Here in Romans chapter 7, we're just going to go verse by verse and finish this chapter here this morning as we're going through Romans.
And, you know, the name of the sermon is the flesh versus the spirit.
The flesh versus this spirit.
And this is something this chapter brings up where it's comparing the two.
And it really starts at the beginning of the chapter,
but it's going to use an example to help us understand some concepts later in the chapter.
So the first point is on marriage.
He's going to talk about marriage for a little while here at the beginning, okay?
Now, I want to spend some time talking about this first verse to make sure you understand this.
Notice what he says at the beginning of Romans 7 verse 1.
Know ye not, brethren?
Okay?
Now, brethren is referring to save people, right?
He's talking to brothers and sisters in Christ.
So he's saying, know ye not, brethren?
Notice this, for I speak to them that know the law, okay?
The law is referring to God's law, not man's law.
He says, I'm speaking to you that are saved and you understand God's law.
You say, why does he say, for I speak to them that know the law?
Because if you remember in earlier chapters, he brings up unsaved people a lot, right?
I mean, remember he talks about reprobates at the end of Romans 1.
Then he talks about general unsaved people, and he kind of brings them up a lot.
But now he's saying, you know what?
I'm speaking to save people.
I'm not speaking to unsaved people.
I'm not speaking to reprobates.
I'm speaking to brethren.
People that know the law, people that are saved, people that understand these things.
You say, why?
Because unsaved people do not understand God's law.
They do not understand the words of God, okay?
It will go straight over their head.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness onto them.
So he says, I'm speaking to you, brethren.
I speak to them that know the law.
How that the law, referring to God's law,
hath dominion over man as long as he liveth, okay?
The law has dominion or domination upon us.
Verse two, 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 loose from the law of her husband.
So in verse two is saying, when you get married,
you are bound by the law to that spouse till death do us part, okay?
This is what God is speaking about here.
So he says, you get married,
and then the wife and the husband are bound to each other,
not to anybody else, right?
In better or worse, in sickness and health till death do us part, okay?
Only for each other, the Bible teaches.
So basically, unless a death takes place,
the law has you in bondage to that.
You must stay married to that person, okay?
Verse three, so then if while her husband liveth,
she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress, okay?
So basically, if you decide to marry somebody else,
it's adultery according to the Bible.
You say, why?
Marriage is till death do us part.
This is God's law.
This is not man's law.
Now, this is like the one country divorce is illegal, okay?
Everywhere else in the world though, hey, you're free to get a divorce.
You can get a divorce and you can get remarried.
In the US, divorce happens half of marriages.
It happens all the time, okay?
But in God's law, he condemns divorce, okay?
You're supposed to stay married to who you get married to.
So in verse three says, 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.
So look, when you get married, you're making a big commitment and a big decision.
It is till death do us part according to the Bible.
But let's say you get married and you don't want to stay married anymore.
Well, if the divorce takes place, it's no longer a binding contract.
You can marry somebody else, okay?
If a death takes place, because it's till death do us part,
so if somebody dies, you can remarry, okay?
Now, if they don't die though, you're supposed to stay married to that person.
You say, why is he bringing this up?
What does this have to do with the flesh versus the spirit?
Well, let me read you an article from Wikipedia about ancient Rome.
Because you can understand what he's talking about
when you understand what was going on in Rome during this time period.
During this time period, divorce was very common, very common.
I mean, according to this article, and obviously I don't live 2000 years ago,
but divorce was happening like every other day.
People would be married to somebody one month, get a divorce,
they're married to another person a month later.
It was a madhouse, okay?
Lawful divorce was relatively informal, meaning it wasn't like a big production.
You didn't have to have a reason to get divorced.
It was just kind of no big deal.
Hey, I decided I wanted to divorce my wife today, so okay, we're done.
It was very informal.
No big deal, okay?
The wife simply took back her dowry and left her husband's house.
So you're married and then the wife leaves the house
and all of a sudden the marriage is over.
That's how simple it was in ancient Rome, okay?
Roman men had always held the right to divorce their wives.
Apatia Familius could order the divorce of any couple under his manners.
According to the historian Valerius Maximus,
divorces were taking place by 604 BCE,
which BCE is actually BC, before Christ.
You can change it to before common or current era,
but you're still basing it on the date of Jesus Christ.
BC is before Christ.
So 604 before Christ or earlier,
and the early Republican law code of the 12 tables provided for it.
Divorce was socially acceptable
if carried out within social norms.
So it was no big deal.
People got divorced, people accepted it.
No big deal.
You don't want to stay married, just get a divorce.
No big deal.
By the time of Cicero and Julius Caesar,
divorce was relatively common and shame-free.
It wasn't an embarrassment.
No big deal to get a divorce according to this.
The subject of gossip rather than a social disgrace.
So basically you show up to church and a divorce happened.
Oh yeah, that's kind of funny.
It wasn't considered a disgraceful thing, right?
It was just something people gossiped about.
And then it says a man could also divorce his wife for adultery,
drunkenness, or making copies of the household keys.
Now this is Wikipedia.
Now I don't know if they're being literal there.
Like, man, I came home, my wife made a copy of the keys.
It's like, all right, it's over.
It's done.
It's just like, you know, I don't know if they're being like,
you know, symbolic or metaphorical or just kind of being expressive.
But basically, you know, divorce was very common in Rome
and that should not surprise us because, you know, sodomy was very common
and it was like a free love society.
I mean, basically people were, what we would say in America,
kind of like swingers.
Where basically they trade partners all the time and everything
and not be loyal to their own partners.
Wicked society, Rome.
But doesn't it make sense why he says at the beginning of the chapter,
I speak to you that know the law?
Because all these unsaved people,
they're not going to get what I'm preaching about.
They're going to think it's crazy.
I mean, till death do us part.
I mean, what in the world?
My wife made copies of the household keys.
I want a divorce, right?
It's over.
The world wouldn't get that.
And look, in our world today,
there are certain things that we preach that the world doesn't understand.
They don't get God's law.
They don't get why I preach against the LGBT.
But you know, you read the Bible, you're like,
hey, I get it.
I know the law.
Hey, I know Genesis 19.
I know Judges 19.
I know why you preach against these sins.
I know why you preach against drugs and alcohol.
The world doesn't get it.
Hey, no big deal to just go out, have a good time,
and just drink a little alcohol.
But see, you that know the law,
you understand why I preach against it.
See, the world did not understand during this time period
because divorce was just no big deal.
Just really common.
Not staying loyal.
Look, the Bible says when you get married,
you're meant to be only with that person forever, right?
And in God's perfect law,
what was the penalty for adultery?
The death penalty.
Say why?
It's a very painful sin.
You're destroying your life
and destroying the life of the person you're married to.
It's wicked.
It's an evil sin.
And people want to reject God's law
and they want to take man's law
and they wonder why things don't work out.
Look, if we would adopt God's law,
our lives would be so much better, right?
And so the Bible's saying, you know what?
I speak to them that know the law.
He's saying, you know, I'm not speaking to unsafe people
because they're not going to get anything I'm talking about
when I'm using an example of marriage.
And he's using this example of marriage
to drive home a point about salvation.
Okay, now go to Romans 7.
Notice what it says in verse 4.
Romans 7, verse 4.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law
by the body of Christ.
So Jesus Christ died and paid for our sins.
