Recap Romans
The main topic that Romans is dealing with is sin:
Paul is dealing with SIN
Paul is showing us all the ways that God has dealt with sin.
In chapter 4, It’s FAITH that conquers SIN
He introduces Abraham, the father of Faith
He tells us that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
He tells us that him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose SINS are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute SIN.
Blessed is the man that believes in God
In chapter 5, It’s GRACE that conquers SIN
He introduces Adam
He tells us that SIN entered into this world, and death passed upon all men, and for that ALL have SINNED
And SIN and DEATH reigned unto Moses
And when the Law came through Moses, SIN abounded.
But where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound.
As sin reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ.
For by grace are ye saved, through Faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
In chapter 6, It’s the GOSPEL that conquers SIN
What is the Gospel?
1 Cor 15:3, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.””
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the death, burial, and resurrection.
Death
Rom 6:3 “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”
You are crucified with him.
Your sins are nailed to the cross with him
Burial
You’re baptized into his death, you’re baptized into his burial
Rom 6:4 “Therefore we’re buried with him”
Col 2:10,12 “… ye are complete in him,…Buried with him in baptism.”
Col 3:3 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Ressurection
You’re crucified with him, you’re buried with him, you’re also resurrected with him.
Rom 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God…”
Rom 6:4 “…like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Eph 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ… And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
SIN?
So the question Paul is asking in Rom6:1 “Shall we continue in SIN?”
Rom 6:17 “But God be thanks, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
What doctrine is that? That’s the gospel. The death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, “I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died…”
Rom 6:18 “Being then made free from SIN, ye became servants of righteousness.
The gospel conquers SIN.
Recap Chapter 7
Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 go together.
Before we dive into Chapter 8, I want to bring 4-6 into 7 and recap 7 to get us to 8
Verse 1-6 Introduction
This is where Paul uses the LAW of Marriage to conclude what he’s saying in chapter 6, as well as introduce what he’s covering in 7&8
He likens salvation to a heavenly sanctioned 2nd marriage.
According to the law, there’s only one kind of remarriage that God approves.
And that is one in which the former spouse is DEAD.
Rom 7:2 “… if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.”
This is coming out of Chapter 6 where Paul has said to “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin…”
We’re no longer married to sin.
Who you’re married with is who you produce fruit with.
Rom 7:4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
Then Paul gives us possibly one of the most profound mandates of the New Testament.
The whole Christian life might be summed up in this.
Rom 7:6 “… we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Our service is no longer based on following word for word, letter by letter, the Mosaic Law.
Instead, our service is accomplished at a different level; a spiritual level
Instead, the Mosaic Law is fulled Spiritually in us.
And we should serve God in this new capacity; new marriage.
Verse 7-25, Oldness of the letter.
The rest of this chapter goes into detail and explains what it is like serving in the oldness of the letter.
LAW & SIN (7-14)
There’s nothing wrong or sinful or deficient in the law.
The law is holy; but it doesn’t make us holy
Instead it shines a light on that which is unholy.
It exposes sin, and magnifies sin, and calls it out, and brings it out.
Paul said the law was our schoolmaster to bring unto Christ (Gal 3:24)
Rom 7:7 “Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
The law does not make us holy, instead it reveals how unholy we really are.
FLESH & SIN (15-25)
Rom 7:19,20 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
What’s the flesh? Whatever it is, that’s where sin is hanging out.
Whatever it is, it’s weak.
Whatever it is, inside of itself, I don’t care how much you want to fulfill the laws of God, the flesh cannot find a way.
Rom 7:18 “… for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”
But I will say this, if it wasn’t for the sin that entered into it (into your flesh) by the blood of Adam, you’d be as innocent as Adam or Eve before that serpent got hold of them. You and your flesh would be innocent.
Oldness of the letter defined
With the law in our mind and sin in our flesh this is how we tried to serve God.
Rom 7:25 “… with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
This is serving in the oldness of the letter.
SIN still dwells in your flesh
The LAW still dwells in your mind
If this is all you are operating under, you are gonna fail miserably.
