Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 15 - With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 15 - With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin)

Another Law in my Members

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.  (6)  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

The motions of sin which exist in the flesh, strengthened by the knowledge of the law, work in our fleshly members to bring forth fruit unto death. This is not eternal death, since justification saves us from the wrath of God and hell, but it is a functional death, meaning that we are unprofitable to God, incapable of being used by Him as an instrument of righteousness. 

On the other hand, if the second pillar of sanctification, (deliverance of the law), stands strong and sure in us, then we are married to a different husband, to Christ, and we operate under a different set of principles; not those of law, but those of grace. Actually, Paul says in Rom.7:4 that, “ye should be married to another”. The word ‘should’, is an actionable word, meaning that we could stand idle and remain widowed (unmarried), and exist in that state relying only on our justification, or we could set about to seek another husband and marry him, coming in under a new spiritual set of principles. In this state we can grow and function in the motions of obedience unto righteousness, which exist in the spirit of the mind, Rom.8:5,27, strengthened by the knowledge of the Word of God, producing in us the workings of God, to will and do according to His good pleasure, bringing forth the fruit of righteousness and godliness, even in our flesh, which is being quickened by the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, Rom.8:11.

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 14 - Psychology 101)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 14 - Psychology 101)

THAT YE SHOULD BE MARRIED TO ANOTHER

Rom.7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?  (2)  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.  (3)  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

This passage from Romans 7:1-3 uses an analogy of marriage to illustrate the relationship between the law and believers. The key message is that the law has authority over a person only as long as they are alive. Just as a woman is bound by the law to her husband while he lives, but is free to remarry if he dies, similarly, believers are bound to the law until a death takes place. The important thing to learn from this analogy is who are the role players? 

Though Paul provides context to the marriage analogy from verse 4, and before we look into it, let us consider this analogy and work out for ourselves who the role players are.

The Inner and Outer Man

Paul teaches us in 1Thess.5:23 that every person has a spirit, a soul, and a body. The body is the lifeless outer shell that connects us to the earth and allows us to interact in this realm. The spirit is the breath of God within us that gives life and makes us a living soul, 1Cor.15:45. This means that the soul, according to Gen.2:7 and Mrk.8:36, is truly what you are. The body goes back to the dust, the spirit goes back to God who gave it, and the only part that remains of man is his soul.

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

In Romans 6:1-13, Paul teaches us that in a positional (or heavenly) state, we are dead to sin, having been crucified with Christ, and that we need to accept this by faith so that as Christ was resurrected by the power of God, we too can walk in that newness of the resurrection life of Christ. In additional to coming to this understanding concerning sin, we are also introduced to the truth that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ. See these few verses to highlight the fact,

Rom.3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; …  28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. …  

Rom.6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

Though Paul expounds on this topic in chapter 7, he starts this topic in chapter 6 with another rhetorical question to counteract and neutralise the reasoning mind of believers, saying, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 12 - Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 12 - Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?)

2Cor.6:11-13  O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.  (12)  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.  (13)  Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

In the passage above, Paul is urging the Corinthians to be more open and receptive to his message. He expresses his affection and fatherhood towards them, desiring to bless and educate them, but points out that their hearts are closed and restricting them from fully receiving his teachings. Paul emphasizes that the restriction is not from his side but from their own hearts and attitude, and he encourages them to open up and respond to the love and openness he has shown, so that he can speak to them without limitations and have them receive the truth he could provide.

We have come to a point in Romans where this same open heartedness and faith is necessary to fully benefit from what Paul is going to teach us. We are about to step up in spirit. We are about to go into deeper spiritual truth. We are going to start receiving information that requires our obedience and our commitment if we are to advance in our Christian walk and in our faith. Is your heart enlarged? Make sure that in no way are you restricted in your reception of the inspired truth that Paul is about to give.

Abounding grace

We have spent time in Romans 1 to 5 concerning justification, the first part of salvation, and utterly saturated in God’s grace. If it were not for God’s grace, and the work of Christ done through grace, we as believers, would have no chance to be recipients of salvation. All the way through Romans 1 to 5, Paul has mentioned the grace of God in the gospel of His Son and our absolute dependency upon it. As a reminder, here are the verses concerning ‘grace’ in Romans 5,

Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ

Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ

Most people read Romans 6 in the context of a saved person versus an unsaved person. The saved person brings forth righteousness and lives and the unsaved person brings forth unrighteousness that leads to death. Although this statement holds true if correctly understood, the proper context of Romans 6 is that Paul is writing to the believers in the church at Rome. Paul is addressing believers here in Romans and when he talks about unrighteousness and death versus spirit and life it is all in context with believers. So, this chapter (and the ones surrounding it) concern believers and are informing them that if they live in sin, it results in ‘functional’ death, meaning that their life offers no value to God in righteousness. Let me elaborate.

