God's Grace & Commandment-Keeping #11

Fred R. Coulter—August 7, 2010

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Greetings, everyone! [book announcements left out] Let's continue on with God's Grace and Commandment Keeping! And as I have mentioned, we have been so busy through the years proving we need to keep the laws of God vs a lawless grace, that we have missed the whole point, kind of like this. If you have a target, the bull's-eye is right in the middle. So we've been right around the edges. We've had very few things right down the center of the bull's-eye. So once we get that squared around, we'll be able to do that in understanding the New Covenant.

Now what I'm going to do is I'm going to review just a little bit. Let's come back to Deuteronomy 5, because it is a great misconception that under the covenant with Israel they were granted salvation by law. If that was the case, why couldn't it be done today? The truth of the matter is, with the exception of the prophets and a few of the kings, no one under the covenant of Israel received eternal life—period. Because the whole focus of the covenant of eternal life has to do with the heart and the mind and overcoming sin and human nature.

So therefore, there's a misunderstanding concerning the commandments of God. And as we will see, coupled with terrible translations in Gal. 3, They say the law is a curse, and nothing could be further from the truth. The law is not a curse! Transgressing the law brings the curse!

Deuteronomy 5:25; this is a reiteration of the Ten Commandments, Moses retelling it, that's why Deuteronomy actually means the second giving of the law, because Moses reiterated it. "'Now therefore why should we die?... [When they heard the voice of God. Now that must have been a fantastic experience with the trumpet blowing, the wind blowing, the darkness, the clouds, the fire, and the whole thing, and then hearing the voice of God piercing through the whole world as it were.] ...For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.'"

That's why God also said in Deut. 18, that He would send a prophet like Moses, was a prophecy of Jesus Christ, so He could come in the flesh and tell people in the flesh the good news of the whole plan of God.

Verse 26: "'For who of all flesh has beard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?.... [Now you, Moses]: ...You go near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say. And you speak to us all that the LORD our God shall speak to you, and we will hear it, and do it'" (vs 26-27). Now, of course, they never did. Why? Even in the letter, very few kept the laws and commandments of God, so that's why you need to read through the book of Joshua and Judges, and understand what happened to children of Israel. And lo and behold, what you're going to find is this, in worshiping Baal and Ashtaroth, the real sin of ancient Israel with false gods was Sunday-keeping. So it's not a new argument; it is an old argument.

Now God heard what they said, v 28: "And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They have well said all that they have spoken…'" (v 28). In other words, they were well intended; they meant good. Isn't that the way with all human beings? Don't they all mean good? Yes! But does it turn out that way? No! They are missing the ingredient of the Holy Spirit of God, which was not given until after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. They were never given the Holy Spirit. And being never given the Holy Spirit, they never had eternal life offered to them.

So that's why when you study the Bible correctly, you find what? There is a second resurrection to a second physical life, because all of those up to the time of the beginning of the Church at Pentecost in 30A.D. no one received the Holy Spirit for eternal life. God did not give it. Yet His purpose is that all should receive life, have an opportunity for life. So therefore, as we have covered and we'll cover again with the coming Last Great Day, that there is this resurrection to a second physical life for an opportunity for salvation.

So they were well intended. Notice what God says, v 29: "'Oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever!'" It doesn't say, 'Huh! Look at those people down there. They're well intentioned, but I know they're not going to keep My law, so I'm going to make My law a curse!' He didn't say that. He said, "'Oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever!'"
And you can look in the world, just like Paul said back there in Rom. 2, the Gentiles which have not the law, but keep the works of the law written in their heart, God said that's a good thing—right? Didn't He? Yes! 'Might go well with them.' So they didn't have the heart. God gave them a promise long life in a physical land in return for the letter of the law of obedience. That was the best that they could do.

Verse 30: "'Go say to them, "Go into your tents again." But as for you, you stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I am giving them, to possess it. And you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you so that you may live and that it may be well with you, and you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess'" (vs 30-33).

