Untitled Sermon (7)

Please remain standing as we read Gods word together.

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We are now entering chapter 7. Probably one of the most debated chapters in all of scripture. The discussion began in chapter 5. chapter 6 and 7 are in explaination of the comments made in chapter 5.

Imagine chapter 6 and 7 are in parenthesis and then the original initial thought comes back beginning in chapter 8 verse 5. that is kind of what is happening here.

I have addressed the issues of yesterday, at least some of them. I have addressed the issues of today, or at least some of them. I want to address some issues that are timeless.

The issues that I have been talking about have been more ristricted to a certain time. Our ancestors didnt have the same temptations as we have, they had temptations and strongs ones, but not the exact same ones.

So last week I talked about feeding our minds with meaningless junk, Our ancestors could not know the issues of television, smart phones, internet, and social media. That is a issue and temptation restricted to a certian point in time.

It doesnt mean they had it easier, or better or vice versa. Yeah we live in a time of luxury, but that luxury has handicapped us. I imagine if our ancestors seen how we work they would look at us like we are a bunch of lazy bums.

And at the same time if they could see that horrors of the internet, I think they would be dropped to their knees in holy fear for our generation. I think if they could see the mass sexual depravity of our time they would weep for their descendents.

Yes, I think your ancestors would shed many for you all if they seen what we have at our fingertips. Of course the internet is a doorway for a lot of good and it has been. But there is far more evil in that doorway than we could imagine.

So, form our point in time, it seems like a good invention, i think to other people in historical settings would see it as a curse. If time travel is a real thing and we hop in our delorian and gun it to 88 (back to the future refrence check ching ) and brought someone back to see our age.

I would be curious to know how they would describe our time to people in their time. Maybe one day I will get that answer. The point is, different times have different problems. Some things are simply restricted to a specific era. But some things are not.

Some things are just universal and it doesent matter what country you are in, or time period you are in. One of those things is sin. Sin is not an era specific issue, it is a cosmic issue for every single desendent of Adam.

Another thing that is timeless is mans desire to save himself. maybe it is mans desire to be like God that causes him to be like that. The Original temptation that caused the original sin as it has been called.

Mankind has this desire that they can save themselves, that they need to follow these set of rules and regulations in order to be saved or remain saved. Man wants to do do it his way.

I realize I am heavy on the masculine languge, ladies, you are in this as well. I use masculine languae because the bible does and its habbit. We are talking about mankind, human kind.

weather you realize it or not, you want to do things your way, even in your own slavation and christian walk. I am the master of my ship, i am the conductor of this train. Of course not many will admit that is their attitude because when it is phrased the way I said it leaves very little room for Jesus Lord of all.

But pay attention, you will see, that man is more intersted in keeping a checklist of right and wrong over what will Honor or dishonor my God.

In our desperate attempt to be workers of rightousness on our own we asked what would Jesus do instead of what would Jesus have me do? they are two seperate questions with complety different implications.

What it really boils down to, are we living for God or trying to live like God? That question may seem odd to you, how can one live like God? well when man says he is the master of his own ship- who is in control in that scene?

Ah, but we wouldnt it phrase it that way. We have other ways of robbing God of his glory. We use language that sounds christian or godly and question those who point out the truth of it not being in the pages of scripture.

The Pharisees were men who wanted to live like God, in that they depended on their own righteousness- another word for that is self righteousness. But when we think pharisee, we think of men trying to be Gods moral army.

Today, A pharisee looks postitve and flies under the radar. They say if you want to receieve this blessing you must do… you know the rest. its do these steps if you want to recieve- that is still depending on ones own righteousness to acomplish then recieve.

The bible calls it self righteousness- I am calling it living like God. In that God is the only righteous one. So again, are you living for God or trying to live like God.

Your fallen nature wants to do one, and only one. Which is why Paul has to address this before he can move on. which he does in chapter 8.

so lets break down our text for today and learn and grow as a body of believers.

Romans 7:1 NASB95

Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

Here is where Paul switches gears. Chapter 6 was more of a focus on sin, chapter 7 will focus on law. It will serve us well to go back and refresh our memeories for just a second.

Romans 5:20–21 NASB95

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is what began the conversation to begin with. The first verse of chapter 6 is

Romans 6:1 NASB95

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

Paul had his lasers set on the sin side. Now he wants to explain the law. Paul knows he must do this because he knows his audience. He knows the human nature and where the human mind wants to go if not properly instructed.

