Life in the Spirit Continued (Romans 8:12-17)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, 2021

In 1904 William Borden graduated from high school. He was the heir to the great Borden milk fortune. For his graduation gift, his parents sent him on a trip around the world, hoping it would stimulate his global business interests. Instead, for the first time he realized how many had never heard the good news of Jesus Christ, and he committed himself to becoming a missionary. When one of his closest friends heard this news he was outraged and confronted William Borden telling him that he was throwing his life away. Borden made a note of the date and wrote these two words in his bible: No Reserves.

He then went to Yale University and was a top student, the President of the honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. Upon graduation he was offered several high paying, influential jobs. He turned them all down, saying he was committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. He made a note of the date in his Bible and wrote the two words: No Retreat.

He eventually set off for China to work with Muslims there. He decided it would be best to learn Arabic before he arrived, so he stopped in Cairo, Egypt, to do language study. It was while he was in Egypt that he contracted spinal meningitis and within a month he was dead, still in his twenties, never having even arrived in China. The news of his tragic death was carried by newspapers across the country. Eventually his belongings were shipped back to the US and his parents opened his Bible to find a date written just weeks before he died with two words: No Regrets.[1]

Today,I wish to continue our trek through Romans as we look at a passage encouraging us with our close relationship with God and challenging us to walk by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the body. This passage is about perseverance in the Christian life, but not on our own, no the Holy Spirit is within us.  

My theme is:

The Christian life is a life of living by the Spirit persevering to conquer sin and make Jesus Lord of our lives.

• Live by the Spirit (verses 12-14).
  • Let’s read verse 12: So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
  • Paul begins with “so then…”
  • There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.^[2]
  • Let’s put this in context. In the previous verses Paul wrote about our life in the Spirit. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. Wow! He will also give us life through His Spirit. That is a powerful section. This is a powerful chapter.
  • This brings us to these verses.
  • We are debtors…
  • Debtors to what? Paul will answer this.
  • We are not debtors to the flesh; Paul even clarifies more. We are not debtors to live according to the flesh.
  • In the New Testament “flesh” usually means the sinful state, the fallen state, the depraved state that we are in without Christ.
  • In Greek Paul is using the word σάρξ transliterated sárx literally it means Flesh of a living creature in distinction from that of a dead one, which is kréas (2907), meat.^[3]
  • Metonymically meaning flesh as used for the body, the corpus, the material nature as distinguished from the spiritual and intangible (pneúma [4151], the spirit). This usage of sárx is far more frequent in the NT than in classical writers.^[4]
  • Paul had been writing about how the flesh can’t get us to Heaven. The way of the flesh leads to death (Romans 6:16). The way of the flesh leads to sin now and eternal death later on. Remember in Romans 7:13-24 how Paul wrote about not being able to do the right things. I said that I think he was writing about his fleshly state. Living as a non-believer he just could not do the right thing. He might have also been writing as an objective non-believer, not as himself. Either way, the flesh cannot help us do the right thing. The flesh cannot take care of our sin problem. Paul is saying that we are not debtors to this way. 
  • In verse 13 he continues his thought: For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
  • If you live according to the flesh you will die. This is consistent to what he has already written. Again, this is because “flesh” represents our sinful state.
  • For if you live according to the flesh you will die…Paul is about to show contrast, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
  • Now, this is interesting. So, someone is saved, they are a Christian, they have the Holy Spirit (verse 9 of this chapter), but they still need to make a conscious effort to NOT “in the flesh,” BUT “by the Spirit” put to death the deeds of the body. Then they will live.
  • Listen, as Christians we must walk by the Spirit.
  • As Christians we must put to death the deeds of the body.
  • C. H. Spurgeon said, “The believer, like a man on shipboard, may fall again and again on the deck, but he will never fall overboard,” quoted in A. H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: Judson, 1907), 885.^[5] We must persevere.
  • The Greek verb (translated “put to death”) suggests continuing action.
  • Being a Christian is NOT simply saying a prayer and then living however you want. No, that would be living by the flesh. We still must live John 15, that is “abide” in Jesus (John 15:4).
  • I like what Piper writes:

When Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body “by the Spirit” (Romans 8:13), I take him to mean that we should use the one weapon in the Spirit’s armor that is used to kill; namely, the sword, “which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

So, when the body is about to be led into a sinful action by some fear or craving, we are to take the sword of the Spirit and kill that fear and that craving. In my experience, that means mainly severing the root of sin’s promise by the power of a superior promise.

For example, when I begin to crave some illicit sexual pleasure, the sword-swing that has often severed the root of this promised pleasure is, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). I recall the pleasures I have tasted of seeing God more clearly from an undefiled conscience; and I recall the brevity and superficiality and oppressive aftertaste of sin’s pleasures, and with that, God has killed the conquering power of sin.

Having promises at hand that suit the temptation of the hour is one key to successful warfare against sin.

But there are times when we don’t have a perfectly suited word from God in our minds. And there is no time to look through the Bible for a tailor-made promise. So, we all need to have a small arsenal of general promises ready to use whenever fear or craving threaten to lead us astray.

Here are four of my most oft-used promises in fighting against sin:

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

And the promise implicit in Philippians 3:8, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

And, of course, Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Be constantly adding to your arsenal of promises. But never lose sight of the chosen few that God has blessed in your life. Do both. Be ever-ready with the old. And every morning look for a new one to take with you through the day.[6]

1. Paul concludes this thought in verse 14: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
   • One writes: This may be the most succinct and specific answer in Scripture to the question, Who is a child of God? While doctrinal correctness is important, no amount of theological acuity can substitute for the guiding presence of the Spirit.^[7]
   • Are you led by the Spirit of God? That brings us to the next section:
2. Adopted into God’s family (verses 15-17).
   • Verse 15: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
   • We see that we have intimacy with the Father (verses 15-16).
   • You did not receive the spirit of slavery, No, that was the old way. Paul is now contrasting the way of a non-adopted son in the Greco-Roman world versus the way of an adopted son. A non-adopted son in the Greco-Roman world was just like a slave.
   • The spirit of slavery would give us more fear.
   • No, we have the Spirit of adoption. We have the Holy Spirit Who seals us as children of the Most High God (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
   • One writes: The Holy Spirit is not an agent of bondage but is instead the means of our adoption into God’s family. By the Spirit we have a consciousness that God is our Father.^[8]
   • One source: Roman adoption—which could take place at any age—canceled all previous debts and relationships, defining the new son wholly in terms of his new relationship to his father, whose heir he thus became.^[9]
   • This means that we can cry “Abba! Father!”
   • “Abba” means “father” and is transliterated from the Aramaic. Paul writes it in Greek but it is an Aramaic word. To transliterate means to take the word and put it in the corresponding letters of another alphabet, in this case the Aramaic to the Greek.
   • Paul put two words for father next to each other in order to add emphasis.
   • “Abba” means “father.” Then, the second word is “pater.” Pater can mean father, or grandfather, or forefather.
   • ἀββᾶ abbá; In the NT, it is always used to address God and is followed immediately by the translation (Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). This double expression was common in the early church.^[10]
   • Paul seems to be conveying the intimacy that we can have with God being adopted into His family.
   • In Mark 14:36 during Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane He addressed God as Abba Father. We can pray to God the same way that Jesus prayed to His Father!
   • Paul builds on this in verse 16: The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…
   • The Holy Spirit bears witness with our internal spirit, that would be spirit with a lower case “s.” The Holy Spirit tells us that we are children of God.
   • MacArthur: In Roman culture, for an adoption to be legally binding, 7 reputable witnesses had to be present, attesting to its validity. God’s Holy Spirit confirms the validity of our adoption, not by some inner, mystical voice, but by the fruit He produces in us (Gal 5:22, 23) and the power He provides for spiritual service (Ac 1:8).^[11]
   • This is powerful, how important this is that we are grafted into God’s family.
   • We have an inheritance from the Father (verses 17).
   • Verse 17 wraps this up: and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
   • We are fellow heirs with Christ!
   • God has appointed His Son to be heir of all things (Heb 1:2). Every adopted child will receive by divine grace the full inheritance Christ receives by divine right (cf. Mt 25:21; Jn 17:22; 2Co 8:9).^[12]
   • However, we do have to suffer in this Christian life, but we will also be glorified with Him.
3. Applications:
   • We need to allow the Word of God to do the Work of God to put to death things of the flesh (verse 13).
   • We need to use the Word of God to put to death deeds of the body. We need to use the Word of God to put to death: lust, envy, greed, idols, lies, pride, and so much more.
   • We must be encouraged of the close relationship we have with God as Christians (verses 15-16).
   • We must remember that the Christian life will include suffering (verse 17).

John newton illustration from John Piper:

I’m going to close with a story from John Newton. I come back to it over and over to convict myself of my murmuring. Paul said in Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without murmuring.” Is there any more condemning verse in the Bible? All things without murmuring?

This is John Newton, writing in the eighteenth century. There are no cars; there are only carriages. So, picture a horse-drawn carriage. A man is on the way to New York to get his inheritance. Here’s what happens:

Suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate [let’s just say it’s worth $5 million], and his [carriage] should break down a mile before he got to the city, which obliged him to walk the rest of the way [this is where we are in our walkway toward heaven]; what a fool we should think him, if we saw him wringing his hands, and blubbering out all the remaining mile, “My [carriage] is broken! My [carriage] is broken!”

He’s on the way to an inheritance worth millions of dollars. He can fix the carriage.[13]

We as Christian have an inheritance in Heaven that is more than we can ever imagine. Part of that inheritance we have received, we have received the Holy Spirit and life with Him. We will have bumps along the way of this life. We will have struggles with sin and persecution and suffering, but after persevering through this life, by the power of the Holy Spirit persevering through this life, we will be in glory in Heaven.

Let’s pray.

---

[1] https://asburyseminary.edu/elink/my-charge-to-the-asbury-theological-seminary-graduating-class-of-2014/

^[2] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ro 8:12.

^[3] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

NT (New Testament)

^[4] Ibid.

^[5] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995).

[6] https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/arm-yourself-with-promises?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=83738072&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8T6rggiyzzRQ4VXEcpjmMx7gbTz_FiT3NX0srN4CdOaU3tr2nG2sf8N7QRI7XEvQhz1fvqKquAVxtG_mgQZAJzQpQ21g&_hsmi=83738072

^[7] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 181–182.

