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Amen, Romans chapter 7, we're already up to chapter 7, it does go quickly, well I find it does anyway. I don't know about you all, but that's our Sunday evening Bible study, we're going through the book of Romans, we're up to chapter 7 and it starts with verse 1, where it says 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. 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 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. And we're going to go to the Lord in another quick word of prayer, Father, thank you for this chapter of the Bible, thank you for the many truths that are in there, please just help me to just get those across clearly, concisely, just fill me with your spirit, help me to preach boldly, help me to just preach accurately as well, and help everyone here to have attentive ears, to stay awake, to you know, just stay alert and to hear what you've got to say to them, through this chapter of the Bible today, in Jesus' name I pray all of this, Amen. Amen. Okay, so Paul is using the analogy of marriage here to compare to being unsaved and bound by the law, but there are some truths here that I want to cover fairly quickly as well, because there are some great truths in these opening three verses. Verse one where it says, no you're not brethren, for I speak to them that no the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth. If you're trying to work your way to heaven, you're basically bound by the law for your whole life, yeah, okay, just bear that in mind, and I don't think anyone here probably needs to be told that, but if you are trying to work your way to heaven, well look, the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth, so good luck with that. But let's get on to the next truth in verse two, which is, for the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to a husband so long as he liveth, but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Now, although this is obviously a comparison to the law, if you're married, it's for life, okay, if you're married, it's for life, it's not just for Christmas, it's not just, you know, until you find someone better, it's not until you start, you know, you start raring with each other, which will generally come fairly quickly, okay, that's the truth, yeah, truth of life there, marriage is for life, yeah, marriage is for life. Now, is that just for women, because here it's talking about the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to a husband so long as he liveth, but if the husband be dead, she's loosed from the law of her husband. Well, turn to Matthew 5, because this is exactly the same for men too, okay, this is the same for men, Matthew 5 and verse 27, Matthew 5 27 reads, ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery, but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Obviously, he's talking to men here, but I would say that works both ways, jump forward to verse 31, where it says, it hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement, but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. So, although the divorcing man is causing her to commit adultery, it's still adultery, yeah, and the person marrying her is committing it too, okay, that's the truth, that's what the word of God says, and in our day and age, and I imagine in most day and ages, because he's obviously preaching that 2,000 years ago, I don't think it was a popular subject, again, it's just because it's not popular, it doesn't mean it's not true, okay, the word of God's clear on this, isn't it, the word of God's very clear, people are always trying to find a way out in a loophole, and does that apply for it, no, that's the truth, that's the word of God, okay, and if you're gonna, if you're gonna, you know, live by the word of God, you have to live by every part, even if it's the bits that you don't like, go to Matthew chapter 19, Matthew 19 now, and verse 3, Matthew 19, 3 reads, the Pharisees also came unto him tempting him, and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause, and the answer said unto them, have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, putting away his divorcing here, and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh, what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder, they said unto him, why did Moses send command to give a variety of divorcement and to put away, he saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your heart suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so, and I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery, so it's not just her committing adultery, if a man marries another it's adultery isn't it, okay, and if you're you're sitting there and you're wondering what does it mean about except for fornication, fornication is basically before coming together if you find out that that for example you're marrying someone you were led to believe that that woman was a virgin, or you were marrying a man you're led to believe that man was even you could say, I would say it works both ways, but here it's saying if you if you were under that impression and you came together as married couples do and you found out that they weren't, then yes you have grounds to put them away, but it's not saying you should do that, okay, it's because of the hardness of your hearts because really we should be forgiving, should we really we should be like okay well look this is the woman I was going to marry that I love but there is that clause there, that's not that's not 10 years down the line, yeah, that's not well actually, it's not it's not 10 days down the line it's if you it's the first time you come together then okay except for the cause of fornication because once you come together and and look that's done there okay there is no there is no justification there is no further down the line divorces for anything and there is no like the model bible versions change it to except for sexual impropriety or you can just put anything into that except for like some form of adultery or something else because then well my husband looked at someone my wife looked at someone you know that was committing adultery in their heart so right grounds for divorce no that's not how the bible says it is it just a little sin is adultery just a little sin no it's punishable by the death penalty yeah okay under god's law and under the millennial reign to come is punishable by the death penalty is it just an affair affair sounds so cute doesn't it it's just an affair little affair little thing you do you know just a bit of cheating like cheating in a test at school yeah just a little bit of cheating you know a little cheat that I was back again but it's not is it it's wicked it's absolutely wicked and god hates it and adultery is wicked and look so is divorce now if you're sitting here and look we're gonna have a mix of people if you're sitting here thinking well I'm divorced what are you trying to say brother I'm not preaching at you okay like what's done is done do you know what I'm preaching I'm preaching at every single married couple here and every single single here and every single child here don't get divorced okay don't do it god hates it you're causing them to commit adultery because look it's very hard to go your life without without then another man or another woman you know whichever way that works that it's harder you're causing that by putting someone away and look they're still guilty it's still adultery okay but don't commit I was actually talking about this just just the other day and someone was saying to me they would pray that no one ever considers divorce because of what just what a mess what a heartache it is the amount it takes years off your life going through a divorce it's not just oh quick put away we just move on now look it's a big deal okay it's a big deal and everyone here any of