Welcome to Romans chapter 7 again this evening,
going right through from verse 14 to the
end of the chapter.
Romans chapter 7, going through from verse 14
to the end of the chapter.
Now I wonder how many of the young
believers have got, with intelligence, firmly,
the outline of the book up to this
present moment.
Do you know all about it?
Do you know that in the first chapter
and the second one, and the first 20
verses of the third one, that Paul was
striving to bring the whole world in filthy
before God, so that we write over that
portion the condemnation of sin.
And if ever you want to really bring
conviction to poor lost souls, then you go
to those early chapters.
And then from the middle of chapter 3,
right through chapter 4, right through chapter 5,
my Paul seems to pull out all the
stops that he might teach this great doctrine
of justification by faith alone.
Did you get the alone bit?
Justification by faith alone.
He concludes in that chapter that a man
is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law.
What a wonderful statement.
We're justified by faith in Christ without the
deeds of the law at all.
You see, we believers, we don't work to
get saved.
No, we work for God because we are
saved.
Just keep the horse before the cart and
you're all right.
So that you write over the second part
of chapter 3 and chapter 4 and chapter
5, justification of believers.
First part, condemnation of sinners.
Second part, justification of believers.
Then we start with another section, chapter 6,
and then we are going through chapter 7,
and then we shall go through, if God
will, chapter 8.
And this is the sanctification of faith.
In these chapters he's teaching the believers who
came out from the condemnation of sin through
faith in Christ how to live for God.
And that will teach us exactly what's being
taught in the portion this evening.
Because he doesn't start to teach faith in
chapter 6 and right through chapter 6 and
the big part of chapter 7 and all
chapter 8 and leave it out in the
bit we're up this evening, you know.
He continues this action.
And that's one of the ways that we
get to know the truth, by seeing these
great sections of the word of God.
We found out as we went through chapter
6 that there are gateways that lead us
into godly living.
You remember after commencement of chapter 6, it
brought us to remember that we were identified
with Christ's death and Christ's burial and Christ's
resurrection.
And we must always remember that that's what
we testified to in believer's baptism, that we
were identified with his death and burial and
resurrection.
And then down at the 11th verse of
chapter 6, you remember, he taught us that
we must daily calculate this thing out.
We ought to reckon ourselves dead and be
done with it.
That was another gateway, that was calculation in
Christ.
And then at verse 13, he talked about
presenting our members, our presence of God.
And that was presentation to Christ.
These gateways were very special.
And then you remember that at the end
of the chapter, we were looking at the
vocation for Christ.
You see, as we identified ourselves and then
calculate daily that we have died to these
old things and present our members anew, we
come into this wonderful vocation with which we
are called.
Tremendous thing, you know, we should never forget.
And then last week we were asked, unification
with Christ.
We're actually married to the one who rose
again from the dead.
That's the tremendous bomb we were finding out
out last week.
Now he's just continuing this evening, so he's
just into and through another gateway, and it's
liberation through Christ this evening.
Now this portion that we're up tonight, there
have been many arguments and debates, arrayed themselves
around it down to the edges.
And why there should be, I just wouldn't
know.
I have no troubles with it whatsoever.
None at all.
But I'll read you carefully, so that you'll
see exactly what's being said and why it's
being said this evening.
I think that we shall all agree on
this first point, that this is indeed the
record of a very real experience.
Somebody had this experience, a very real one.
And when you look at verse 15, it
says, For that which I do.
You see, there was something actually being done.
So that this is the record of a
real experience, an actual deed, or deeds were
really done.
The thing that I do.
And it's not only the record of the
actual deeds, but in that same verse, For
what I would, that do I not, for
what I would.
You see, it's the record not only of
an actual deed, but an intentional desire.
Somebody did something, and somebody desired to do
something, and they didn't do what they desired.
So this is an experience, don't make any
mistake about it.
It's the record of a real experience.
There is not only the record of an
actual deed and an intentional desire, but you'll
notice this in the same verse, For what
I hit.
You know, that's an emotional disturbance, isn't it?
So that the word do is actually doing
something.
And the I would is an intent to
do something.
And I hit is emotional.
So that there are no arguments at all
about an experience, it's a tremendous experience.