^[8] Paige Patterson, “Salvation in the Old Testament,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1793.

^[9] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ro 8:15.

NT (New Testament)

^[10] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[11] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 8:16.

^[12] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 8:17.

[13] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/gods-good-design-in-our-suffering?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97773529&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9rhazO6khlOKbaC8L5-xNlAWCKSP1ARxWm8wc-l3wpgyXTmtsp72YNF_PcX3nziyBd5ycvoWejLHpgwR-QiMhuLw2Kgg&utm_content=97773529&utm_source=hs_email

Allow me to begin this sermon by saying “Happy Mother’s Day!” I am grateful for all the mothers and all the maternal influences out there. Thank you for your constant work.

Something I read in the past few weeks said the following:

What is a Mother?

Somewhere between the youthful energy of a teenager and the golden years of a woman’s life, there lives a marvelous and loving person known as “Mother.”

A mother is a curious mixture of patience, kindness, understanding, discipline, industriousness, purity and love.

A mother can be at one and the same time, both “lovelorn counselor” to a heartsick daughter and “head football coach” to an athletic son.

A mother can sew the tiniest stitch in the material for that dainty prom dress and she is equally experienced in threading through the heaviest traffic in a station wagon.

A mother is the only creature on earth who can cry when she’s happy, laugh when she’s heartbroken, and work when she’s feeling ill.

A mother is as gentle as a lamb and as strong as a giant. Only a mother can appear so weak and helpless and yet be the same one who puts the fruit cover on so tightly even dad can’t get it off.

A mother is a picture of helplessness when Dad is near, and a marvel of resourcefulness when she’s all alone.

A mother has the angelic voice of a member in the celestial choir as she sings Brahms lullaby to a babe held tight in her arms; yet this same voice can dwarf the sounds of an amplifier when she calls her boys in for supper.

A mother has the fascinating ability to be almost everywhere at once and she alone can somehow squeeze an enormous amount of living into an average day.

A mother is “old fashioned” to her teenager; just “Mom” to her third-grader; and simply “Mama” to little two-year old sister.

But there is no greater thrill in life, than to point to that wonderful woman and be able to say to all the world, “That’s my mother!”[1]

There is always something about mothers, really there is. There has always, even as we study history, we see there is a special place for mothers. Times can change and times do change, but people always need a mother and love their mother. A sad expression of this is when people cry out for their mother on the battlefield. A mother’s voice is the one you long to hear.

As an example, several years ago, when Mercedes was only about 18 months old Meagan and I went together to pick up Mercedes from the babysitter. We went to the babysitter walked in the door and Mercedes ran and gave Meagan a big hug. I waited and Mercedes didn’t give me a hug. Mercedes loved and loves her mom. There is a special place for mothers. Let me also say that there is a special place for those that serve in a maternal role. There are many who never have biological children but mother other children all the same.

In the Bible we do see the idea of taking care of our mothers. Certainly, in the Old Testament we see the commandment to honor our father and our mother in Exodus 20:12. But then we also see the passage which we will look at today. Let me read John 19:26-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

1. The passage:
   • In context Jesus is on the cross. He has been beaten beyond recognition and now He is dying on the cross.
   • Jesus is probably gasping for air and struggling to breathe, yet he makes this statement.
   • I wonder what it was like for His mother to watch her son on the cross. This fulfilled Simeon’s prophesy in Luke 2:35: …(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
   • Here He is naked, beaten and dying. This is the boy she raised.
   • Jesus looks down on her. I wonder what it was like for Him to see His mother. Was she grieving? Was she crying? How did that make Him feel?
   • Jesus did feel the need to provide for her.
   • He saw the disciple whom He loved, likely John, and gave a command.
   • Verse 27 says that this disciple did take her in. There was no arguing. This disciple took care of Jesus’ mother.
   • Notice that there are four women at the foot of the cross and one of them is likely the beloved disciple’s mother and the beloved disciple is likely Jesus’ cousin. It says, “his mother’s sister,” possibly Salome, who was the Mother of James and John, Then, it says, “the wife of Cleophas,” “Mary the wife of Cleophas;” and this was possibly Mary’s sister‑in‑law so that you have a family there. Then you have one outsider, Mary Magdalene, Mary from Magdala. Christ had cast seven demons from her (This comes from verse 25).
   • Notice that the beloved disciple is the only disciple who was there. The rest fled. Know that men have no market on courage. In this case the women are way more courageous.
2. Now let’s apply this idea of taking care of your mother:
   • Taking care of your mother. Jesus makes sure that His mother’s needs are provided for. We also must provide for the needs of others. Today we focus on mothers and those who fill a maternal role in our lives.   
   • When I was a child, we spent many, many, many weekends as my father took care of his mother’s needs. My dad’s father died when I was very young, and my dad’s brother and sisters lived a distance away. So, my dad took care of his mother’s needs. I remember many weekends cutting grass or watching my dad cut grass at her house. My dad repeatedly replaced plumbing and repaired electrical work at her house. He was always fixing her car. He fixed the flooring over there. He helped her with decision making as well. Then when she had to have a hip replacement, she moved in with us for a while. She didn’t want to impose, but my parents, both of them actually, prepared a room for her and she stayed with us. This was all the more important to me because my dad was physically, verbally, and emotionally abused as a child, yet he still took care of her needs. After she recovered from the hip replacement, she still lived with us off and on throughout the year. Later on my grandmother died when I was in tenth grade of high school and that was the only time I saw my dad cry. He was taking me to work and he told me that her death had been hard on him. He further said that over the last few years he realized how much his mother regretted the pain of his upbringing.  
   • I think the Bible affirms, and this statement by Jesus affirms, the need to take care of other maternal influences. We have other maternal influences in our lives. These could be our mother-in-law or a scout leader. They could be pastors or youth pastors. These could be Sunday school teachers or childcare workers.  These could be older sisters or many others. Jesus told John to care for His mother. I wonder if Jesus’ mother could have been like a mother to John or some of the other disciples.
   • I am sure that you have similar stories. We do this because of our love for them.
   • In like manner, many of you have been or are care givers for your elderly parents. You do this because they have meant so much to you.
3. I believe that Jesus making sure that His mother was taken care of is also showing us that it is important to take care of the needs of others, even if they are not our mother or maternal influence. In Jesus’ dying moment He cares for His mother.
   • My mother was one, and is one, who is also caring for others. She now works in a childcare center at a church. Growing up she always babysat for children in our home. She would make an excellent caregiver because she has a huge heart of compassion. I talk about my dad’s care for his mother, and I have to say it is matched by mom’s care for all people.
     • I remember not having a book properly covered in school. I was in the seventh grade and the teacher called my mom from school. I thought I would be so punished. But really I got home and my mom was ready to help me cover the book properly.
     • I remember having a headache as I forgot my glasses when I was in first grade. I never called my mom but somehow she realized that my glasses were at home and soon she showed up with my glasses.
     • I remember forgetting gym clothes and having to write sentences. I actually didn’t forget them, they were taken from my locker, but regardless I had to write sentences. My mom watched me write sentences and I could tell how bad she felt as I wrote sentence after sentence about remembering gym clothes. Yet, she did not call the teacher and complain about discipline.
     • I remember getting stitches countless times and my mom and my dad took me to the hospital.
     • I remember the sadness when I went away to college. I was the first to go eight hours from home to college and my mom was so very sad.

The following is a list of “I owe you’s” which apply to mothers all over the country, all of which are long overdue. Stop after each one and consider the priceless value of the one who made your life possible—your mother.

Dear Mom:

As I walk through my museum of memories,

I owe you– for your time. Day and night.

I owe you—for your example. Consistent and dependable.

I owe you—for your support. Stimulating and challenging.

I owe you– for your humor. Sparky and quick.

I owe you—for your counsel. Wise and quiet.

I owe you—for your humility. Genuine and gracious.

I owe you—for your hospitality. Smiling and warm.  

I owe you—for your insight. Keen and honest.

I owe you– for your flexibility. Patient and joyful.

I owe you—for your sacrifices. Numerous and quickly forgotten.

I owe you—for your faith. Solid and sure.

I owe you—for your hope. ­Ceaseless and indestructible.

I owe you—for your love. Devoted and deep. [2] 

A cartoon shows a three-year-old, freckle-faced boy in a hallway. His pajamas are unsnapped, his diaper’s bagging, and he’s got a little teddy bear, dangling in his hand. He’s standing in front of his mother and father’s bedroom door, which is shut. On the door is a little sign written by a weary mother: “Closed for business. Motherhood Out of Order.[3]

I have heard a mother’s work is never done and Jesus instructs us to take care of our mother. We have this instruction in the idea that Jesus made sure His mother was taken care of. So, I hope today you are being thanked for your maternal role. I hope today you are able to recognize a mother or someone else for their role in your life.

Jesus made sure his mother was taken care of. This mother’s day take care of your mother. Take care of your children’s mother and encourage others to take care of their mother.

I do realize that this may be a sad mother’s day for you, for your mother has gone to be with the Lord. I encourage you to reflect and maybe even write in a journal about all your mother passed on to you.

Also, you may have had other maternal roles in your life—a grandmother, an aunt, a family friend or teacher. God uses many more people to pass on faith to children and young adults as they grow up. If you can thank them as well and thank God for mothers.

---

[1] Read in Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN 1998. Page 395. He references Fred Kruse.

[2] Read in Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN 1998. Page 396. (From his book: Strong Family)

[3] Read in Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN 1998. Page 397. (From his book: Laugh Again.

Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-11)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2, 2021

I read the following:

One of the more humorous quirks of scientific history is the debate over who should get the

credit for discovering oxygen. Joseph Priestley, an English scientist and clergyman, is often

given that honor because he was the first to publish his findings, doing so in 1774. Interestingly,

Priestley originally called the gas, “dephlogisticated [de-phlo-gis-ti-cat-ed] air.”

However, in 1772, two years prior to Priestly’s find, a Swedish chemist named Carl Scheele

independently discovered the gas that is so crucial to human existence. Strangely enough, the

term oxygen didn’t actually come into use until 1775, when yet another chemist, Frenchman

Antoine Lavoisier (La voi ze), discovered and named the gas we breathe. Lavoisier was also the

first to recognize oxygen as one of our natural elements.

