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Bro. Otis Fisher
Ready for the 8th chapter of the book of Romans, but let me ask you a question first. Does a born-again Person Sin. As the born-again person in 1st John 3 9 we have these words. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.
For his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. The sin occurs. When we step out of God, why is it? That God does not reason in us, all right. Does he make decisions. Then it's all right if he does not reason does not make decisions.
Do you accept or receive salvation. You receive salvation. God does not reason. He does not does not make decisions. That's all man, and we receive salvation. Now come to Romans 8. Paul is going to talk about the law.
And about grace we can compare the law. To a housewife cooking a roast she puts the roast on gets busy and forgets about it. After a while she smells it in the kitchen. She runs to it and sure enough it's done.
It is real done. She grabs a fork to lift the roast out of the pan. Now, that's a good fork, but it won't lift the roast out. What's wrong? How many of you have ever done that? Well, it's a new experience.
No wonder you don't know what's wrong. All right, the fork won't lift the meat. It breaks up. So she gets a spatula and lifts the fork out lifts the roast out. The spatula did what the fork could not.
It was good spatula was better. The fork was the law the spatula was Jesus Christ. He slides under and lifts us out now. Romans 8 1. There is means right now there is. Therefore no condemnation. To them which are in Christ Jesus.
Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit? The last statement who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit is out of place. That shouldn't be in this verse because it sounds like that you have to walk in order to maintain.
It does appear in the fourth verse. Condemnation. There is no act of condemning. There is no state of being condemned. There is no severe reproof or strong censure. There is no Reason of occasion or condemning.
There is therefore now. Verse two. Or the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath made me free from the law of sin. Notice it says in Christ the spirit of life in Christ. There is no power in it Except the power of Christ.
There being no condemnation on the state is not based on his conduct but rather on his position in Christ. Would you all agree with that. Would anybody agree with that. We're still nothing. Yet everything in Christ, but it is not us.
It is Jesus Christ. The only thing in existence that really counts is. You're right. The only thing in existence that really counts is God. Not us. Not this body we carry around nothing. Not the world not the universe.
Nothing. Three. For what the law could not do. In that it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own son in likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. Now birds we have the word likeness.
God sending his own son in likeness in the likeness of sinful flesh. What do you get from that? Where is bird? He Couldn't hear me. Who would like to answer that? God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh.
I want to know the word likeness. What does it mean? All right. In likeness of sinful flesh it was not sinful flesh. But he was like me in everything He came. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Who's talking?
Okay. Absolutely. That's right. He came in place just like me and you. While in the place which was like mine he condemned his flesh. He had to be because I'm in the place you understand. He had to come as we except not as we.
To be disappointed in yourself means you've believed in yourself. So if you're disappointed You still have room to grow. Does a person that is not saved Ever find unsatisfactory Results in himself. Oh, we could answer yes or no but as far as The spiritual is concerned he doesn't to be discouraged is unbelief.
To be proud is to be blind. The lack of divine blessing comes from unbelief. Not a failure of devotion. Real devotion arises not from man's will but from the discovery of that blessing. That has been received from God while we were unworthy.
He blessed me before I knew it. He blessed me when I did not deserve it. He keeps me even though I do not deserve it. That's right. It's very important that you understand that Jesus Christ walked this earth without sin.
Now he could have sinned but he didn't. He was like Adam, but he did. Adam did. And we come into the world In a state of sin, that's right. You have to go over and over and over. The law of the Spirit is the authority which is exercised by the Spirit.
You do not need to dedicate your life. Or he gives you a new life in Christ. Our new nature could not break the power of sin. Only the coming of a higher power could accomplish this the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has played a very very important role in our life.
The Holy Spirit operates on the new nature. You can't get one without getting the other. I understand that but it is the Holy Spirit that is working. So without the Holy Spirit, we would still be out of power.
We cannot get one without getting the other but understand it is the Holy Spirit that empowers you. For That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit?
Someone Defined for me the word of righteousness. Greg well was the law righteous. Yes, the law was righteous. Man just could not keep it, but man was the unrighteous part. The righteousness of God is that righteousness.
Which his righteousness demands that he demand the favorable judgment by which he God Acquits man and declares him acceptable to himself. Is his righteousness in operation? By. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.
But they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. What do you think about when you're not thinking? Where does your mind go when it's not occupied with a particular subject? Now these are checks you can make on yourself.
Verse 6. For to be carnally minded Is there. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace now that you are saved. Your carnal nature is against you also realize that. The carnal nature that part of me that was nailed to the cross that part of me that is dead.
Yet it keeps coming back, but it's dead. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. What does the word enmity? Mean Roger. All right. It's a little more than that. We can say that man that the carnal mind fights against God.