you that that have had times that you've contemplated that that's every married couple no I'm joking I'm joking look anyone though who really you know who all kids are thinking well yeah well I'll just find something look finding someone finding someone to get married is for life it's an important it's massive okay you make sure and you look and that oh well I've got to have the perfect but there is no perfect person but you've got to make sure that when you're married that's it there is no thought about that there is no option for divorce understood and look the bible's clear about that isn't it sadly how often is that being preached it's not being preached because they're worried about offending the divorcees the second marriages and everything else the people that might fancy divorce in the future oh does that mean it's okay to come look it doesn't matter we preach the word of god don't we okay the word of god's clear there and that's a great few verses just make it really clear um go back to roman seven it says in verse three roman seven three 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 so just by the way you femme fatales here don't start planning murdering your husband okay because murder's even worse okay but at least it's on a par i don't know both have the death penalty but look really you are loose from that if they die and look anyone here that maybe is if if you can't get reconciled then it is it's a waiting game okay and look you live for god maybe your your your ex husband or wife is completely wicked well he might he might fulfill your your prayers a bit sooner rather than later with that but at the end of the day it is for life and that's what it's saying there it is for life and death obviously is the end of that life now why just a woman here why is it just talking about the woman because the analogy is being married to christ isn't it so if you turn over to ephesians chapter five obviously keep fingers in roman seven as we're going to be constantly going back there but ephesians chapter five and verse 22 a famous passage here probably probably hear this a lot phesians 5 22 says wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the lord that would solve a lot of divorces wouldn't it wouldn't that prevent a lot of divorces yeah if wives would read that and believe that and actually try to do that and not put ifs and buts in there not try and come up with reasons why they shouldn't have to just submit yeah even unto the froward yeah the men are ain't ready i see the women elbowing but look the bible's clear isn't it yeah in fact it says it three different times in the bible to submit submit unto your husbands your own husbands they're like we say many times many women are happy submitting to someone else's husband in the workplace that apparently isn't really submitted but submit to your husbands and you would have so much happier marriages if you all just said today from now on i'm going to submit to my husband you would be so much happier truly you would but how many women don't want to do that why should you submit for the husband is ahead of the wife even as christ is ahead of the church and he is the savior of the body the bible's clear there isn't it okay and and i hope all of you consider this church should be submitting to christ yeah yeah don't you think we should submit oh do we just go on yeah i don't know about this bit well yeah i'll submit to him but maybe not when it comes to the music bit because i like a bit of rock and roll and stuff as well would that be okay no you would even come here would you you'd be like what so how dare you brother here pick and choose which bits you submit to wouldn't you well how dare you wives pick and choose which bits you submit to unless it's against the word of god unless it's against the lord you submit to everything your husband tells you to do that's what the bible says therefore as a church is subject unto christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in and obviously you've heard this preached many times before but i can't help it some things in just those little bits and pieces but avoid the other things yeah just no to everything yeah in everything in everything husbands here we go husbands love your wives fancy that even as christ also loved the church and gave himself that was some love christ gave to our church didn't he every single person here that was some love he gave wasn't it he died on the cross and that would solve a lot of divorces too wouldn't it wouldn't it just if husbands actually just looked to that and went i'm gonna love my wife no matter what yeah i'm not gonna try and you know lord it over her and treat her like dirt to make myself feel happy to make myself feel stronger and tougher just love her love her whether she submits to you or not love her yeah i was clear just love your wife as christ also loved the church didn't he show us some love yeah and it's not dependent upon whether she submits it's not dependent upon whether she's a good housewife or a good mum or any of the rest of it just love her love her nourish her cherish it says it says in verse 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish so all men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself and whenever people talk about churches preach about a submitting wife they like to act as if we're just you know teaching men to be these horrible you know just just bullying men who just walk all over their wives no because the bible we believe every word of god don't we we believe as men you should be loving your wife yeah you should be like this nourishing cherishing he that loveth his wife loveth himself that's a proper love isn't it but you know what wives your your submission to your husband's has gotten it's not based on this at all does it depend on how much he loves you does it depend on how much he nourishes you or cherishes you it doesn't matter you know on how much he he loves you as his own body even if he just loves his own body and doesn't love you at all it doesn't do anything for you you still submit to it yeah bible's clear it doesn't say if there's no ifs and buts for no man ever yet hates his own flesh but nourisheth it and cherishes it even as the lord the church for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his body what a beautiful marriage that can actually be yeah you know and obviously the world has a lot to to to say about this and a lot against it and a lot of opposites but how much happier is a man when his wife just submits to him as unto the lord how much happier is a wife when a man just loves her like like jesus christ loved the church and how look it's a recipe for a really happy marriage if they both do their part great if one does their part well at least you're 50 there if neither of you do that do your part it's just going to be a wreck yeah it's going to be a wreck it's going to be a heartache it's going to be stressful it's going to be horrible for this cause shall a man verse 31 did we get there yeah verse 31 for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they too shall be one flesh this is a great mystery but i speak concerning christ and the church and that's what it's talked about here there's the uniting of a church of jesus christ isn't there a nourishing and cherishing of a church that jesus from jesus isn't there yeah jesus look he does some great stuff for us doesn't he i mean wow like you know just just in a year we've had this church you know jesus has done a lot for this church yeah he's going to continue to do that and for each and every one of us in our personal lives as well now verse 33 says nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself and a wife see that she reverence her husband okay that's a respect there as well and that's not whether or not he deserves respect because you you could always just put the bar higher and higher