And when you get saved,
the Bible uses this terminology of being, you know,
married on to Christ.
We think of like the bride of Christ and things like that.
Obviously, this is just an example.
Obviously, he's not being literal,
but what he's saying is,
I expect your full commitment to me,
not to anybody else.
It doesn't matter what your old religion was.
It doesn't matter what you used to believe.
You get married on to me.
Look, I demand you to be loyal to me, right?
And when we get saved,
we're meant to be living sacrifices.
Our lives are to be devoted to the things of God.
Now, an unsaved person, they don't understand those things.
They don't understand these things we preach.
But look, when you get saved, you are married on to another.
You become dead to the law.
You are now married on to Christ, the Bible says, okay?
That you should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit onto God.
So look, when you get saved,
the new thing in life is this,
you should bring forth fruit onto God.
What's that referring to?
Soul winning.
Brother Stuckey, why do you always talk about soul winning?
Well, we're just going verse by verse.
I mean, if you have another interpretation
of bringing forth fruit onto God,
I mean, go for it.
But, you know,
the fruit of the righteous is the tree of life,
and he that win its souls is wise.
It's referring to bringing forth fruit onto God,
duplicating ourselves as saved people.
You say, why?
As a church, that is what we're about.
Getting people saved.
Now, look, we understand, you know,
we need to teach the word of God.
We need to read the Bible.
We need to become, you know,
educated on the things of God.
There are so many things to do serving God.
But the whole purpose of this church
is in order to get people saved.
Bring forth fruit onto God, it says in verse four.
Now, an unsaved person, would they understand that?
Absolutely not.
Because an unsaved person can't get people saved.
But as a saved person,
now that you're married onto Christ,
now he says, you know what?
Before you couldn't bring forth fruit onto God.
Now that you're saved,
bring forth fruit onto God.
Verse five.
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 onto death.
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.
Now in verse six, he says,
we should serve in newness of spirit.
He does not say you will serve in newness of spirit.
That is a big difference.
He says you should serve in newness of spirit.
Look, when you get saved,
you're married onto Christ.
You're adopted into his family.
You are his child.
You're meant to serve God.
And when you got saved,
that made sense to you.
You understood you're becoming a child of God.
You're receiving everlasting life.
And what does a parent expect of their children?
Obedience.
God expects you to obey what he says.
I mean, doesn't it make sense
I expect my son to obey what I say?
Because I'm his father.
Just as God expects us to obey him.
Now the world doesn't get all the things we preach about.
Why?
Because they don't know the law.
They're not saved.
They don't understand the things of God.
Look, I assume everybody
or almost everybody in this room is saved.
I mean, you say you believe on Jesus Christ.
So look, you can understand this.
You're meant to live your life
devoted to the things of God, okay?
Now look in your Bible at verse number seven.
So number one, we see the example of marriage.
He talks about marriage to drive home the point
that when you get saved,
you're meant to be devoted to the things of God.
You're meant to be devoted to Christ.
But let's also see the majesty of the law.
We saw marriage.
Let's see the majesty of the law.
That God's law is majestic.
Now number one, I want you to understand
underneath the majesty of God's law,
God's law teaches us right and wrong.
God's law tells us what is okay and what is not okay.
Verse seven, what shall we say then?
Is the law sin?
God forbid.
So he asked this question, is the law sin?
Is it wrong?
He says, God forbid.
Of course there's nothing wrong with the law.
God's law is perfect, okay?
Go to Matthew 19.
Matthew 19.
Matthew chapter 19.
Look, God's law is always perfect.
Man's law is not always perfect.
Everything in God's law,
everything in Leviticus,
everything in Exodus,
everything in Numbers,
every single verse, every single line,
it is perfect.
It is correct.
It is accurate.
Now you might not understand why it's accurate.
You might not understand why the Bible says something,
but it says it for a reason.
God's law is perfect.
There's nothing wrong.
There's nothing sinful about God's law.
Matthew 19.
Let me give you an example of this.
And we just talked about marriage,
and then Jesus speaks about marriage in Matthew 19.
And basically he spoke about staying married
to the person you get married to.
And here's the reaction of the people he's preaching to in verse 10.
His disciples say unto him,
if the case of the man be so with his wife,
it is not good to marry.
Now, what are they saying?
Well, they're saying, man,
if I'm supposed to stay married forever,
why would I even get married?
I mean, I don't want to be committed my entire life to somebody.
It's like, man, marriage sounds like a bad thing
if, I mean, I got to carry around this old ball and chain forever.
That's the reaction.
They think, oh man, marriage is a bad thing.
You should be able to get divorced left and right.
No, they're saying it's not good to marry.
And what does Jesus say in verse 11?
But he said unto them,
all men cannot receive this saying,
save they to whom it is given.
He's saying, yeah, you know what?
Sometimes you preach the word of God
and some people don't agree.
They don't like what's said.
And he said, you know who it's given to?
Those that actually just listen to what God says.
Those who say, you know what?
I want to see what God says and I'll believe it.
I'll accept it.
Okay.
And so what's the problem?
Is it man's law or God's law?
It's man's law.
Man's law is not the, or man's law is the problem.
God's law is perfect.
Okay.
Turn to Romans seven, Romans seven, Romans seven, Romans seven.
Look, I don't, I don't think people realize, you know, how painful it is,
especially if you have children.
Right.
You know, it's different if it's before you have children.
But look, when you have children, those children love mom and dad.
And look, it will pain.
I mean, I remember I was a kid one time and, you know,
my parents would kill me if I told this story.
But my parents were really good parents and everything.
And they did a really good job of never, you know, fighting in front of us,
never argued in front of us and everything like that.
And look, that's a good marriage tip.
Don't argue in front of your children.
Don't argue in front of other people.
Right.
But I remember the last time I've ever heard them arguing in front of us as children,
because it was a painful experience for me because I was like, you know,
I don't know, six or seven years old or something like that.
And my parents got in a disagreement about something.
And me and my sister were in the room and everything.
And they were disagreeing and everything.
And I just started crying.
I was like a six year old kid.
I just started crying and crying to the point where it's just like everybody just stopped
and just looked at me because I was crying so much.
My face was just sobbing and everything.
And I was just crying out, you're going to get a divorce.
You're going to get a divorce.
And my parents like, no, no, we're not getting.
I said, no, no, my friend at school.
I said, my friend at school, his parents said the same thing.
They got in a fight.
They said, no, mom and dad love each other.
We're never getting a divorce and everything like that.
And then one week later they got a divorce and I'm just crying and crying.
I mean, that was the end of the fight.
The fight was just over and everything.
And they just hugged me and consoled me and everything like that.
But just the thought of it in my head, because I love my parents.
I mean, I love both my parents.
I couldn't even imagine not being around my parents.
And look, you have to realize that, especially when you have children,
it's like those children are dependent upon mom and dad, right?
Now look, there's been so many studies that have done
and the secular world doesn't like this.
But the truth is a truth that kids do much better
having both mom and dad around the house.
They become much more intelligent, less likely to do drugs.
They end up making more money, less likely to smoke,
less likely to go to jail.
Just go down the whole entire list.
The importance of having both mom and dad there for the children.
Romans 7, verse 7.
What shall we say then?
Is the law sin?
Is there something wrong with God's law?
Is the law wrong?
Is it sinful?
Does it need to be adjusted?
I mean, we're in modern times, Brother Stuckey.