He didn't say so that you will enter into life. Later, Jesus said, when the rich man came to him and said, 'What shall I do that I may have eternal life?' He said, 'Keep the commandments.' That's a hard one for the Protestants to figure out. Then he said, 'Which?' And then they read that and rejoice and say, 'Oh, He didn't say the Sabbath.' Then they say, 'Well, if God intended us to keep the Sabbath today, why didn't He say in the New Testament keep it?' Well, He did, several places. Once is quite enough, don't you think? Yes!

Now here's what he told them. Deuteronomy 6:1 "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God commanded to teach you so that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it." Like I said, study them! Ask which law is not good? Psa. 19 says 'the law of God is perfect.'

Now just to give you an example. There are many modernists today, and even the Catholic Church along with it, that don't believe in the death penalty. They say that's cruel and unusual punishment. But I beg you, please, watch National Geographic documentary on prisons. I watched it the other night, it was pitiful, it was sad. All these hardened criminals locked up for life in a little teeny space. And there is no way to rehabilitate them, because their minds are so messed up, you cannot rehabilitate them in this life. Is that not cruel and unusual punishment to be in there thirty, forty, fifty years? And live in a little cubicle and be afraid of your life that you may be killed, stabbed, raped, whatever? That was pitiful! That was really pitiful! It was about the hardened criminals in Illinois. That was something!

God says if they murder take their life. What does that do then? Does that not get rid of serial killers? Yes, indeed! So you go online and you download churchathome.com, God's Criminal Justice System. And look at those. Compare the laws of God and compare that with how we do it today. But even in the letter of the law they are capable of doing this to a certain degree:

Verse 2. "That you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged." I challenge you to find one place in the Old Testament where it says the equivalent of John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life.' You won't find it.

"Hear therefore, O Israel, and be diligent to observe it, so that it may be well with you... [We read that three times in the space of less than six inches—right? 'May be well with them.'] ...and that you may greatly multiply, as the LORD God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey…. [Isn't that what everyone wants? Yes!] …Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the LORD, the LORD.... [Now that's the best and most accurate translation of that verse.] ...And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart'" (vs 2-6).

Now let's come forward to Romans, the eighth chapter. Sometimes it's good to come to the conclusion of the matter and then go back and see how it's all put together, and what we are going to see is what we've already studied. For the New Covenant, it is a spiritual requirement, which means you must have the Spirit of God. Everything that God has is elevated to a higher level. You still have commandments, but now you must have them written in your heart and in your mind.

• you still have sacrifice—which is Christ.
• you still have a temple—it's in heaven above, not on the earth.
• you still have overcoming of sin by the power of God's Holy Spirit—whereas they had works of law and sacrifices
• which they could give at the temple, which would justify them to the temple on the earth. Now we are justified to the temple in heaven above.

They could come to the temple, and inside the temple was the Holy of Holies where God put His presence. Now, with the Spirit of God, we can come before God, spiritually speaking, in heaven above. So everything is elevated to a higher and spiritual level. And it takes the Spirit of God.

Let's begin right here with Romans 8:7. This is the normal human mind with all of its good, with all of its evil, with all of its pulls of flesh, and everything like that, all of the well intentions of men. Romans 8:7: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can it be." Isn't that interesting? The mind without the Spirit of God is not subject to the law of God—right? That's why they did not have eternal life offered to them in the covenant with Israel, because the Holy Spirit was not given.

Let's come up here to v 4. This becomes a very key and important verse for us to really understand and grasp. What is the whole purpose of the New Covenant and our relationship with God and how we keep the commandments of God through grace in the Spirit? Verse 4: "In order that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us..."

Now think about that! Matthew 5:17—right? "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not to abolish, but to fulfill."

What is the fulfilling that is still going on? Romans 8:4: "…the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us..."

Then what else did Christ say? He said, Matthew 5:18: "For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the Law until everything has been fulfilled…. [Heaven and earth are still here, everything has not been fulfilled—correct? All right, let's go one step further.] (He also said, v 20): "For I say to you, unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way that you shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Think of that!