couldn't you okay look whether or not reverence your husband husband's whether or not she deserves it lover okay that's pretty clear and that would solve a lot of divorces go back to roman 7 4 where so the analogy there obviously is about is about christ and the church where for my brethren verse 4 in roman 7 ye also become dead to the law by the body of christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto god so if you're saved then christ death was like the death of your former husband the law his resurrected body is a new husband okay therefore we should bring forth fruit unto god we should appreciate that we got rid of that spouse that no matter what you did it just wasn't good enough yeah okay you basically you've upgraded okay you've upgraded here and we should appreciate that shouldn't we that's what it says here you know that you should be married to know him is raised to the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto god how do we bring forth three times to god go out and we get other people saved yeah we go out and we reproduce we get people saved verse five for when we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the lord did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death so being in the flesh living by the laws synonymous with being unsaved aren't they when you're unsaved the fruit of your sins is eternal death yeah the fruit of your sins is eternal death and again it's not like we said before it's not a quick dip it's eternal death verse six 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 so now that we're saved we're not trying to keep the law unto salvation are we we're serving because we want to with our new quickened spirits that's how it should be shouldn't it verse seven what shall we say then is the law sin god forbid nay i had not known sin but by the law for i had not known lust except the lord said thou shalt not cove it is there anything wrong with the law is there anything wrong with the law turn over to galatians chapter three because there are liberal christian types all over that talk of the law as if it's a bad thing don't they and and they come out with them sometimes they'd actually talk about work salvatious but they come out in terms like a legalist and oh the old testament law it's archaic oh what you're gonna carry you know you're gonna live on camels as well or something else you know you're living in that that was for the desert you know something else it's well well no the law isn't a bad thing is it you know what sort of a party pooper are you because you you you love the law god oh that that mean old strict old testament god you hear that sort of rhetoric a lot don't you yeah well that's the old testament oh well that's the old testament god even here so-called people claim to be saved coming out with this sort of rubbish well galatians 3 21 says is a law then against the promise of god god forbid for if there'd been a law which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the law so the law isn't just some random standard the law wasn't just oh just going to pick and choose some things to like be really strict about just for fun yeah well no if you kept the whole law then you would be righteous you wouldn't need a savior but can anyone keep the whole law no but the law righteousness would come by the law but the scripture have concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of jesus christ might be given to them that believe but before faith came we were kept under the law shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto christ that we might be justified by faith so firstly the law shows us our need of a savior doesn't it okay we we see it's our school must bring us to christ because we all fail by the law don't we okay the law if you know the law if you you know even just just a few of the commandments you're going to realize that you're failing yeah you're failing that you need that savior but also away from the moral law all of those sacrifices are constant pictures of jesus christ aren't they it's all pointing towards the savior right okay that's what what the law that's what what again like the the meats drinks the diverse washings the condolences all pointing towards the savior a good schoolmaster doesn't just tell you you're failing a good schoolmaster then shows you how you succeed yeah okay and that's and that's what the law does that's what that schoolmaster is doing it's showing you you're failing and then showing you your need of a savior and then pointing towards that savior at the same time verse 25 but after that faith has come we are no longer under a schoolmaster i want to say once you've graduated once you've you know you've qualified you you know you don't need that schoolmaster of the law to show you where you're going wrong yeah you're you're you're not you're no longer trying to work your way to heaven yeah we are no longer under schoolmaster that's a great eternal security verse there isn't it okay because we're no longer under that schoolmaster because we're saved yeah we're no longer attempting to work our way to heaven however you know have a futile that attempt was feet for year all the children of god how by faith in christ jesus yeah what great verse great verse by the way as well for those of you that that you know when you're trying to show people that they're a child of god it's a good verse just to you know sometimes i use that if especially if i'm talking to women sometimes as well just some people might be like oh well that sums it god how do you become a you know a daughter of god you know it's just a nice easy one um okay so not only is there nothing wrong with the law but according to galatians 3 21 it's actually perfect okay it's actually perfect so you know take that liberal christian he's got a problem with the law it's actually perfect says the new testament but so and on that psalm 19 7 you have to turn there says the law of the lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the lord is sure making wise the simple yep it's perfect it sure makes you wise that's why roman seven seven said what shall we say then is the law sin god forbid they had not known sin but by the law for i had not known lust except the lord said thou shalt not covet a lot of people could do with knowing that commandment couldn't they that's a pretty common socially acceptable sin isn't it coveting covetousness how much covetous is there everywhere you see yeah so much covetousness talked about amongst so-called bible believing christians it's coveting things coveting this and that in life coveting goods coveting other people's stuff who would do with knowing about that verse 8 says but sin take occasion by the commandment rule to me all manner of concupiscence for without the law sin was dead now concupiscence in this sense is basically carnal lust paul's saying that the law showed that he is sinful specifically with covetousness you say well to me all many concupiscence for without the law sin was dead lusting so lusting after things it's not necessarily sexual lust we always think of sexual lust with lust just lusting after things you can't have okay covetousness there verse 9 for i was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and i died now i believe that he's talking about here before he's old enough to understand the commandment i think that's what he's talking about when he's alive without the law once turn to deuteronomy chapter one when we're first born we're alive aren't we we're without sin we have no knowledge between good and evil while you're turning i'm going to read second samuel 12 23 where david said of his baby that had just died but now he is dead wherefore should i fast can i bring him back again i shall go to him but he shall not return to me this is david who spake of the resurrection of christ that his soul was not left in hell this is david that