Do we need to change God's law to modern times?
I mean, because we've got all these sodomites out here.
We need to change God's law to let them get married.
Is the law sin?
Is there anything wrong with God's law?
God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law.
For I had not known lust, except the law said,
Thou shalt not covet.
What Paul the apostle says is, you know what?
If it were not for God's law, I would not have even realized
it was wrong to covet something that didn't belong to me.
Didn't we talk about that in the last sermon?
About how covetousness is a root cause of envy?
Now the Bible says, Thou shalt not covet.
We know that's wrong.
But think about this.
Some sins like murder, it's inside of you that you know that's wrong, right?
Stealing something from someone, it's inside of you know it's wrong.
But just desiring something that doesn't belong to you,
it doesn't really feel wrong, right?
I mean, murder would obviously feel wrong.
You would feel guilty about it.
But you know, sins like coveting, it doesn't really feel wrong,
like stealing or lying, right?
But according to God's word, thou shalt not covet.
And Paul says, you know what?
God's law is great because it's teaching me things I didn't know.
I thought this was okay, but God told me it's not okay.
I thought this was the way to live my life.
It turns out this is the way to live my life.
There's nothing wrong with God's law.
There's a problem with man's law
and the brainwashing we've had from the world.
There's never a problem with God's law.
He says in verse eight, so number one,
when it comes to the majesty of God's law,
the law teaches us right and wrong.
What is a sin?
Sin is the transgression of the law.
You break God's law, okay?
So sin is when you break God's law, that makes it wrong.
But I want you to understand also about the majesty of God's law,
the law condemns us.
God's law condemns us.
It makes us guilty.
Verse eight, but sin taking occasion by the commandment,
rotten me all manner of concupiscence.
For without the law, sin was dead.
You say, what is concupiscence, brother Stuckey?
Concupiscence is basically strong desire, okay?
Oftentimes it's associated with sexual desire,
but notice how it says all manner of concupiscence.
So I think it's saying any sort of wrong,
strong desire is what he's trying to say,
not just in a sexual way, okay?
Verse nine, for I was without the law.
For I was alive without the law once.
But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Now why does he say I was alive without the law once?
What he's talking about here is the age of accountability, okay?
He says I was alive without the law, like a two-year-old.
A two-year-old is alive and on their way to heaven.
If they were to die physically, they would go to heaven.
But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
You become spiritually dead when you reach the age of accountability.
A baby from the womb does not need baptism.
Over their head to go to heaven.
They are alive without the law.
It doesn't matter what they do, they will go to heaven.
My son could do whatever he wants today and he will still go to heaven.
Why? He is alive without the law.
But when the commandment comes, sin revives and he dies.
Once he's at an age to comprehend these things and understand these things,
then he needs a savior.
Just like Adam and Eve, they were alive without the law once.
They ate the fruit, the commandment came and they died.
Now they needed a savior, okay?
So look, obviously we know babies go to heaven when they die.
Why? Because of the fact you're alive without the law once, okay?
Verse 10.
And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death.
And Paul the Apostle is stating in verse 10 that God's commandments are good.
They're perfect.
There's nothing wrong with them.
There's nothing sinful about them.
And yet he was saved and on his way to heaven until those commandments came.
And they were ordained to life, but it made him spiritually dead.
See, God's commandments actually bring you life.
You say, what do you mean by that?
Look, when I preach a sermon against doing drugs,
if you actually apply it, it's going to give you a much better life.
It's going to fulfill your life.
It's going to get rid of a lot of your problems.
If I preach about being a hard worker, it's going to get rid of a lot of your problems.
And God's book actually provides life.
We're not referring to eternal life.
We're referring to a better life, less problems,
the God fulfilled life where you're serving God.
And look, God's word provides that.
You come to a church like this and guess what?
It can fix your life.
Say, Brother Stocky, I've got lots of problems.
We all do.
Look, I'm not perfect.
I get up here and yell and everything like that.
But you know what?
I struggle with a lot of the things I preach about.
God's law actually provides life for us.
It's a good thing.
There's nothing wrong with God's word.
Okay, but God's law does condemn us.
You say, why?
All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.
So if you told one lie in your life, you're guilty.
So look, every single child, you know, yes, they go to heaven before they reach that age.
But yeah, once they reach that age, they're guilty.
You say, why?
Kids are malikot.
Kids are makulit.
Okay, every single one of them.
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, the Bible says.
Okay, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with God's law, right?
I mean, there's this attitude.
Well, let's just, you know, what if people never heard about God's word?
Did they get a free pass into heaven?
What about if you go to some deep, dark jungle in Africa somewhere?
Do they get a free pass into heaven if they've never heard about Jesus?
Well, the Bible says God's word is actually written inside of their hearts.
And yes, there are certain commandments like thou shalt not covet where you need to see
what the Bible says and hear it preached to get that.
But look, inside of their own hearts, they know certain things are wrong,
and they're doing what's wrong.
Now, they are not old enough when they're one year old to comprehend all of this stuff.
But once they reach that age, which could be five or six, depending on the person,
they need to get saved, even if they've never heard about Jesus.
Why?
Because they're guilty, right?
Imagine you're going on vacation, and you went to a country,
because there are countries in the world where, you know,
being a homo still punished with the death penalty.
Imagine going to a country where, you know, it's punished by the death penalty.
And imagine, you know, that you went to a country or imagine somebody.
Don't imagine yourself.
Imagine some wicked, filthy, disgusting person went to a country where they actually put
you in jail or gave you corporal punishment or something like that.
And you did not know it.
You're just on vacation.
Imagine you did it in that country.
Okay?
And you did not know it was illegal.
What if you get arrested and you tell the policeman,
I didn't know this was wrong?
You're still guilty.
It doesn't matter if you didn't know it.
Because you go by the laws of that country, whether you realize it or not.
And it doesn't matter who you are in this world, whether you realize it or not,
the laws are built inside your heart, given from God.
This is not four and a half billion years old this earth.
We were created by God and you're expected to obey God's laws, whether you believe in
Him or not.
It doesn't matter whether you believe in some other religion.
They're not the true God.
You can believe in Buddhism all you want.
The true God is our Lord and Savior.
Right?
Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty.
You must obey His laws.
So look, the commandments do make us guilty.
Okay?
Verse 11, for sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceive me and by it slew me.
Okay?
Now notice verse number 12.
Verse 12, because he just talked about how God's law condemns you and makes you guilty.
And people have this attitude.
Well, it must not be good then.
What does he say in verse 12?
Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy.
God's words are holy.
We've seen this recently.
There is none holy as the Lord our God.
God is the holiest God.
All these other gods are a joke.
They're laughable.
Our God is a holy God.
God's word is holy.
Okay?
And the commandment holy and just.
What does just mean?
It means fair.
It means correct.
It means right.
It means appropriate.
God is the just judge and His laws and His punishments for breaking His rules.
They are always correct.
They are always perfect.
Now, sometimes you see certain sins in the Bible and you see the punishment by God
and you say, that doesn't make sense to me.
It doesn't matter if it makes sense to you.
It doesn't matter if you understand it.
What matters is God says it.
Don't wait to just believe things until you understand them.
Because you know what?
There's a lot of the Bible you'll never believe then.
You must just follow God's word whether you understand it or not.
Say, I don't know why God commands me to read the Bible every day.
