Grace Upon Grace #7

Fred R. Coulter—July 7, 2012

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We've had quite a few sermons on grace upon grace and the whole concept of grace vs law. When we understand what it means to be under law and under grace, it becomes entirely different than the normal religious argument that you find between those who keep the law and those who don't keep the law.

Since we have covered these things, we might go ahead and take some questions first and then I have some other aspects of grace upon grace I want to cover.

Does everybody understand what it means to be under law? Under law means the absence of grace, although God can do gracious things to those who under law. Being under grace is an entirely different category. It means that all people, as long as they live, each and every one, is subject to the working of God's law, every bit of it. Not only the laws of conduct as defined in the Ten Commandments, but the laws governing our bodies, our minds, everything that God has done is by law.

Let's go back and just look at those Scriptures again so we really understand what it's telling us here in the book of Romans. Then we will find out what it means to be under grace and who then is under grace.

Let's review this again because this is a concept that has not been understood before. Even though we have grasped some aspects of being under law, we haven't applied it to everyone in the world. Religious people apply under law to those who keep the commandments. Those who are under grace assume the position of being above the law, not subject to the law. Grace does not mean above the law and not subject to the law.

Romans 6:14: "For sin..." Here's how to stop as you're going along and study the Bible. What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the Law. We're going to see the literal translation is: sin is lawlessness. That goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. Lawlessness, which is sin, means that you reject God's definition of sin and law and you follow your own understanding! Think about that for a minute.

When you follow your own understanding, what Proverbs comes to mind? 'There is a way that seems right to a man (or a woman), the end thereof are the ways of death.' Then the other one: 'Lean not to your own understanding, but trust in the Lord.'

"For sin... [the transgression of the law] ...shall not rule over you..." (v 14). Why does sin rule over people? In other words, why is their conduct perpetually sinful? Adam and Eve sinned to decide for themselves what is good and evil. When you reject what God has given and you accept your way, you are saying, 'I know better than God. I'm going to choose what is right.'

The other day I was watching the Swamp People on History Channel. They make their living by getting alligators and it's quite a job going out and hunting alligators and catfish. Almost everything that they eat, including catfish, crawfish, shrimp, lobster and gator, is all unclean.

Can you imagine the turmoil that you would cause if you went down on the bayou and said, 'Ya'all, this gator meat ain't good for you, nor the shrimp, nor the lobster, nor the catfish.' What? 'God says you shouldn't eat it.' Well, I don't know about that. We're under grace and Jesus declared all meat clean, so here have some jambalaya. There would be an uproar! You put them out of business! They would lose their livelihood. The comment was made that a man quit eating beef because of mad cow disease, but he says pork is good. 'There is a way that seems right to a man, the end thereof is the way of death.'

Sin rules over you because what does it tell us in Rom. 7? Everyone has 'the law of sin and death!' Sin rules over you because you do not have the Holy Spirit of God until you repent and are baptized, etc., so you have no power to rule over sin. You may discipline yourself for a while, but you can't get rid of it. Even with God's Spirit we grow and overcome, but God gives us the strength and the power through His Spirit to overcome it.

"...sin shall not rule over you... [Who are the you that he is talking to here? People in general or people that have God's Spirit? God's Spirit!] ...because we are not under law..." (v 14).

So, under law has very little to do with keeping the commandments of God or not. Under law means this, Romans 7:1, the whole principle has been there right before us all the time: "Are you ignorant, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know law), that the law rules over a man for as long a time as he may live?"

Think about that. If the law—God's law—and every other law that God put on earth to help regulate physical life of human beings on earth, you are all under law, every human being. Some of them may not keep very many of the commandments of God. Some of them may keep more of the commandments of God, but all of those are in the letter of the law.

Romans 6:14: "...you are not under law, but under grace." How does one come under grace, instead of under law? What is the dividing line? We read in the Bible, 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' Why are few chosen? Because few repent! The call goes out to be under grace. Let me just tell you what it is right here and then we'll come back to that again. To be under grace means:

• You have the Spirit of God within you through baptism and laying on of hands. Baptism comes with repentance.
• repent
• be baptized
• receive the Spirit of God
• Then you are under grace, because now with the Spirit of God, God is directly dealing in your life.