So verse 1 begins with or do you not know, brethren. Some say he is speaking to the converted Jews because he uses the word brethren and then expalins he is speaking to those who know the law.

I have to disagree with that. Paul in his writings has been very careful to seperate weather he is talking about the Jewish people when he says brethren or fellow christians.

If he is talking about the jews when using the word brethren, he will follow with kin or kindred. Paul does not do that here. Also, Paul has already defined what he means by law and has said it applies to everyone.

Romans 2:15 NASB95

in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

It could be that he is directing his message directly towards the converted jews though. They were the ones still falling towards the law. But he has been so long past that, it just seems that he speaking to believers in general.

You do not have to be a jew to be bound by law. As a matter of fact, fallen man hopes for law and wants the law to be their savior. How so? they think they rise and fall by law. This is what Paul has been arguing against, those who feel they can be righteous on their own. We just discuused this group.

Regardless of who the target audenice is, it is something we all must learn from so lets continue. Paul asks a question and it is a set up questions. A set up question is a a question where the answered is implied and already known.

And that question is do you not know that the law has, my translation says jurisdiction, others say domnion, but it means Lord. Do you not know that the law is lord over a person as long as he lives?

Now the langaue forces you to ask yourself a question, who is Lord, Who is Lord of me, is it Law or Christ? But Paul continues explaining.

Romans 2:2 NASB95

And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.

Romans 7:2 NASB95

For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.

Paul now draws an image. Now Paul is not giving a sermon, or teaching on marriage, on divorce, none of that. That is not his point, he is using an image to make a point but the point itself is not on marriage.

With that being said, that does not mean we are completly void of a marrige discussion in this text. First of, Paul is drawing from the biblical view of marriage. This is something he culture would have been better about than our culture.

We are in the New Feminist age that would just hate seeing this verse right here. And this line of thinking is just about forigen to our land. Paul uses specific language. He states that a married woman is bound by law.

This is not goverment, this is Gods law we are talking about here. In our age people say marrigae is just a piece of paper, yeah if you are a secularist, maybe it is. But biblical marriage is a covenant you make with God, its not a piece a paper.

This is biblical marriage you are bound together. Yeah Paul says the women is bound but Paul actually teaches on marriage and it is not restricted to women being bound. What paul is doing here is echoing the fall of man, because he is talking about sin and law, and it was being in Adam that started this sin a nd law converstaion in the first place.

Paul is just keeping up with his own theme. But the language Paul is using is the curse of woman.

Genesis 3:16 NASB95

To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

So what happens to women, child birth pain, and your desire shall be for your husband? how is that a curse. Well the same languge is used in the next chapter, God said to cain that sin is crouching at the door and its desire is for him.

Now we have context for the hebrew languge used here, womens curse is she wants to over rule man. That is the curse of the fall, our femminist indoctrination that has been going for over 60 years now has made it difficult for many to understand that this was a curse.

Then God said he will rule over you, This is what paul is echoing. If the husband dies, she is released from that covenant. free to marry, free to be single. As Paul explains here.

Romans 7:3 NASB95

So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

The text is easy to understand. If the wife goes to be with another man while her husband is alive, she is an adulteress. This is a highly offensive act, was once punishable by death. It was so serious that it was a crime equivolent to treason.

It could be that the reason this sin, which was also once a crime, was first done to God. But that is just a theory of mine. Paul states that only when the husband dies she is freed from that law. Or no longer bound to that covenant. The covenant died with her husband.

Now some of you may be wondering what about Jesus permitting divorce when it comes to an unfaithful spouse? are you saying a women is still an adulteress. No, there is no need to get into that. Paul is not teaching on marriage.

His focus is not on marriage, so our focus should not be on that as well, he is just using an example that his culture would have been well informed and aware of.

And here is the point Paul is getting to,

Romans 7:4 NASB95

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.

Wait a minute. we are the husbands in Pauls example? so the law is the adultress. no, but some do think that. Pauls was not applying titles to specific people. The point would have been clear to his readers. it doesnt matter who dies, if one in the marriage dies that covnannt is fulfilled.

And that is the key word here, fulfilled. Jesus said I did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. The point is if a married person goes to another person they are guilty of adultry. But if one of the two parties die, the covenant is fulfilled.

But another thing that is taught out of this text, which also happens to be one of the things that makes this chapter one of the most debated chapters in all of scripture, is some teach that the law has died to you. That is not what paul says.