Regardless of who gets the credit, it’s odd to think of a human being “discovering” oxygen. What

did we breathe before this important discovery? Does a fish discover water? The truth is that

oxygen literally surrounds us every day, and even if we choose to call it “dephlogisticated air,”

we can’t live without it.

Well, friends in Christ, the same is true of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we have new life, we have life in the Holy Spirit. That is our focus today.

My theme and application today is:

We are NOT under condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus, we must set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

We are going to walk through Romans 8:1-11:

The New American Commentary shares the following:

With chap. 8 we arrive at what may be called the inspirational highlight of the Book of Romans. Here the apostle is swept along in a wave of spiritual exaltation that begins with God’s provision of the Spirit for victory over the old nature, breaks through the sufferings that mark our present existence, and crests with a doxology of praise to the unfathomable love of God revealed in Christ Jesus. Nowhere in the annals of sacred literature do we find anything to match the power and beauty of this remarkable paean of praise. Although the pinnacle of this exalted prose awaits our arrival at vv. 28–39, the earlier sections provide the setting against which the culminating truths will break forth with an even greater brilliance. We are not dealing here with mere theology. As Paul wrote, his pen gave evidence that he was caught up in an experience of profound worship and spiritual adoration.^[1]

1. The Believers’ relationship to the Holy Spirit (verses 1-4).
   • No condemnation (verse 1): There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
   • Remember the context, remember chapter 7.
   • In chapter 7 Paul wrote about how we cannot keep the Law. In verse 6 Paul wrote about how the Law exposes our sin. In chapter 7 Paul wrote about how there is a war between the two natures. There is a war between the flesh and the Spirit. I made the case that Paul was writing about either his pre-saved self or writing as a Jewish non-believer.
   • This verse now says there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The verdict is delivered, and we are NOT condemned. That is the past, the trial is over. “On the sole basis of Christ’s righteousness imputed, then a reversal of the court’s verdict is impossible.”[2]
   • The next few verses build on this idea.
   • Verse 2 gives the contrast between the Law of the Spirit and the Old Testament Law. The Law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Verse 2 reads: For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
   • This is why there is no condemnation. Jesus took our condemnation on the cross.
   • God never intended us to go it on our own. Did not Jesus say, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)?^[3]
   • Verse 3 builds on this idea.
   • Verses 3-4: God did what the Law could not do. Verses 3-4 reads: For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
   • One could restate the logic this way: Christ accomplished for us the condemnation that the law demands so that he might accomplish in us the sanctification that the law commands. The key phrase for our purpose is the phrase “so that,” or “in order that.” When God put Christ in our condemned place, he did this not only to secure heaven, but to secure holiness. Or even more precisely, not only to secure our life in paradise, but also to secure our love for people.[4]
   • The Spirit is mentioned only in 1:4; 2:29; 5:5, and 7:6, but is mentioned 19 times in chap. 8.^[5]
   • He frees us from sin and death (vv. 2, 3); enables us to fulfill God’s law (v. 4); changes our nature and grants us strength for victory over our unredeemed flesh (vv. 5–13); confirms our adoption as God’s children (vv. 14–16); and guarantees our ultimate glory (vv. 17–30).^[6]
2. The Holy Spirit dwells in you (verses 5-11).
   • In verses 5-8 we see the contrast of those according to the flesh versus those according to the Spirit. Verse 5 reads: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
   • According to the flesh means the fallen, sinful nature. If we are not in Christ, if we do not know Christ, we set our minds on the things of the world.
   • However, if we know Christ, if we live with Him (John 15), if we live according to the Spirit, we set our minds on the things of God.
   • Verse 6 continues the contrast: For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
   • We are to “set our minds” on the things of the Holy Spirit. This is partnering with the Holy Spirit to let Him work within us (Phil 2:12-13). To set the mind on the flesh means to think continually about and constantly desire the things characteristic of fallen, sinful human nature, that is, to think just the way the unbelieving world thinks, emphasizing what it thinks important, pursuing what it pursues, in disregard of God’s will.^[7]
   • We receive life and peace by being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This means peace with God, reconciliation with God.
   • How is the mind set on the flesh death? Verses 7-8 answer this.
   • Then verses 7-8 shows that the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. The mind set on the flesh does not submit to God’s law AND IT CANNOT. Verses 7-8 reads: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
   • This is because the mind set on the flesh is focusing on the fallen, depraved things. One could go further that we have eternal death without being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
   • Notice when in the flesh we CANNOT please God. We must be born-again. We must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
   • Verses 9-11 are all about how the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Verses 9-11 reads: You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
   • Notice the pointedness of verse 9: YOU, however, are NOT in the flesh…
   • You are in the Spirit.
   • That is, if the Spirit of God dwells in you.
   • This means that if we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
   • If you do not have the Spirit of Christ, you do not belong to Him.
   • Notice how Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ are used interchangeably. ESV Study Bible: By definition, Christians are not in the flesh, for all who believe in Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Paul alternates between the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ here, showing that Christ and God share the same status.^[8]
   • Verse 10: But if Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.
   • Verse 11 is powerful, “if…” this is assuming you are saved. If the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He, who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. How? Through His Spirit who dwells in you.
   • The Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus is in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. Powerful!
   • The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and He will also raise us.
   • Who raised Jesus from the dead: All three members of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were involved in the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection is individually ascribed to each one of them.[9]
3. Applications:
   • We must be encouraged that we do not live under condemnation (verse 1).
   • We must be encouraged that Jesus did what we could not do on our own (verses 2-3).
   • We must give thanks to the Lord and worship the Lord and serve the Lord for His awesome free gift.
   • We must set our minds on the things of the Spirit (verse 5; also Galatians 5:22-23).
   • We must understand that when our mind is set on the Spirit we have life, real life, abundant life, eternal life, and peace, that is, peace with God (verse 6).
   • We must understand that the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God (verses 7-8).
   • We must understand the dichotomy between God’s ways and the ways of the flesh (verses 7-8 and James 4:4).
   • We must understand that if we are in Christ we have the Spirit of God in us (verse 9). We must worship God for this awesome truth and walk by the Spirit.
   • Praise God that the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me! He will also resurrect my body.   

On the night of March 29, 1848, Niagara Falls completely and mysteriously stopped flowing. The estimated 500,000 gallons of water that customarily rushed over the falls stalled to a trickle. James Francis Macklem, a village justice of the peace in the Niagara area, wrote that he had witnessed the subsidence of the waters and the phenomenon of the Niagara running dry “caused great excitement in the neighborhood at the time.” 
To some, the mystery of this sudden “turning off” of the river seemed to be an ominous portent, and nightfall found most of the churches packed with people praying or talking in frightened voices about the end of the world. Fear grew into the proportions of panic. 
The cause of this unusual event began along the shores of Lake Erie near Buffalo. For several days, the wind had been blowing to the east over Lake Erie, driving much of its ice flow down river. Then the winds suddenly shifted to the west, driving the lake water west and causing the lake’s ice to break up and dam the river. The Niagara River ceased to flow for almost 30 hours until the ice shifted and the dam broke up. 

When we become cold towards Christ and do not let the Holy Spirit flow through our lives it can become disastrous. Has your love for Christ grown cold? Today in prayer, confess any sin to Christ and remember the love you had for Him when you first became a Christian. Walk with Him and do not let your love grow cold.

Pray

---

^[1] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 173–174.

[2] Dr Michael Horton in “ For Calvinism”

^[3] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 175.

[4] Piper, John. Providence (p. 590). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

chap. chapter

^[5] Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1756.

^[6] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 8:2–30.

^[7] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2170.

^[8] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2170.

[9] https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_1350.cfm

The Law and Sin (Romans 7:7-25)

The only way to defeat sin is through Jesus.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2021

When I was a kid, I remember many times trying to get something done, but it did not work out. This was because I needed my dad’s help. Or, I needed an adult’s help. This is not unique to me. One day when Mercedes was about 18 months old I was awakened in the middle of the night to hear some loud noise and a cry. I came out and saw that Mercedes had woke up, went to the kitchen and stacked a chair on top of a play table in order to reach something in the refrigerator. She was fine, but she needed an adult’s help, AND AN ADULT’S PERMISSION!

Have you ever attempted something that you needed help with? This has happened to me many times when I have attempted automotive work; I am not very good at it and need help. Why do I share this? I share this because I believe the passage we are going to look at is showing that apart from Christ we cannot be good. Sure, we may be okay, we may do good things, but we will mess up. We mess up and struggle with sin knowing Christ, so apart from Christ we REALLY will have issues.

We are going to look at Romans 7:7-25 and I want to show that we need Jesus.

My theme is:

The only way to defeat sin is through Jesus.