If that is all you got, it’s captivity, it’s condemnation, it’s failure, it’s death.
That’s why Paul at the end of chapter 7 he cries out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
It’s not “this body of death”
It’s “the body of this death”
Chapter 8
Introduction of the Holy Spirit
Now we come to chapter 8
Chapter 7 we learn that serving in the oldness of the letter is death.
And Paul admonishes us that we are delivered from the law, and we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Paul is saying, This is a spiritual matter.
Jesus said that true worshipper will worship in spirit.
Paul says that were gonna serve in spirit too.
If we don’t get anything from Romans, we ought to get this.
Paul said in the beginning, Rom 1:9 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son…”
He told those Romans, Rom 1:11 “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.”
This is a spiritual matter.
Remember in Chapter 2. He was talking about them Gentiles.
He said they didn’t have the law like the Jews did, but by nature they were doing the things contained in the law.
Rom 2:28,29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he IS a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
This is a spiritual matter.
Rom 7:14 “For we know that the law is SPIRITUAL: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
A spiritual matter requires a spiritual solution.
In chapter 8, Paul introduces us to the person of the HOLY Spirit.
In chapter 7, asks the question: “O wretched man that I am! WHO shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
In chapter 8, Paul tells us WHO that WHO that deliverer us. The HOLY Spirit.
I’m so glad we are out of chapter 7.
Thank God we don’t have to serve in the oldness of the letter. Thank God I can serve God in the newness of spirit.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of this whitened sepulcher life.
I’m tired of the graveyard.
I want my life to count for God.
Thank God for Romans, chapter 8! Thank God for the Holy Ghost!
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
If you’re saved today, you still have sin living in the flesh
If you’re saved today, you still have law in your mind condemning sin in the flesh.
If that’s all you had, then you’d be most miserable.
If that’s all you had, being saved wouldn’t be any different than being lost.
You’d try and try and try and never get anywhere with God.
For to will would be present with you, but how to perform that which is good, you’d NEVER find. Where there’s a will, you’d never find a way.
But if you’re saved today, there IS another way. There is another way to perform that which is good.
Jesus said in John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.””
Thank God for the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost changes the equation.
It’s not the same old group anymore: the Law, the flesh, and sin.
Somebody else has taken up residence inside of you.
That’s not all we’re working with anymore.
Sin no longer has a monopoly on you.
Oh no. There’s competition now.
Oh yes. There’s choice now.
Bless the Lord, you got a free market going on now in your soul.
Before it was death, it was failure, it was captivity, it was condemnation
But praise God, “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
If you’re saved today, God has put inside of you his Spirit to live with you forever.
Col 1:26,27 “…the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
He goes by different names. He’s the Holy Ghost. He’s the Holy Spirit. He’s the Spirit of Christ. He’’s the Spirit of God.
And He’s just as much God as God is God.
If you’re saved today, God, in the person of the Holy Ghost, is living in you as sure as you’re breathing.
And you don’t have to follow the flesh and sin anymore, you can walk after him.
You can go where he’s going.
You can do what he’s doing.
You can say what he’s saying.
You can say want what he wants.
You can walk with the Spirit. You can walk with God.
The Ignorance of the Holy Spirit
Only the Baptism of John
Apollos, Acts 18:24-28
Certain Disciples, Acts 19:1-6
Our present condition
This is where we’re at now.
I really think that Oprah Whinfrey and the Pentecostals have hijacked the doctrine of the Holy Spirit
They say that ignorance is bliss (happiness, joy)
I don’t believe that the kind of joy God wants us to have.
Paul said the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
I try to preach where I’m at. I’m not gonna act like I’m more than I am.
I think it’s appropriate that God has brought me to Romans chapter 8 at this point in my life.
I’ve really changed my attitude about the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was not central and paramount in my life like he should be.
I feel like I’ve been such a fool to neglect so great a friend for so long.
The Holy Spirit is Everything.
The Holy Spirit is Everything (The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit)
He is Everything in Salvation
In Drawing the Sinner
The Father
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Son
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
The Holy Spirit
John 16:7-8 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
This is something I really didn’t understand, until he drew me and reproved me.