clearly knew he was saved and where he's going and when that baby had gone he knew that that he would be seeing that baby again yeah okay david knew where he was going he knew where that baby was going as well i shall go to him but he shall not return to me now deuteronomy chapter one and from verse 32 moses telling them how god won't let let basically him and most of them enter the promised land here and in verse 32 he says yet in this thing you did not believe the lord your god who went in the way before you to search you had a place to pitch your tents in in by in fire by night to show you by what way you should go and in a cloud by day and the lord heard the voice of your words and was wroth and swear saying surely there shall none of these men these men of this evil generation see that good land which i swear to give unto your fathers save caleb the son of jefferna he shall see it and to him will i give the land that he has trodden upon into his children because he has wholly followed the lord also also the lord was angry with me for your sake saying thou also shalt not go in him neither but joshua the son of none which standeth before thee he shall go in there encourage him for he shall cause israel to inherit it pay attention now versa no moreover your little ones which he said should be a prey and your children which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil they shall go in there and unto them will i give it and they shall possess it so god had said that their children could enter the promised land because when the adults were unbelieving murmuring complaining all the stuff we see the children had no knowledge between good and evil right those children had no knowledge between good and evil interestingly the promised land is sometimes like a picture of heaven as well but regardless he's saying they had no knowledge between good and evil the children turn to matthew chapter 19 well you turn i'm going to read matthew 18 through it says and and said this is jesus talking verily i said unto you except ye be converted and become as little children you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven now of course there's a humbleness required too for salvation but when you're converted you become sinless as a child in god's eyes don't you you become as a sinless child as a little child matthew chapter 19 and verse 13 says then were they brought unto him little children that he should put his hands in them and pray and the disciples rebuke them but jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven now while you're there i'm just going to read quickly the luke version where they're described as infants luke 18 15 and they brought unto him also infants that he would touch them but when his disciples saw it they rebuked them but jesus called them unto him and said suffer little children to come unto me so he he then he's calling infants little children notice that suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is a kingdom of heaven so we're seeing them described as little children also as infants now what's an infant well it's not necessarily just a baby in first samuel 15 you don't have to turn it when being commanded to wipe out the wicked nation of amalek saul is sold first samuel uh first samuel 15 3 now go and smite amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass so there's a difference between an infant and a suckling right suckling being basically a nursing child nursing baby so the infant there is then a little child yeah little children we've seen used interchangeably so what age is a child still alive until basically because that's the question everyone has don't they well i believe it's until they have a knowledge between good and evil until they have that knowledge roman 7 9 said for i was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and i died i think it's when they fully when they understand fully they understand the commandment yeah but here's an interesting thing when a child really understands that it's a commandment of god and they understand the repercussions and they understand god's word and they understand what that is i would say they can also understand the gospel yeah yeah they can also understand the gospel so there are no excuses then are there because you're oh what about those poor children look they can understand if their parents have decided to not to basically reject christ yeah whatever point up those generations and they're having children they reject the lord they reject the things they've got they're not interested and they don't want the gospel they don't want salvation it's not god's fault that when they've got to that point where they under they can understand they understand what it is that they're not being preached the gospel but for we as christians every single parent here has that responsibility preach your child the gospel when they're able to understand yeah don't risk it preach your child the gospel and keep preach your child the gospel make sure they understand look just just because they they seem to understand it at four five six preach it regularly yeah just make sure they understand it look if they're coming out soul winning with you they're going to hear the gospel a lot and it's going to be pretty hard not to understand it unless you're literally preaching just in i don't know outside jewish synagogues and and mosques you never actually get a chance to actually preach the gospel at all though they sometimes like to get you to do it just to waste your time but point being look preach your gospel to your kids make sure they understand the gospel yeah um okay back back to back to verse 10 there of roman seven and the commandment which was ordained to life i found to be unto death okay because all have sinned to come short the glory of god haven't they for sin take occasion by the commandment deceive me and by it slew me because the wages of sin is death where for the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good nothing wrong with the law right it's us and the problem nothing wrong with the law verse 13 was then that which is good may death unto me god forbid but sin that it might appear sin working death me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful it's a sin not the law that's the problem isn't it and the sins worse when the commandment is in front of us by the way that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful okay to look if you know you know to do good and you do it or not yeah it's sin it's sin isn't it and here if you know clearly that you're sinning and you still sin it's exceeding sinful yeah exceeding sinful no when you know you've got the word of god you look to whom much is given much to be required you go to a church where the word of god is preached yeah you go to a church where you know the word you've got the king james barber you know it's the word of god you know you can trust every single word can't you you can trust every word of this book anyone thinks that they can't trust every word they need to go back to the greek that they they need to compare it with with a few nivs and rvs and did anyone think that here i hope not okay so if you don't you know that you've got the word of god you know that it's there it's in front of you you can study it you can look at it you're going to hear it preached so you have no excuse do you yeah and then it then look when you're willfully sinning it's exceeding sinful okay look everyone sins i'm not saying that you don't but what i am saying is when you're just willfully just like yeah i don't fancy look i know i should be doing this i'm going to do this anyway because that's what i want to do that's exceeding sinful god looks down and sees that he says that's exceeding sinful where are we again uh verse 13 yeah okay so over to verse 14 for we know that the law is spiritual but i am carnal sold under sin and here is