That's why you need this book. Judaism: Revelation of Moses or Religion of Men?. If you don't understand about Judaism, here it is. You get this book and read it. Phil Neal did a fantastic and excellent job to have all of this information available and it brings out what is Judaism from the Jews' and rabbis' own writings and their own mouth. It has absolutely, as you will see, nothing to do with the commandments of God and the Old Testament other than they have a framework of it. That's it! It is a religion of men.

So when you hear anyone say, 'Well, if you're keeping the commandments in the Old Testament, that old law, you're Judaizing.' Not so! That's not the way. Read it here. Romans 8:4: "In order that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh... [with a carnal mind] ...but according to the Spirit." And we will see what that means.

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Now let's put this together. Part of the problem with grace, in the way that it is narrowly defined, is that it is the forgiveness of sin. That is only the start. The start is not the finish. Come back here to Romans 5 and we will see that. As I explained last time, those who are under grace are those who have the Spirit of God. No one else is under grace. Those who are under law is the whole world, and under sin. If you are under grace and you have the Holy Spirit of God, you are able to grow and change and overcome, because of the Spirit of God. Grace is like an umbrella under which you are standing in your relationship with God from which comes

• the love of God
• the truth of God
• the understanding
• the Spirit of God

—and all of that.

Let's come down to Romans 5:1: "Therefore, having been justified by faith... [Now those who keep the commandments of God in the Spirit are not looking to justify themselves by commandment-keeping. It is by faith and that faith is for the forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus Christ. There is no forgiveness any other way.

That is the start, because remember, what does Matthew 5:48 say?: " Therefore, you shall be perfect as your Father, Who is in heaven is perfect." Correct? How's that possible? With the Spirit of God, and then eventually at the resurrection. So from the time you receive the Spirit of God, until you die in the faith, or are resurrected when Jesus returns, if you're still living, you are under grace all that time, and being under grace means that grace and the power of God's Spirit is what gives you the strength and motivation to do what God wants you to do beginning within.

"Romans 5:1: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." What did it say of the carnal mind? The carnal mind is what? 'Enmity against God,' meaning it is an enemy of God. Now you have peace with God!. You're no longer warring and fighting against Him—right?] …through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Whom we also have access by faith into this grace... [showing it's a continuing thing; it is a relationship with God.] ...in which we stand... [You are under grace with the New Covenant before God. Not just your sins forgiven, that's the first step. The completion is eternal life.] (Now notice the process here): ...And not only this, but we also boast in tribulations, realizing that tribulation brings for endurance, and endurance brings forth character, and character brings forth hope. And the hope of God never makes us ashamed because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us" (vs 1-5). So grace is your whole standing and operation of life through Christ. For what goal and what purpose?

Let's come back here to Romans 8:4: "In order that the righteousness... [that's the true spiritual righteousness of the law, so the law cannot be a curse—right? How can the law be a curse? It cannot be a curse!] ...that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." What does that mean?

Let's read on and fill in all the verse now and this will become much more clear for you, v 6: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace…. [What did Jesus say? "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me.'] …Because the carnal mind is enmity... [or enemy] ...against God, for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can it be" (vs 6-7). This means this: If anyone says that the law has been done away and we don't have to keep any of the law—is what? 'Not subject to the law, neither indeed can be,' so therefore, it is carnal. And if it is carnal, that means therefore, does not have the Spirit of God.

Verse 8: "But those who are in the flesh cannot please God.... [The truth is, we can please God ( 1-John 3) 'Do those things that are pleasing in His sight.'] ...However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit if..." (vs 8-9). I might have someone do this, because we have all of this set digitally. I just think it would be interesting to take and separate out all the verses with 'if' in the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, and capitalize the word 'if' in bold. I'm going to do that. The Vogeles take care of that for me, so I'm going to have them do that. That would be a very interesting study, because there are 1200 'ifs' in the Bible and 99.9% of them apply to us, not to God.