He said you died to the, through the body of Christ. It is only through christ you have this freedom of the law having dominon over you.

Now paul is using the same image, he is painting the same picture from last chapter. In chapter 6 is is sin and its dominion over you. Paul used the image of a slave to communicate the reality of sin.

But you have died to that and sin no longer has dominion over you. In this chapter he uses marriage as the picture. Put together real quick so you can have a preview of what if to come form paul.

Last chapter he used the curse of slavery to describe the curse of sin. A curse to explain a curse. This chapter he uses the gift of marriage to explain the gift of the law.

We wont have time today to get through this chapter and its full picture is not painted until chapter 13 anyway, but what is also the same is the power.

Last chapter it was what power is over you. Now you are the wife in this image, and its the wife who dies through Jesus in this image as well. The husband has rule over you. Paul is saying, like he did with sin, you are not under the law.

Paul never said the law is gone, the law has no purpose, the law is obsolete, none of that was said. What is being communicated is the law will not and cannot be your Lord when Jesus is your Lord.

That is what that word Dominion means. In christ is sin, Your Lord? no, so how can we teach a licence to sin? we cant. In christ is the law your Lord? no, cant be but the law is a gift to those in christ.

The Reason we have been been joined to Christ in matromony, is so that we will bear fruit for God. That is our offering. We have seen in the last chapter that those in Christ already have fruit. You cannot be a christian and say you dont, now we see who that fruit is for.

It is an offering to God. The fruit is for God. It is not for you, or for your family, or your work. Its not for you to be a better you. It is not for you and your own. It belongs to God.

And the fact that paul used the metaphor that he uses leads me to ask a very important question. Are you a faithful spouse? Or are you guilty of adultry. I am not talking about your earthly spouse, although, if the answer is no to your earthly spouse then the answer is no to my real question.

Are you a faithful spouse to the one who rescued you? or are you guilty of adultry. Perhaps your attitiude is that of 90% of self proclaimed christians where you are delusional about yourself.

maybe you keep saying well its not like im… you fill in the blank. Are you a good spouse? I have been doing a lot of research this week. I am saddend, and I get cranky over this, no reason to lie, i get cranky when i grieve.

And this week I grieved. I did some research, and its an endless slue of trashing the church. who is trashing the church? Christians. Heartbreaking and gross all wrapped up in one.

Forget the church and give me Jesus. And people are cheering because it sounds spiritual and it is actual demonic in nature. You have to understand, the main attack will always be on the church.

The main attack by satan is always against the church. why? because Jesus died to institute the church. A gift, given to the redeemed. A place that is orginaized in its government, where the sacraments are administered, where prayers are offered and the word of God is preached.

That is the way God designed it for you to encounter him. If you are here listening to a speech from me, you are here for all the wrong reasons. Encounter God through his word.

Hebrews 4:12 NASB95

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Not only is the church instituted by the death of Jesus, not only is it God ordianed and God blessed, but there is a strong intimacy. We are called the bride. The Bride of Christ. Beloved in his sight

So close that Jesus said what you do to the very least of my bretheren you do to me. So close that when Saul from Tarsus was killing the church, Jesus asked why do you persecute me.

That means that Gods love, and intamacy towards us is so close that what people do to us, they do to him. But what we do to each other we do to him.

Forget the church, give me Jesus. if you guys said forget brittany, but we will take you, we wont be friends for long. But its ok to do that to the Lord of all creation.

This was not desigened as a chore, this isnt here to hurt you, its to help you , and bless you, and Gods people want to hate it. are you faithfull to your spouse?

People want to act as a divine wifi, pray to God and asked God to speak to them. He is talking (pick up bible) right here, are you listening. Do you even care? are you a faithful spouse?

The amount of bitterness we carry on a daily basis, if your alive your bitter, Bitter about something.

The amount vian pride we have, or can have, our ego and so called self esteem has the highest priorty, are you a faithful spouse? Or are you guilty of adultry? The pain and betrayal of an unfaithful spouse is something that stings and hurts our Lord daily.

We do not have to live under that power. Who is Lord of you life? I am not asking if you want to make Jesus Lord of your life. He is or he is not. Some say I have Jesus as savior but I do not have him as Lord, nope.

You Have him as Lord and savior or you do not have him at all. am not sepertaing Jesus into section and asking who wants to make him Lord of your life. I am asking who is Lord of your life.

Is it sin? law? or Jesus?

If you say Jesus, paul point in the last two chapters can be summend up like this… than act like it. lets pray .