answer that with validity, but in my heart, I think He may be weeping over what the Church has failed to do over the course of these 225+ years. It is easy to see what the Church has done as opposed to what She may not have been doing. Look at our large and sometimes enormous buildings that we have constructed and then look at the horrible sin that is being committed across our Land. Is Jesus weeping because we have failed in fulfilling the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20?

An Evasive Dream

I think that we have been making our lives comfortable as we have sought to fulfill the evasive American Dream which is not proposed for us in Scripture. In Scripture we are told to seek after God, “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34.

By seeking God, man will lose his personal compassions in view of the compassions of God, that is to Follow the Christ, “If anyone finds his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.”Luke 19:41-43. We are to serve Him and not the passions of our hearts.

Jesus was very compassionate for the city of Jerusalem, the Holy City because this is where the Temple of God was located and where He would be crucified for the sins of the mankind. “As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. Matthew 10:39, “Anyone finding his life will Matthew 11:6, “And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”

Are We Missing the Meaning?

John 3:16 is most likely the most beloved verse in all of the Bible, but unfortunately, we stop with, “that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” But there is something horribly wrong with this because we fail to grasp the full meaning of the verse, the impact of the sin of unbelief. I think we do not wish to mention the impact of unbelief for fear of offending our collective audiences.

“For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,  because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” John 3:17-18.

Jesus wept over the City of David because of the sin found therein. Does He weep over what has taken place in our Nation where we now applaud homosexuality and untold other kinds of immoral acts apart from abortion? God, please help us.

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture references are from the NASB translation unless otherwise noted.

The Result of the Indwelling Holy Spirit

Some may not understand the impact of the presence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their life. We must understand this fact as Paul writes, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20. The Apostle has reminded the Corinthians that they must not indulge in sinful life practices because they now members of the Body of Christ and suggests by this question that some may not understand. This may be the point to be made in the local church, your church, today. Have you ever wondered why so many who profess to be ‘Christians’ do not seem to reflect that reality? My suggestion, more than not, is that those who do profess to be ‘Christian’ most likely are not simply because of what the Bible says about those who are Believers.

“9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11.

There seems to be a contradiction between verse 9 and verse 10 for in verse 9 we are told that a Believer is “not in the flesh, but in the Spirit” and in verse 10 the Apostle reminds us that “the body is dead because of sin” even if Christ resides in you. Do not become alarmed or get the wrong idea that this is a reference to what many will say is a reference to the sin nature. This is not true. Do we forget that Paul argues in Romans 6:5-7, “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.”  Just as he writes in 1 Corinthians 6 we are united with Christ, he said the same thing in Romans 6. We who Believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are united with Him and are “in the Spirit.” Later in Colossians, Paul again reminds us that we are “in Christ.” With this reminder in hand as we read here in Romans 8:10 that the “body is dead because of sin,” the Apostle is saying that our physical body is subject to physical death because of sin in the world, not because of our sin. We will all one day die a physical death and this journey will be over, but we will enter a new journey which is spiritual in nature. Remember, Believers are “in the Spirit.”

12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh- 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:9-17.

Believers are ‘Sons of God’ and this relationship places a new obligation upon them. That obligation is to live according to the will of God, the desires of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. As Believers, we are alive in Christ and will, therefore, put the deeds of the body, the old crucified and dead, old self, away.

Adopted Children

We are now the adopted children of God. My wife and I adopted a baby girl many years ago and she legally became our own child, and we accepted her as being ‘flesh of our flesh.’ For nearly 3 decades she has been our daughter, our child. The very same thing happens in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, everyone who believes is adopted into the Family of God, His eternal family and this relationship will never, never change because of His redeeming grace. We are, indeed, His heirs!!

Not only are we His children, but we also have certain obligations which become our responsibilities to fulfill. We not only must, but we will naturally, because of our new nature, live according to His life-principles which are found in His Word because of our love for Him and as a result of His love for us, Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31b-32. The opposite of this is simple if one fails to continue in HIs word that person is not His disciple and does not belong to Him.

One last point to be made, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17. God the Holy Spirit is our witness to the fact that when one professes Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord “we are the children of God.” However, we must also understand and accept with gratitude that we may very well suffer and be glorified with Him.

All across the world, we read almost daily of the horrible suffering that Christians endure at the hands of very evil people. These have been glorified with Christ. Here in America, we are somewhat persecuted because of our faith in Christ and for receiving this with grace we are, indeed, glorifying the presence of Christ in our lives because He lives within. Never forget who and Whose you are!!

Jesus is Lord!!