Well, it doesn't matter if you understand that.
Just read it every day.
And once you do, you're going to say, okay, I get it now.
And the way God works is you just follow what He says and then it makes sense afterwards.
You're like, okay, how foolish was I, right?
That's the reality.
God's laws are perfect.
Now, you see certain sins and you might not understand why there's a harsh punishment.
What you must understand is every single sin you commit always...
Because you might say, Brother Stuckey, I'm doing this one thing wrong in my life.
I'm not harming anybody else.
I'm just harming myself.
That's what you think, right?
Buddhism basically teaches that as long as you're not harming somebody else,
you're not doing anything wrong.
You know, a sin is when you harm somebody else, right?
And people say, well, I'm doing these things that are wrong and I know they're wrong.
I know God says it, but I'm not harming anybody else.
And shouldn't a punishment happen if you're harming somebody else?
Sin always harms.
No matter what the sin is, you are harming other people.
You say, Brother Stuckey, I'm the one smoking the cigarettes, nobody else.
Yeah, you're teaching your kids it's okay to smoke.
You're destroying your health and you're going to leave this earth at a young age
with children that don't have a father.
Yeah, you're harming other people, my friend.
Even something as small as smoking a cigarette.
Any sin you commit, you're harming other people.
You say, Brother Stuckey, you know, me being addicted to pornography,
how's that harming anybody else?
I'm not even married.
Yeah, but what about when you get married?
What about when you get married and you've already destroyed your marriage
because of the fact you were a teen with nothing to do,
sitting around at midnight getting in trouble?
You are harming other people always when you sin.
It does not matter what the sin is, you are harming other people.
Especially, especially if you have a family.
Especially if you're married with kids.
Every sin you do harms other people.
And so you say, why does God have a punishment for this?
Because you're hurting other people.
See, God's law protects people that are doing what's right.
And when you sin, you are harming other people.
So God is protecting them.
That's why there's a punishment.
God's laws are just.
They are fair.
And it says in the commandment, holy and just and good.
Everything in God's word is good.
Everything is perfect.
Okay, turn to Micah chapter two.
Micah chapter two.
Micah two.
See, every law in God's word is good.
It's perfect.
It's correct.
It's just.
It's great.
Is every law that the government comes up with in any country, is it correct?
Are they always good laws?
No, there's a lot of laws out there that are not good, right?
See, God's laws are when you are willfully choosing to disobey God's commandments.
And you end up harming other people because of your sin.
So it makes sense.
God says, you know what?
Hey, these are my laws because you're harming other people.
But there's a lot of laws that are in countries that just don't make a lot of sense.
Okay, notice what it says in Micah two verse seven.
Micah two verse seven.
O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straightened?
Are these his doings?
Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
See, God says this, you know what?
Don't my words do good if you're doing what's right?
If you're walking uprightly?
If you're obeying God's word, his words do you good.
Look, every word in this book does me good.
You say, why?
Because as long as I'm not committing these sins, why does it bug me?
Right?
I mean, if you have the death penalty for thou shalt not kill.
Hey, that does you good if you're not a murderer.
You say, why?
It protects you.
From murderers, right?
I mean, God's word actually protects you if you're doing what's right.
And look, God willing, that would always be the laws of a country.
That's not always the case, though.
See, God's word is meant to protect you if you're doing what's right.
It protects you from, I mean, laws against, you know, robbing and kidnapping.
Hey, I have young children.
I like God's commandments against kidnapping.
You say, why?
I'm never going to kidnap anybody.
But I want to protect my own kids.
And look, and as we talked about on Wednesday, during the millennial reign of Christ,
it will be God's laws.
And you know, it's going to be a peaceful place.
We will be protected from violent, evil, wicked people that would do wrong.
So look, if you're walking uprightly, God's word does you great.
You don't have to get offended at the preaching.
Right?
I mean, who gets offended against the preaching against Vice Pange?
Well, people that are homos.
I mean, if you're not a homo, it doesn't really affect you.
Unless you got some brother or cousin or close friend.
And it's like, you know, it's not going to affect you.
Right?
And it's like the people that get offended by God's word are the people that are guilty.
That's the reality.
God's word does you good if you're walking uprightly.
Now, don't misunderstand me.
I mess up every day and I make mistakes.
And look, you know, there's punishments when you do what's wrong.
Now, I will say this.
There's a difference between something that's a sin and something that is punished by God.
Okay, murder is punished by the death penalty in the Bible.
Telling a lie is not punished by the death penalty.
It's a sin, but it doesn't mean you're going to spend...
Well, first off, there is really no prison that God actually has in the Bible.
That's a whole other sermon.
Okay, but there's no punishment for stealing in God's law.
If you...
I mean lying, there is for stealing.
If you tell a lie, yeah, it's wrong.
But, you know, if you teach your son about Santa Claus, is it wrong?
Yeah, it's wrong.
You're lying, but you're not going to be punished by God for it.
Okay, so once you understand, there is a difference between sinning
and then sins that will get you punished.
Okay, there is a difference.
But look, sins that get you punished are bad sins, right?
Murder is a pretty bad sin.
Kidnap is a bad sin.
Rape is a bad sin.
Okay, all of the sins that give you a big punishment,
those are ones that deserve the big punishment.
And you know what?
They protect us because hopefully none of you are doing those things, right?
I mean, a lot of those things are like reprobate type things,
and then other ones are just violent, wicked, evil things.
And it's like, yeah, you know what?
If you're doing what's right, though, you don't have to worry.
God's law actually protects you, okay?
Turn to Romans 7, Romans 7, Romans 7, Romans chapter 7.
You know, an example of this, and I'll use an example in the US, okay?
Where there's this woman recently, it was in Ohio,
and she was at like a baseball game or football game.
And she has asthma.
She has trouble breathing normally.
So she didn't wear a mask because it was dangerous for her.
I mean, it's literally dangerous for her to wear a mask.
And she told the policeman that.
And this is a woman, and she's tased and arrested by this cop
that's like three times her size, right?
And it's just like she said, you know, I have asthma.
So it's like dangerous for me.
And look, that's the case for some people, right?
I mean, the health departments have determined that for very young children,
it's actually dangerous for them to wear a mask.
Now, look, I've preached on the other side before.
I'm given a proper balance here.
I preach we should try to obey the government,
and I still teach that.
I still believe that.
But, you know, there's a difference between the spirit of the law
and the letter of the law.
God's law is meant to protect you if you're doing what's right.
Look, working on the Sabbath day was punished by the death penalty
because it represented the Lord Jesus Christ and the rest when we get saved.
But aren't there exceptions to working on the Sabbath day
when someone's life was in jeopardy?
God's law always protects you.
It does you a benefit, okay?
And if man creates a law that actually puts you in danger,
there's a problem with that law, okay?
Then it would no longer be binding, okay?
And so if somebody has trouble breathing naturally
in that specific case in the US, yeah, if I was her,
I would have said, yeah, I mean, biblically,
because the letter of the law is exactly what the Bible says.
But what's the intent or the spirit of the law, okay?
God's laws always do us good, though, if you're doing what's right.
Romans 7, verse 13.
So we saw the example of marriage.
We saw the majesty of God's law.
Now let us see the match between the flesh and the spirit.
Romans 7, verse 13.
Was then that which is good made death unto me?
God forbid.
But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good,
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
When we're preaching God's word,
we must make people understand that sin is exceeding sinful.