• God is perfect
• God is holy
• God is Spirit

There are no conditions we put upon God. The conditions are put upon us because we're in the flesh.

"However, you are not in the flesh... [Though we're still walking in the flesh—correct? But your relationship before God is that you are not in the flesh and carnal if you have the Spirit of God. Doesn't mean you're perfect.] ...but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you" (v 9).

Then you have to go through the whole thing: How do you receive the Holy Spirit? You have to repent! Repent of what? Repent of sin! What is sin? Transgression of the law! And be baptized so that you enter into a covenant relationship with God. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—correct? That's the start.

But notice: "…But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (v 9). All the professing in the world will not make it so. All the good intentions of human beings and do-gooders will not change that fact. And remember the other things that we have read.

Come back here then to Romans 3:31. Let's read that again. Through grace, through the Spirit of God, through the New Covenant, here's what we do. Romans 3:31: "Are we, then, abolishing law through faith? MAY IT NEVER BE!.... [And there are eight of those capitalized 'MAY IT NEVER BE' just in the book of Romans.] ...Rather, we are establishing law." How? How do you establish law? And this means establishing in each one that God calls. We are establishing law.

Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?" Sin is the transgression of the law. Sin is lawlessness. And lawlessness, as we have found, comes in three forms:

• Transgressing the laws of God
• The total abrogation of law or total lawlessness
• By adding or taking away from the laws and commandments of God and Jesus Christ

All three of those are forms of lawlessness and the third form goes clear back to Cain and is called the 'way of Cain.' 'Oh, God, I'll do it my way. My way is so good, I think this is really good, Lord. Look what I brought?' And God said to Cain, 'If you do well, you'll be accepted.'

In other words, if he did it according to the way God commanded, he would be accepted—right? But he did it his way. And doing it his way, he thought God would accept it, because he was so good in his heart, but God said, 'Sin lies at the door and you shall overcome it.' How do you overcome sin? Quit sinning! No, he didn't want to do that. So what we have today is the way of Cain.

The comment was made: did Abel have some of the Spirit of God. Yes! Heb. 11 tells us about Abel. He had the Spirit of Christ in him which was available to those whom God was calling to eternal life, beginning with Abel, all the way down through time until the beginning of the New Covenant after the resurrection, ascension of Christ, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. That means also, that Cain did not. That also means that Cain, because he was at enmity against God, was 'not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed was willing to be'—correct? So when he was exiled further away from the Garden of Eden, because they couldn't go into the Garden of Eden, but they come to the entrance and meet God there, he was to go into the land of wandering, or Nod. Well, he went over and he built a city, and look at how that society ended at the Flood. So you see where all of these things lead. Everything in the Bible then can be properly understood when you realize all the Truth of the Bible and put it together properly.

Verse 2: "MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?" If 'sin is the transgression of the law,' that means you live within the law, instead of outside the law. You agree with the law and know it's spiritual and Holy, and since Paul said, as we saw in Rom. 7, it is spiritual, it is Holy, it is righteous, it is good. That means what? You need the Spirit of God to do it!

Back here to Romans 8:10: "But if Christ be within you, the body is indeed dead because of sin... [We still live in the flesh, so what does that mean? Now with the Spirit of God you are able to put to death and mortify the sins within. You can't do that without the Spirit of God.] ...however, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Now if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you..." (vs 10-11).

Notice, go back to v 9: "However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ..." Now we are being defined here two essential parts of the Spirit of God

• The Spirit of God
• The Spirit of Christ

Then, v 11 further defines the Spirit of God: "Now if the Spirit of Him [God the Father] Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of His Spirit that dwells within you" (vs 11). So you have to have the Spirit of God. If you don't have the Spirit of God, everything that you try to do is like hitting an invisible ceiling. You can only go so far. You can only do so much. A lot of people have good intentions.