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture references are taken from the NASB translation.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:1-8.

Many, many people think that they have been saved or born-again because they are members in good standing with a local church. “But, why do they incorrectly think this way and what is your proof?” My answer is simple, “Observation.”

The following portion of Scripture taken from Matthew 7:15-23 is rather long, but contains words of Jesus addressing the issue, “”Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”

Often times people you and I know attempt to live in 2 cultures, 2 opposing worlds: light and darkness. The problems are simple enough and just as Jesus said, they will love one and hate the other because no one is able to serve two masters. “Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Plain enough.

Jesus Christ has set Believers free from sin and death

However, only those who walk/live in the Holy Spirit will experience the fullness of the abundant life that Christ provides for those who choose to follow Him. Everyone who is happy in this life do not experience the abundant life found in a personal relationship with Christ, but think they do only because they seem to be ‘happy.’ Just this morning I was watching a TV news program and a very well-known and successful ‘Country-Western’ singer who professes Jesus Christ as Savior was present. He was advertising a well-known whiskey brand along with his music. I know that many professing Christians are ‘okay’ with this, but this is mixing light with darkness any way one wants to think. Freedom in Christ is NOT a license to live any way that pleases the senses. Jesus asks this question, “Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” The answer is, “No.”

Paul writes, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4. Jesus condemned sin in the flesh enabling us to fulfill the requirement of Law BECAUSE we then live according to the will of God by the indwelling Holy Spirit. A Believer will NOT/CANNOT live with one foot in darkness and fulfill the will of God Who is light. Again, one cannot please/obey two masters.

There is a vast difference between light and darkness

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 5-8.

The reason that many people struggle with sin is that they have decided to follow a temptation to sin. Sin is present because of the willingness of people to accept what Satan has offered in temptation. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” James 1:12-15.

A professing ‘Christian’ once said to me, “Bob, I am a Christian, but you would not like my lifestyle.” My thinking is, “No, I would not, but worse, ‘God does not like your lifestyle.’” One does not have to please another person, but everyone must please God. For just as James writes, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”  This death is not temporal, this death is eternal.

The difference between light and darkness is life and death and both are eternal: life with Jesus or death without Him. Which choice do you make? The choice IS yours.

Jesus is Lord.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture references are taken from the NET2 translation.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

Returning to Romans 6:21-23 we are reminded of what tells us in Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” For in vv. 21-23 the Apostle speaks of 2 distinct differences standing between light and darkness; evil and righteousness, “So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In Romans chapter 7 Paul does speak of a tremendous struggle that takes place in the life of one who obviously does not know Jesus Christ. Jesus provides life-giving grace that stands in stark contrast for one who lives in the bondage of sin because of the daily struggle with temptations to sin. And it is important for every Believer to understand what James says about the freedom experienced in Jesus Christ, “Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full-grown, it gives birth to death.” James 1:12-15. No, there is no struggle with sin by a Believer, but there is life in Christ for what Paul instructs in Romans 8:1 is true, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Sin is not the issue and death is no more because we are saved by His marvelous grace when His gift of faith is exercised.

Two Distinct Possibilities

Eternal life or eternal death is possible for everyone and the choice is clearly obvious. One night long ago Jesus met with a man named Nicodemus and Nicodemus posed a question, “Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old?” John 3:4a and Jesus replied, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” John 3:14-18.

The 2 possibilities in this life are clearly distinct and chosen by everyone: life and death. To reject or to deny Jesus Christ is death; eternal separation from Him, but to believe in Him is eternal life’ eternity in His presence. How difficult is this? However, not everyone will choose to follow Him for as Jesus says there are two paths to be followed in life: one is broad and one is narrow. The broadway leads to death and the narrow way leads to life, but few will find the narrow path. “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it!” Matthew 7:13-14.

Recently, a terrible tragedy took place that claimed the lives of several people. Among them was a very famous individual and the others were simply ‘average’ folks like most of us. Like some, I raised the question about the relationship that these folks may have had with God. I was fascinated by the negative response that some had because of the concern shown by some who cared. “Why should anyone question the spiritual lives of those who died?” My response is simple, “I can do nothing for those who died because their eternity is sealed already, but for those who are still alive they must make an eternal decision before death arrives at their doors.” This is the reason for my concern which poses this question, “How are you going to get to Heaven?”

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture unless otherwise noted is taken from the NET2 translation.

We must remember that Paul writes as a Jewish Christian who said this, ““Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” Acts 23:16. He fully understood the Law of God and as an Apostle, he provides us some insight as a Jew before becoming a Follower of Jesus Christ.