Living in sin does not bring forth any fruit unto God, Rom.7:5. Why? Because the end of those things is death. Do you know what the end of living unto sin is as a believer? It isn’t hell. Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." Yes, eternal death to an unbeliever, but to quote that verse about hell is taking it completely out of its context. The end of those things for a believer is functional death. Living after the flesh and serving sin will be of no benefit to you and offer absolutely nothing unto God. You were put in Christ to live unto Him. The things that you used to do, which you are now ashamed of, what fruit did you have in them? Zero. The end of those things is death; they are of no value to God, Rom.6:21.

Our proper response to these verses is to be made free from sin. As Paul writes, "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life," Rom.6:22. When you bring forth these fruits of life, they are unto holiness, meaning they are things that God values. They are qualities in you that God finds useful to Him. And the end of that fruit is everlasting life. You are made free from sin by first believing that our legal identity before God is that we are dead to sin because God has already accomplished this for us positionally through Christ. Second that you respond as one being alive from the dead, yielding yourself in righteousness unto God, Rom.6:13, by allowing the grace doctrine to renew your mind and influence your obedience to it.

Fulfilling the law by walking after the Spirit [of the written Word]

Fulfilling the law by walking after the Spirit [of the written Word]

There is a spirit that's been given to us in the word of God, and when we let it fill our hearts, it begins to work effectually in us to free us from the law of sin and death, so that we can serve God. In Rom.8:2-4, Paul tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." The sin in our lives has already been judged, and we don’t have to carry that judgment anymore. Yes, sin exists, but we are not obligated to follow it: we are not a debtor to the flesh. God has not asked us to fix our flesh; he's asked us to reckon it dead. Quit trying to fix it. The moment we try to fix it is the moment we've given it back its power. It's dead, it's condemned; we don't have to fix anything in it.

God did this so that we could fulfill His law, which we couldn’t do in the flesh because of our sin, and now through his Spirit, the righteousness of the law is being fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The moment we try to fix our sinful nature ourselves, we lose the battle. God has freely given us the gift of life through His Son, who has risen from the dead. We need to learn how to come into union with Christ, because without this union to Christ through the written Word, we can be a redeemed soul that delights in God and wants to do God's will, yet never find the power to do what God wants. It’s important to understand how to live in unity with the Son of God through the Spirit [of the written Word], so that He can work his life in us to bring forth fruit unto God.

Present your Bodies (Part 2)

Present your Bodies (Part 2)

Until you get that glorified body, God wants your current one! What?? Why? What would God want with this weak, corrupt, vile, sinful body? The aim of this little study is to find this out.

Rom.12:1-2  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.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If you have read, understood, and received what Paul has taught you in the first 11 chapters of Romans, concerning God’s righteous wrath and what He did through Jesus Christ to justify you and quicken your spirit, you will know that the only proper, and personal response you can make to His grace and love, is to present your body as a living sacrifice to God. But what good is our flesh body to God? Paul, in Romans 3 to 8, has informed you that your flesh is corrupt and sinful and that God’s work to save you was not achieved in your flesh, but judicially in His Son. So, why is Paul appealing to you to give God your futile body? Well God has a use for it, and it is for the glory of His Son.

Righteousness and Life of Christ functional in us. (Dead to sin and delivered from the law)

Righteousness and Life of Christ functional in us. (Dead to sin and delivered from the law)

God put you under grace not so that Adam’s sin and death could continue to reign in you. He put you under grace so that the righteousness and life of His Son could work in you to produce fruit unto holiness for Him. This message provides a clear and understandable presentation of how grace works in us, and how to correctly understand the foundational concepts of Romans 6 and 7. 

I encourage you to listen to this video and learn some valuable insights of how grace changes us.

Righteousness and Life of Christ functional in us. (Dead to sin and delivered from the law)

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong?

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong?

QUESTION:

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong? Will this work, because the reality is that most people are so used to sin, they won't feel conviction or don't have that Holy Spirit guiding them because they didn't really surrender.

ANSWER:

For the most part, you are correct. Sadly, many believers are ignorant of God’s will for them and remain ‘desensitized’ to sin. People today might come to salvation, but then they do not grow up in Christ. They remain babes in Christ, carnal Christians, not growing up sufficiently to become ‘re-sensitized’ about sin and have the Word influence them beyond their carnal desires.