Come here to Hebrews 10; let's see how God solves this problem. Let's see the contrast here between the sacrifices of animals at the temple and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Follow this along and see what God's intention is. This is why eternal life is a vocation, the first and foremost and primary thing in your life when you receive the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10:4: "Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Why? Though God said to the children of Israel and the Levites that if they would bring a sacrifice for sin it would forgiven. But Heb. 9 shows it was only to the temple. They were justified to the temple. Under the New Covenant we are justified to the temple in heaven above through Christ. Are bulls and goats inferior to human beings? Yes! So how can something inferior be an adequate sacrifice to take away sin from human beings who are superior? Can't do it! Where do sins need to be forgiven? At the temple? or In heaven above? Heaven above!

Verse 5: "For this reason, when He comes into the world, He says, 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then said I, 'Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book) to do Your will, O God"'" (vs 5-7). Isn't that interesting? Why don't you go online and download Hebrews #27: The Covenant between God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Come back to Matthew 7:21 and let's look at the requirement in order to have standing before God. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord'... [And there are a lot of people who do that. Isn't that what they call Sunday? Yes, 'it's the Lord's day.'] ...shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven.'" How do you do the will of God the Father Who's in heaven above?

Notice what's going to happen, v 22: "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name?.... [They had a 'Christian' religion—didn't they? They believed in Jesus to a certain extent—didn't they? But they didn't believe unto obedience—did they? No!] ...And did we not cast out demons through Your name?.... [It wasn't the work that they did, it was the name of Christ that did it.] ...And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?' And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness'" (vs 22-23). Oh, there's that ugly word again.

Back to Hebrews 10:7, again. "Then I said, 'Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book) to do Your will, O God.'"

• Did Jesus ever sin? No!
• Did He do the will of God perfectly? Yes!
• Was He tempted in every way like we are? Yes!
• Did He have human nature like we do? Yes!

—otherwise He couldn't be tempted. If He didn't have the same nature that we have, how could He be tempted?

Verse 8: "In the saying above, He said, 'Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin (which are offered according to the law) You did not desire nor delight in'... [Though He commanded them—right? Yes! Why didn't He delight in them even though He commanded them? Because it didn't change the heart! The change and conversion of the heart through the Spirit of God is the important thing.] ...Then He said, 'Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first covenant in order that He may establish the second covenant; by Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (vs 8-10).

That sacrifice of Christ becomes a propitiation, meaning a continual source of mercy and forgiveness upon repentance, because now we are overcoming the sin within, not just the actions which are external. Because the truth is, all external actions are the result of thinking within, and it's the conversion of the heart and the mind that is being accomplished through grace, with the covenant that Christ established.

So then he continues to show the difference here. "Now every high priest stands ministering day by day, offering the same sacrifices repeatedly, which are never able to remove sins... [And you can put in parenthesis 'spiritually.' Nor in heaven above.] ...But He, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever..." (vs 11-12). Why could His one sacrifice do it?

• He was God before He became Christ in the flesh.
• He carried human nature, just like we have, yet He never sinned.
• He always did the things that pleased the Father and kept all the commandments of God and loved Him.
• He was the Creator of all mankind; therefore, His human life, in the flesh, was worth more than all human beings combined together because He was the Creator of them.

So His dying then gives access to God the Father for forgiveness of sin and living in grace and access of the Holy Spirit that nothing else could do. So when we enter into this covenant, it is so much greater. It's not a religion; it's a covenant!. It's a way of life, and now there has to be the change of thinking within which is only possible with the receipt of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 12: "But He, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has obtained eternal perfection for those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said... [Here's the prophecy, and now we are the fulfillment of that]: ...'This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will give My laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds'" (vs 12-16). Far from abolishing law.

That's what Paul means there back in Rom. 3:31, 'we establish law.' You establish law because now they are written in your heart and mind

•  through the Spirit of God
• through prayer
• through study
• through living
• through going through the tribulations as Paul said

—and all of those things mold the character within us which could not be done under the covenant to Israel. Cannot be done in worldly Christianity

• where they have so many things that they have replaced the commandments of God with their own traditions
• where they have changed the nature of God by their own mysterious beliefs
• where they are actually part of the mystery of lawlessness and don't realize it

—because they only see what they perceive as good that they are doing.