a problem for every saved christian we still have our sinful flesh don't we okay we are we are carnal we are still carnal and it was no different for the apostle paul was it no no different for the apostle paul arguably the greatest new testament christian the apostle paul the great yeah what about what about john about what john about was actually old testament really wasn't he okay so the apostle paul the greatest new testament christian said this for that which i do i allow not for that i would that i do not but what i hate that do i so i hear that the apostle paul said that instead of doing things that he should do he does the things that he hates yeah even the apostle paul was saying things like why did i say that yeah but in mouth times the apostle paul had those times i believe why did i do that i really wanted to do right i really wanted to treat that person nicely then and why did i do that he probably had times like that why didn't i do or say that why didn't i do that why have i chosen that why am i why didn't i think about that you know the apostle paul had that you know the apostle paul had foolish thoughts yeah look we're in good company let's put it that way yeah you're all in good company there okay so look when you sit there and look it could be hard con it because sometimes you come to a church you come to a church and like i've said many times people have you know their church face on don't they yeah you should do yeah you should be coming here and just bearing your sin to all and you know just just like comparing how wicked you've been that week okay you shouldn't be doing that so in general people are going to be there with their church face and trying to trying to just you know be as righteous as they can and everything else look obviously we don't want to be holier than ours okay so let's not go too far with that because then you start making people feel really insecure but people can can't they they can be around the church and start to feel i'm the only one oh man i'm so wicked i can't believe why do i do this or well they're much better than me all of those people and but is that the truth look the apostle paul said that which i do i allow not for what i would that i do not but what i hate that do i and look we're in good company and everyone else everyone in this room has moments like that and times like that verse 16 if then i do that which i would not i consent unto the law that it is good and by the way when you start to fill out you can go one or two ways then you can either improve yourself or you can just start to hate everyone in church and start to just hate the other people and start to get angry with the other people and start to get irritated by the other people or get competitive and try and appear to be something you're not obviously we want to we want to make sure we don't have that in the church either we want to be honest but we don't have to be bearing everything but we also don't want to be trying to be the ultimate holy and like i've talked about before really boasting yeah trying to find a way of slipping in little comments to make yourself sound great make your wife or your husband sound great and everything else because ultimately you end up with them some insecure people in the church yeah who aren't walking around telling you how they read the bible for the 30th time this week or who aren't walking around telling you about the 20th salvation they got in the week and look and the rest of it so we want to just be real don't we real honest you don't have to bear every sin but we want to be honest at the same time as well and not try and puff ourselves up because people get sucked in by that unfortunately okay so he said if then i do that which i would not i consent unto the law that it is good because being saved and having the holy spirit doesn't mean that you're just going to automatically do the right thing but the law is still good isn't it i consent unto the law that it is good the law teaches you right from wrong yeah that's that's why we have it that's why we still really that's why because it's going to guide us isn't it because if we leave it to ourselves and how we feel we're going to get it all wrong yeah the heart is desperately wicked and seeped above all things isn't it verse 17 now then it is no more i that do it but sin that dwelleth in me when you're saved you become a new man okay i think everyone's aware of that don't have to turn second corinthians 5 17 says therefore if any man be in christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things have become you right perfection no no because we still have our sinful flesh we still have our sinful flesh and we have that battle every single day don't we verse 18 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 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 dwelleth in me i find then the law that when i would do good evil is present with me it's like a rule of the christian life is it that when you're trying to do good things that sinful flesh is just waiting to bring you down yeah when you're trying to do the good stuff that flesh is just waiting to ruin it waiting to bring it down that's why first corinthians 10 12 out of turn there says wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall yeah so don't start i'm doing well with this i really resisted the flesh today this week this month i've been doing pretty well look take heed yeah okay because it's just waiting to bring you down verse 22 for i delight in the law of god after the inward man that's a new man but i see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members that's the old man a wretched man that i am who shall deliver me from the body of this death again that's the apostle paul saying this yeah 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 law of sin so basically before you even get into the spiritual war with the principalities and the powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world the spiritual wickedness in high places you have an internal war with your own sinful flesh don't you yeah because it's easy to just blame the devil for everything isn't it it's our wicked flesh it's easy to oh he's come me into this and oh well it's and you get that a lot you know some of these pentecostal churches are a bit like that aren't they it's ah the devil it's that spirit and the spirit of this and the spirit of that and they're attacking you and people are you know casting spells and you and everything else no you're just wicked yeah you're just a wretched man and you have sinful flesh yeah it's not blaming other people stop blaming the devil okay but look we do have an internal war don't we we have this internal war luckily it's not an eternal war if you say okay we have an internal war going on don't we between our between our flesh and our spirit and look if you have an internal war going on you can't take on the world's armies you can't take on that spiritual wickedness in high place and everything else if you're losing that civil war at home can you yeah i mean that's a lot of the time that's kind of mode of operand and for our ruling elite isn't it civil war at home makes that country easier to take over doesn't it yeah and and we've got to make sure we're winning the civil war if we're going to take on the war outside because you've got no chance how are you gonna you can't even get the troops together if you're still fighting civil war at home because you've got to deal with that civil war because that was that will destroy you in fact it's used to destroy people constantly we see nations being destroyed attacked through civil war now look the world's armies themselves are more likely to defeat you if you're destabilized by the civil war yeah like i said that's a tactic that we see and in the case of our war with the flesh a lot of the time the agent provocateur isn't even needed it's