You don't preach light on sin, like, yeah, I mean, you know,
kidnap is a sin, but everybody sins.
No, make sin exceeding sinful.
And look, if you ever become a preacher or a pastor
and you're not willing to get up here and preach hard against sin,
then tell me that ahead of time so I don't ordain you, right?
It's like, you better get up here and rip on sin and teach people the word of God.
You say, why?
My job is not to be well liked by everybody at this church.
Now, look, I hope people are my friend.
I hope people like me.
But you know, the truth is that when you preach the truth,
a lot of people get mad at you.
A lot of people don't like it.
Look, we've got a pretty decent sized church,
especially if you're being less than two years
in the crazy last eight months or whatever it's been.
But let me tell you something.
This church could get a lot bigger than it is now.
I'd have to change the preaching, though.
I'm not changing the preaching.
It's like, you know what?
When you preach God's word, you must make sin exceeding sinful.
And you know, people get mad when the preacher
goes a little bit overboard in their own mind.
I would rather be at a church where the pastor
goes a little bit overboard than underbored, right?
I'll give you an example.
I had an old church that I was at in West Virginia,
and the pastor preached a sermon.
And I do not agree with this, okay?
I do not agree with what he preached, but it did not offend me.
He preached and said that he thought that it was a sin
for a guy to be in front of his son without his shirt on.
He said he would never be without his shirt on
in front of his son, okay?
Now, I don't agree with that.
I don't think it's biblical.
I don't know of a verse that would support that.
But I was like, you know what?
I'm glad I have a pastor that preaches hard against sin.
He takes modesty very seriously.
And look, I didn't have a reason to get offended
because I said, well, I mean, I don't agree with him.
So it's not like I'm doing something that I know is wrong
and he's stepping on my toes.
I didn't agree with him.
But I'd rather be at a church like that
where he took strong stands against stuff.
I was like, yeah, praise the Lord.
There's a pastor that's willing to preach hard
and offend people if he thinks it's what the truth is, right?
Why would you get offended if you're at a church
because you think the preacher preaches a little bit too hard?
You're only going to do that if you're guilty of certain things.
That's a reality.
And look, I'll be honest.
I have been in churches and everybody gets offended from time to time.
Look, if you've been at this church for two years
and you've never been offended by anything I've said,
if you've never had even a slight bit inside your heart that said,
Brother Stuckey shouldn't have worded it like that.
You're a liar.
Right?
Senua Lincaba, right?
It's like, come on.
You've been offended by something I've said.
And here's the reality.
I'm sure that if I was a member, I'd hear certain things and say,
man, I wasn't, you know, I should have been kinder when I said that.
I didn't quite say it like I wanted to.
It's like, get up here for three hours a week and preach.
50 weeks in a year.
I mean, 50 weeks, 150 hours, two years, 300 hours.
Preach for 300 hours.
Preach against sin and tell me you won't offend people.
Everyone's going to get offended from time to time.
I mean, it's reality.
And look, it is what it is.
That's the job you're signing on to when you're going to be a preacher.
I mean, even when I was at Verity Baptist Church,
there was sometimes Pastor Menes preached something
and something inside my heart, I got a little bit offended.
But here's the reality.
It's because I was guilty.
Right?
That's why you get offended.
And so, look, if inside your heart you're upset,
why don't you just take a look at what I'm talking about
and look at what the Bible says and say, you know,
am I mad at Brother Stuckey or am I just mad at what the Bible says?
And he's just preaching what the Bible says.
Notice what it says in Turn to First Corinthians three.
First Corinthians.
Actually, look at verse 14.
Romans seven, verse 14.
For we know that the law is spiritual, God's law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Okay?
Now, this is a tough question.
Be prepared.
Was Paul the apostle saved when he was writing the book of Romans?
It's not a trick question.
He was saved, right?
He was saved.
And yet what does he say about himself?
He says, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal.
Okay?
Now, look, I was a math major.
I wasn't a grammar major, but I am is present tense.
Right?
Am I correct?
I am not.
I was.
I am carnal.
You have a saved person who says right now, I am carnal.
You say, what does carnal mean?
Well, I mean, think of the word carne.
Just means the flesh.
He still has a flesh.
He still has a body.
He's not dead.
Okay?
He says, I am carnal, sold under sin.
So Paul, as a saved person says, I am carnal.
So let me ask you a question.
Is it possible for a saved person to be carnal?
According to Paul, the apostle, it is Roman 7 14.
He says, I am present tense.
He saved and he's carnal.
Okay?
All that means is you're walking in the flesh.
Now turn to first Corinthians three, first Corinthians three.
You see, there's a popular doctrine from the Calvinists called lordship salvation.
Say, brother, you preach on this all the time.
We're going verse by verse.
My friend, we're going verse by verse.
I'm not intentionally preaching a sermon against Calvinism because I hate that doctrine so much.
It's just what the Bible is talking about here in Romans 7.
Okay?
And there's two different things I want to help you understand something.
There's a doctrine that says you have to repent of your sins to be saved.
That is a false doctrine.
That is work salvation.
God saw their works that they turn from their evil way.
Look, a drunk does not have to quit drinking to be saved.
You do not have to quit your sins to be saved.
Because what must I do to be saved?
And they said, believe.
So when someone says you've got to repent of your sins or basically change your lifestyle,
it's work salvation.
Lordship salvation is not the same as repentance of sins for salvation.
It's worse.
Lordship salvation is repentance of sins on steroids, my friend.
You say, what is lordship salvation?
Lordship salvation means that at the moment you get saved,
you 100% submit your entire life and your mind and your will to God.
Just your 100% just boom, you submit to him as the Lord of your life.
Okay?
You say, but what about all those verses that just say believe?
Look, I was at a church where the pastor was a Calvinist and a heretic,
which I did not know when I was at the church.
And you know what he preached on to defend that was, you know, he said,
what about Acts 16?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here's what he said.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lordship salvation.
Yeah, it's believe, but believe on the Lord.
It's like, it says believe.
It's like, what in the world?
It's like, that was his defense.
He's like, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
I was like, what in the world?
And it's like, hey, your old pastors that your Bible
baptism might not have said that, but that's, that's what they were teaching.
Most of them.
I mean, most of the Baptist pastors I know here in the Philippines are Calvinists.
And so, look, lordship salvation is worse than repentance of sins.
I mean, even people that teach repentance of sins for salvation.
There's a famous IFB pastor in the US named David Cloud.
Does anyone know David Cloud?
Way of life magazine.
Very famous.
You saw hands go up in this room.
Now he is the most boring preacher that has ever existed.
Worst preacher.
I mean, very boring.
I mean, when I first got saved, because I was trying to listen to all this preaching
and he had a series on eternal security.
As a newly saved person, what topic do you really care about?
Eternal security.
He had a five-part series.
I was like, man, I'm going to learn this.
I'm going to write this down and everything.
And I'm just like, I mean, it's like 2 p.m.
It's like in the middle of the afternoon, I'm just like, very boring.
Okay.
Now you say, why are you making fun of him?
He's a heretic.
Okay.
He teaches you must repent of your sins to be saved.
Work salvation.
Jonah 3 10, many verses, right?
But, you know, he believes that lordship salvation is work salvation.
Why?
It's not just repenting of your sins.
It's submitting your entire life to God.
It's a lot more extreme.