It's the record of a very real experience.
When you go all the way down to
verse 19, we'll go over the other verses,
I'm only doing this for the moment.
For the good that I would, I do
not.
But the evil which I would not, that
I do.
That's confessional, isn't it?
So that just glancing at it you see
the actual do, and the intentional what I
would, I do not.
And the emotional what I hit.
And the confessional, the evil that I do.
And when you get phrases like that that
brings out actual, and intentional, and emotional and
confessional, well it's a real experience somebody's had,
that's all.
So we don't need to battle the life
out of it to prove that this is
a very real experience.
And so we come to the second question.
Was this Paul's personal experience, was it?
This may be just a little bit more
difficult, but it's not really difficult.
You see, we start at the beginning of
this chapter, and here's how it reads in
verse 1.
Know ye not brethren, you must see that
Paul is writing to hate here.
That's the bit I want you to get
the hold of.
Lovely how it brings in this word again
and again.
Look at verse 4.
Wherefore my brethren.
It's so that this chapter is really written
for saints, isn't it?
No trouble at all about that now, have
you?
And he's wanting to teach saints something, isn't
he?
Now the first verse reads like this.
Know ye not brethren, for I speak.
Who speaks?
Any trouble with it?
Because I wouldn't think you ought to have.
I would give you all the credit for
having enough intelligence to know who's speaking.
Is it Paul?
I speak.
Who's the I?
Oh, it's Paul, all right, don't worry yourself.
I speak to them that know the Lord.
And then verse 9 makes it very clear,
of course, we were not this last week.
For I was alive without the Lord once.
My, that was Paul, wasn't it?
And I believe the only place that you
could place that experience that he's talking about
is the period before he came to the
age of twelve.
For it was then that a Jewish boy
was taken to the synagogue as he went
through an ordinance of the Jews' religion whereupon
at that very hour they took upon him
to keep the law.
It was in Edinburgh that the Lord Jesus
was circumcised eight days, and in the twelve
years of age they took him to the
temple and that's where they lost him.
You see, he was just going through the
steps of a Jew.
But he was born a Jew.
He was born king of the Jews.
And he was of the house and lineage
of David.
And all these things had to be observed.
And I believe that Paul remembered the time
before he took upon him to keep the
law and that, well, he thought he was
really alive without the Lord once.
So the I is very clear who the
I is.
I speak, I was alive without the Lord
once.
And by what turn or authority expositors would
change the I in the rest of the
chapter, I just wouldn't know.
Oh, so many of them can say it's
Paul speaking all right and there's no other
way for them to expound verse 9.
But when they come down to the rest
of the I's in the chapter they change
it to somebody else.
By what authority?
You read an ordinary letter this evening and
it began with I and you knew the
person and it had a dozen more I's
in it, would you think it was other
people?
Well I wouldn't think you would treat an
ordinary letter like that.
So it's Paul the whole way through.
Yes, it says experience, there's no trouble with
that.
Indeed, that's not where the trouble lies.
You see, when we come to verse 15
or verse 14, for we know that the
Lord's spiritual but I am carnal, the same
I, for that which I do I allow
not, it's the same I, it's Paul.
That's all you need to know just at
the moment, it's Paul.
It's the same personality.
You can see this very clearly, verse 18,
for I know that in me.
Who would that be but the writer?
Look at verse 21, I find then a
law that when I would do good evil
is present with me.
Who would that be but the writer?
Look at verse 24, O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me.
How can the me be but the writer?
I wouldn't like to treat it any other
way.
When we have established the writer right at
the beginning of the letter, and even seem
speaking here to saints, I speak to them
that know the law, I think that we
would be very foolish to get away from
such a clear, unmistakable fact that this is
the writer and this is the writer's experience.
And so having established quite simply that this
is a real experience and that this is
Paul's experience, it's not only a natural one,
an intentional one, an emotional one, a confessional
one, but it's a personal one.
It's Paul's personal experience.
Now there's a terrible bit of wrestling going
on down through the verses.
I would and I don't do the thing
that I want to do, and the evil
that I hate that I do, and there's
a tremendous wrestling match that goes on.
Now the great problem of the portion is,
where did this experience of Paul's take place?