just some internal war that we lose and we destroy ourselves but when we feel like yeah when that's not the case even when that is the case look you know before you even get into trying to battle for god trying to do things for the lord trying to fight those other spiritual forces and everything else you got to start off well you know you've got to make sure that you've got your home in order you've got to make sure that you you know you don't you don't have civil war waiting to break out and it starts from the minute you open your eyes doesn't it the minute you open your eyes and your lazy flesh is telling you to press lose on the alarm clock that's the minute it starts isn't it the minute you open your eyes and it's just ah just press those you can read your bible later yeah oh do you really need to read this well you can read it in the evening read it at lunchtime yeah just listen to a bit of audio bible today yeah you just get that little bit it starts isn't it starts a second yeah that's not that's not the devil okay the devil hasn't come in personally to make you press lose on your alarm clock oh the devil got me this morning i couldn't get up no it's your own sinful flesh it's your own lazy good for nothing flesh that persuaded you to basically go back to bed and not start with the things of god oh you know you don't really have time for praying today you're in a bit of a rush check out your social media updates instead oh it's the devil of it's the spirit of social media no it was your wicked flesh yeah it was your wicked flesh that decided i should read more i should read my bible if i wonder what someone put on whatever i'm not going to try and start naming it i'll get it all wrong but whatever it is or i'll just check the news headlines before i start my body before i do my praying i'm just going to check the news headlines 30 minutes later and you're reading about you know some celebrity's dog oh no i've got to get to work now yeah that's a sinful flesh isn't it yeah that's where it starts you know you start you know you're in a bad mood yeah and and where does it go from there where does it go because sometimes we don't always wake up in a good mood do we we can read the word of god we can pray we could sing hymns to the lord or do any of that or we could just say a little nasty comment to our spouse our child or whoever it is nearby just bring them down a little bit just let them have it why should they be in a good mood why should they get up and not be angry i'm angry i'm annoyed yeah yeah that's how it starts isn't it that's how a day starts and that's a bad start to the day isn't it turn to galatians chapter five so how do we win the civil war before the professional protesters join in yeah before before the paid ante for protesters get in there before the so-called people calling for freedom but really they're throwing rocks at policemen's heads and molotov cocktails but really they just wanted freedom you know and they've never even been to that nation before how do we win that how do we how do we win that civil war before well galatians five and verse 16 says this i say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the flesh lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so you cannot do the things that you would but if you be led of the spirit you're not under the law now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness which by the way is lustfulness irregular indulgence of animal desires verse 20 idolatry witchcraft hatred variants emulations wrath strife seditions heresies variants by the way disagreement dissension emulation is competing with others for carnal favours and sedition is mild rebellion envying murders drunkenness revelings and such like of the which i tell you before as i've told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of god he's saying that this is how the unsaved behave this is how the unsaved behave verse 22 but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law and they that are christ have crucified the flesh of the affection of the lust if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit so he's saying deny the flesh walk in the spirit but is that just easy to do do you just walk in the spirit yeah do you just tell yourself i'm going to walk in the spirit and that's it no how well verse 26 he says let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another envying one another so first off get rid of the desires of vain empty glory the attempts to puff puff yourself up yeah that's a good start isn't it the emulation strife's envying they were already in this list so why they mentioned again here why they mentioned again here because he basically mentioned them in a list and he goes back to it again doesn't it the end there because the rest of that list is pretty obvious stuff really isn't it go back to that list there and you're looking at you know the list of things which are in the flesh he says here um he says the works of flesh manifest which these adultery that's an obvious one to spot isn't it fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variants and then you've got emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envying murders easy drunkenness obvious revelings and such like okay so you know full well when you're guilty of most of that don't you you know full well but the quiet seeking of vain glory the bitchy comments the the envy is more commonplace and i think a little harder to be convicted of sometimes because you could justify it a bit oh it's because of this well it's you know it's justified because of the way that person well i just find that person really annoying whatever else so he's reminding them again yeah get rid of that get rid of that out your life and look that stuff's just as damaging to a church and the rest of it isn't it and obviously we talked about that a lot all that stuff that them strifes that emulation the envying all that stuff that desires of vain empty glory the attempts to puff yourself up that damages a church doesn't it because it always just leads to more issues more strife more division more problems so how else other than just cutting that stuff else uh cutting that stuff out sorry how else could we walk in the spirit well just go back to to ephesians sorry forward you and galatians aren't you to ephesians chapter five like i said you've got to start your day right okay it makes such a difference isn't it how we start our day i was thinking about this when you're looking about that walk in the spirit you could think of it like one of those silly walking races you know the ones where uh you know when they waddle down the road you see people speed walking how bizarre does it really hard you're kind of looking for is it really faster waddling like that i assume it is yeah okay it looks weird doesn't it but think like when you're in one of those sort of walking races if you were in one of those walking races before you even set off on that race you wanna you wanna start your day right don't you wanna make sure you're up eating the right food that's the king james bible before you get started in our in our spiritual walk isn't it yeah king james bible make sure you're starting off with the right food yeah you can let you could get a little top up in the race but they're not going to get much on board are they you ever done marathons or any sorts of like long distance endurance sporting events you're not you know you're not going to have a three-course meal in the middle of it you get one of them little squeezy gels or something like that yeah is that what they use now i think so yeah no yeah okay haven't had any arguments on that um used to be bananas in my day but they got cooler stuff now but you got to make sure that you're getting your calories in in the beginning don't you so you get your calories in but you need some good footwear on as well don't you yeah