We saw how Paul wrote that we are 'a temple of God,' because we have the Spirit of God. That puts you in a very separate and special category that is something that cannot be joined as coming to and signing up on a roster to join an organization.

Verse 15: "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?…." In other words, since you're under grace, are you free to do anything you want? This tells us that if you are under grace, you are not above the law. Is God Himself above law? He created the laws. As Creator, in that sense, He's greater than the law, because the law cannot give life, but God can give life.

We are not to sin: "...because we are not under law, but under grace?...." (v 15). So, the first category under law is how everyone in the world is before God. To show that the whole world is subject to the Law of God. If God did not have His laws, even if people know them or not, what is the principle in the Bible? 'The one who knows to do good and does it not shall be beaten with many stripes. The one who knows not to do good and does it not shall be beaten with few.' So, there's still a penalty for both.

Romans 3:19: "Now then, we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law... [Notice the category how it defines to be under law.] ...so that every mouth may be stopped... [Does every mouth mean every mouth? Yes!] ...and all the world may be become guilty before God."

God offers the way out. God offers repentance. God even grants repentance for those who are seeking Him in Truth and in sincerity. Because we are under grace, we now see we have a higher standard to live by. God writes His laws in our hearts and in our minds. Whatever is in your heart and in your mind, this is what motivates you and directs you to do how you live your life—isn't that correct?

Let's see how Paul defines it here because he says, Romans 6:15 "…MAY IT NEVER BE!" The Greek there is 'me genoito,' meaning don't let this thought ever come into existence. So, the question for all dear Protestants, though you are well intended, why do you think that Jesus did away with the Law? Why do you think that you don't have to keep the commandments of God? 'If you do, you're trying to earn your salvation.' No! We're talking about after you receive the Holy Spirit of God. No one can earn salvation—period! It is the gift of God through His grace!

Paul doing a comparison before baptism, with a comparison after baptism. We have covered here in Rom. 6 that you are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ and co-joined to His crucifixion. This is a personal, individual thing that God does. We're going to see that being under grace, rather than relieve us of responsibility to keep the laws and commandments of God, it obligates us to keep it at a higher standard! No one is exempt from law.

Verse 16: "Don't you realize that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey, you are servants of the one you obey, whether it is of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" How does righteousness come? By obedience! What do you need to have the kind of obedience required? You need the Spirit of God!

Verse 17: "But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin... [But you now have been baptized and received the Spirit of God. That's filling in the other Scriptures that all of this means behind the meaning that you were the servants of sin.] ...but [now] you have obeyed..."—obedience (v 16) and obeyed (v 17) shows there are things to keep. What are the three words that describe your relationship with God? There are three words all the way through the Bible: Obey My voice!

Let's see something very interesting. There is a form of Protestantism that comes out of Atlanta, Georgia. I don't know the organization. I have read some of their things, but I don't remember the name. They say that you do not have to follow the things in the Gospel because that was for the Jews because Jesus was a minister to the circumcision. Since we're all Gentiles, we don't need to be bothered with that.

1-Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches any different doctrine, and does not adhere to sound words, even those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is according to Godliness." Here's the answer to that group which says you don't have to keep the words of Jesus. But what did Jesus say? 'Why call you Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?' Yes! Now notice what category they are in:

Verse 4: "He is proud... [unconverted] ...and knows nothing... [doesn't have any understanding of the Word of God] ...Rather, he has a morbid attraction to questions and disputes over words..." That's what they do. Yeah-but this; yeah-but that; yeah-but everything.

"...from which come envy, arguments, blasphemy, wicked suspicions, vain reasonings of men... [In their theological interpretations. Don't they have a lot of those? Yes!] ...who have been corrupted in their minds... [rather than converted] ...and are destitute of the Truth..." (vs 4-5). We're going to talk a little bit about Truth.

• Is God a God of Truth?
• Are His laws Truth?
• Are His commandments Truth?

What did Jesus say of Himself? 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' If they're destitute of the Truth, they are destitute of Jesus. They may have arguments about doctrine, but notice: "...men who believe that gain is Godliness…." (v 5).