Isn't that the problem?
It's the only problem that's in it as
far as I'm concerned.
All the rest is lying on the page.
It's a real experience and it's Paul's experience.
Now where did this experience take place?
Did it take place when Paul was just
a lad without the law?
Well I think that the verse in chapter
7 and verse 9 answers that.
I was alive without the law once.
He hadn't any problems there at all.
No wrestling went on in those days.
He was quite happy about the whole affair.
He hadn't been face to face with the
law then, you know.
It was only when he took upon him
the responsibility of keeping the law, and the
law said, Thou shalt not covet her, that
Paul began to quake.
He knew then he was a sinner when
he was face to face with the tenth
commandment, and so should we all.
Because every one of us has broken the
tenth commandment.
Thou shalt not covet.
So I think we can rule out that
he hadn't this experience when he was a
lad without the law.
Now let's face this question point.
Had he this experience as a Pharisee with
the law?
Is this the experience of Paul as a
Pharisee?
Do you think for one moment that he
would bring a Pharisee to me to be
sent to teach the faith?
Because that's exactly what he's doing in this
chapter.
He would give Paul more credit than that,
I hope.
But nevertheless we'll just see that this was
Paul's experience as a Pharisee.
Let's have a wander through the book for
a moment.
We're at the Acts of the Apostles now,
and we're at chapter 22.
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 22.
Remember, one night we had this, but I'm
not wiping it all over again.
It's only a refresher.
Acts 22, and Paul speaking to the great
crowd at Jerusalem.
Verse 1.
Now, men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my
defense, which I make now unto you.
Just in case there was some critical mind
in the meeting saying, well, the word brethren
came again this morning.
You see, Paul is writing to the saints
in Romans, and when he uses this very
endearing term, my brethren, my beloved brethren, my
long-loved, longed-for, he uses it sometimes,
that's to say, but remember, when he faced
a crowd of antagonistic Jews, he could also
speak as a Jew.
At times he did so.
And on this occasion he's speaking to these
Jews who were surrounding him, about to take
his life.
He's making his defense, of course.
You never have to make your defense, I
trust, in this way to the saints.
Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense,
which I now make unto you.
And when they heard Dutty speak in the
Hebrew tongue to them, they kept them all
silent.
You can say he was a Jew speaking
to Jews.
And here's what he said, I am verily
a man which am a Jew.
You see, he can do that.
And it was quite laughable, because he was,
you know, allowed to do that.
And so he's making his defense, I verily
am a man which am a Jew, born
in Tarshish, a city in Philistia, that brought
up in this city, that is Jerusalem where
he was just then, at the feet of
Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner
of the law of the fathers, and was
zealous toward God, as ye all are this
day.
He's taking us back to those days, when
he went to the Jewish school, which was
back to where he was born, and then
very quickly comes to the spot where he
was at the Jewish school.
Up the feet of one called Gamaliel, he
was a master teacher, a Pharisee, and he
taught Paul all the laws and customs of
this Pharisee religion.
And Paul became a real Pharisee.
Just to establish that, let's have a look
at Acts chapter 5 for a moment.
The Acts of the Apostles chapter 5, and
here in this chapter the apostles are arrested,
brought before the Sanhedrin, the old Jewish council.
And Peter's very bold in verse 29, then
Peter and the other apostles answered and said,
we ought to obey God rather than men.
It would be a great thing if we
all remembered this, wouldn't it?
Sometimes men arise in assembly to bully the
same.
To lord it over God's people.
We should ever remember that we ought to
obey God.
And when men go outside the bounds of
the teachings of God's holy words, we owe
them no allegiance, none whatsoever.
Be they Baptist or Bethlehem or whatever they
may call themselves.
Nothing.
We ought to obey God rather than men.
My, I don't think that we understand the
slavery that souls have been in down through
the years.
Because men have climbed up into a place
almost parallel with the Pope in Christian assembly.
That is what I'm talking about.
Almost parallel with the Pope in Christian assembly.
Lording it over God's people.
Just remember the whole bunch of them.
We ought to obey God rather than men.
Peter was very bold, wasn't he?
Now verse 33, when they had Dutch, that
is when the Sanhedrin had Dutch, they were
cut to the heart and took counsel to
slay them.