1. In verses 7-13 we see the law and sin contrasted.
   • Paul is picking up from verses 1-6. In verses 1-6, Paul had been writing about how we were released from the law. Paul compared it to being married and once your spouse dies you are free to remarry (verse 3). In verse 4, Paul says that we were meant to die to the Law through the body of Christ…
   • In verse 5, Paul had talked about being in the flesh and in the flesh the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work…
   • In verse 6, Paul says that we have been released from the Law… we serve in newness of the Spirit…
   • Notice that, we serve in newness of the Spirit. As we look at this passage you may think what is the point of talking about this? The point is that without Jesus, and without walking by the Holy Spirit, we are setup to fail. We cannot meet God’s standard, so Jesus did it for us, but even as a Christian we still need to walk with Jesus (John 15).  
   • This brings us to verses 7-13.
   • Verse 7: What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
   • Paul has been writing about the Law, and that would be the Old Testament Law. He has been writing about the Law of Moses, the Torah, the Pentateuch. Though some of the times when “the Law” is written, it is more principle, than “the Law of Moses.”
   • People could easily think that he is saying that the Law is sin.
   • Paul responds emphatically, “By no means!”
   • The law shows us that we are sinners.
   • Paul gives the example of coveting, that is, to desire something forbidden, to lust.
   • Paul gives a quotation from Exod 20:17 and Deut 5:21.^[1]
   • That leads us to verse 8: But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
   • Apart from the Law, sin lies dead.
   • What he is saying is that the Law exposes this sin.
   • The Law gives the written culpability.
   • I like what Dr. Ben Witherington shares. Dr. Witherington is a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary. He thinks in Rom 7:7-13 Paul is using the rhetorical device called impersonation. He speaks in the first person but not as himself. This is not biographical either. He is writing as Adam, like in Romans 5. They are present tense words, but he is writing as Adam.
   • He writes that he existed before the law. He writes about when he violated the commandment sin awoke. That would be Adam.
   • Remember in context, Rom 7:5-6, Paul says they used to be this way.
   • This is Paul viewing things from a Christian point of view.
   • I think Dr. Witherington makes some good points and we will come back to the idea of literature devices in the next section.
   • The Moody Bible Commentary builds on this: First, it is possible that Paul uses “I” to describe the experience of Adam, or, second, of Israel before receiving the law. Third, Paul may be saying that sin is so strong in the believer that Christians should expect moral failure and accept it as an inevitability.^[2] The authors of the Moody Bible Commentary take the view that in chap. 7 Paul discusses primarily the experience of the Jewish unbeliever (7:1, I am speaking to those who know the law), but what he says is equally relevant for Gentile unbelievers who fail to keep their own moral standards.^[3]
   • Skip to verse 13.
   • Verse 13 wraps up this section: Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
   • Paul is writing in a question and answer style. Did that which is good bring death to him? He could still be writing as Adam.
   • This last verse makes very clear that the Law exposes the sin. Sin produced the death, through the Law exposing it. The tail end of this verse is complicated. The commandment might become sinful beyond measure??? This is just saying through the commandment the sin becomes more sinful. The NASB says, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. THE SIN BECOMES UTTERLY SINFUL, NOT THE COMMANDMENT.
   • Did the good law cause death? The correct understanding is that sin used something good to bring human death. God used the law to accomplish his purpose to fully expose sin and point the sinner to God’s only remedy for sin.^[4]
2. Overview of the different views on Romans 7:14-25.
   • I already shared different views on verses 7-13. I favor that Paul was writing as Adam. I could go along with him writing as a Jewish unbeliever.
   • I still do not believe this section is about Paul writing of himself as a Christian. There is the view that he is writing about himself before he was saved, and I could go along with that easier than I could believe that this is Paul as a believer.
   • One sources notes: The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in vv. 13–25 but is referred to 19 times in ch. 8; to say that Christians are “sold under sin” (7:14) and “captive to the law of sin” (v. 23) stands in tension with chs. 6 and 8, which trumpet the freedom of believers from slavery to sin…^[5]
   • I know that it is encouraging for us to think that Paul had these struggles, but I do not think that is what this passage is teaching. That is NOT to say that Paul did not have struggles, I am sure that he definitely did. This passage needs read and studied in light of Romans 8:1-2 that says Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
   • Respectable Christians hold differing views. You can read the different views in a good study Bible. Some say that Paul uses present tense pronouns referring to himself and that means this is about his current state, but I still think it is noteworthy that the Holy Spirit is NOT mentioned at all. Further, it is important that he continues to talk about the Law, and the flesh, which usually refers to the carnal state. Also, in the context of Romans, Paul is telling people that they cannot keep the Law and they need a Savior. Context is key and notice the striking contrast in Romans 8:1, which I already mentioned.  
   • So, this passage could be 1) talking about his pre-saved life, though Phil 3 says that he kept the law blamelessly. 2) He could be objectively talking about trying to keep the Law. The point would be that we cannot keep the Law. 3) This could be the Christians struggle.
   • Again, Dr. Witherington shares: Remember in context, Rom 7:5-6, Paul says they used to be this way. Then Romans 8:1-2 the Spirit has set us free. Romans 7 is the before and Romans 8 the after. That is probably where I fall.
3. The conflict of the two natures (verses 14-25).
   • Verse 14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
   • A Christian is NOT sold under sin, not anymore and that makes the case that this is about Paul’s pre-Christian state, or he is talking about a non-believing Jewish person trying to keep the Law.
   • 2 Cor. 5:21: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
   • See also Galatians 2:20.
   • Verse 15 is where it really gets interesting: For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
   • Some may think that he is talking about us and as Christians we definitely have struggles. I still think he is saying that we cannot keep the Law. Or, put differently, this is life without the Holy Spirit. The next chapter is all about the Holy Spirit.
   • Verse 16-18: Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
   • He is still saying that sin is ultimately the cause. He says that nothing good dwells within him, but he is talking about his flesh. Paul used sarx [the Greek word translated as flesh] to emphasize the ineffectiveness of human effort in spiritual matters (Rm 2:28; 6:19; 8:3).^[6]
   • Why would Paul not be able to carry out his desire to do what is right (verse 18)? This would be because he is talking about an unsaved person without the Holy Spirit.
   • Verse 19: For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
   • Again, he is tirelessly trying to keep the Law.
   • Verses 19-23: Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
   • Notice in verse 19 Paul still says that it is sin that causes him to do sins. It is not the Law.
   • He is captive to the Law of sin.
   • Verses 24-25: Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
   • Who will deliver him? Jesus, only Jesus. He is talking about an unsaved person. As verse 25 says, “thanks be to God…” the end of verse 25 seems to make it look like he is talking about himself in the present, but I still think the case is clear that he is talking about an unbeliever. He could be using impersonation. Or, maybe his pre-Christians state. I probably favor that he is talking about those in Adam outside of Christ.
   • Who will set me free (or “rescue” me) cannot be the words of a believer who knows who his Deliverer is, nor is the future tense appropriate for one who is already freed in Christ.^[7]
4. Applications:
   • We must recognize that if we try on our own we won’t defeat sin.
   • We must be grateful for the Law as it was a teacher to expose our sinfulness and point to our need for Christ (Romans 7:7).
   • We must not blame the Law on our problem, but repent (Romans 7:11-12).
   • We must recognize that the Law is holy (Romans 7:13).
   • We must recognize that apart from Jesus we cannot keep the Law, nor do what is right (Romans 7:14-25).
   • Without Jesus’ help we will do the things we do not want to do and won’t do the things we want to do (Romans 7:15). With Jesus’ help we will still struggle, but as an unregenerate non-believer it is a losing battle.
   • We must understand that Jesus is the power to carry out what is right (Romans 7:18).
   • Only Jesus can deliver us (Romans 7:24).
   • We must walk by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
   • We are set free from this by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:2).
   • If we are saved we have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).  
   • As Christians we will struggle, but we must lean on the Holy Spirit to help us. We must also allow the Holy Spirit to help us through the Word of God and the people of God (Psalm 119:9-11; Proverbs 27:17; Ecc. 4:12).

So, sometimes we need help, right?

As Christians we are never alone. We walk with Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit within us.

Pray

---

^[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).

^[2] Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1754.

chap. chapter

^[3] Ibid. 1754–1755.

^[4] Paige Patterson, “Salvation in the Old Testament,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1792.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2169.

^[6] Paige Patterson, “Salvation in the Old Testament,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1792.

^[7] Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1755–1756.

The triumph of grace over the power of the law (Romans 7:1-6)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, 2021

John Ortburg writes:

My friend, Jimmy, and his son, Davey, were playing in the ocean down in Mexico, while his family—his wife, daughters, parents, and a cousin—were on the beach. Suddenly, a rogue riptide swept Davey out to the sea. Immediately Jimmy started to do whatever he could to help Davey get back to the shore, but he, too, was soon swept away in the tide. He knew that in a few minutes, both he and Davey would drown. He tried to scream, but his family couldn’t hear him.

Jimmy’s a strong guy—an Olympic Decathlete—but he was powerless in this situation. As he was carried along by the water, he had a single, chilling thought: My wife and my daughters are going to have to have a double funeral.

Meanwhile, his cousin, who understood something about the ocean, saw what was happening. He walked out into the water where he knew there was a sandbar. He had learned that if you try to fight a riptide, you will die. So, he walked to the sandbar, stood as close as he could get to Jimmy and Davey, and then he just lifted his hand up and said, “You come to me. You come to me.”

If you try to go the way your gut tells you to go—the shortest distance into shore—you will die. If you think for yourself, you will die. God says, “If you come to me, you will live.” That’s it—death or life.[1]

The Bible talks about this in Romans. We are now in Romans 7 and this small passage is a continuation of chapter 6. Chapter 6 was about how our sin nature died with Christ. Chapter 7 now illustrates how we died to the law and we are free to live by the Spirit.

Theme:

We are released from the law, bound to Christ

Application: Walk in Jesus (Col. 2:6)

Read with me Romans 7:6:

But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Let’s also read Col. 2:6:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…

• Look at verse 6. We are released from the law.
  • The Bible says that we are dying to what once bound us.
  • We were bound to the law, but not anymore.
  • Do you think the law helps us to live for Jesus?
  • Do you think the law makes us righteous?

Experiment Shows How the Law Leads to Sin

Robert Cialdini, a researcher and an expert on the theory of persuasion, conducted an experiment at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The park had a problem, as it made clear on a warning sign:

YOUR HERITAGE IS BEING VANDALIZED EVERY DAY BY THEFT LOSSES OF PETRIFIED WOOD OF 14 TONS A YEAR, MOSTLY A SMALL PIECE AT A TIME.

The sign plainly appealed to the visitors’ sense of moral outrage. Cialdini wanted to know if this appeal was effective. So he and some colleagues ran an experiment. They seeded various trails throughout the forest with loose pieces of petrified wood, ready for the stealing. On some trails, they posted a sign warning not to steal; other trails got no sign. The result? The trails with the warning sign had nearly three times more theft than the trails with no signs.

How could this be? Cialdini concluded that the park’s warning sign, designed to send a moral message, perhaps sent a different message as well. Something like: Wow, the petrified wood is going fast—I’d better get mine now! Or: Fourteen tons a year!? Surely it won’t matter if I take a few pieces[2].