If you turn on the Trinity Channel you will see that's so true. I saw one the other day. These men were just all excited and huffing and puffing about the $1,000 seed. 'You send in the $1,000 and God is going to prosper you. This is your seed to prosperity.' They were beside themselves with it. They got their money, but they didn't get God.

Notice the commandment here, v 5: "…From such withdraw yourself." Those are pretty strong words. That puts a lot of religionists into that category—does it not?

Since we just talked about the wholesome words of Christ, Luke 6:39: "Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, 'Is a blind man able to lead a blind man?... [that's obvious] ...Will not both fall into the ditch?'" How do people become spiritually blind? They don't even know that it takes place.

This is subject to the Laws of God. Remember everyone in the world is under law and are judged by the Laws of God. Let's see how someone becomes blind. A lot of people say they see, but they don't see. Jesus explained to them why He spoke to them in parables. Here's the answer. God gave them some tricky things to try and figure out to see if they really wanted the Truth.

Matthew 13:11: "And He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has understanding, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken away from him…. [That's precisely what is happening to Protestantism today.] …For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand.... [we'll see how the automatic blinding takes place.] ...And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, "In hearing you shall hear, and in no way understand; and in seeing you shall see, and in no way perceive; for the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed..."'" (vs 11-15). They have made a choice to not listen. They have made a choice to not obey. They could.
How many Sunday-keeping ministers you go up to them and you talk to them and you really corner them. You say, 'Tell me now really, really, just between you and me, which day does the Bible uphold, Sabbath or Sunday?' Well, now, the Bible teaches Sabbath, but... Automatic blindness! Automatic deafness, too!

"'"...lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts... [here is a tough saying right here] ...and should be converted, and I should heal them"'" (v 15). Think about that!

Did not God cause the people to blind? Yes! Did not the people cause themselves to be blind? Yes! It is a joint project. It's a living law. If you will not hear, if you will not obey, you'll become blind and you will become unable to hear the Words of God and the meaning of it.

So, this also shows that few are called. This one verse here I don't think very many Protestants read this, because they think it's their job to convert the whole world—right? If they don't get out there and do it, then all of those they don't reach are going to burn in hell automatically.

If you don't understand about the second resurrection, you will never understand why Jesus said this. When you understand about the second resurrection, you know that now is not the only day of salvation. It's just like it is in the Lord's Prayer, 'God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' It's not my will or your will or the preacher's will or someone else's will, it's the will of God the Father and Jesus Christ!

Remember those three words: Obey My voice!That's why we have the Bible. These are the Words of God. Let's understand something also about the Word of God. Here's also something about the Word of God—John 6. It comes directly from God—is that not true? Does God live forever? Yes! His words, therefore, are spiritual and eternal. Let's see what Jesus says here.

John 6:63: "It is the Spirit that gives life... [here He didn't tell you how to receive the Spirit] ...the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life.'"

You tie that together with 1-Tim. 6 where if they do not adhere to the sound words of Jesus Christ they know nothing. If they are spiritual, which they are, that means they function automatically, just like the law of gravity. That applies to everyone in the world. That's why the world is shut up under sin so that God will have mercy on them in His time. That's why understanding the second resurrection is so important because if God blinds them, who is responsible? God!

The people blinded themselves, but God blinded them. If they are condemned to never have an opportunity for salvation, then that goes absolutely contradictory to John 3:16, that 'God gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him may not perish but may have everlasting life.'

What if they never heard the name of Jesus Christ? What if they were born before Jesus ever came? Now what is God going to do about them? You have to stick around for the Last Great Day and find out because that's important! God blinds them. Can they overcome the blindness if they repent? Yes!

What we're doing in this Bible study is we're putting together the Scriptures so we can understand what it really means Scripture by Scripture; 'line upon line; precept upon precept; here a little, there a little,' etc.

Luke 6:39: "…'Is a blind man able to lead a blind man? Will not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher...'" (vs 39-40). Think about that for a minute! Who is the teacher? Christ, yes indeed! Those that He sent better speak the words of God, not his own words. That has to do with foot-washing. Remember what Jesus said? We're obligated to wash one another's feet because the disciple is not above the teacher nor a messenger above him who sent him.'

Now when you put yourself above the Law you make your own rules and regulations in the name of Christ.