You know when you really take your stand
for God, why there are people who would
take your life.
Remember what the Lord Jesus told his disciples
before he went away?
The day will come when they that take
your life will think that they do God's
service.
For what men can become.
They can break the actual commandment thou shalt
not kill and think of serving God at
the same time.
And we might be heading close to something
like this, you know.
We might be heading close to something like
this.
I haven't time for that this evening.
It says, verse 34, Then stood there up
one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel.
How much him?
A doctor of the law.
Hard in reputation among all the people.
And commanded to put the apostles forth a
little space.
Said unto them, you men of Israel, think
ye to yourselves what ye intend to do
with touching these men.
For before these days was up Judas boasting
himself to be somebody whom a number of
men, about four hundred, joined themselves to a
claim and all as many as obeyed him
was scattered and brought to naught.
And he went on down parts of history
and he said in verse 38, Now I
say unto you, refrain from these men and
let them alone for if this council or
this work be of men it will come
to naught.
But if it be of God, ye cannot
overthrow it, lest happily ye be found even
to fight against God.
You know he was an old Pharisee, wasn't
he?
But he was a wise old Pharisee.
And you know when you see somebody going
on and maybe you don't agree with all
that they do, just remember this.
If God's blessing them, you can't stop it.
And if you try to, just because you're
bigoted a little bit, you'll be found fighting
against God.
That's all.
Just remember that.
Some people come to me and talk to
me about Billy Graham.
Oh, I don't agree with all that he
does, of course I do.
But if God blesses them, I shall be
shouting hallelujah.
Some people talk to me about our brother
Paisley.
Oh, I don't agree with all that our
brother Paisley does.
But if God blesses them and God don't
bless them, then I just shout hallelujah.
That's all.
Just take care and see if you're found
fighting against God.
That's all.
It's good to remember that, you know.
Because if God's in this sort of work,
then it'll go on in spite of you,
for me, for us.
It's a good thing to always remember, mind
your own business.
Pretty wonderful little thing, you know.
All that I'm establishing now that Paul was
brought up, up the feet of a Pharisee,
a doctor of the law, inoculated with the
whole Jewish Pharisee, religious customs and traditions.
My Paul became a great Pharisee.
Oh, it's half a look at him as
a Pharisee.
Come to Galatians, chapter 1.
Galatians, the first chapter, verse 1, verse 11.
Writing to these saints at Galatia, he said,
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after
mine.
It wasn't taught, this gospel, by man, you
know.
For I never received it off man, neither
was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
Love, I can say the same this evening.
Pretty glad.
Verse 13, For ye have heard of my
conversation in times past in the Jews' religion.
The word conversation there could be rendered attitude
of life.
Yes, he said, you heard about my attitude
in times past in the Jews' religion.
You see, this word religion is a tremendous
word, isn't it?
You see, you could be steeped in religion
and yet go to hell.
Because Paul was steeped in religion before he
was saved.
The Jews' religion.
You could have the Baptist religion without Christ.
You could have the Presbyterian religion and no
Christ.
You'll die and go to hell at the
end.
And if all that you have tonight is
this empty, dead, formal religion, Christless religion, then
you're on your way to hell.
Just like Paul was.
Mind you, he was a fine fellow as
a prodigy.
I don't think he would have gotten any
flaws in him.
A very religious character, but on his way
to hell.
No Christ.
We could be rolled up in religion for
years and go to hell at the end.
So make sure it's the Savior you have.
Not just custom and tradition.
Now watch this, verse 13.
For ye have heard of my conversation in
time past in the Jews' religion, how that
beyond measure I have persecuted the church of
God and wasted it.
I use a little bit.
I am profited in the Jews' religion above
many my equals in my own nature.
Being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers.
Oh, you can't tell me that he was
wrestling and battling because he was very pleased
with himself.
He says, I am profited.
Man, I was exceedingly zealous.
Yes.
Oh, he was having a jolly good time
and thought he was the whole cheese and
he had no bother whatsoever.
So I'm perfectly satisfied that he hadn't this
experience as a prodigy.
But let me take you a step further.
Come to Philippians, chapter 3.