you're going to go on one of them long because they go they walk for a long time these guys don't they okay so you need some it's a good footwear on you need to put your spiritual shoes on for that spiritual walk don't you so you need to make sure that your feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace yeah you're going to walk in the spirit you need to make sure you're prepared to give the gospel to people yeah on a daily basis i'm not saying you need to be out soul winning daily look if you can great i'm not saying you shouldn't but you need to be prepared you need to have that on your mind don't you to be prepared with the preparation of the gospel of peace yeah you know that footwear on don't you yeah if you're going to walk in the spirit you know one of the things that that helps you look when you're out soul winning all of you here when you went out soul winning this afternoon were you just in the flesh i bet most well i bet most of you felt you in the spirit then didn't you yeah yeah i bet those little temptations those little you know whatever that sin is whatever those foolish thoughts are i bet there are a lot less when you're out soul winning today and look if you're prepared for that if you've got that on your mind you're thinking oh how can i get that person a conversation or maybe that person i think look that's some good spiritual footwear isn't it but you need a good start as well don't you because if you don't start off you don't start that that race well you're going to be jostling with all the elbows and they get their elbows going when they do that okay you'll be jostling with the elbows and the shoulders and you know suddenly you're back behind with the rest of the pack you want to be at the front don't you oh you're right at the front there or maybe just windshielded behind the front person yeah that's how they did i know but you need to get up early though you need to read the word of god yeah yeah that spiritual walk starts early you read the word of god you pray you avoid the carnal things early don't get up and just go straight on the social media yeah don't get up and go straight straight on the tv get up shove the tv get up shove the radio on there's so much wickedness that's going to go into your ears through your right start the day right yeah get up with the word of god with prayer what a great start that is isn't it and what look what look anyone here who does that regularly and then has days when they don't isn't it a different day it's a completely different day isn't it and it's so hard to get back on track isn't it when you start badly when you're like oh i just have a line today and then oh things have happened kids are jumping on the bed away i don't get a chance to be my i'm not really going to get a chance to pray i'll do it later and the day just doesn't go the same does it their day does not go the same and look we need to start early we need to get to the front of the pack early but what if you started badly though because sometimes that is easier said sometimes things do kind of go wrong don't they sometimes look there could be something that that suddenly you know just takes your attention you get a bad start to the day for whatever reason you know so you've slept in something else has gone wrong so you've started you started badly maybe you've started well but you're fatiguing maybe you have started well but now that uneven ground out there is hampering you yeah you're fatiguing you're finally at heart to stay in the race you're starting to drift the packs catching up all those weirdos walking all funny you need that little energy boost that little that little bit of you know super gel or whatever they've got nowadays yeah what'd you do well look at ephesians chapter 5 and verse 18 where it says and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the spirit so here's the walking hack yeah the race's secret boost right speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual song singing and making melody in your heart to the lord giving thanks always for all things unto god and the father in the name of our lord jesus christ submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of god so basically when you're lagging or even when you're not yeah when you just want to press on in style yeah you're already at the front of the pack and you want to just cross that finish line when they're nowhere near there's just you know dust between you and them get some harms some songs hymns and spiritual songs going i'm not trying to be all like you know i'm just all day singing songs and reading sars and everything else but i'll tell you what it is like a hack it is like a kind of the secret weapon when things are going badly honestly yeah try if you've never done it try it out yeah when you're having a bad time maybe you're having a round maybe something you just get having one of those days yeah yeah sing a hymn sing a hymn read a song yeah read a hot song sing a hymn yeah and and honestly it makes such a difference you start to feel spiritual again don't you anyone here when you're singing a hymn at home and you're listening to some hymns you're singing along again do you feel like you're in the flesh then you might be if it's some worldly hymn you might do if it's just some you know sort of christian rock crock or christian rap crap it might be that sort of stuff but look if you're listening to to a good hymn which hasn't got the worldly drums and the you know the the so-called christian just just basically just singing a load of empty nonsense but you're singing some nice doctrinal stuff yeah and it's just a nice simple hymn look wow you feel in the spirit again don't you yeah but it's hard isn't it the hard bit is when you've had that row when you're in that bad mood when you're feeling fleshly to then listen to that hymn and to sing that hymn that's the hard bit isn't it that's a bit where you have the discipline where you've got to force yourself you got to know i know this is going to work because a lot of time we want to indulge don't we don't you when you feel rubbish you want to indulge a bit more and you want to just feel a bit more rubbish you'll be a bit more angry and have more of a reason to be annoyed but what you should do is get the hymn get the psalm out yeah read some psalms do you read psalms and then come away going oh yeah i just really want to sin you know no you read it and it does help doesn't it yeah puts you in the spirit sing those hymns sing to the lord and that's a hack isn't it that's like the hat that's a way to stay at the front that's a way to get back to the front that's like the nitro boost isn't it that's the one i used to joke anyone that remember that oscar patorius yeah i used i used to wind up i remember i tried this on my wife and i think she kind of at the beginning when it this was years ago when uh there was like some sort of olympics or something else do you remember he was called blade runner anyone doesn't know what i'm talking about there's a guy who's basically he was an amputee and he had like these two like basically like ski blade feet yeah so really bizarre wasn't it i don't know how they let him run yeah and he used to run with everyone else and used to race he's a fast guy yeah did he like shoot his girlfriend or something a wife or something in the end so i don't know all that bionic implants just messed him up yeah but anyway this guy he um i i remember the first time he was running and i was trying to wind up my wife and um and he and uh i'm shouting it that it was at the tv screen i'm shouting press the nitro boost press the nitro boost really he's got nitro and i continued this with the kids as well yeah so they thought these guys actually had a boost button and he could then just like suddenly like turbo to the front it's like why are you pressing it but obviously he didn't have a nitro boost