This is what Calvinist moment of salvation is.
You can go online.
I've listened to John MacArthur before, and I assume this is his testimony.
He goes on about for eight minutes, the testimony of John MacArthur.
He was like a teenager or 20 years old.
He's inside of a car going like on the highway or something.
An accident happens.
He goes flying from the car and he survives.
And he says, I submit to you, God.
There's his salvation, right?
To be saved, you must be thrown out of a moving car at 60 miles per hour.
It's like, do Calvinists ever have like a normal testimony of salvation?
It's always this over the top, ridiculous garbage.
It's like, man, you have a preaching conference of Calvinists.
You got John MacArthur up here.
I got thrown from a moving car.
The next guy stands up and he's like, man, I was inside of a plane 5,000 feet in the air.
It exploded and I fell to the ground and I survived.
And I said, God, I give you my life.
That's barely an exaggeration.
It's always these ridiculous stories.
Look, physical salvation is not spiritual.
Just because you didn't die in a car crash,
that doesn't mean that you spiritually got saved.
But they teach that salvation is you submit to God of your Lord of your life.
You make him the Lord of your life.
So they don't even teach you that you need to hear the gospel
because it's just about whether or not you're willing to submit to him as Lord.
Here's the question.
Is anybody 100% submitted to God as the Lord of their life?
Are you perfect is another way to say that question.
Are you perfect?
I mean, do you just wake up in the morning and you're like,
man, I can't wait to pray for two hours.
Can't wait to read the Bible for two hours.
I can't wait to just be nice and never upset.
And, you know, yes, sir.
And, you know, everything like that.
No, it's ridiculous.
None of us have fully submitted ourselves to Jesus Christ as Lord of our life.
And if we had to do that, none of us would be saved because we still sin.
Okay.
Paul said he was carnal.
He said, what does it mean to be carnal?
First Corinthians three, verse one.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Here's another question.
Okay.
I know this is a tough one.
The Church of Corinth, do you think this was similar to like,
you know, the Catholic church or some cult or something,
or you think it was save people?
Is Paul writing a letter to just, you know, this reprobate type church?
No, it's save people, right?
The Church of Corinth is filled full of believers.
Otherwise, why would he be writing a letter to them?
Why would he have started a church that's a Catholic church, right?
And so, look, he writes to them and he says, you know what?
He's like, I can't speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal.
What does it mean to be carnal?
A babe in Christ.
Now, a babe in Christ is like a newborn Christian.
Not saying one year old, but spiritually speaking.
It's like you just got saved last week.
Think of a baby in this world and a baby Christian.
They're newly saved.
He's saying this church is filled full of people
and they might have been saved for 25 years,
but what I see are baby Christians.
Baby Christians.
And what he says is that is carnal, okay?
You say, why?
Well, think about babies, okay?
Now, look, when my daughter gets hungry,
what do you think she does?
Crying out.
When I get hungry, I don't cry out like that, right?
Your baby wakes up in the middle of the night.
You know, my son is not a morning person, okay?
One day, you know, 10 years from now when he's, you know,
he'll listen back to these sermons like, dad, you preached against me, right?
My son is not a morning person.
I mean, he wakes up and he's like, oh, you know, crying and everything,
waking up and everything like that.
Hopefully, if you're an adult, when you wake up, you don't do that.
Hopefully, you don't just cry and whine and throw the, right?
It's like, look, there's nothing wrong with babies doing that.
You expect that from babies because, you know, babies are going to grow
and mature and things like that.
But wouldn't there be something wrong if you're 25 years old doing that?
And that's what Paul's saying about the Church of Corinth.
It's like, good night, man.
You got saved in the 1980s.
Why are you acting like a two-year-old?
It's like, why are you acting carnal?
You're acting like a little baby, just complaining about everything.
That's what he's saying, okay?
You say, what does that mean exactly, acting like a baby?
Well, verse two, I have fed you with milk and not with meat,
for hitherto you're not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.
So according to verse two, what do you feed babies?
Well, you feed the milk, not meat.
Obvious, right?
Babies get milk, not meat.
They're not ready for meat.
They cannot digest meat.
And look, if you're a baby Christian,
you can't digest the deep things of the Bible.
You need the basics, okay?
And you could have been saved for 20 years,
but you could still be a baby Christian,
which means you need the basics before you get the deep things of God.
Verse three, for ye are yet carnal.
Why are they carnal?
For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions,
are ye not carnal and walk as men.
See, according to this, if you are envious and you have strife
and you have divisions, you're like a baby Christian.
You're walking as men.
You're walking in the flesh.
Now, doesn't this make sense?
Because if you have kids and they're playing with toys,
isn't it true kids get envious at the other kids sometimes
because they have the toy they want?
I mean, they have 25 toys, but you gave one toy to this other baby.
And then they're complaining about one toy.
Isn't that true?
Now, once again, we expect that with babies, right?
With adults, it's ridiculous.
And that's what Paul is saying.
I mean, envy and strife.
Isn't it true that young children often get mad at each other very quickly
and stuff like that?
Yeah, we expect it from babies, not adults.
The Church of Corinth, though, they had all kinds of problems.
They had envying and strife.
And look, I wrote this sermon months ago when I memorized Romans 7.
And it just happens to tie in with the other sermon series.
I guess it's of God.
But look, if you're carnal, what that means is you're full of envy
and strife and divisions.
What that means is you're walking in the flesh.
What it means is you're a baby Christian.
Is it possible for someone to be saved for 10 years and be a baby Christian?
Absolutely.
Because spiritual growth is not automatic.
You say, how do you grow spiritually?
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow.
You need the milk of God's word to grow.
If you never read the Bible, you never hear any preaching,
you're not going to grow.
That's what the Bible says.
So look, you can get saved and never read the Bible.
And you're going to be a baby Christian.
You're probably going to be someone who's complaining and whining.
I mean, that's the reality.
Now look, as a church, I show you a lot of Bible in every sermon.
I don't think there's any question about that.
But you can only grow so much in one Sunday.
I mean, you can only grow so much in two sermons.
I mean, I do my best to make lunch really late.
And it's like preaching, preaching, short lunch, soul winning, right?
You can only grow so much in one day.
How healthy would a young child be if they ate one day during the week?
They ate for one day.
It's like, well, I'll just go to a buffet.
I'll go to a buffet and just eat a lot of food.
And then for six days, I'll be fasting.
How well are you going to grow?
It's going to destroy your health, right?
We need God's word every single day.
And if you don't, you're going to be a baby Christian.
But let me ask you a question.
Is it possible, according to 1 Corinthians 3,
to be a saved person that is carnal, a saved person that's a baby Christian?
Yes.
All that means is you haven't grown much spiritually.
And the only way you grow, he commands you as newborn babies desire,
as newborn babies desire.
He's commanding you to desire God's word.
It does not come automatically.
You must make that choice according to the Bible.
Go back to Romans 7, Romans 7, Romans 7.
But the Calvinists say, well, there's no such thing as a carnal Christian, right?
The most famous teacher of this was R.C. Sproul.
Who knows R.C. Sproul?
R.C. Sproul.
And so R.C. Sproul was a famous Calvinist.
And he's actually a Presbyterian.
He's a baby baptizer.
He believed in infant baptism.
And so I like to call him R.C. Sproul.
Roman Catholic Sproul is an accurate name
because he always preached against the Roman Catholic Church.