Philippians, and we're at the third chapter.
This is a very wonderful portion.
You know, Paul gives his testimony again and
again and again in this book.
And that encourages some of us to give
it again and again and again.
He says in verse 4, chapter 3, verse
4.
Though I might also have confidence in the
flesh, if any other man thinketh that he
hath whereof he might trust in the flesh,
I more.
And he pulls out all these credentials that
he had.
He said, I was circumcised the eighth day.
That's made him a true Israelite, you know.
Circumcised the eighth day.
He says, of the stock of Israel, of
the tribe of Benjamin.
He knew the tribe he belonged to, mind
you.
I'm Hebrew of the Hebrews.
He was a Hebrew scholar.
Of touching the law.
Authority.
Concerning zeal.
Persecuting the church.
Now watch this, read this.
Touching the righteousness which is in the law.
Hit it hard.
Blameless.
Yes.
The righteousness that is in the law.
You see, he kept the Old Testament laws
as his Jewish teachers had explained them, and
as he understood them.
And when a man is keeping a thing
that's been put up to him in a
way that he can say, I'm blameless, don't
you come round and tell me how to
wrestle him much with it.
Because he just can't get that over on
me.
My, he thought he was a wonderful fellow.
He had no bother there at all.
My, all the old traditions that they taught
him, and all the things that they put
up to him, as he was taught, so
he obeyed.
And he can say this, blameless.
As touching the righteousness of the law, blameless.
What a standard.
Huh?
Finally on his way to hell.
That's what he was.
Finally on his way to hell, in time
for tragedy.
Blameless, religious, far-off cynical Jew.
That's what he was.
But he's not the man that's wrestling in
Romans 7, is he?
Not a bit of him.
No wrestle here, this fellow has no bother.
No bother at all.
We listen to a lot of blethers at
times without going through the book.
Now if this experience that was his personally,
didn't happen when he was a lad, and
there's no doubt about that, and didn't happen
when he was a Pharisee, did it happen
when he was born again?
My answer quite plainly is yes.
But we're going to have a bit of
bother finding the spot answer.
But if you follow me carefully I'll find
it for you.
Now you watch.
Here's when he was born again.
Acts of the Apostles, chapter 9.
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 9.
I think we need to read a verse
or two here to get the proper sense.
Verse 1.
And Saul, that's what he was called you
see, he was Saul of Tarsus.
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went on
to the high priest, and desired of him
letters to Damascus, to the synagogue, that if
he found any of this way, that is
of the way of the Lord, whether they
were man or woman, he might bring them
bound on to Jerusalem.
Well, you see this Pharisee is just doing
the very things that I tell you we
might be heading for.
You see in his zealous religiosity, my, he
would take lives.
Of course that didn't worry him at all.
Now he stood at the claws of Theban
as the witness of the Lord.
Well, let's pound this man of God to
death.
Of course that didn't worry this Pharisee, and
it won't worry some of the old religious
Pharisees in the day to come.
You know, in times past they burned the
best men that ever walked in shoe leather.
They haven't changed, you know.
Well, here he is, and that's what he
is.
Verse 3.
And as he journeyed he came near Damascus,
and suddenly there shined round about him a
light from heaven, and he fell to the
earth.
He heard the voice saying unto him, Soul,
soul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus.
And now that must have shook him.
Why, this was the name that he detested.
He really believed that Jesus was dead, you
know, and that this there resurrection talk was
only talk.
But there's a voice from heaven, Who art
thou?
My, when the heavens opened and the voice
said, I am Jesus.
That was a revelation.
Jesus as Lord.
Yes.
Now would you see what happened?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest.
It is hard for thee to kick against
the picks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do?
There's absolute surrender here.
Oh, I know there are far more details
in it than that, you know.
He learned at that very moment that Jesus
was the Son of God and that he
had loved him and given himself for him
and all the rest of it's been all
the epistles.
But you know, this was the moment when
the Lord was really revealed to him.
Some people wonder, was he saved on the
Damascus road?
Or had Ananias to come to open his
eyes?
Not at all.
Did you see Ananias coming?
This is what the Lord said to Ananias,
verse 15.
