[0:00] Greet you in the name of Jesus this morning. It is good, it is great to be here this morning. Amen. Amen.
[0:14] Turn to the book of Romans. We'll be spending a lot of time in Romans this morning. We'll start in the end of chapter 11, beginning of chapter 12.
[0:30] You know, my mind went to a verse in chapter 1 in the children's class.
[0:44] I'll read a couple of verses here in chapter 1. It goes so well with our children's class.
[0:56] In verse 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. Talking about humanity.
[1:08] God has showed what to humanity? The invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that humanity is without excuse.
[1:30] God saying that because of creation and through creation, he showed himself to the human race. And therefore, humanity is without excuse.
[1:45] You know, it's the first thing many people want to do is take excuses. Take excuses for their failures. Take excuses for their sin. Take excuses for their ignorance.
[1:58] Take excuses for their sins. Take excuses for their sins. Take excuses for their sins. Not sure what I would title this, but possibly the renewed mind.
[2:11] You know, Romans 12, 2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Well, I want to start in chapter 11.
[2:25] And we will start here at verse 33. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.
[2:37] How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again.
[2:58] For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. So he's talking about God here.
[3:11] And in verse 36, he says, for of God and through God and to him are all things. In other words, all creation is created for the glory and the honor of our God.
[3:28] You know, there's a verse that says, talking about Jesus, as by him and for him were all things created. Jesus was there in creation.
[3:39] And it is by him and for him all things are created. Now, humanity has tried to switch things around.
[3:55] And it's called humanism, though so many times it comes in a form that is very subtle. But instead of everything being for the honor and glory of God and for his benefit and for his, for worship to our God, humanism tries to turn things around that everything is for the benefit of man and for the betterment of humanity.
[4:21] You know, humanity can better itself if we will but yield ourselves to our God. Everything revolves around God, right?
[4:38] But humanism and our enemy, Satan, he tries to bring everything that it revolves around man. Today, how is your life?
[4:50] Does your life revolve around yourself? Or does your life revolve around God? Do you base every decision in your life on the will of God and what God would have you and a future that will draw you closer to God?
[5:11] Or do you base every decision in your life upon your own self and your own comfort and in your own enrichment? How do you make decisions?
[5:28] Verse 1 in chapter 12. I beseech you, therefore. And it's this word, therefore, is what makes us look back. You know, I beseech you, therefore.
[5:41] He's pointing back at, I believe, the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans. And we will look at some of that. We do not have time to look at all of it.
[5:54] But I beseech you, therefore, brethren, because that all of life and all of creation revolves around God. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
[6:19] Because that God has created all things. Because everything revolves around him. Because he has made all provisions for humanity to be delivered from the powers of darkness and brought into the kingdom of his dear son.
[6:40] Because of all these things. And a lot of more that we can't name today. Because of all these things. I beseech you that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice.
[6:54] You know, in the Old Testament, they took animals and they killed them. They sacrificed them. But God is asking us to be a living sacrifice.
[7:08] Not that we will not live anymore. But that we live our life for him.
[7:19] That we lay down that old. That we lay down our own will. That we lay down our own agenda. And that we make our decisions for our God instead of for ourself.
[7:34] It is, I believe, the most prevalent thing in the human race is to live a self-serving life.
[7:46] To live for self. To live my life for the betterment of myself. And for my own honor and for my own uplifting and upbuilding.
[7:58] It is not the human nature to live for God. It is not. And we'll see that later.
[8:14] But it is not our nature to do that. But when we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. It is that new creation that will live for God.
[8:28] It is the nature of the new man to live for God. It is his nature. And so we can live for our God.
[8:42] He says to present our bodies a living sacrifice. Holy. Our God is holy. And he expects us to live a holy life.
[8:54] Acceptable unto God. You know, if we're not living a holy life, we're not acceptable to him. That is why he says it in this way, I believe. To live, to give ourselves a living sacrifice.
[9:08] To live for our God. A holy life. And then we will be accepted of our God. And he says it is only your reasonable service. This is nothing unreasonable.
[9:20] This is nothing uncommon. It is only our reasonable service. Because our Lord Jesus gave his life for us.
[9:35] Be not conformed to this world. You know, this world. It honors self.
[9:46] It honors humanity. It honors other powers than the power of God. He tells us to not be conformed to this world.
[10:00] But to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The renewing of the mind. It happens when we're born again.
[10:11] When we're born again. And we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. All things pass away. And all things become new. We have a renewed mind.