It's like, you're still Roman Catholic, buddy.
You're still baptizing babies, right?
Where did you learn that from?
Roman Catholic Sproul.
But his big thing was this.
His big thing was there's no such thing as a carnal Christian, right?
This guy went to seminary.
There's this clip we had in our old Verity Channel
before it got taken down years ago.
And he was in seminary.
He was at a Calvinist seminary.
And he said, there is this question that just broke out around campus.
And everybody was on different sides of the fence on this question.
He's like, is it really possible to be 100% for sure you're on your way to heaven?
That was the big question no one could answer at seminary.
It's like, good night.
Why are you in seminary if you don't know that you're going to heaven?
It's like that you may know that you have eternal life.
But here's the problem.
Calvinists don't judge salvation based on what they believe.
They judge it based on their works.
That is the evidence according to Calvinists.
So look, it is not possible to know you're going to heaven.
It is not possible to be 100% for sure you're on your way to heaven
if you truly believe in Calvinism.
Because inherently in Calvinism, it teaches it's impossible to know.
Because the proof is your works.
And look, whenever you talk to these people, they will say, well, I'm one of the elect,
but it is possible because it's possible to think you're one of the elect and deceived.
It is possible.
I think I'm one of the elect, but I'm actually deceived, but I'm not deceived.
I can promise you I'm not deceived, but it is possible someone doesn't think they're
deceived and they are deceived.
Now, you'll never catch them just kind of outright saying that.
But I mean, if you've listened to look, I've listened to a lot of hours of Calvinists,
you know, to know against them.
They all believe it is impossible to know you're going to heaven.
What does that tell you?
It means they're not saved.
If you believe in Calvinism, you're not saved.
Why?
It teaches it's impossible to know you're going to heaven.
And they teach, well, you can't be a carnal Christian because if you really get saved,
you're going to have the works and you're going to live the spiritual life.
You will not be carnal, according to them.
But didn't 1 Corinthians 3 and Romans 7 talk about being carnal?
Paul said, I am carnal, present tense, not I was carnal.
You say, why?
Because when you get saved, the flesh doesn't disappear.
Look, this is not my spirit up here.
This is not just my body.
What you see right now is my flesh.
My body didn't disappear when I got saved.
I still have my flesh.
Okay, what happens at the moment of salvation is not that the flesh changes or goes away.
What happens is you are indwelled with the Spirit of God.
But the flesh didn't change.
Look, if a drunk gets saved later today, someone who drinks alcohol every day,
and he hears the gospel while he's sober and he gets saved,
realize he is still a drunk right after he gets saved.
You say, why?
His flesh is still addicted to alcohol.
Someone who's a drug addict, meaning addicted,
when they get saved, that addiction doesn't magically go away.
It's still there.
You say, why?
The flesh didn't change.
Someone who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day,
hey, if they get saved today, they're probably still going to smoke two packs of cigarettes.
Now, Lord willing, they'll come to church and their lives will change and everything.
But look, your flesh doesn't change when you get saved.
And look, if you're trusting in your flesh to save you or that it's going to save,
you're trusting in your own flesh.
You're not trusting in the flesh of Jesus Christ that died for you.
Your flesh does not change when you get saved.
Romans 7, verse 14.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal.
So to understand, what is Paul saying?
He's saying sometimes I'm a carnal Christian.
Sometimes I'm a baby Christian.
Sometimes I walk in the flesh.
Verse 15.
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 onto the law that it is good.
You say, why does he keep using the word I?
Okay, you're like, I'm confused.
I, I, I, I, I.
What he's saying is this, you know what?
I am trying to live a good, godly life.
I'm trying to do what's right.
And my spirit wants to do what's right, but the flesh is weak.
And isn't it true that if I were to ask you in this room,
and look, we don't have an altar call, we won't do this,
but if I were to ask you at the end of the service,
who says they should read the Bible more?
If you're honest, your hand's gonna go up.
But when tomorrow starts, you're gonna have just as much trouble
reading the Bible as you did today.
You say, why?
Because the spirit's willing.
The flesh is weak, right?
That is what Paul's saying.
And here is a person who wrote over half the New Testament.
He says, you know what?
Sometimes my flesh takes control.
Sometimes I mess up.
So look, these preachers that say, well, if you're really saved,
you're gonna always be walking in the spirit, serving God,
never making mistakes.
Well, then I guess Paul wasn't saved
because Paul says, I still walk in the flesh.
I still fight against the flesh.
There is still this match, this battle of the flesh versus the spirit.
It's kind of like when you're a kid and there's these cartoons you see
where you got the good angel and you got the bad angel
and they're duking it.
You got the devil on one side.
You got a good angel on the other and they're fighting it out.
Obviously, that's not the exact same thing,
but that's pretty much what's going on.
There's this battle to control your mind
and control your actions your entire life.
Now, the main difference is this.
The devil doesn't even need to get you to sin.
Usually we just make that choice ourselves.
Man, the devil made me get drunk.
No, he didn't.
You made that choice, my friend.
Okay, so Romans 7.
But what he said in verse 16 is this.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent onto the law that it is good.
What he's saying is because I want to do what's right,
even though I'm not obeying the law all the time and I should,
it's proof that the law is good because I'm making mistakes,
but saying, hey, I shouldn't have done that.
I should have done this.
That's proof God's law is good.
Okay, verse 17.
Now then there's no more 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 the will is present with me.
But how to perform that which is good, I find not.
Now turn to second Corinthians five real quickly.
We'll look at a few places.
Second Corinthians five.
Look, I always try to not go on rabbit trails when I'm preaching against Calvinism, right?
I always try not to, but it's like impossible for me, right?
Preaching against Calvinism.
You say why?
This is the most dangerous, subtle doctrine there is, in my opinion.
Because here's what Calvinists do.
They come to a church and they pretend to be saved, but they're not saved.
They pretend to be saved.
It's like, quit lying.
Look, if you don't believe what we believe, don't lie about it.
They come to a church like, oh, I don't know, a month ago?
About a month ago?
And then you ask them point blank.
I'm like, are you a Calvinist?
And it's like, that's a yes or no question.
It's like, why does it take you 15 minutes to explain it and then not give an answer?
Just tell me, are you a Calvinist?
I was like, if you're a Calvinist, this is not the church for you.
It's like, just tell us if you're a Calvinist.
But this always happens.
They come to churches and then they're able to do this.
They'll say, no, I agree.
Salvation is just by faith.
But what they really believe is God gave them that faith.
That's not what we believe.
But they try to pretend like they believe something they don't.
Look, when I was at that church where the pastor was a Calvinist, because I'd
only been saved for a year and a half when I started going.
I preached three sermons at that church.
And guess what?
My preaching has not really changed that much.
Guess what I preached against during those sermons?
A large part of it.
Calvinism.
And all of a sudden I heard the back of the congregation from the pastor is a five
point Calvinist.
He screamed, Amen.
I thought I had no idea he was a Calvinist.
It's like, why are you lying?
It's like, he screamed, Amen, as I'm preaching against Calvinism.
He screams, Amen.
And it turns out he's a full blown Calvinist lying about it.
You say, why?
Because Calvinism is more like a philosophy.
That's what you must understand.
They can get you to reject all five points of Calvinism, but they can spread
that Calvinistic philosophy down your throat.