But the Lord said unto Ananias, Go thy
way, for Saul is a chosen vessel unto
me to bear my name before the Gentiles
and kings and the children of Israel.
And I will show him how great things
he must suffer for my namesake.
And Ananias went his way and entered into
the house and putting his hands on him
said, The first word is what?
Brother.
Huh?
Recognized him.
Now, Ananias was a believer here, you know,
being directed by the Lord of the believers.
Recognized him as a brother.
That's where Paul was saved.
On the Damascus road.
My, the day that I looked at the
spot, at least they tell me it was
the spot where the great apostle Menelos, in
the dust of yon road that runs into
Damascus, my very soul was filled.
My, what a day that was for this
world of ours.
For the church of Jesus Christ.
Now, I want you to get that.
That's where he was saved, isn't it?
And you know, there's no record here, of
course, about him wrestling either.
Well, that's all.
You don't find any record here of him
wrestling.
And then, you know, when you come to
Acts chapter 13, let's have a look at
it for a moment.
You remember there were certain men in the
church of Antioch.
And it goes over them, all the whole
crowd of them.
Verse 2, As they ministered to the Lord
and fasted, the Holy Ghost stayed.
Who said the Holy Ghost was an influence?
The Russellites.
Who do you think?
Let me tell you, I can tell you
this, the Holy Ghost can talk.
The Holy Ghost said, what's in this book?
The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and
call for the works whereon shall I have
called them.
My, that the Holy Ghost would come to
our little church and say this again and
again.
Oh, that he would direct us.
The young men in this assembly and young
women are being marched out by the God
of heaven for a work.
And you young fellows that the Lord's woken
with, take your shoes off.
You miss the church.
God help you.
You'll be no good for this world.
And you'll have very little to glorify God
in the next one.
Just be careful.
So, therefore, for they being sent forth by
the Holy Ghost, that's who sent me anyway,
departed on to Seleucia, and from thence they
sailed to Cyprus.
And this is Paul starting out on his
missionary journeys, as we call them.
And you remember, I took the class through
all the steps of Paul here, with a
wonderful chap behind him.
We saw him going to Cyprus, then going
into Asia Minor, covering all those cities of
Asia Minor, going right over that torturous country
to Chuo, getting the Macedonian vision in Chuo,
crossing the Aegean Sea, coming to Macedonia, coming
over to Philippi, then down to Thessalonica, then
to Corinth.
And oh, what wonders we saw!
Why, he preached the Gospel in every city.
Multitudes were saved, churches were established, and we
didn't see one eye out of this wrestling.
That's the thing.
There was no wrestling on the Damascus Road.
And from the day that he sailed out,
from Antioch to the day he put his
head on the block, my, there's no record
at all of any nonsense like this, is
there?
Where did this experience...
Oh, it's in the book, I tell you,
it's in the book.
So you didn't look for it, did you?
You didn't.
But it's there, all right.
I assure you it's there.
Let's go back to Acts 9 again.
I know that I'm torturing you going back
and forward, but that's good for you.
Now, Ananias came in here in verse 17.
And verse 18 says, And immediately there fell
from Saul's eyes as it had been scaled,
and he received sight told with, and a
rodent was baptized.
And when he had received meat, he was
strengthened.
Now, here's your little bit, and you've got
to watch it or you'll miss it.
Then was Saul certain days with the disciples
which were at Damascus.
Now, I want you to mark it.
Certain days.
That's all, you know.
It was only certain days there.
So it was.
Now, I want you to watch this.
In those certain days, on the street where
he preached Christ in the synagogue, that he
is the Son of God.
He just preached it away, this fellow.
He didn't need to go to college or
anything like that, you know.
But just watch.
This man was chosen of God.
And this man was about to be sent
forth by the Holy Ghost.
And this man just started preaching right away.
Don't bother with this fellow at all.
Because they wouldn't allow you to do that
now.
You'd have to have some academic standard, wouldn't
you?
Oh, they wouldn't let you in now without
it.
Yes, they've got to have degrees.
So Bill Baxter said they're emptying the churches
by their degrees.
And so they are.
Now, all the boys with the degrees have
emptied the churches by degrees.
Haven't they?
Now, this fellow just started preaching.
And straightway is the word that's in the
word.