[10:23] We can live in that renewed mind. But there's always a choice. And we'll be talking about that as we go along. But the big problem.
[10:35] The big problem today is that people want to live in that old instead of the new. That is why it's a continual living sacrifice.
[10:49] It's a continual thing of daily taking up our cross and following our Lord Jesus. Daily, continually giving ourselves to him.
[11:04] And laying down our own agenda. Laying down our own will. Laying down our own selfishness. Laying down our own. Laying down our own.
[11:14] Laying down our own. He says, be transformed. You know, the old man, the old mind, that carnal mind, it tries to reform itself.
[11:30] It tries to reform that it can be pleasing to God. But it's impossible. That old carnal mind, it's impossible.
[11:43] You cannot please God. You know, while we're talking about it, let's just look in chapter 8. In chapter 8 here, he says, Verse 6, To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
[12:05] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[12:20] You know, it's that old carnal mind that tries to reform itself. So humanity, you get pricked in the heart.
[12:31] You become convicted of sin and of a life of sin. But instead of dying, it tries to, it tries to make a compromise. And it tries to reform and it tries to live a godly life.
[12:46] It tries to live, you know, by the law of God. That's what it tries to do. You know, we can keep all the commandments, but they will not bring life.
[13:05] They will not bring life. Jesus said in John 6, 63, It is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.
[13:21] The letter killeth, but the spirit bringeth life. And so it's that old carnal mind, the one that needs to be nailed to the cross and die with Christ, that mind will try to reform itself and to become pleasing to God.
[13:39] And it can never, it can never do that. It can never be pleasing to God. In chapter 6 and verse 6, he says, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[14:01] Verse 11, Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[14:12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead and your members, as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[14:37] For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace. We are not under the law. We are not under grace.
[14:47] We do not keep the commandments just because the Bible said this is a commandment that you have to keep. But we keep the commandments because we are a new creation in Christ and the new creation will live for God.
[15:04] It will live for God if we will crucify the old and keep it on the cross. And so, that was just a glimpse of why the apostle wrote here, I beseech you therefore.
[15:25] You know, God has made these provisions for us. He has made these provisions for us. And so, I beseech you therefore that you give yourself a living sacrifice and that you, that your mind is transformed, that you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
[16:00] You know, that old mind, it can never please God. But the new mind, if we will, if we will live by that new man, if we will live by that transformed mind, by that renewed mind, then we can live in the will of God.
[16:27] Verse 3, For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[16:51] So he says here that he is talking and he's writing this letter and he's saying and what he's doing, what he's saying is by the grace of God, the grace that is upon him.
[17:08] And he admonishes us. He says here, To every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
[17:23] You know, I find that this is one of the greatest temptations, one of the greatest areas where people fail is that we think ourselves more highly than we ought to think.
[17:45] We allow a root of pride to rise up within us. You know, we think we have the answer. We think we've got it now. We think we think God used us and so now I'm better than my fellow man and on and on.
[18:03] It's just an endless list of things that the enemy will bring to try to get us into this trap of thinking more highly than we ought to think.
[18:17] But he says to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[18:27] for as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another.
[18:42] I think we'll leave that there and we will continue on elsewhere. But God God has given us salvation he has given us the power to live a victorious life.
[19:05] He has given us what we need through Jesus Christ to overcome.