And that's what's dangerous at a church.
Well, we know all five points of Calvinism are wrong.
But if they get you to start having this philosophy,
oh, it all happened because of God.
It's all, I mean, God is sovereign.
Once they get you to believe that because you don't understand the end of that.
I do understand the end.
That's why you know what?
Hey, they visit our church.
They'll get a chance to get saved.
Maybe they can stay for two services.
Hey, we'll give you a chance to get saved.
But don't be talking to anybody at our church about doctrine.
Calvinism is not welcome here.
Okay.
You cannot believe in all five points of Calvinists and still be saved because it inherently teaches
works salvation in a false Gospel.
And yet they'll try to pretend like they believe like us.
They don't.
Second Corinthians 5 verse 17.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, here's a new.
This is a saved person.
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
Old things are passed away.
Behold, all things are become new.
Now, this is a common verse that Calvinists and repentance of sins preachers will use.
And they'll say, well, you know, when you get saved, you're going to start
reading the Bible because all things are become new.
Don't they say that?
If you're really saved, you're going to start praying and tithing because all things are
become new when you get saved.
Now, once again, here's a difficult question.
What does the word all mean?
Is it like, you know, just a small portion of people or everybody?
Everybody.
All.
I mean, it means everything, right?
It says all.
Does it say some things are become new in Second Corinthians 5 17?
Is that what your Bible says?
Some things are become new or all things?
All things.
See, if this verse was referring to you basically living a better life,
then you would be perfect because all things are become new.
They'll get up here and preach.
Well, if you're really saved, you're going to start reading the Bible because all things
are become new.
It's like, no, if your philosophy is correct, you'd read the Bible for four hours every day.
If all things are become new, not some things.
All things is what the Bible says.
Okay, look, when you get saved, nothing changes.
All things are become new.
What is that?
It's the new creature.
You're in dwell with the Spirit of God, but your flesh didn't change.
It doesn't say if you're in Christ, you are a changed creature.
It says a new creature.
Okay, those are different.
Your flesh does not change when you get saved.
Go to Galatians 5.
Galatians 5.
Galatians chapter 5.
Galatians 5.
There are literally people that get saved, but they go to churches that have false
preachers, and they're always scared about their salvation because the pastor is always
preaching.
If you're really saved, you're going to be walking the walk.
You're going to be living a good life and everything.
And literally, people are in these Bible Baptist churches that are saved, and they
are scared every single week.
They don't have assurance.
Look, when you get saved, you ought to have that assurance.
He says, I want you to know that you have eternal life, not to doubt, not to wonder.
And look, I've been in that situation before.
I got saved, and you know what?
I listen to a lot of IFB preaching, some very good and some very bad, right?
Because I didn't know any better at the time.
And it's like they scare you into thinking, man, I thought I got saved.
It's just by faith and everything.
But, man, he's right.
I didn't read the Bible yesterday.
So you say, well, maybe you're not saved.
That's what they tell you, right?
Look, it's heresy.
It's work salvation.
And the Bible, God says He wants you to know you have eternal life.
Galatians 5 verse 16.
This I say, then walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
And these are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would.
What He's basically saying is you have a flesh and you have a spirit.
You have the free will choice.
Am I going to walk in the flesh, or am I going to walk in the Spirit?
And if you're walking in the flesh, you become basically in bondage to that choice.
It's hard to break, okay?
You have a free will choice.
Go to Romans 7.
Romans 7.
What Calvinists teach is this.
When you get saved, you do not have a free will choice.
When you get saved, you will continually become more sanctified until the day you die.
That's what they teach.
My question is this.
If it's automatic and you're automatically going to become so godly,
why do you still sin after your save then?
It doesn't make any sense, right?
And they always make exceptions for this because Roman Catholic Sproul,
his son, Roman Catholic Sproul Jr.
Was supposed to be kind of the next head guy of Ligonier Ministries.
Turned out to be a drunk, just cheating on his wife and everything like that.
He got in trouble with a lot of stuff.
He got in trouble.
Turned out he was a wife spanker.
He spanked his wife.
It's like, what in the world?
Weirdo, right?
And this guy ended up being a drunk and screwing up his life.
He was on the Ashley Madison website, which is like an adultery or free hookup website
or everything like that.
But they said he was saved because he believes in Calvinism.
Talk about being a hypocrite.
I thought if you're really saved, you wouldn't do those sins.
Well, unless you're a Calvinist,
you get an exception to get drunk every other day, right?
According to them.
Romans 7 verse 19.
For the good that I would, I do not.
But the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now, if I do that, I would not.
It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
I find then a law that when I would do good, evil was present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
And Paul says, my inward man, my spirit wants to do what's right.
But there's the outward man, the flesh that is the problem.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Verse 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.
Oh, wretched man that I was.
Is that what it says?
Oh, wretched man that I was.
Or oh, wretched man that I am.
Because I thought the Calvinist taught that before you're saved, you're a wicked wretch.
Before you're saved, once again, I am is present tense, right?
Not oh, wretched man that I was before I got saved.
No, oh, wretched man that I am is what Paul says.
You say why?
His flesh did not change when he got saved.
Oh, wretched man that I am.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Why does he bring up his body?
His body hasn't changed.
You don't get the glorified body when you get saved.
You get spiritually saved, but you don't get the glorified body until the rapture, my friend.
And so look, we don't have a glorified body.
Our body has not changed.
Nothing has changed about your flesh when you get saved.
So you're still a carnal person.
And so look, when you're walking in the spirit, you're the spiritual man.
When you're walking in the flesh, you're the fleshly or carnal man.
And all of us, we walk in the flesh sometimes.
You say, how do you know that?
Because we still sin.
We still choose to do what's wrong.
That's proof we don't have a glorified body yet.
We still are in the flesh sometimes.
Verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin.
What are you seeing in Romans 7?
What you're seeing is there's this big match or battle between the flesh and the spirits.
Look, this will exist until the day you die.
You say, brother Stuckey, I thought when I got saved, you know, I'd start living a better
life and start being more godly and everything.
No, it's a battle until the day you die.
Now realize this, if somebody stops smoking cigarettes, their desire to smoke cigarettes
is going to slowly go down every single day they don't smoke.
It will become easier to live for God as you're continuing to live for God.
Okay, but the flesh versus spirit battle is going to exist until the day you die.
You must every single day make the decision.
I'm going to walk in the new man.
I'm going to read the Bible.
I'm going to go to church.
I'm going to pray.
Otherwise the flesh is going to win out and you're going to find yourself walking in the flesh.
Does that mean I'm not saved?
It doesn't mean that at all.
Look, if you commit sins in the flesh, that does not mean you're not saved.
You don't have to doubt your salvation because salvation is what do you believe?
Salvation is based on what you believe, not based on what you do.
But realize you getting saved is as easy as possible.
It's like eating a slice of bread.
It's like opening a door.
It's like drinking a glass of water.
But living the Christian life is that difficult.
It is a battle until the day you die.
And until you get that glorified body at the rapture, we all still have work to do.
Let's close in word prayer.
Dear heavenly father, thank you for allowing us to be here today and just getting to read your
and just getting to read your word and see what you say in Romans chapter 7.
God, help us just to understand every chapter in the Bible.
Help us to understand how free salvation is, how easy it is,
but how we will have a battle we have to face our entire lives, God.
And I ask you to continue to bless our church.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.