• What have you done? You've put yourself above Christ!
• What did Adam and Eve do? Put themselves above God!
• What do all people do?

You walk up and you ask someone,

• 'You believe in God?' Oh, yeah, I believe in God.
• 'Do you believe that you should follow His Word?' Yeah, I believe we should follow His Word.
• 'Have you ever read what it is eating fried rabbit?
• Have you ever read which day is the day He made Holy?'
• Oh, well, that's all been done away.

Those three words—all done away—what does that do? Put you above the Law, above the teacher! Grace has nothing to do with that.

Then He talks about judges, v 41: "And why do you look at the sliver that is in your brother's eye, but you do not perceive the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, allow me to cast out the sliver that is in your eye,' but you do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast out the beam from your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to cast out the sliver that is in your brother's eye…. [Then He brings a parable]: …For there is not a good tree that is producing corrupt fruit; nor is there a corrupt tree that is producing good fruit'" (vs 41-43).

What is the tree? The tree that comes from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are the roots (Rom. 11). Israel who then are the descendants of Jacob coming on down to Christ. What did Paul say? That some of the branches being Israel were cut off because of disobedience and the Gentiles were grafted in. If you're grafted into a good tree, you'll produce good fruit.

Verse 44: "'For every tree is known by its own fruit; for they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather a bunch of grapes from a bramble. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good... [What does this tell you? How can anyone be good? Only if they're converted and have the Spirit of God!] ...and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure of his heart brings forth that which is wicked; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (vs 44-45).

Take this verse, set it right next to you and do some channel surfing. Look at all the evil that is produced out of the wicked man's heart. Then He makes a point because there are a lot of people who call Jesus Lord:

Verse 46: "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' but you do not practice what I say?" Isn't that interesting? You just don't acknowledge them; you have to practice them. Entirely different—isn't it?

Let's look at something interesting here, Luke 9:49: "Then John answered and said, 'Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbad him because he does not follow with us.' But Jesus said to him, 'Do not forbid him, because everyone who is not against us is for us'" (vs 49-50). A little later He said, 'Everyone who is not with us is against us.'

Luke 6:46: "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' but you do not practice what I say?" Were those men who were trying to cast out demons, were they practicing what Jesus said? No! They weren't even disciples with the disciples. They were just using the name of Jesus.

Let's see what Jesus says about those who use His name, call Him 'Lord, Lord.' Let's see what category they are in. It's talking about the good tree and the corrupt tree, v Matthew 7 21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven."

• Is it the will of the Father that you sin? No!
• Is it the will of the Father that you have lawless grace? No!
• Is it the will of the Father that put yourself above the laws of God? No!

He wants you to keep them with His Spirit, as we'll see here.

Verse 22: "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'" Isn't that what He was talking about there in Luke 9:49? What's going to happen to those?

Verse 23: "And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you.… [How do you know that you are under grace? How do you know God? A lot of people say they do, but don't.] ...Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.'" Now the King James says iniquity, but this is 'anomia'—lawlessness—you place yourself above the law and you make your own laws and say, 'This is what God means.'

Look at what's happening to the country when we have a lawless government, a lawless Senate, a lawless Congress, all the way down through every levels of government—and lawless 'Christians,' because they set the tone.

Luke 6:46: "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' but you do not practice what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and practices them, I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock; and a flood came, and the torrent beat against that house, but could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But the one who has heard My words and has not practiced them is like a man who built a house on top of the ground, without a foundation; and when the torrent beat against it, it fell at once, and the ruin of that house was great" (vs 46-49).

You also have another example: Remember all the house fires we've had in Colorado? Have you ever wondered what happened? It goes along and burns a whole bunch of homes and then it skips over one. Who knows, maybe they were really beseeching God. Maybe they took a few precautions and did some things they should have.

I know in California now when you're out in an area that's subject to fires, you must have a tile roof and you must stucco under the eaves. Most of the houses that do that never get burned up because there's nothing to catch fire. They did some things that were correct. Likewise, if you heed the Words of Christ, then whose side are you on? Christ's side!