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

QUESTION:

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

ANSWER:

Your question takes me back to Romans 7. You are facing the same internal conflict as Paul did when he wrote the passage outlined below. Before you read it, consider that in this very passage there are some important things to learn. I will expound on them below.

Rom 7:18-24 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. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) 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. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

So, what do we learn from this that can answer your question?

Concerning SIN, the confession of sin, and defeating sin

Concerning SIN, the confession of sin, and defeating sin.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS MEMBER’S COMMENT:

We will sin until we are in eternity with the Lord, when sin will no longer exists. It’s important to confess our sins to Him daily, perhaps begin each day surrendering our will to His. It’s possible to sin less and less though…

ANSWER:

I agree that we certainly will sin less as our minds and hearts get renewed by the living Word of God and our thoughts and actions are brought under the obedience of the Word.

As concerning confession, it is good to sense remorse for sin and come to God with a contrite heart, but there is no need (or law) dictating the importance and ‘must’ regarding daily confessing our sins. Please don’t misunderstand me. I come to God with remorse and sorrow for falling in moments of weakness, but it will not affect my relationship with God if I do not confess my sins every day. Why? Because God already sees you as absolutely righteous because of Christ. His righteousness has already been applied to you. Your flesh remains corrupt and prone to sin, but your spirit is perfect in His sight. If one places oneself under a law (or under a rule) to confess sins, as with any other rule to try to work out your own righteousness, all it will do is bring condemnation. We must be careful not to have laws dictate our relationship with God. We should aim to come out from under law as children and to grow up in the truth of the Word and walk in the liberty of the spirit as sons of God. To be bound by the dictates of laws which can never be perfectly followed anyways is not the way God indented for us to walk.

Why is it that those who argue against the simplicity of obtaining righteousness never tend to strive against the simplicity of obtaining unrighteousness!?

Why is it that those who argue against the simplicity of obtaining righteousness never tend to strive against the simplicity of obtaining unrighteousness!

Have a look at these two verses in Romans 5.

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

…….

Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 

There are many people who are fully convinced of our guilt before God because of the sin of ONE man which was imputed to all of us and declared us to be sinners and guilty before God. But I find it interesting that there are very few people who are fully convinced of our justification before God because of the righteousness of ONE man which was imputed to us who believe in Him who declares us to be righteous and innocent before God.

If by one man sin came into the world and death by sin, surely it stands to reason that by one man righteousness came into the world and life by righteousness.

According to Romans 6:1, if I am dead to sin, why do I sin often times?

According to Romans 6:1, if I am dead to sin, why do I sin often times?

To answer this question, let’s have a closer look at some key verses in Romans 6 to provide the necessary context. Read the following verses below taking note at what was put to death,

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that 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.  5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Paul says, we were baptised into Christ’s death, we are buried with Him by that baptism into death, and we are planted in the likeness of His death. Now, as you read this, go ahead and pinch yourself on the arm. The pinch you felt is proof that you are still alive, right! Your body, the mortal man, is still alive and kicking, and as you rightly identified, is still sinning too. So, Paul’s statements are obviously not in reference to our mortal bodies. Well, what then was put to death? We’ll need to dig deeper.

DM#18: Our spiritual position and physical condition

Doctrine of the Mysteries #18

Our spiritual position and physical condition

Read the five verses below slowly and carefully and then compare the first two verses to the last three. There is a HUGE difference in how Paul describes the believers at Corinth.

1 Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are SANCTIFIED in Christ Jesus, CALLED SAINTS, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

1 Cor 1:30 But of Him YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, who became for us wisdom from God —and RIGHTEOUSNESS and SANCTIFICATION and redemption—

1 Cor 3:3 ...for YOU ARE STILL CARNAL. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

1 Cor 5:1 It is actually reported that THERE IS FORNICATION AMONG YOU, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife!

1 Cor 5:2 And YOU ARE PUFFED UP, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Do you notice a difference? Paul is writing to the Christians at Corinth, a city infamous for its immorality. The last three verses reveal the low spiritual condition of the Corinthians, the fact that they were still carnal Christians, full of pride and still babes in the understanding of spiritual things. BUT, Paul calls them 'saints' in the first verse! Did you get that!

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 3): Christ's Death

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 3): Christ's Death

Start with Part 1 of the series here.

Good News

All men have sinned against a holy God. Sin results in a terrible penalty--eternal suffering in hell. However, we will learn about God's marvelous love for mankind. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

The good news in the Bible is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the penalty for my sin and yours. Many people think that Christ came to earth mainly to set an example or teach us how to live. However, the primary reason for the birth of Jesus Christ was that He might die on the cross for our sins. There are many religions that claim to have wonderful teachings given by some holy man. However, only the Bible tells us that the Son of God came to earth and died for our sins. Jesus Christ "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25).