Because but the carnal mind is infinite in Enemy the carnal mind is enmity against God. The very Definition of the word enmity is the man. Not something he does it is the man. So the carnal minded people or it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed.
Can it be it was never intended to be? Under the rule of God your carnal nature Does not respect your new nature. In no way, so don't depend on it for an answer. So then they that are in the flesh Cannot please God.
If you persist in living in the flesh, which none of you do. Or if you live in the flesh for a moment. Which some of you do? It cannot please God. That's why we're here is to please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit.
So he could say to each one of us. You're not in the flesh. You're in the spirit if. So be that the Spirit of God dwells in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ He's none of his you either is or you ain't.
You're either in Christ or out of Christ. You're not halfway. You're not becoming a Christian. You either are or you're not. This is the dividing place. You either have the Spirit of Christ or you do not have it.
Man will even become religious in order to stay away from God man. Man will even become religious in order to stay away from God. He cannot get away from God. Tim and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life.
Because of righteousness mean the body Is dead because of sin. What body we talking about? All right. Is your carnal body sinful. The carnal body is sinful? What is it that is dead? David is your carnal body sin.
Explain your answer. Can your carnal body sin? I'll put it like that. That's it the carnal mind. Because it regulates the carnal body. Now the only reason the body is carnal is because it decays it's going away vanish turn back to dust.
But the body itself is an instrument. If it were not, how could you ever do anything? Good, how could you do something good? It's the mind that we're talking about. We are alive in Jesus Christ. We suffer the pains of this life we die.
We die because Adam died. We die because we have been prohibited from the access to the tree of life. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies.
By his spirit that dwelleth in you so right now you have The Holy Spirit dwelling in you, but the body Dies, but the spirit does not. Therefore brethren We are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if you Live after the flesh you should surely die.
You have no fellowship with him, but if you Through the spirit do mortify the deeds of your body you shall live now therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh but to To live after the flesh. What does that mean a debtor to the flesh?
Russell all right. All right. Did you know? That you can be as active as a termite in Christian work and still be unsafe. I hope none of you are. But I've been in churches where that They don't even know it.
If you live after the flesh you shall not die. You say well Don't I have the I? Don't have the problems of the world. How about your thought life? Do you tell the truth all the time? How about your tongue.
Do you gossip any what is gossip? Can gossip be the truth? Clarence can gossip be the truth. Yes. Then what makes it gossip, all right. So whatever your problem is Confess it confess it to God then turn over the whole new leaf in the spirit.
Now the psychiatrist can only shift your guilt from one thing to another they cannot remove. Who can remove it Russell? He's the one that's in it or as many as are led by the Spirit of God. They are the sons of God.
We are led. God causes his people to know that he leads them. The unsaved not so. Even though they are doing his will only God Only God's will will be done and they are doing his will they don't recognize it.
Now we fall into that category. In Daniel 435 the well-quoted scripture let me read it to you and All of the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his will In the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and None can stay his hand or say unto him.
What doest thou? In Psalms 135 1 we have. Praise ye the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord praise him. Oh you servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of God.
Perish the Lord praise the Lord for the Lord is good saying praises unto his name for he is. For it is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasures. For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases that did he in heaven and in the earth. In the seas and in the deep places. He causes the weapons of to ascend from the ends of the earth. He maketh lightnings for the rain. He bringeth wind out of his treasures.
Who smoked the firstborn of Egypt. Man of beast? Both of beast both of man and beast. Who sent heavens. Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee. Oh Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all of his servants who smoked great nations and slew mighty kings and Maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Then in John we have. And The stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of a stranger.
Psalms 29 and 11 the Lord will give strength unto his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace 15. Or you have not received the spirit of bondage. You have not received the spirit of bondage to fear but have received the spirit of adoption.
Whereby we cry have a father. Now you have not received the spirit of bondage to fear. You have not received the spirit in order to fear as an act of God through Jesus Christ his son for those that are Justified and are made sons.
We are a son of God. The spirit Itself should be himself. The spirit himself Beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. David Explained that verse. Can the unsaved? Since anything is this a joint witness.
That's right, absolutely, right. And If the spirit came to a non-saved person the other half of the spirit wouldn't be there. So God does not come to save the unsafe. He did in a way, but we were already saved.
Yes Yes. Paul was talking specifically about the law. It is like your court of law trying to present the evidence that you are a child of God and Satan is trying to prove that you're not his son when he has said we are and Someone with unquestionable integrity speaks and stops the mouth of Satan.