“21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25 NET2.

Internal Spiritual Struggle of a Lost Man

As a Law-abiding Jew, he struggles with the commandment of God he has known since childhood which tells him about sin and God’s justice. As a Jew he not simply read about the Law, but had memorized the Torah, the first 5 books of what we know as the Old Testament and this was imprinted in his heart and mind. No doubt, this war he describes in these verses is waged as he describes it, “But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members.” v. 23.

This was, indeed, a powerful struggle for his soul that was taking place, a battle between good and evil. The good being the insight of a man who knows God from the standpoint of the Law of God and a person who was also defined by the innate natural man.

What we must understand as people who live in a New Testament age; in a world that was changed 2 thousand years ago when the Son of God literally invaded earth. Jesus then died, resurrected, ascended, and sent the Holy Spirit to live, to indwell the lives of those who profess Him as Savior and Lord.

Victory over sin and death in Jesus Christ

Paul then writes as a Believer looking back, “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” v. 24. This son of a Pharisee was in a bad circumstance and struggling to find the answer to a very difficult question. In himself he had no answer for the Law of God, the Torah had no definitive suggestion. But, as a Believer in Jesus Christ he could give an answer to the church in Rome, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” vs. 25. He knew as a Jew that he served two masters, the law of God and the law of sin, but as a Follower of Christ he could write that in Jesus Christ he was introduced to the solution the Torah could not provide!!

There is a hymn which adequately describes what happened to Paul, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” No longer is there a struggle with sin that lives within for Jesus lives in the heart and life of every born-again Believer of Jesus Christ. For just as John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.” 1 John 2:15-17.

Believers struggle with temptation and not with sin

It is understood that many, if not most, Christians/Believers, are taught to think that their daily life-struggle is with the sin that lives within them because of what Paul writes in Romans 7:14-25. And it is easy to understand the error they are taught. The discussion in these verses follow what the Apostle writes in chapters 5 and 6 which details what God has done for anyone who becomes a born-again Believer in Jesus Christ.

Nine years before writing this letter to Rome, Paul had written a letter to the church in Galatia and in Galatians 6:6-10 he writes, “Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. 7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, 8 because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” It is very important to see that anyone living in the flesh will die and if one lives in the Holy Spirit eternal life will be the result. In the previous chapter 5 Paul gives a list of characteristics of one who lives without the Holy Spirit which results in death and another list is given concerning those who live in the Holy Spirit and will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

With this information in hand, we are able to discern that in Romans 7:14-25 the Apostle is speaking of his life as a very good Jew living according to the Law and struggling with the sin that lives within him. With that he proclaims himself to be a wretch and asks, “Who can deliver me?” However, as a Believer and writing to the church in Rome he declares in verse 25, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” He knew as a good Jew he was attempting to serve God with his mind and in his flesh, but because the old man was crucified just as he wrote in Romans 6:6-7, “We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)”

Please remember that ‘Context is Everything’ when reading and studying the Word of God!!

Jesus is Lord!!

All Scripture references are taken from the NASB unless otherwise noted.

Continuing from Part 1, it is necessary to review Romans 7:14 before looking at verse 15, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” Paul makes a peculiar statement for one who is a Follower of Jesus Christ, “I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” The ‘flesh’ part is not the issue. However, for the Apostle to claim that he is “sold into bondage to sin” repudiates what he just completed this thought in Chapter 6 stating, “20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The question is simple, “Why would he, as a Christian say that he is in bondage of sin after assuring the church in Rome that he is free from sin and enslaved to God?” The obvious answer for he does not suggest conflicting thoughts about himself as a Believer. His statement at the end of what we know as Chapter 6 is about his freedom from sin because of the Resurrected Lord.

A person under the Law is in the bondage of sin and hates every moment of it

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.“ Romans 7:15. Prisoners who are incarcerated hate what they do every day because of what they did to get there. They, indeed, would like very much to be in another place, in another world doing what they would like to be able to in freedom. They cannot because of bad choices. The same is true for most lost people. They cannot do what is right (righteous) because of their innate sinful nature. They are able to do what may seem to be good things, but cannot.

A very wealthy man approached Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.” Luke 18:18-23.  This man claims that he not only knows the Las, but he has kept the Law since childhood, however, this ‘goodness’ is not good enough for anyone to enter into the Kingdom of God. Not then and not now. For just as Paul writes in verse 15 that he does the very things he hates doing even though he knows the right things to do. This wealthy man knew what to do, but could not accomplish enough to please God. The same is true for the religious leaders who knew the Law in Jerusalem, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15.  These men liked their life-styles for the most part, but the good things they did were not pleasing to God. Again, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee among Pharisees. In other words, before he became a ‘Christ-follower,’ he was a very good Jew who knew and understood the Law as being helpful to him and writes in 7:15, “For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” He knew he was breaking the commandments of God and hated it.