[19:17] And in Romans chapter 1 in verse 16 he says verse for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
[19:45] I am not ashamed of the gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel. And why are we not ashamed of the gospel? This gospel this gospel that we preach this gospel that we have here in this book called the Bible this gospel it has the power of God it has the power of God to deliver humanity it has the power of God to bring us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus Christ it has the power of God to live in victory over our enemy it is the power of God unto salvation it is not just the power of God to what to live a life struggling in sin it is the power of
[20:54] God unto salvation the power of God unto victory I believe we'll go to chapter seven you know this is a chapter that I don't go to very often but I believe that this message today would not be complete without looking at this we'll just look at the last half or so of this chapter verse fifteen for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I if then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good now then it is no more
[21:58] I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not you know you know I believe that the apostle wrote this because this is where so many so many people live it is where so many professing Christians live they live a life of defeat they live a life in sin and then every evening they confess their sin and they think they're okay they think they're on their way to heaven but we'll talk about that as we go on here he says that which
[22:58] I do I allow not what I would that do I not I don't you know he's saying this is this is I believe where many Christians so called Christians are living they don't want to sin they say they don't want to sin but somehow they cannot come to victory somehow they just keep on living that life and in living that life they make excuses for it verse 18 for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwell no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if
[24:00] I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me for I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death you know if we would stop there at the end of verse 24 it would look very hopeless would it not but today we have hope and today we can find the power of God remember that verse we just read in chapter one that this gospel it is the power of
[25:05] God unto salvation to everyone that believeth this gospel is the power of God not to bring you into a defeated life but to bring you into a life of victory to overcome our enemy to live a life in victory over that old life and that old self verse 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord he asked the question who shall deliver me from the body of this death and then he says I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is where the victory is it is in Jesus Christ yes it is so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin you know that old flesh it cannot serve
[26:11] God that old flesh that old car mind it cannot be subject to God and we're going to read that in just a little bit so the victory is to keep that old man on the cross and to live in the renewed mind chapter 8 verse 1 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit you know how many times have you heard this verse people love to quote the first half of this verse and say there is no condemnation there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and then they want to stop and they don't want to quote the rest of it but the rest of the verse that the first part of this verse does not work without the rest of condemnation to those that are in
[27:21] Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death you know you know we're never our own man either we're under the law of the spirit or we're under the law of sin and death you know the only way to be set free from the law of sin and death is to be under the spirit of God and to be under the law of the spirit of God that is the only way that is the only way to have victory over the law of sin and death and to be set free from it and if we are under the law of the spirit then we're walking after the spirit and we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh
[28:24] God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh I believe what he's saying here is that you know humanity has always made excuses humanity has always made excuses to justify a life of sin to justify their pet sin to justify a life that is not in victory that's what humanity has always done well God he sent Jesus to this world and Jesus did not come into this world as God but he came here as humanity he was flesh and blood just like you and I and he was tempted in all points like you are and like
[29:24] I am yes he was but it says here God sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh how did he condemn sin in the flesh by living a sinless life by living a life unspotted from the world and and by doing that he proved to humanity that we can live a life above sin that we can live a victorious life by the power of God that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit you know the law it was a school master to bring us to
[30:30] Christ how's that the law was was put in place to show humanity that we can never in our old self we can never reform and keep the law to a point that we can go to heaven that we are are living a spotless life it's impossible that old that old man that carnal mind it can never please God it can never live a life pleasing to God 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 see that let's think back in chapter 7 a man that he couldn't do the things that he wanted to do and the things he didn't want to do that's what he did you know it is when you don't you don't crucify that old man when you let him down off the cross and you give in to him that's how it goes if we are living in the old man we will live for the flesh but if we are living in the new man we can live by the spirit of
[32:06] God to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be it's that old Adam that old Adam he can never please God he can reform himself all he wants and he can keep all the laws that he can possibly keep but he can never never please God you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you if any man have not the spirit of Christ is none of his and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness you know many people many people will will say well they're a new creation they're a Christian they're born again but then they justify living that old life and living in sin that is not the plan of
[33:28] God we'll see that and we'll see the answer to that in verse 13 let's go back and read verse 11 but if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you just think of this the same spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead the Holy Ghost the spirit of God it it had the power to raise up Jesus from the dead and that same spirit now dwells in us as believers he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for for if he live after the flesh he shall die but if he through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body he shall live for as many are led by the spirit of
[34:48] God they are the sons of God he gives us the answer here he tells us how how it needs to be done if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you will live you know you know it's you have you have both natures inside of you and which one are you feeding which one are you allowing to have the upper hand are you keeping that old nature on the cross are you keeping it crucified dead with Christ or are you feeding it are you allowing it to have its way are you giving in to it you know if you if you keep the old nature if you keep it dead if you keep it on the cross keep it in the grave but you feed the new man then it will rise up and it will it will be able see here it says through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body we do that it's up to us through the power of the spirit of