• That is a humorous example and psychologist could get into how some people are natural law keepers and others are natural law breakers. I remember being taught about that in college.
  • For example: some of you are driving down a country road in the middle of the night and you come to a red light and you will stop and wait, and, wait, and wait. No one is coming, but you wait, and wait, and wait. Is that you?
  • Others come to the red light in the middle of the night, and you wait a second and think, “no one is coming, I am going.”
  • A better example is when the sign says “No right on red.” Isn’t it easy to say, “Come on it is 2:00 am?” But others would not dare disobey that law.
  • The law does not make us righteous.
  • This passage is not meaning the law is bad.
  • Just turn to Psalm 19 or Psalm 119. The law is good, but we could not keep it.
• So, we are to serve in the Spirit.
  • With children it is said to make sure you replace things if you take something away.
  • In that manner we are released from the bondage to the law and instead we have the Spirit.
  • The point is that our first husband was the law and he died, so we are free to marry our new husband Jesus.
  • Paul writes about that in verses 2-5.
  • The law side died with our sin nature when we committed to Christ. The law was good, but we could not keep the law.
  • This goes along with Romans 6:3-4: By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
  • We are free to walk in the Spirit or live by Christ. Look at Col. 2:6: Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…
• Let’s apply this:
  • We now serve Christ out of grace, not because of a law.
  • We are not “in the flesh” (verse 5), we are no longer bound by our sin nature and the sinful passions. We are in the Spirit. We must live in the Spirit, being an imitator of God (Ephesians 5:1-2, 8 and 15; Col. 1:10 and 2:6).
  • Now, in the newness of the Spirit we produce fruit, spiritual fruit.
  • We must live in Christ victoriously, not as if we are defeated and stuck in sin.
  • Our old sin nature, flesh nature, died with Christ (Romans 6:3). So, we are “pre-resurrected” with Christ as well. We must live this way (Romans 6:4).

God gave us grace and mercy.

Max Lucado shares:

The bank sent me an overdraft notice on the checking account of one of my daughters. I encourage my college-age girls to monitor their accounts. Even so, they sometimes overspend.

What should I do? Send her an angry letter? Admonition might help her later, but it won’t satisfy the bank. Phone and tell her to make a deposit? Might as well tell a fish to fly. I know her liquidity. Zero. Transfer the money from my account to hers? Seemed to be the best option. After all, I had $25.37. I could replenish her account and pay the overdraft fee as well. Since she calls me Dad, I did what dads do. I covered my daughter’s mistake.

When I told her she was overdrawn, she said she was sorry. Still, she offered no deposit. She was broke. She had one option, “Dad, could you…” “Honey,” I interrupted, “I already have.” I met her need before she knew she had one.

Long before you knew you needed grace, your Father did the same. He made an ample deposit. Before you knew you needed a Savior, you had one. And when you ask him for mercy, he answers, “Dear child. I’ve already given it.”[3]

Pray

---

[1] John Ortberg, in the sermon The Way of Wisdom, PreachingToday.com

[2] Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Think Like a Freak(William Morrow, 2014), pp 115-116

[3] Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life (Thomas Nelson, 2008), pp. 69-70

We are dead to sin, alive to God (Romans 6:1-23)

Application:

Live for Jesus, we no longer have to be slaves to sin.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2021

The Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering on earth. During its last celebration in 2013, it was conservatively estimated that around ten million people would gather in the city of Allahabad in Northern India. Some even quoted a seemingly exaggerated figure of one hundred million pilgrims to this religious gathering! The Kumbh Mela (etymologically, “pitcher fair”) takes place every four years in Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik by rotation. In 2013, the festival was called the Maha (meaning “Super”) Kumbh Mela, which happens only once every 144 years. It is estimated that this Kumbh cost around 210 million dollars (US), but thankfully also generated approximately ten times that amount, as calculated by India’s Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Even people from far-flung places came to make this event a success. Andrew Turner from Australia along with his wife and children built an 18 by 6 feet boat to ferry devotees from one side of the river to the other—free of charge. “I am living a dream at the moment,” he said. “When I heard that this Kumbh was happening after 144 years, I thought, I will never get a second chance…. I joined the locals and landed in Prayag and walked several kilometers with devotees… The zealous faith snapped my ties with logic and reason. It was mesmerizing.”

Hindu tradition says that there was a war between the gods and the demons over divine nectar, and in the process, four drops of nectar fell from the pitcher. These fell on four different locations, which overlap the cities where the Kumbh is held. One of those drops fell at Haridwar where the river Ganges flows, while another fell at the Sangam. The Sangam is the confluence of three rivers—the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythological river Saraswati in Prayag. The other two drops fell at Kshipra in Ujjain and Godawari in Nasik. A dip in these rivers on auspicious dates during the Kumbh is said to rid pilgrims of their sins.

The reality of sin is clearly expressed in the Christian Bible. The universality of sin has also been declared in Romans as “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Anyone who reads the newspaper and honestly reflects on it is hard-pressed to deny the reality and universality of sin. Through the ages, humans have tried to rid themselves of sin and its consequences. Religious rituals, idols, journeys, and sacrifices have all tried to assuage and comfort the sinner’s heart, but have been found wanting.

Robert Lowry wrestles with this question in the lyrics of a hymn and arrives at a significantly different answer:

What can wash away my sins,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh precious is the flow,
that makes me white as snow,
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.[1]

Let’s read Romans 6:23:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Please keep your Bibles opened I want to apply this passage and this chapter. I will point out key passages in order to show how we got to this place.

My theme:

We are dead to sin, alive to God

Application:

Live for Jesus, we no longer have to be slaves to sin.

In this sermon I will walk through applications from the passage.

1. First, in this passage I see that we died with Christ to the old self; therefore, we no longer have to live in sin (verses 2-3).
   • Look at verses 1-3: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
   • Swindoll shares: Verse 1 is a different question than verse 15. Verse 1 is a question addressing those failing to claim their liberty.
   • Verses 1-14 are about those who fail to claim their liberty.
   • Verse 15 is about those who take grace too far. Verse 15: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
   • How many of us have been baptized?
   • This means that we are baptized into Jesus.
   • Paul gives this analogy of dying with Christ in baptism.
   • Think with me about the cross. On the cross Jesus died for our sins. He died for all of our sins. If He did not take care of all of our sins, then we would still have a problem.
   • So, in that manner, Jesus died for all of our sins, they are dead. He died for them. In this way when we are baptized into Christ Jesus the sins are dead. Our old slavery is dead.
   • Would a slave want to go back to slavery? Do you think Frederick Douglas ever wanted to go back to slavery? NO! So why do we go back to our sin slavery?
2. We have risen with Christ (Verses 2-3)
   • Jesus died but we know that He is not dead anymore.
   • Also, we have been risen with Him.
     • We have been risen with Christ and Christ is not living in sin, so we must live for Christ. (Verses 4-5) Look at the next few verses: We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
     • ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin.
     • We are joined with Christ, Christ does not sin.
     • We are joined with Christ, Christ can help us conquer sin.
3. In verses 16-17 I read we will serve someone or something, it must be Jesus. Look at verses 16-17: Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed…
4. Verse 23: sin has a wage and it is death, but God freely gives us eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. We can trust in Jesus freely and receive the eternal wage. This is a summary of this section: The outcome of sin is death, but the FREE gift of God is eternal life.

The guinea worm is a parasite found in certain areas of central Africa. It begins its life as a larvae and often hitches a ride in a millimeter-long crustacean called cyclops.

When a human drinks water from a stream, the cyclops enters the stomach where gastric juices make short work of the cyclops. The larvae of the guinea worm, however, are not destroyed. The worms poke holes in the human’s intestine and go for a swim.

After about three months, the male and female larvae get together. About one year later a full-grown guinea, the width of a paper clip wire and up to three feet long, begins to move through the body of its human host, causing tremendous pain. Finally, the worm pokes out of the host’s body—probably through the foot. If not removed, the parasite will eventually lead to its host’s death.

Once the worm exposes itself, it can only be removed a few centimeters a day. Otherwise the worm will pull apart and die, resulting in infection and possibly death for its host. Sometimes the painful process takes weeks or months.

The guinea worm is like sin in three important ways:

First, sin is easy to get involved in. Just like drinking the water from a stream seems simple and harmless, so often does sin.

Second, sin is difficult to get rid of once it has taken hold. When sin “pokes its head” out of our lives, and we recognize it has to be dealt with, we should act. Forgiveness comes quickly, but many times the process of getting free from its pull is slow and agonizing.

Finally, like the guinea worm, sin when left unchecked can kill you.[2]

Close:

In Decision, Karen R. Morerod writes:

I was in a store shopping for a sweater. The cost needed to be minimal, so I went to the clearance rack to start looking. As I flipped through the sweaters, one caught my eye. It was the right color and the right size, and best of all, the price tag was marked $8.00. Without much more thought, I made my purchase.

At home I slipped on the sweater. Its texture was like silk. I had made my purchase so quickly that I hadn’t noticed how smooth and elegant the sweater was. Then I saw the original price tag: $124.00!

I gasped. I had never owned any clothing of that value. I had come home with what I thought was a “cheap buy,” but the original price was quite high. I had been oblivious to its value.

Just as with my sweater, I have often treated the power of Jesus’ blood like a “cheap purchase.” His grace, though free to me, carried a high price tag the life of his very own Son.[3]

---

[1] Slice of Infinity through RZIM: Cyril Georgeson is a member of the speaking team with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Mumbai, India.

[2] Kevin Bidwell; source: Men’s Health (December 1999)

[3] Karen R. Morerod, writer, “Lesson Learned from a Sweater,” Decision (November 1999), p. 39

A Line-by-Line Walk Through Luke’s Resurrection Account (Luke 24:1-12)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church on Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4, 2021

Jesus lives and because He lives we will live again. Jesus lives and because He lives we can have true life now. Do we believe that?

Today, I want to walk through Luke’s account of the resurrection. My theme is obvious, Jesus lives.

My application: marvel at the great things God has done and be like these women, share this good news with others.

• First, we see the anointing of the tomb (verse 1).
  • Verse 1 reads: But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
  • This passage begins with “but.” This connects this passage with the previous section. This chapter flows from the previous chapter. In the previous chapter Jesus was crucified. In Luke 23:50-56 He is buried.
  • Jesus was buried and Luke 23:55 tells us that the women saw where Jesus was buried. This is important. They knew where the tomb was, but Luke 23:56 tells us that they rested on the sabbath because that was the commandment. They honored the sabbath as a day of rest. That bring us to Luke 24. The women are going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. They are doing this because they could not do this on Saturday because it was the sabbath. Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday. They had to skip Saturday because it was the sabbath and now this brings us to Sunday.
  • Luke 24:9 will record who these women were. The women are heading to the tomb. These women had traveled with Jesus in Galilee, Luke 23:55 tells us this. Mark’s Gospel identifies this right now as Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome”^[1]
  • John 19:39-40 tells us that Nicodemus had prepared about 75 pounds for Jesus’ body to be anointed with, but these women may not have known that.
  • They have prepared spices for Jesus’ body.
  • What are they thinking?
  • They traveled with Jesus for some time and they saw Him crucified, what was this like for them?
  • How would you be after someone that close to you has died?
  • They saw Jesus heal people, they experienced Jesus’ transformation in their lives. They listened to Jesus’ teaching, what was this like? Do you think they were filled with emotion?
  • They are going to anoint the body. The Jewish people anointed to cut down the odor, the Egyptians embalmed, Jewish people anointed.
• Next, we see the arrival at the tomb (verses 2-3).