God does not give His Holy Spirit to those who do not obey Him. So this is the operation of it with the Spirit of God. "I will give My laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds" (v 16).

Now then, this is where Sabbath comes in, study, prayer, and all of this. because having received the Spirit of God to unite with our spirit, now then we can partake of the two parts of the Holy Spirit of God:

• Spirit of Christ, the mind of Christ
• Spirit of the Father is the begettal

And the covenant that we are in is not just to forgive our sins. The covenant that we are in is a covenant of sonship, and that's the whole basis of what Paul is talking about in Galatians as compared to Judaism.

Now let's come back and we'll finish up here in Romans 8. To be within the grace of God and to receive the grace of God, means all of these things together. It is a whole package. Yes, people who live in the world, oh, they like to have their sins forgiven. 'Oh, you believe in Jesus. Yes, I believe in Jesus. 'Ask Him to forgive your sins, He'll forgive your sins.' Okay. 'Now you're saved, and everything is fine.' No, you've just taken the first thought toward it. Now God wants you to be His very children. He wants you to develop the mind of Christ. He wants you to develop the character of God the Father. All of these things combined together requires

• living
• growing
• changing
• overcoming.

The goal is eternal life, to live forever and ever. It's just not that we have our sins forgiven and we become better people in the world.

Romans 8:11: "Now if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken... [bring back to life] ...your mortal bodies... [That is change from flesh to spirit.] ...because of His Spirit that dwells within you." Has to be within you—and that comes how?

• repentance
• baptism
• laying on of hands.

"So then, brethren, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; because if you are living according to the flesh, you shall die; but if... [There's that word again. Look at all the ifs we've covered just right here in this study today.] ...but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you shall live" (vs 12-13).

Huh! That tells us a lot—doesn't it? Showing that you have to overcome the sin within by your thoughts, by your repentance, by your living the right way. Now Paul said in 2-Cor. 10 that we 'bring every thought into the captivity to the obedience of Christ; and casting down vain imaginations.' What I want you to understand is, the Bible—Old Testament and New Testament together—is one book, explaining

• what God has done
• now what God is doing
• what God will do.

We happen to live at the end of the age where we have the complete Word of God which many of those who are going to enter into eternal life did not have the complete Word of God. That brings upon us a greater responsibility and a greater requirement.

Verse 14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." The relationship is sonship, to be the children of God in the Kingdom of God forever.

That's what it's all about. That's why personal relationship between you and God becomes the paramount important thing. That's why no minister is between you and God. Whoever is teaching, wherever they are, if they don't point you to God the Father and Jesus Christ, they are pointing to themselves and they then, put themselves between you and God. If there's any one thing that God hates, that is it, because God wants that relationship with each one of us. That's then how you change and grow and overcome. That is the fullness of the grace of God!

Scriptural References:

• Deuteronomy 5:25-33
• Deuteronomy 6:1-6
• Romans 8: 7, 4
• Matthew 5:17
• Romans 8:4
• Matthew 5:18, 20
• Romans 8:4
• Romans 5:1
• Matthew 5:48
• Romans 5:1-5
• Romans 8: 4, 6-9
• Romans 3:31
• Romans 6:1-2
• Romans 8:10-11, 9, 11
• Hebrews 10:4-7
• Matthew 7:21-23
• Hebrews 10:7-16
• Romans 8:11-14

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Deuteronomy 18
• Romans 2
• Psalm 19
• John 3:16
• 1-John 3
• Hebrews 11
• Romans 7
• Hebrews 9
• 2-Corinthians 10

Also referenced:

Sermons:

• The Covenant Between God the Father and Jesus Christ (Hebrews Series #27)
• God's Criminal Justice System (churchathome.com)

Sermon Series:

• Hebrews

Books:

• Judaism: A Revelation of Moses or Religion of Men by Philip Neal

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 8-15-10
Formatted: bo—8/17/10