Christ does NOT live in the life (body) of a lost person

“But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.” Romans 7:16-20. As a good Jew and understanding the commandments of God, Paul writes about doing the very thing he hates, but he does those things because sin lives in his life, in his flesh. Sin lives in his life BEFORE he met the Savior on the road to Damascus. Again, the verb tenses are really not important until the contextual evidence is known factually.

The evidence of the inerrant Word of God is that sin does NOT live, does NOT dwell in the heart and life (body) of a Believer, a Follower of Jesus Christ. Space does not permit us to observe all of the biblical evidence, but here are 3 statements made by the Apostle Paul:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21.

And in verses 1 Corinthians 6:13b-15a, the Apostle makes this statement, “Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” It is most important to understand that because the body of flesh is made for God, He will not allow us to live in sin. Those that do live in sin do not belong to Him and will not enter His Kingdom.

Jesus is Lord.

All Scripture verses are taken from the NASB translation unless otherwise noted.

When I sin or when you sin; who is to blame? Some might say “The Devil made me do it!!” Another will say, “Sin living in me caused me to sin!!” However, I argue that I have no one to blame but ‘me.’ Only I am responsible for my rebellion against God; ole Slewfoot is not responsible and sin living in me is not responsible only I am responsible for whatever sin is present. At this moment in time the Holy Spirit living in me has fully convinced me of my sin, His judgment upon that sin He defeated at Calvary and His righteousness which results after I have confessed and repented of what I have done!! No, sin does not reside in my life, Jesus Christ in the Person of the Holy Spirit lives in my heart.

A few days ago I commented on Paul’s statement in Romans 7:14-25 in which the Apostle addresses that which lives inside of him. I did not ‘unpack’ these verses in my previous post, but will do so here; phrase by phrase. Some address the verb tenses because there is a change from present to past tense and vice-versa, and I will not do that here. The verb tenses are not at issue, the subject matter is. Here we go: We will be looking at Romans 7:1-25.

Paul uses the illustration of marriage from vv 1-3 in an effort to clearly demonstrate what he is about to address. The marriage relationship is bound by God and cannot be undone by the man or the woman for this bond is in God alone and only death can abolish that bond. To break this bond apart from death is to sin against Him. Paul begins verse 4 with the word ‘therefore’ which signals a continuation of his thought.

Released from the Law of bondage; Freedom in the Holy Spirit

“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” verse 4. The Law of God consists of 613 distinct laws found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and these laws are there to give instruction in the righteousness of God. However, these were very burdensome to the Hebrew people and God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to become our Savior and Lord, and to set us free from the bondage of the Law. At the moment that one expresses faith in Jesus Christ that person dies ‘to the Law through the body of Christ,’ and by grace through faith in Jesus, this person and Christ are ‘joined to one another’ because of His resurrection “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:9-10. Two become One in His Spirit by grace through faith.

“For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:5-6. This is self-explanatory. We are not able to walk in the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Before meeting or repentance and expressing faith in Jesus Christ everyone is living in sin, bound by the Law which sheds light upon sin. “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  verse 7. Apart from Christ, all that a person can accomplish is a result of sinful desires centered upon satisfying self.

“But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” vv. 8-12.

There are 2 operative phrases in these verses:

“but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;” and “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

These phrases are the ‘Tales of Two Cities’ which are in direct opposition to one another. One of them produces death and evil and the other produces holiness and righteousness. The person living under the Law must make choices by what might be called situation ethics, “that which pleases me or fulfills the Law,” kind of decision. One decision pleases God and the other brings His discipline. Notice that sin is actively involved here and this sin alive in the life of those who are attempting to live according to the Laws of God. The Adamic nature is alive and well.

Bondage through the Law of God

“Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.” verse 13. Satan is the cause of evil effecting spiritual death through deception by working in the Law of God. The Devil is very skillful at twisting lies to seem true just as he told Eve, “The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” verse 14. Before Christ died on the Cross and His Resurrection from the dead, spiritual sin and death reigned in the heart of man. Effectively there was no hope for eternity with God even though His Law is spiritual, good and determined for the righteousness of man if he could keep it, but he could not because of the evil living within. Human nature spelled death because of the bondage to sin.

What we know is “that the Law is spiritual” and Jesus is Lord.