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 

• The women find an opened tomb (verse 2).
  • Luke tells the story of the empty tomb with little drama. He simply notes that when they arrived the stone had been rolled away in a position where the tomb could be entered. This large stone was often placed in a channel so that it could be easily moved by rolling it aside. The other possibility is that it was merely placed over the opening in a position from which it had now been moved.^[2]
  • They did not know who would roll away the stone (Mark 16:3 records their pondering of that), but maybe they thought the soldiers would do that.
  • Think about this, they were not expecting this. Matthew 28:2-4 records a great earthquake. The stone is rolled away and the Roman guards faint.
  • I find that humorous. Two days earlier the guards are crucifying Jesus and now they are fainting because of His resurrection.
  • The women find an empty tomb (verse 3).
  • The women enter the tomb, and the tomb is empty.
  • They do not see the “Lord” Jesus in the tomb. This is the ONLY time Jesus is called “the ‘Lord’ Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. It seems to be Luke’s normal designation for the Lord after his resurrection (note the many references to Christ in this manner in Acts, e.g., 1:21; 4:33; 7:59; 8:16; 11:17; 15:11; 16:31; 19:5; 20:21; 28:31).^[3]
  • Have you ever gone through a situation and it did not play out as you expected?
  • Now is a good time for me to talk about literary spotlighting.
  • Many times, we see differences in the gospel accounts. People wonder why we see certain women listed by name in one passage and in another passage they are not listed. Why are the guards listed in Matthew’s gospel but not the other gospels? Lee Strobel was interviewing one scholar who talked about a technique modeled by the historian Plutarch, it is called “literary spotlighting.” This is like a theatrical performance where there are multiple actors onstage but the lights go out and a spotlight shines on only one of them.[4]
  • I like that idea. Basically, each gospel writer is aware of the other people and details but shining the spotlight on certain people and/or details.
• Thirdly, we see the angels beside the tomb (24:4–8)

While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵ And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” ⁸ And they remembered his words, 

• We see angels, Luke is the only Gospel that mentions two angels. Remember, literary spotlighting.
  • We see their radiance (24:4): They are arrayed in dazzling robes. Notice Luke records that the women are perplexed about this. Or, “bewildered.” The term refers to a high state of confusion and anxiety.^[5]
  • They are confused, bewildered, perplexed and then two men stood by them… These men are angels. These angels appear suddenly showing them to be angels. Angels are always identified with the male pronoun, though it does seem they do not have a gender (Matthew 23:30). These angels are in dazzling apparel.  They are in brilliant shining clothes.
  • The angels give reassurance (24:5): The women bow their faces to the ground. Such respect for angels is common: Dan 7:28; 10:9, 15.^[6] They realize that these men are angels. The angels comfort the frightened women. Why do you seek the living among the dead?
  • Can you imagine the women’s reaction? Can you imagine them saying, “w-w-what do you mean, ‘living’? What do you mean, we saw Him buried.”
  • The angels give a reminder (24:6–8): The women are reminded of Jesus’ words:
    • The angels remind them of Jesus’ words concerning his crucifixion (24:6–7a): He would be betrayed and crucified.
    • The angels said remember he told you when He was in Galilee. Mentioning “Galilee” looks back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. So the point is that this was announced long ago, and should come as no surprise.^[7]
    • Further, the angels remind them of Jesus’ words concerning his resurrection (24:7b–8): He would rise again on the third day.^[8]
    • In verse 8 Luke tells us they remembered His words.
• Lastly, in this section we see the account concerning the tomb (24:9–12)

⁹ and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, ¹¹ but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. ¹² But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

• Now we see the messengers (24:10): The women involved are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others.
  • They return to the 11, and the rest, the disciples minus Judas. There are others gathered as well.
  • The message (24:9, 11–12): They tell the disciples what they saw.
  • Most ignore their report (24:9, 11): The story sounds like nonsense. Back then the testimony of women would not be credible. This actually verifies the Gospel of Luke as accurate. If this was not true they would not record women as the first witnesses, but it was true.
  • One investigates their report (24:12): Peter goes to the tomb to see for himself.^[9] John ran with Peter, but reached the tomb first (Jn 20:4).^[10] Peter sees the linen wrapping, but Jesus is not in them.
  • Peter goes home marveling at what He saw.
  • Luke 24:13-35 records Jesus visiting the disciples and opening their minds to understanding (see verse 31).
• Applications:
  • We can have hope because He lives, we too shall live again (1 Cor. 15).
  • 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that over 500 people at the same time saw Jesus resurrected (1 Cor. 15:6). We can have hope that this story is real. This is a real story.
  • The resurrection authenticates everything else about Jesus.
  • We can trust Jesus’ teaching because death could not contain Him.
  • We can trust Jesus’ teaching because He rose as He told them He would (Luke 24:5-8).
  • We can have a relationship with Jesus because He lives.
  • We serve a risen Savior.
  • Since Jesus lives we will live again, but we also live with Him now, remember John 15, He is the Vine, we are the branches.
  • We must trust Him.
  • We must have the faith of these women who did something, they went to the tomb (Luke 24:1).
  • We must be like Peter who marveled at the awesome things of God (Luke 24:12).
    • Do we marvel at the details that God works out in our lives?
    • Do we marvel at our awesome salvation?
    • Do we marvel at answered prayers?
    • Do we worship God?
    • Do we notice all the bad things that God PREVENTS from happening? Or, do we only notice the bad things that happen? Think about how many jets do not crash every day. Think about how many cars do not crash every day. Think about how many things work. Think about the way a baby develops in the womb and marvel about our great God and Savior.  

 In the year 1899, two famous men died in America. One was an unbeliever who had made a career of debunking the Bible and arguing against the Christian doctrines. The other was a Christian. Colonel Ingersoll, after whom the famous Ingersoll lectures on immortality at Harvard University are named, was the unbeliever. His death was sudden and came as an unmitigated shock to his family. His body was kept in the home for several days because Ingersoll’s wife could not bear to part with it; and it was finally removed only because the corpse was decaying and the health of the family required it. At length the remains were cremated, and the display at the crematorium was so dismal that some of the scene was even picked up by the newspapers and communicated to the nation at large. Ingersoll had used his great intellect to deny the resurrection. When death came there was no hope, and the departure was received by his friends and family as an uncompensated tragedy.

In the same year the evangelist Dwight L. Moody died, and his death was triumphant for himself and his family. Moody had been declining for some time, and his family had taken turns being with him. On the morning of his death his son, who was standing by the bedside, heard him exclaim, “Earth is receding; heaven is opening; God is calling.” “You are dreaming, Father,” his son said. Moody answered, “No, Will, this is no dream. I have been within the gates. I have seen the children’s faces.” For a while it seemed as if Moody was reviving, but he began to slip away again. He said, “Is this death? This is not bad; there is no valley. This is bliss. This is glorious.” By this time his daughter was present, and she began to pray for his recovery. He said, “No, no, Emma, don’t pray for that. God is calling. This is my coronation day. I have been looking forward to it.” Shortly after that Moody was received into heaven. At the funeral his family and friends joined in a joyful service. They spoke and sang hymns. They heard the words proclaimed, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55–57). Moody’s death was a part of that victory.

Jesus lives, and so shall I.

Death! thy sting is gone forever!

He who deigned for me to die,

Lives, the bands of death to sever.

He shall raise me from the dust.

Jesus is my Hope and Trust.

Jesus lives and death is now

But my entrance into glory.

Courage, then, my soul, for thou

Hast a crown of life before thee;

Thou shalt find thy hopes were just;

Jesus is the Christian’s Trust.[11]

We have hope, Jesus lives!

We have life, Jesus lives!

Prayer

---

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2012.

^[2] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Lk 24:2.

^[3] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Lk 24:3.

[4] Strobel, Lee. The Case for Miracles (p. 199). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

^[5] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Lk 24:4.

^[6] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Lk 24:5.

^[7] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Lk 24:6.

^[8] H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Lk 24:4–8.

^[9] H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Lk 24:9–12.

^[10] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Lk 24:12.

[11] James Montgomery Boice, Philippians: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 223–224.

Maundy Thursday 2021

I read the following and I think it is helpful to begin this message:

Do you know where you are going?

The place? Dublin, Ireland. The time? Toward the end of the nineteenth century. The event? A series of blistering attacks on Christianity, especially the “alleged resurrection” of Jesus of Nazareth. The person? Thomas Henry Huxley.

You remember Huxley. Devoted disciple of Darwin. Famous biologist, teacher, and author. Defender of the theory of evolution. Bold, convincing self-avowed humanist. Traveling lecturer.

Having finished another series of public assaults against several truths Christians held sacred, Huxley was in a hurry the following morning to catch his train to the next city. He took one of Dublin’s famous horse-drawn taxis and settled back with his eyes closed to rest himself for a few minutes. He assumed the driver had been told the destination by the hotel doorman, so all he said as he got in was, “Hurry . . . I’m almost late. Drive fast!” The horses lurched forward and galloped across Dublin at a vigorous pace. Before long Huxley glanced out the window and frowned as he realized they were going west, away from the sun, not toward it.

Leaning forward, the scholar shouted, “Do you know where you are going?” Without looking back, the driver yelled a classic line, not meant to be humorous, “No, your honor! But I’m driving very fast!”[1]

Do you know where you are going?

Jesus knew where He was going. Jesus knew His mission.

Traditionally, Maundy Thursday (the English garbled form of the Latin), has been a day to remember the Last Supper, the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal with a kiss, the taking captive of Jesus, and his abandonment by the male disciples— betrayal, desertion, and a threefold denial are the coup d’grace. It is on any showing a somber season.