Who is that someone? Jesus Jesus Christ. He comes in. It is though he comes in in a court of law and says I can vouch for this man. He's not a savior a sinner. I have no absolute proof that I am a child of my mother.
But the one that gave me birth She knows the same with our sonship of God. John 10 27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
The one that gave us this new life knows absolutely and His Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that it is true He birthed me 17. And if since. Since and if children then heirs heirs of God joint heirs with Christ.
If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him glorified together. Now did you ever think about? Jesus Christ receiving glory. And to suffer we go to Philippians 1 29. Or unto you it is given in behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer For his sake.
We are suffering More or less everybody all of the time. But it's a good suffering. It's not something to pray away or get out of. Because he promised to me that I would have suffering. But in the suffering I am to praise him for I reckon That the sufferings of this present time Are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
That's an imperative statement. For the earnest expectation of the creature awaited for the manifestation of the sons of God. Here is a verse that you can use to prove the world Is operating less than it then God intended for it to be.
Russell we can stand. Anything if I know that it's coming to an end our life in this world will end. It's so brief compared with eternity. You can't even compare it sons of God. In Genesis 6 and 2 we find that the sons of God Saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Then lots of controversy over that verse. It's relatively simple. If you go back to the chapter just behind that It says then They begin to call upon the name of the Lord. The sons of God are human beings those that are following God.
These were humans that were saved not angels. An angel it wouldn't Been called that and being called that it's not angels or the creature or creation Was made subject to vanity not willingly. But by reason of him who had subjected the same in hope so the creation was made subject to vanity.
David what is vanity? All right. So the creation was made subject to vanity. What's that mean joy? All right, Diane. What does it mean? Not willingly? But by reason of him who has subjected the same subjected the creation in hope.
The creation is waiting groaning waiting on the rapture. Was made passive and past tense not willingly. Genesis 3 17. And unto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and Hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eat of it.
First is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Russell, why did the Lord not leave? Fallen man in a righteous world. That's right. Can you imagine. No, we can't because we're we come in the fallen nature.
But try if you can to imagine you're righteous wrong. You are righteous but fallen man. In a perfect world. Fred it would drive man crazy. To not have anything to do. We're put together in such a way to do things.
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered delivered from the bondage of corruption Into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know That who the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now.
So here we have the creation. We know it will be delivered we know it is a bondage of corruption and It is headed for the glorious liberty of God when we are raptured. There will be a new world. Just like the new body that we will get we have life now.
We're going to get a new body. That new body will be a perfect body. And not only they but ourselves also your Which have the firstfruits of the spirit even we ourselves Grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption to will the redemption of your body.
Now not only they meaning the world but ourselves also Which have the firstfruits of the spirit. The firstfruits of the spirit? What that means. It says and not only they but ourselves also which have the firstfruits of the spirit.
We are the first. How can I say this? The firstfruits come first. Jesus the Christ was resurrected. He was the first. If he was the first it automatically means there will have to be a second or he would not have been the first second and third and so forth.
So the firstfruits of the spirit we have the spirit and we are firstfruits of that spirit. It is applied to us. Not because of what we are what we've done. It is of God. Even we ourselves grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies.
For we are saved by a hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man see it. Why does he yet hope for it? Can you hope for something that you have in your hand? No. Since God's faith is the procuring cause of condition of our sonship of God.
Then the existence of faith is the evidence that one is the son of God if you have this faith. And you recognize with the Holy Spirit's faith in us. You are the son of God. Since God's faith is the procuring cause of condition of the sonship of God.
It is by his faith That we're saved. But it wasn't the faith that saved us now. But if we hope For that we see not then do we with patience wait for it. Some people are not very patient. What does patience mean?
Roger all right if we hope for something that we do not see I Hope for eternal life in the real patience. Do we with patience wait for it? We do wait for it in patience, but patience as Roger says is not passive.
It's active. 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 groanings which cannot be uttered.
There is no automatic deliverance for our sins. We must go through them the next time a catastrophe comes in your life. Don't pray that you go out around it or go under or over it go through it. You will but get in the shape of mind knowing that you will prayers offered in the name of Jesus Christ only.
And always in John 14 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I do? That the father may be glorified in the son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it now unfortunately in lots of churches.
That's taught without explaining. It does not mean that I can ask in the carnal or anything. I Say so much on television that that's where they are. The Holy Spirit is the only interpreter of our prayers.
We cannot pray as I ought to. Is there any questions from anyone? Let me get the verse. All right, the firstfruits of the Spirit. There's no one else had the first fruits. We are the first fruit. We are the first.
Jesus was the first we are First second third fourth the firstfruits of the Spirit. The Spirit is given given to us First. All right, David. You want to say something?