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The question came up concerning abolishing the Law. Once you have your sins forgiven, you have been baptized, received the Holy Spirit, now you are under grace and the Protestants say the Law has been abolished so you don't have to keep the Law. Paul was confronted with the same thing.
Romans 3:31: "Are we, then, abolishing law through faith?.… [That's exactly what Protestants believe. They say, 'Yes, you don't have to keep anything. The old law is done away.'] ...MAY IT NEVER BE! Rather, we are establishing law." This does not mean they have license to establish their own version of the law. Rather, you are establishing the Law of God spiritually for what it is written in your heart and in your mind, Heb. 8 and 10. This helps us to understand under grace. Let's just summarize:

Romans 6:14: "For sin... [transgression of the Law] ...shall not rule over you because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? MAY IT NEVER BE! Don't you realize that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey, you are servants of the one you obey, whether it is of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (vs 14-16). So we have:

• obey—v 16
• obedience—v 16

Jesus said, 'Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not practice the things which I say?' If you practice what Jesus says, what are you doing? You are obeying!

Verse 17: "But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin... [But you have repented and have been baptized, have received the Spirit of God.] ...but you have obeyed from the heart..." That's where it all comes from. Your heart must be converted and you must have the laws and commandments of God written in your heart and your mind. That's the whole process of growing and overcoming.

"...that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. And having been delivered from sin, you became the servants of righteousness" (vs 17-18). If you're the servant of righteousness, you are what? Obeying!

Verse 19: "I speak from a human point of view because of the weakness of your flesh; for just as you once yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness, and to lawlessness unto lawlessness... [transgressing the Laws of God; replacing the Laws of God] ...so, now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification."

I want you to learn something very important. That's why you need the book, Judaism: A Revelation of Moses or a Religion of Men? Matthew 23 is where He castigates the scribes and Pharisees in no uncertain terms. Showing the works of the flesh:

Matthew 23:25: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but within you are full of extortion and excess…. [Doesn't matter what kind of front you put on. It's what's in your heart.] …Blind Pharisees!.… [What did we read about the blind leading the blind?] ...First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may also become clean" (vs 25-26).

How do you do that? Through repentance—right? Yes! 'Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Wash me with hyssop and I shall be clean' (Psa. 51).

Verse 27: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness. Likewise, you also outwardly appear to men to be righteous, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (vs 27-28).

Remember, lawlessness means making your own rules and laws and regulations in place of Gods. Did the Jews have their traditions? Yes! What did Jesus say? 'Full well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition' (Mark 7).

• Do Protestants have traditions? Yes!
• Do Jews have traditions? Yes!
• Do Catholics have traditions? Yes!
• Does Islam?
• Does Buddhism?
• Does Hinduism?
• All have traditions? Yes!
• Do they have the Word of God? Some may hold the Word of God but they don't understand the Word of God!

'Full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'

Romans 6:19 talks about human conduct: "I speak from a human point of view because of the weakness of your flesh; for just as you once yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness, and to lawlessness unto lawlessness..." That means multiple breaking of the commandments of God!

What did Jesus say would be in the end time? 'Because lawlessness will be multiplied...' If you don't think it's being multiplied in 'religion' and in the government, and in people's lives today, then you don't know what's happening.

"...so now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification…. [to be made Holy through the power and Spirit and Word of God] …For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. Therefore, what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end result of those things is death. But now that you have been delivered from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 19-23).

Once you have repented, been baptized, received the Holy Spirit of God, and are letting God write His laws and commandments in your heart and in your mind, you are striving to overcome sin. You are relying on Christ. You have weakness of the flesh and you can repent of those sins, because you are under grace. We are going to see the dividing line is clear: who is under grace and who is under law. Being under grace does not mean that you are not in obedience to God and His laws. Rather it means you're keeping them in the spirit.

Romans 7:6: "But now we have been released from the law... [in this particular case that was the law of the marriage covenant] ...because we have died... [through water baptism] ...to that in which we were held so that we might serve in newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."

It's not a question of keeping the Laws of God or having them abolished. That is not the question. The question is how do you keep it? People in the world who are nice and decent and good people in the world keep the Laws of God in the letter. They don't have the Spirit of God. Even though they keep Christmas, Easter, Sunday, all of these things, follow all the pagan doctrines, many of them are still nice and good people as the world would look at people. Law abiding citizens within the land. But are they converted? Do they have the Spirit of God? No!