In Jesus’ life, on Maundy Thursday Jesus shared with the disciples what is called the upper room discourse which is recorded in John chapters 13-17. Included in this is the Last Supper which is the Passover meal. We also find this in the other Gospels. From there Jesus went to a time of prayer at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) prior to being betrayed and handed over to the authorities.

We have already read the passages this evening. Let’s review:

1. In Matthew 26:20-25 Jesus announces His betrayer.
   • In Matthew 26:20: The Bible says that it was evening and Jesus reclined at the table with the disciples. Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him.
   • In verse 22 the disciples were grieved and each one denied it would be them.
   • In verses 23-24 Judas is named as the betrayer, though he says it would not be him.
   • In the history of Israel, Passover was celebrated both on Thursday and on Friday because the customs in Galilee differed from the customs in Judea. And so, the Lord on Thursday evening celebrates a Galilean Passover Day, and yet there is another Passover Day on Friday which means that Jesus can keep the Passover one day and die during the Passover as the Passover lamb the next day.  And God had arranged history and tradition and custom and circumstance to make that a reality.[2]
   • Remember now, it is after 6:00 on Thursday evening.  Christ will be captured later in the night, brought to a mock trial early in the morning, crucified and He will die at about 3:00 on Friday afternoon.  So, it’s only a matter of hours before His death and they’re eating the Passover meal.  It has to be eaten, you remember, that night.  It has to be eaten before midnight.  It can’t be that anything is left for the morrow.  And so, as we come to verse 20, He is at table with His disciples, preparing to eat the meal.
   • Now, why this final Passover?  
   • Passover was the oldest Jewish institution, older than any other Jewish institution except the Sabbath itself.  
   • For 1,500 years they had celebrated Passover, even before the Aaronic priesthood was instituted, even before all of the Levitical ritual and the giving of the Mosaic Law.  
   • The Passover was very old, very ancient.  
   • And it was ordained by God to be held every year and every devout Jew did it every year. 
   • But now, listen, this Passover, after 1,500-plus years of Passovers, was the last divinely sanctioned and authorized Passover ever held.[3]
2. In Matthew 26:26-30 we see the Lord’s supper instituted.
   • This is a Passover meal with a lot of symbolism. We cannot get into all of it today. The Passover Meal goes back to Exodus 12:42ff when they left Egypt.
   • One source: The Passover meal was rich with symbolic meaning. Jews ate lamb to commemorate the lamb whose blood protected firstborn Israelites from the death plague before the exodus. Bitter herbs were reminiscent of their enslavement. Unleavened bread symbolized the haste of their departure from Egypt (Ex 12). Jesus invested the meal with new symbolism: the unleavened bread symbolized his own body, which would be torn by scourging and crucifixion. His sacrifice would begin a new exodus in which people were liberated from slavery to sin.^[4]
   • Matzoh is unleavened bread and this is a symbol of sin.
   • Matzoh is pierced (in ancient times with an awl and now machine) to keep it from rising. Matzoh is done in stripes.
   • Third cup of wine is the cup of redemption and is red.
   • 4 total cups.
   • This is a metaphor, a symbol of His body, a memorial meal.
   • In verse 26 notice Jesus gives to them and says “take eat, this is My body…” ESV Study Bible: Jesus’ body will be the once-and-for-all fulfillment of the ceremonies surrounding the Passover lamb and other OT sacrifices, as he will become the sacrificial atonement for the sins of the people.^[5]
   • In verse 27, He gives them the cup. ESV Study Bible: Most likely the third of four cups at the Passover—the cup of blessing, or the cup of redemption—corresponding to God’s third promise in Ex. 6:6: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”^[6]
   • One source: The making of a covenant was normally accompanied by an act of sacrifice. The slaughter of the animal signified the consequences that would befall anyone who broke the covenant. The old covenant was sealed by such a sacrifice (Ex 24:8). Now, Jesus’s sacrifice enacted the new covenant that had been promised in the OT (Jr 31:31–34). In this covenant God vowed to forgive and forget his people’s sins. He also promised to write his law on the hearts of his people so that they will fulfill his righteous demands.^[7]
   • Verse 28 He says what the cup is for: for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
   • Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.^[8]
   • Jesus is instituting the New Covenant.
   • In verse 29 Jesus says “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
   • This would be the 4^th cup which Jesus did not take. He is talking about taking it with them in Rev 19:7ff at the millennial reign.
   • In verse 30 they sing a hymn and head to the Mount of Olives.
3. In Matthew 26:30-35: Jesus talks about the disciples falling away.
4. In Matthew 26:36-46 we have Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane.

Following those events Jesus is betrayed and arrested. This He did for us. This was His Maundy Thursday.

Jesus went through this suffering for our salvation. He did this for us.

Remember the story I began with about Huxley? Remember the story about how his driver was driving fast, but the wrong way? Do you know where you are going?

That true story is more than a story. It’s an apt summary not only of the spirit of Huxley and his followers in the nineteenth century but of many in our own day. Great speed, much motion, rapid movement, but an unknown destination. As Rollo May, the contemporary psychologist, once admitted:

It is an old and ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.

Are you trusting in Jesus’ blood to cover the guilt of your sins? One important distinctive of Christianity is that we do not earn our salvation. We cannot possibly do enough good to cancel out the bad. Instead, we marvel at the fact that Jesus paid the price for our sins. Thank Him today!

That is the institution of the Lord’s Supper, now let us take the Lord’s Supper together.

First, allow special music

Prayer for the bread

Prayer for the juice

Closing song

---

[1]https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/destination-unknown3

Taken from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1983, 1994, 2007 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com

[2] https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2383/the-last-passover-part-2

[3] Ibid.

^[4] Mark E. Dever, “Church Discipline,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1547.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1881.

^[6] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1881.

OT Old Testament

^[7] Mark E. Dever, “Church Discipline,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1547.

^[8] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Mt 26:27–28.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem Prepared to be Our Sacrifice (John 12:12-15)

I like football a lot. I REALLY like football. One thing I like about football is watching the perfect play.  I like to watch the highlight shows, you know those shows that talk about a particular athlete? It used to be NFL films, now it is “A Football Life.” I’ve watched “A Football Life” about Terry Bradshaw twice. It is really neat watching the film of Bradshaw throwing a long pass to Lynn Swann. I have also watched “A Football Life” about Barry Sanders, it is really neat watching him maneuver to get the perfect run. I have watched “A Football Life” about Jim Brown, wow! The highlights of him playing were amazing. I have watched “A Football Life” about Paul Brown, now he is a coach who does not get the recognition he deserves. I have watched many other football shows in addition to the games. One thing about football, the fans love these players when they are winning, but if the game goes wrong they are quick to start booing. Terry Bradshaw retired and then did not enter the Steelers stadium again until the early 2000’s. He brought his daughters with him and he did not know how the fans would react, but they cheered for him. Isn’t it interesting how the fans will boo one moment and cheer the next?

On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people cheered for Him. They were waiting for a Savior. They were waiting for a King. But on the following Friday He would be crucified. Many believe it was NOT the same crowd that cheered for Him as the crowd that wanted Him crucified, but my point is the same, He was welcomed on Sunday and crucified on Friday.

But, today I want to talk about the why. Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem? Why not stay away. Jesus knew that He would be crucified. He knew (Luke 13:33; Matthew 16:21; 17:22; Mark 8:31). If you knew you would go somewhere and be crucified would you go? Jesus did. Why? He enters Jerusalem and the people love Him. He is later crucified. Jesus entered Jerusalem thinking about us. He did this for us (see Phil 2:3-11).

My theme today:

Jesus entered Jerusalem KNOWING that the cross awaited Him. He did this for the salvation of sinners.

My application:

We must stay focused on Jesus even when persecution, tribulation, or difficulty awaits us.

• Jesus enters Jerusalem, let’s look at John 12:12-15.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