[36:08] God to do that to live our life for our Lord Jesus a couple verses in Galatians actually I want to read quite a few you can turn to Galatians chapter five verse 13 says brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another you know we see this we see this all over we see many people using the liberty of the Christian life for an occasion of the flesh but let's start reading in verse 16 this I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh remember the verse we just read in
[37:12] Romans as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God here he says walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh if we walk in the power of the spirit of God then we will keep that old flesh on the cross we will keep him under and we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the flesh lust is against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would so we're back this here is here is again describing what we just read in Romans chapter 7 but these two are at enmity against each other that old flesh and the new man born of the spirit of
[38:17] God they are continually against each other yes and the one the one that you decide is the one that wins if you keep that old man dead if you do not feed that old man and his lust he will grow less and less powerful he will lose his strength if you feed the new man by the word of God and the spirit of God in prayer and in reading you feed him he will grow in you verse 18 but if ye be led of the spirit ye are not under the law now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revelings and such like of which
[39:33] I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God you know he starts here he's got a whole list that we would maybe throw together into into one word and that's lust lust you know there's we live in a time and you know I think I think these evil spirits have worked here in the world for thousands of years but yes things are a little different now than they were with all the modern gadgets and so on but the spirits of lust they have been here and they have worked and they you know you might say well I'm not guilty of adultery or fornication but how about uncleanness how about some of these other things and then next is idolatry you know idolatry something that that takes the place of
[40:49] God or something that that in your mind it changes God into a God that accepts sin in your life how do you see God is he do you see him in his holiness do you see him as the almighty God do you see him as the creator of of all things witchcraft sorcery any power that is outside of the power of God any spiritual power that is not of God is witchcraft and this world is full of it this world is full of powers of witchcraft things that that
[41:55] Satan has brought to deceive humanity trusting in anything that is not of God hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions divisiveness division working against the unity of the spirit of God it comes from self it comes from Satan that old self life that wants to exalt itself it brings these things yes it brings these things and he has this whole long list and then he says in such life he's saying
[42:57] I can't even name them all but there's so much others so much else that is included in all of this anything that is not of our God anything that is not of the spirit of God is in this list as they that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law you know the fruit of the spirit is is that what is evident out of your life you know fruit is something that grows out of life and if we have the life of
[44:03] God if we have that new life and we live that new life then this is the fruit that will automatically grow in our life verse 24 they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust you know just a very simple straightforward statement if we are Christ if we are his son if we are his daughter if we belong to him if we have that new life then we have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust we are not allowing those things anymore we're not allowing them any place in our life let us not be desirous of vainglory there's that that thing of pride again desiring vainglory desiring to to be promoted desiring to be above others yes
[45:27] Peter says that we no longer live after the lust of men but to the will of God is that our life is that is that describe us Colossians chapter three if ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God you know you know being born again is just the beginning being born again is starting off in the kingdom of
[46:27] God being born again gives us that new life but he says here you know and we run into it we read it how many times but here it is again if you're risen with Christ then seek those things which are above just another just a different way to put it if you're risen with Christ then seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth mortify that means to put to death just like we read in
[47:33] Romans that we put to death that old life we keep it under we put we crucify it daily we put it under we keep it dead mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth and here we have that that same list again pretty much fornication uncleanness inordinate affection affection evil concupiscence covetousness which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience let's remember that when you're tempted remember this that the wrath of God comes upon those that live in disobedience those that allow sin in their lives in the which ye also walked some time when ye lived in them but now put off all these and and he goes through another list but then in verse 10 and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him hallelujah put on that new man that is created after the image of our
[49:03] Lord Jesus our Savior our Lord yes hallelujah how is your life today how is it are you mortifying the deeds of the body through the power of the spirit are you trying to be spiritual are you trying to live a life pleasing to God you know when you put that old man to death that that new man can live you can live a life pleasing to our God that is the only way we live a life pleasing to God the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death have you been set free have you been set free today are we still struggling are we still struggling are we still living in
[50:31] Romans 7 or have we found new life in our Lord Jesus you know there's a simple little statement it's so true is that which tries to be is not just think of that a minute that which tries to be you know if you are trying to be a Christian that means you're not a Christian but when you have surrendered your heart life to the Lord Jesus and that old man has been has died with Christ then you can live the new life by the power of the resurrection of our
[51:32] Lord Jesus Jesus the life of Christ is it real have old things passed away have all things become me this power of the gospel like Romans 1 16 says it is the power of God unto salvation it is the power of God to make you a new man it is the power of God to deliver us from self and from sin it is the power of God to give us a renewed life it is the power of God to live this new life it is the power of
[52:34] God to live in the power of his spirit and to live in the new life how is it with us today let's pray Lord we thank you Lord that you have not called us to live this life in our own strength but you have called us to be a new creation in Christ Jesus and you have called us to live in the power of your spirit to live not according to the letter of the law but to live in the power of your spirit above the law thank you Lord Lord might this be a reality in each one of our life Lord that we will fulfill all your will in our walk here on this earth in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation in the midst of the darkness of this world
[53:50] Lord might we be the light might your light the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ might it shine through us out to a lost in a dying world Lord Lord help us that we will find life Lord that we will not try to give life to the old to reform it into something acceptable but to live a transformed life by the power of your spirit we pray in Jesus name amenи v will saja n le понятно in mis il no