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Start with Part 1 of the series here

Penalty or Discipline?

In a previous lesson we learned that all men are born with a sin nature and that all men are sinners by their own will. Even children are sinners. They lie, cheat, steal, and hate without even being taught to do these things. Now we will consider the serious consequences that sin brings. There are, of course, natural consequences to sin. As a child our parents may spank us if we lie. If we are caught stealing, we will be in trouble according to the laws of our nation. However, the full penalty of sin is still in the future.

God is a holy God and His wrath must come upon all that offend Him. The penalty of sin is not that God will discipline us. God may discipline out of love to correct His child (Hebrews 12:6). Sin's penalty however, comes from the justice of God and is intended to punish, not correct, the sinner. When a murderer is put to death, this does not correct him, but gives to him the penalty of his sin. In the same way, there is a penalty for sinning against a holy God.

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 1): Man’s Sin Condition

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 1): Man’s Sin Condition

The Fall of Man

The first man ever to live was Adam and the first woman was Eve. They lived in the Garden in Eden. God had provided for all of the needs of Adam and Eve. They were given great freedom in the Garden. However, God put Adam to the test in one area: "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). The only restriction placed upon Adam was that he must not eat of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

God was testing Adam to see if he would obey. Adam failed the test: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6). Thus, Adam disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit.

Understanding Sin Under Grace

Understanding Sin Under Grace

When Paul tells the Roman believers, “You're not under the law but under grace” (Rom 6:14), he then rhetorically asks, “what then, shall we sin because we're not under the law but under grace?” (Rom 6:15). The answer should be obvious, but Paul hammers it down when he says, “God forbid!”

So, how do we understand this? As grace believers, do we have liberty, or is sin still sin under grace?

Yes! Sin is still sin. Grace does not redefine what sin is. In other words, lying, for example, is still wrong. However, what God’s grace does do, is free you from the penalty of death that sin demands. If you're not under the law, then the penalty of sin is not going to be imputed to you, Rom 5:13.

However, even though sins penalty is not imputed to you, and even though you won’t go to hell for it, there is a consequence. 

In Rom 6:16, Paul says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”. 

The issue of sin for a believer today is not an issue of wrong, but of relationship. You can't serve God while obeying sin! You cannot grow spiritually if you obey sin. Christ will not be formed in you. The Word will not take root in your mind. Your relationship with God will suffer. Faith will diminish. Paul informs us that sin results in death, not the eternal death, but a death to the functioning of the Word and God's Spirit within us. Sin still kills the work of the Spirit within us. On the other hand, if we obey righteousness, then the Word thrives in us, and through that Spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh.

Since we, as believers, are not under the law, but grace, the law cannot condemn us to an eternal death. However, if we choose not to be renewed and influenced by the written Word but rather to continue in sin, then we forfeit our effectual service to God, and our ‘reward’ in the ages to come! That's the issue today. It is not about losing salvation or hell. It is not about laws and rules. If you want to serve God, then know that you can't live in obedience to sin.

Learning and adapting your life to the advice in Romans 5-8

Below is a comment from a reader based on the following post: 

• https://thebigpicturelink.blogspot.com/2023/08/stop-clinging-to-law-and-get-filled.html

The message of God’s tremendous grace is easy to confuse with a gospel that allows sin without consequences. I must struggle with sin as Paul describes in Rom 7, to try to live holy within the guard rails, not swerving toward either a gospel that allows sin, nor a gospel of salvation by works.

My Supportive Comment:

If you read Rom 5–8 slowly and in one sitting, you will find that is summarizes like this:

Rom 5 - We are justified (declared innocent) freely by the blood of Jesus Christ (Rom.5:1) when we believe in Jesus, trusting in the cross work for our salvation. This salvation is unconditional and permanent. Trusting in Christ saves you instantaneously and absolutely. Why? Because our innocence is declared by God through the righteousness of His Son, and not by our righteousness. We are saved by the obedience of Christ, not by our own.

Stop clinging to the law, and get filled with the Word

Stop clinging to the law, and get filled with the Word 

Rom 5:19-21 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin and death entered the world throughout Adam's disobedience. In addition to sin and death, in Rom.5:20, Paul says, “the law entered that the offense might abound”. What does this mean? Simply this, that God gave the law for no other purpose than to reveal the sin that was already in us. Once the law is revealed, it highlights all your wretchedness! That's what Paul said in Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am…”. God's law revealed who Paul was in the flesh, and it continues even in this day, to reveal who we are in the flesh. God gave the law to reveal the sin that exists within us because of Adam's disobedience.