• I am not going to talk a lot about the passage today, instead I am going to focus on applications.
  • We see in the passage that Jesus is entering Jerusalem. A large crowd had gathered for the week of Passover. The feast is Passover.
  • The next day would have been Sunday (cf. v. 1). The great multitude that had come to Jerusalem for the Passover undoubtedly included many pilgrims from Galilee, where Jesus had His greatest following. The crowd evidently surrounded Jesus since Matthew and Mark wrote that there were many people in front of Jesus and many behind Him (Matt. 11:9; Mark 11:9).^[1]
  • Allow me to share some background: Those already present in Jerusalem typically welcomed pilgrims to the feast and strewed branches in their path. Palm branches were used at the Feast of Tabernacles but had to be brought from Jericho. They had been one of the nationalistic symbols of Judea since the days of the Maccabees, were consistently used to celebrate military victories and probably stirred some political messianic hopes among the people. “Hosanna” means “O save!”; both this and the next line of verse 9 come from Psalm 118:25–26. Psalms 113–118, called the Hallel, were regularly sung at Passover season, so these words were fresh in everyone’s mind.^[2]
  • I like what one source shares: Unfortunately, many in the crowd thought of Jesus only as a political deliverer and not a spiritual Savior. Instead of riding in on a horse like a warrior, Jesus chose a donkey—a burden-bearing animal. OT prophecy had identified the Messiah-King (Zch 9:9; see the comments there) as coming to the daughter of Zion (v. 15; a common OT idiom for the people of Jerusalem) seated on a donkey’s colt. The donkey was also a symbol of peace and humility (2Sm 19:26).^[3]
  • Most of us know this story. Most of us have heard it many, many times. Jesus enters Jerusalem. We now begin Holy Week. Jesus will wash the disciples feet in a few days. In between now and Maundy Thursday Jesus will teach as well as anger many of the religious elite. Now, what I want to focus on is the application. Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem?
  • Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing that suffering was ahead of Him. He entered Jerusalem because He was going to the cross. He entered Jerusalem because that is what was necessary.
  • Jesus did NOT avoid His mission. He was always about His Father’s will (Luke 2:49 and many other passages).
  • This is so different from what we do. Oftentimes we take the easiest path.
  • The rest of this message is about applications.
• We must stay focused on Jesus even when persecution, tribulation, or difficulty awaits us.
  • How much do we care about the salvation of others?
  • It would be easy to apply this as “Stay focused on God’s will even if things are difficult.” But that is not the main reason Jesus went to the cross. Yes, Jesus went to the cross for the Father’s will, but specifically He did this for our salvation.
  • How much do we care about the salvation of others?
  • Are we being intentional thinking about the salvation of others?
  • Like Jesus, we must be willing to go through with situations knowing that we are in God’s will even if suffering is ahead of us.
    • Jesus went to the cross for us our need (Phil 2:3-11). We must also be willing to go through death, or persecution, or difficult times for the need of others.
    • Jesus went to the cross for our salvation. We must be willing to go through persecution, tribulation, and even death for the salvation of others.
  • This must have been very difficult for Jesus. He knew what awaited Him throughout this week, yet He entered Jerusalem.
    • We may know family members or friends who need salvation, but being around them is difficult for us. We can be like Jesus and enter those relationships thinking about the greater need.
    • We may think that our neighbor, or our coworker, or our relative, are our enemy because of our conflicting worldviews, but they are not. They are our mission field. Jesus entered Jerusalem for the mission of the cross.
    • We must be willing to enter what we think of as enemy’s territory for the Gospel.
  • We must be willing to be INTENTIONAL and PURPOSEFUL for the Gospel. Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem knowing that this was His Father’s will.
    • We must seek the Lord’s will and NOT avoid difficult situations.
    • We must pray and seek the Lord’s will knowing that nothing is off limits.
    • Maybe the Lord will call us to serve in overseas missions EVEN in our retirement. I was in the Dominican Republic and met a couple who chose to serve the Lord there during their retirement years.
    • Maybe the Lord will call us to pick one day a week and serve at the Rescue Mission.
    • Maybe the Lord will call us to pick one day a week and serve at the Pregnancy Help Center.
  • Jesus did NOT avoid the most difficult day, and the most difficult week in history. He stayed on mission. We must stay focused on the Lord’s work.
  • We must NOT rely on peace meaning that we are in God’s will.
  • Let me explain the last point. Many times, we think if something is the Lord’s will we will have peace about it. Invert that. Turn it around. Sometimes if it is the Lord’s will you may NOT have peace about it. Sometimes if it is the Lord’s will it will be difficult, but the Lord wants you to depend upon HIM. The Lord wants you to trust Him. The devil wants you to take the easy way out. To be sure, the Lord can give you peace in the midst of difficult times, BUT that is often when we jump into the deeper water and trust Him. Don’t rely on the peaceful, easy feeling. Trust the Lord. Seek Him. Quit taking the easy way out.

Close:

In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace had many opportunities to take the easy way out, but he did not. He wanted to die for his cause.

Anyone who has seen the movie knows the major speech he gives halfway through the movie:

A soldier shares with him: “Fight? Against that? No, we will run; and we will live.”

Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you’ll live — at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!!![4]

In fact, he went through torture yelling “Freedom” knowing that was his mission.

That is a movie based on the legend about a real person. But Jesus was also a real person and He went through to death, on a Roman cross, in order to give us freedom. Jesus gives us freedom from sin. Jesus gives us life everlasting. Jesus gives us abundant life. That is why He went to the cross for us.

Love Him. Worship Him. Serve Him. Live with Him.

Prayer

---

^[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jn 12:12.

^[2] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Jn 12:12–13.

OT Old Testament

v. verse

OT Old Testament

^[3] John F. Hart, “John,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1642.

[4] https://speakola.com/movie/mel-gibson-freedom-braveheart-1995

We have hope in Christ’s triumph over Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12-21).

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church on Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21, 2021

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, coined the term “eucatastrophe,” which means “good catastrophe.” When it looks like a hero is doomed . . . but then the plot turns! The death of Jesus certainly qualifies as a eucatastrophe! As one writer explains, “Jesus’ crucifixion was the most evil event in history, but it secured the redemption of those who believe in Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for their salvation.”

Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us (and all of humanity) to start over. That is why Paul depicted Him as the new Adam.[1]

My theme is:

We have hope in Christ’s triumph over Adam’s sin.

My application:

Serve Christ out of love for Him. Worship Him for His free gift.

• Verse 12 gives a nice summary of the passage.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

• There is a dash at the end of verse 12 because it is not picked up again until verses 18-19.
  • As we get to this passage we are picking up from the previous section.
  • Notice that verse 12 begins with a therefore and this means that we are making an inference based off of the previous material.
  • Verses 1-11 are all about our reconciliation with God. Verse 10 reads: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
  • So, now Paul is building on this idea.
  • Look at verse 12: sin came into the world through one man, who was that?
  • Sin came into the world through Adam.
  • Death came into the world through sin.
  • In Genesis 3 when sin came into the world they did not die right away, but they all died eventually. In fact, they did die spiritually right away. Also, if you look at the genealogies in Genesis 5, notice the emphasis on death. Notice how it emphasized, “and he died.”
  • Death spread to all men, why? This is because all have sinned (see Romans 3:23; 6:23).
  • In these verses, death is both physical and spiritual. Death in the Bible is always thought of as unnatural. Death is not just a natural part of living.
  • I like how MacArthur says it: Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam, and have through procreation inherited his fallenness and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him. Therefore, humans are not sinners because they sin, but rather they sin because they are sinners.^[4]

• History of the sin of Adam leading up to the justification from Christ (Verses 13-17).

for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

• Verse 13 is interesting. Does it means that they were not accountable for sin before the law? I do not think so.
  • What law is he talking about? He is talking about the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments and everything from Exodus-Deuteronomy.
  • Basically, before the law, there was the moral law. This would be God’s law. There was still the general revelation of right and wrong which God gives to us all. They were still held accountable but based off of God’s moral law.
  • So, they still had the law of God.
  • Verse 14 helps us interpret verse 13.
  • In verse 14 we see that there was still death, which means there was still sin. Death reigned from Adam through Moses. Moses brought about the Ten Commandments and the Law. Yet, before Moses they were still dead spiritually and they died physically. In Romans 2:12 Paul had said that those without the written law are still judged by God. In Genesis 6-9 they all perished in the flood. In Genesis 11:19 people faced judgment at the tower of Babel.
  • Verse 14 continues to show that death reigned even over those who did not sin like Adam sinned. They all sinned, but Adam was the head of the human race and the first one to cross God’s Divine commandment. Further, verse 14 shows that Adam was a type, in other words a foreshadowing of the One, that is Jesus, who was to come.
  • I like how one source shares: In this passage Paul explores the contrasts between the condemning act of Adam and the redemptive act of Christ. They were different in their effectiveness (v. 15), their extent (v. 16), their efficacy (v. 17), their essence (vv. 18, 19), and their energy (vv. 20, 21).^[6]
  • In verse 15 Paul continues to build on the free gift of Christ. Verse 15 shows that the condemnation through Adam versus the redemption in Christ were different in their effectiveness.
  • The free gift is not like the trespass… Paul is about to use a “how much more” argument. Many died because of Adam’s trespass, that is Adam’s sin. That means that God’s grace is so very much more.
  • Paul also emphasizes the grace as a free gift.
  • Paul will continue to build on this idea. Paul will build on our great salvation.
  • In verse 16 Paul once again says the gift is not like… Notice how he is contrasting the greatness of the grace of God through Jesus with the death from Adam’s sin. Judgment came through sin. Judgment resulted in condemnation.
  • But through Jesus, through the free gift (it says “free” gift again), from all the transgressions we received justification. This means that we are declared righteous through Jesus. There were all the transgressions, that means to cross a moral or Divine law, all those transgressions came from Adam’s first sin. But through Jesus we are all made righteous.
  • Verse 16 shows that the condemnation through Adam versus the redemption in Christ were different in their extent.
  • In verse 17 we see that death reigned through that first sin, much more the gift of righteousness will reign.
  • Verse 18 shows that the condemnation through Adam versus the redemption in Christ were different in their efficacy. That means Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished His purpose.

• Contrast of sin of Adam versus obedience through Jesus (Verses 18-21).

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Paul continues to build up his case.
  • He has already stated the case. Now, he is building on it.
  • One trespass, one cross of the law, led to condemnation. So, one act of righteousness, that is Jesus’ obedience to the cross leads to our being declared righteous. He says justification for “all” men, but we know from other Scriptures that this would be all who trust in Jesus for salvation (John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 10:9-10).
  • Again, verse 19 is restating this. The disobedience of Adam versus the obedience of Christ. Humans were made sinners through Adam’s sin because he represented humanity. As stated before, we were all in his loins. But in Christ we can be made righteous.
  • Verse 20 is interesting: the Law came, what law? This is the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, and with the law our transgressions/sins increased. What does that mean? It means that with the Ten Commandments we now had written culpability/accountability for sin. Verse 20 continues, where sin increased grace abounded all the more. That means that God’s free act of forgiveness through Jesus was given more.
  • This does not mean we should go on sinning, NO! Paul answers that in Romans 6:1. No, this is simply exalting how awesome our salvation is. Sin hurts God. Sin breaks His heart.
  • Verse 21 summarizes this passage and this awesome truth.
  • Sin reigned [ruled] in death. Sin caused death. Grace, that is God’s free gift of salvation, rules through righteousness, that is Jesus’ righteousness, and this gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! Praise God!

• How do we apply this?
  • To me, this is a worship passage, do I worship Christ for the awesome salvation which He has freely provided.
  • I notice an emphasis on “free gift” in verses 15-16, which is used four times. We would be stuck in our sin except that Christ stepped in and gave us a free gift.
  • Do we try to earn our salvation? We cannot earn our salvation and that is why Jesus gave us the free gift of His righteousness.
  • We must serve and worship Jesus who gives us His grace.

To give today’s passage even more context, re-read the record of the original Adam and the Fall in Genesis 3–4. How were Adam and Eve led to disobey? What were the consequences? What evidence was there that God continued to love them? Rejoice that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22)![8]

---

[1] https://www.todayintheword.org/issues/2019/december-2019/devotions-december-2019/devotion-december-06-2019/

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2166.

^[3] Paige Patterson, “Salvation in the Old Testament,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1789.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 5:12.

OT Old Testament

^[5] Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1752.

^[6] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 5:15–21.

^[7] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2167.

[8] https://www.todayintheword.org/issues/2019/december-2019/devotions-december-2019/devotion-december-06-2019/