The Bible says that it’s the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. I really didn’t understand how God the Holy Ghost was leading me to Calvary.
I heard preachers say, It’s whosoever, It’s whatsoever, but it’s not whensoever
I heard preachers preach against123 repeat after me, 456 hope it sticks.
I heard preachers say that in order for someone to come to God, he must be drawn by God.
I heard preachers say that a sinner must be under the conviction of the Holy Ghost before he’s ready to be saved.
And I just smiled and said Amen. I tried real hard to make the preaching match my testimony.
Until one day, it wasn’t whosoever, it was me.
It wasn’t the world, it was me.
It wasn’t whatsoever, it was MY lost condition, it was MY sinful state.
And it was NOW, and it was NOW or NEVER.
It wasn’t 123, it was “Lord, have mercy on me!”
I found out the old preachers were right.
The Lord has taught me real well that the Holy Ghost is EVERYTHING in Salvation
In Saving the Sinner
What exactly happens to you when you get saved?
Col 2:10-13 (Read)
The operation of God, the circumcision made without hands.
God performs the Gospel Operation on you.
John 6:37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
No, he doesn’t cast you out, he performs a Romans chapter 6 on you.
Death
Rom 6:3 “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”
You are crucified with him.
Your sins are nailed to the cross with him
Burial
You’re baptized into his death, you’re baptized into his burial
Rom 6:4 “Therefore we’re buried with him”
Col 2:10,12 “… ye are complete in him,…Buried with him in baptism.”
Ressurection
You’re crucified with him, you’re buried with him, you’re also resurrected with him.
Rom 6:11 “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God…”
Eph 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ… And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Who does it?
Who performs the baptism?
1 Corinthians 12:13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we bond of free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
That’s right. It’s the Holy Ghost that does the work. Jesus said it is finished. Other than pray for you, he’’s already done all he’s gonna do here on this earth to get you saved. He told the Father, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do..”
It’s up to the Holy Ghost now to get the job done. And he gets it done.
The Holy Ghost is everything in Salvation
He is Everything in Sanctification
Indwelling of the Holy Ghost
John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
Col 1:26,27 “…the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
This is God in you.
This is God, omnipotent (all powerful)
This is God, omniscient (all knowing)
This is God, omnipresent (everywhere)
This is God, eternal (no beginning, no end)
This is Almighty God living in you.
There’s nothing holy about me, but the Holy Spirit that dwells in me.
I believe that Jesus has kept his promise.
He has given us his Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us.
The Holy Ghost is everything in Sanctification
Intercession of the Holy Ghost
I believe the intercession is part of sanctification.
Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
The Holy Ghost is who makes it possible that God hears our prayers. When we pray, He prays.
Paul said, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” Eph 6:18
The Holy Spirit is everthing in Sanctification
He is Everything in Service
This is where we’re at today.
Paul said, “SERVE in the newness of spirit”
This is what Romans 8 centers around. Serving God in the Spirit. Walking with the Spirit of God.
The men of God were right and when I believed it, it changed my life.
That’s not all they taught.
Preacher Allen, Brother Atkinson, Brother Ray Bearden, Don?, Brother Wayne Henderson, Brother Stinnet Ballew.
They all say the same thing:
Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
When Jesus came out of the wilderness, the returned in the power of the Spirit.
When he opened up that book of Isaiah and began to read and his ministry began, it says the the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.
If Jesus had to be filled with the spirit to accomplish what God wanted him to do. How do you think you’re gonna know and do God’s will.
Acts 2, Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost
Act 9:17 Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost
Wilderness vs Canaan
Indwelling vs filling.
Why was camp meeting a blessing
Apologize to the HG
There’s a friend…
He that has friends, must show himself friendly…
I was never able to call Jesus my friend.
Got right- back on the narrow way.
Remember the fellowship I had
Prayer changed – Hello friend
Back on the Road, desert living.
May not be as far as I should, but I’ve gone to far to turn back now.
Press On
Find God
They were right about the HG, the spirit-filled life.
Stay with the man of God
He is everything in service.
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