So therefore, they're under law, they're not under grace. We serve in newness of spirit by having them written in our heart and in our mind because a law, just because it's written in a book or on a code of law in some governmental building, has no enforcement. It's just there. With God's Spirit in you and a desire to obey and God's Spirit to lead you, that's how you establish law because:

• you desire to love God
• you desire to obey God
• you desire to keep His commandments
• you want to know that you're living your life correctly
• you repent when you sin

All of that is what Rom. 8 calls the spiritually-minded.

Romans 8:1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." If you have the Spirit of God and you are being led by the Spirit of God, you are under grace. We're going to see how this works:

Verse 9: "However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit... [This is your standing before God. Yes, we still have a fleshly body—don't we? But now we have something added to our minds which is the Spirit of God.] ...if the Spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you.…" Notice this dividing line.

• Everyone who does not have the Spirit of God dwelling within them is under law.
• Everyone who has the Spirit of God dwelling within them is under grace.

Only those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them are under grace. Let's see that:

"...But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (v 9).

• It's not a matter of what you profess.
• It's not a matter of what you proclaim.
• It's not a matter of what you believe independent from the Word of God.
• It is do you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you or not!

Then you have to go back—how do you receive the Spirit of God? You receive the Spirit of God through:

• repentance
• baptism
• laying on of hands

Here's another one, v 2: "Because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus..." So the Spirit of God is law; Truth.

• Will the Spirit of God lead you to disobey?
• Will the Spirit of God lead you to reject the commandments of God?
• Will the Spirit of God lead you to disobey God?
• No!

But with the Spirit of God within you, you are delivered from 'the law of sin and death.' It is not removed until the resurrection, but you have been delivered from its dictatorial clutch over your life. Nothing else can do that. You can see people in the world who are really successful. They do this, they discipline themselves, they study, they improve their minds, they live decent lives, and all of that sort of thing. But are they converted? No!

What you can do if you want to know how people appear good on the outside but within they are really crooks, watch CNBC's American Greed. These people are professional in what they do. They can appear that they are very good. But they are not converted. The law of the Spirit of Life from Christ then is going to give you the inner hungering and thirsting of the Word of God, wanting to love God, wanting to obey God, and so forth. There is the dividing line.

If you don't have the Spirit of Christ, you don't belong to Him. There may be people that are close. There may be people that God is working with. But unless they answer the call and repent, they don't belong to God.

I don't know if you want to do this, you might not get out of the room alive, maybe you will, you corner a Sunday-keeping preacher and say, 'Doesn't the Bible teach that we should keep the Sabbath?' Yes! 'Do you think that we should keep the commandment to not murder?' Yes! 'Do you think we should keep the commandment to not commit adultery?' Well, in most cases! You go on down the Ten Commandments. 'Don't you think then that you're a hypocrite to come to church here on Sunday and tell everyone that they are in God's favor when they are breaking God's Sabbath? Oh, no, I'm good intentioned. 'No, you have a well-intended hypocrisy which is sin and iniquity.' Wouldn't that be something? 'Well, then do you consider yourself a hypocrite? Oh, No! 'What do you consider yourself then?

'I just want to leave you with this one thought before I get out of here—and you better have your escape planned—Jesus said that He was Lord even of the Sabbath Day. So that means the Lord's Day is the Sabbath. Now what are you going to do before God? You can mail me your answer.'

Scriptural References:

• Romans 6:14
• Romans 7:1
• Romans 6:14-15
• Romans 3:19
• Romans 6:15-17
• 1-Timothy 6:3-5
• Luke 6:39
• Matthew 13:11-15
• John 6:63
• Luke 6:39-46
• Luke 9:49-50
• Luke 6:46
• Matthew 7:21-23
• Luke 6:46-49
• Romans 3:31
• Romans 6:14-19
• Matthew 23:25-28
• Romans 6:19-23
• Romans 7:6
• Romans 8:1, 9, 2

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• John 3:16
• Romans 11
• Hebrews 8; 10
• Psalm 51
• Mark 7

Also referenced: Book:
Judaism: A Revelation of Moses or a Religion of Men? by Philip Neal

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 7-16-12
Formatted: bo—7/16/12

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