for anyone but but the psalms hymns and spiritual songs are nitro boost yeah there are nitro boosts there that that that that there that little button that you can press and get yourself back in the sphere get back in that spiritual wall get back to the front of that pack get back to winning that race because ultimately it is a race yeah we're not competing with each other are we but you know what it's a race of life isn't it and we want to be winning it we want to be make sure that we're at the front of it and look get get those psalms hymns and spiritual songs going and but another thing here it doesn't just say some spiritual things it says giving thanks always for all things unto god and the father in the name of our lord jesus christ again when you're thanking god when when times are hard and you just go no i need to give some praise to god i need to give some thanks to god for all the many things he has done in our in our life instead of them feeling like hard done by christians get that don't they we've taken the gift of salvation cheers for that we've taken you know the word of god and all the many things he's done in many people's lives in this room here who have decided to live for the word of god you know to live for god and read the word and try and change their lives and wow doesn't it help yeah does it change your life but so often we still get a bit unappreciative don't we we can say oh why do i have to why do i have to go through oh you know it's so unfair is it really though but you know what when you start thanking god you start remembering all the things he has done what a change that makes as well doesn't it what a way that that how does that get it does get you in the spirit doesn't it does get you in the spirit when you're preaching when you thank god i said this before i think um i remember it was actually on his in his book i think teaching on preaching brother jack hyles he actually just set a time every day where that particular prayer time was praising god so he just had a time of the day every day where he got down on his knees he just praised god just praised god thanked god it was just a time of praise was there a time of request was there a time of praying for this or that was that it was just a time of praise a time of thanks probably not a bad idea that is it yeah yeah so you set an alarm couldn't you just there's a time i'm just going to thank god and again i think that's that's probably another version of that that's like a different flavor of nitro boots there you could do both at the same time even better yeah thank god in in psalms and hymns spiritual songs couldn't you but he said here verse 20 giving thanks always for all things unto god in the final name of our lord jesus christ and then he said submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of god so when you're starting to feel a bit like you want vainglory a little bit envious just submit and try to serve others yeah just submit submit to each other try and help each other because that helps isn't it since you start to feel a little bit envious to someone a little bit like you want to just show off a little bit just make yourself feel a bit better just serve someone yeah submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of god i think that helps as well doesn't it because you know when you start getting distracted by that stuff again you start lagging in the race don't you start lagging in that spiritual walk when you start getting into that envy that boasting and all that stuff which everyone here is capable of okay everyone here is capable of well submit yourselves one to another yeah help each other think about other people what you can do for someone else what you can do for your brother your sister in christ what you can do for your husband or wife what you can do for your family whatever it is i think again i think that's another another hack you can you could try and do maybe that's something you can try to remind yourself when you're feeling bad when you're feeling sinful when you're feeling like you're starting to you know feel that sinfulness coming up let's try and do something for someone find someone to do something for do something nice you know make something for your for your wife make something for your husband do something for your kids kids do something for your parents yeah but the hard part like i said is doing it when you're already in the carnal mind okay that's the test that's the challenge when you're already feeling carnal when you're already you've already slipped you've already slipped up in that race yeah that waddling you just kind of locked knees or something and you slipped and you tripped but you got you can pick yourself back up can't you yeah yeah man shouldn't you pick yourself back up because if you lose today remember that paul lost sometimes yeah paul lost sometimes yeah every day is a new day isn't it pick yourself up start again and we can all do that because you can sit here but you don't know man i've been pretty sick i've been pretty carnal all week i've been pretty carnal all month year whatever it is i don't know every day's a new day isn't it yeah what about great is our faithfulness morning by morning new mercies i see yeah and look look every day's a new day you can pick yourself up and start again you don't have to sit here thinking oh yeah but i've got such a long way to go you don't you don't have such a long way to go you just start that new day right start that next race right every day is a new day every day is a new race get to the front at the beginning of the next day 12 verse 24 16 says for a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again but the wicked shall fall into mischief yeah everyone is a just man just woman here and look it doesn't matter how many times you fall you should rise up again yeah rise up again start the new day right get right yeah get right and and look and just remember you're not an anomaly you're not the only one here that's not every single person here suffers with sin every single person here has a battle with the carnal flesh and look the answer is getting a spirit walk in the spirit start the day right continue it right yeah on that let's pray father thank you um thank you for your word thank you for for a great chapter in the bible there a great chapter that just shows us shows us how you know the truth of you know even some of the greatest men to have ever walked this this planet to to that that man you know that great godly example for us that we look up to in so many ways he suffered he suffered with the carnal flesh he suffered with sin every day as we all do here and help us lord though not not to use that as an excuse but to use that as an encouragement to use that to spur us on to want to walk that walk to he this man then also gave us the answers to that he told us you know to walk in the spirit and not to fulfill the lust of the flesh he told us you know to speak to ourselves in psalms sins and spiritual songs he told us these ways that we can we can improve our walk with you improve our walk in in the spirit help us to all do that help us to all want to do that help us to want to live more like you want us to live help us to help us to want to be what you want us to be and not to just make excuses to to just keep striving to keep striving to be better and help us to do that this week help us to you know go home and and and not just now forget the things of god and just get get on with a carnal week but to to want to live right to want to get up reading our bibles get up in prayer to to want to start the day's right to resist that those carnal desires first thing and just to then have a better chance at having a good walk that day and lord help us all with this help us in all the areas that we all individually need that in and just and just help us in in your holy name we pray all of this amen