Verse 20.
Straightway preached Christ in the synagogue for he
is the Son of God.
And all that heard him were amazed.
He said, is not this he that destroyed
them which called on this name in Jerusalem
and came to their forgotten tent that he
might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
Now, I want you to watch this.
Because I'm going to try to prove that
between verse 21 and verse 22 there's a
great period.
But Saul increased them all in strength and
confounded the Jews which dwelt at the mosque
as proving that this is the very Christ.
And after many days, and I believe there's
a difference between the certain days and the
many days.
Now, how will I prove that?
All right.
We'll go back again to Galatians chapter 1.
It's just taking it in stages that really
brings out the light.
Now, watch this very carefully.
Verse 13.
For ye have heard of my conversation in
time past in the Jews' religion of that
beyond measure I persecuted the church of God
and wasted it and profited in the Jews'
religion above many mine equals in mine own
nation being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions
of my fathers.
But when it pleased God who separated me
from my mother's womb and called me by
His grace to reveal His Son in me
that was a wonderful day, wasn't it?
that I might preach Him among the heathen
immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.
Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them
that were apostles before me but I went
into Arabia Watch this bit and returned again
onto Damascus.
Well, you didn't see that before, did you?
You see, he got saved on the Damascus
or didn't he?
Yes.
And brother Ananias came and identified himself with
him and straightway for certain days only, certain
days he preached in the synagogues in Jerusalem,
just certain days and then he went away
to Arabia as he's buried there for over
two years.
He's buried there.
You see, it says here, verse 18 then
after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to see Peter and many of the great
scholars and I think rightly so concluded after
certain days before he went away to Arabia
and the many days after he came back
might well constitute one year and it makes
it out that he was at least two
years maybe more in Arabia and away there
in the back side of the desert he
learned and the one thing that he did
learn was that he couldn't make the eye
do more of that and that's what he
has experienced at born again.
Oh, it's the experience of a born again
man you can be absolutely sure of that.
It's not the experience of a Pharisee and
it's certainly not the experience of a boy
before he comes to responsibility of the law
but I shall take my time this evening
to prove that it's the experience of a
saved man and I believe it happened in
the back side of the desert in Arabia
it was there he learned many things many
wonderful things and I'm perfectly sure this was
one of them.
Now, let's get the hold of this we'll
go back to Romans 7 again Now, I
believe that this is the experience of Paul
as a saved man because of the fact
that he differentiates between many things.
Now, look at verse 18 for instance Romans
7, 18 For I know that in me
that is in my flesh you see he's
differentiating here he knows there's an old nature
in here so I call it the old
man, would you like?
Just for elucidation sake I'm trying to make
it clear Now, what's in me, that is
in my flesh but when you come to
verse 22 he says, I delight in the
law of God after the inward man you
know, he differentiated between these two men you
know there's an old man the flesh, no
good but there's an inward man the new
man, that delights in the law of God
and you can't have that differentiation in the
one person without the person being saved, can
you?
No Pharisee's got two natures like that but
in case that's not clear now let's have
a look at this look at verse 23
for a moment he says, but I see
another law in my members warring against the
law of my mind see two laws there,
don't you?
and bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin which is in my members you
see the word law is used in two
senses here you see, there is law as
a principle that's the law that's in my
members you know, there's a law that's a
principle here my, it's the law of sin
now he differentiated that there was a thing
inside called sin and mind you it really
bound him but you know he also knew
that there's another law I'll call it the
Pilgrim one just to keep this clear the
principle and the Pilgrim one quite different my,
this is the law of a renewed mind
we can differentiate, can't we?
and in a moment you'll find there's another
law here it's the law of God you
know the law of God is witness and
the truth thou shalt not, thou shalt not,
thou shalt not that's the law of God
the law of the mind is the law
of the renewed Pilgrim the law that's in
your members is a principle you'll never get
rid of it till Jesus comes now the
man that can differentiate like this must be
a saved man this is no Pharisee, he
never tossed it out you get a Pharisee
to talk like that if you waited with
him for a thousand years my, this is
a saved man that's talking and he actually
knows what he's talking about, he's been through
the mill you'll find in a moment what
he tried to do but you'll see the
differentiation now just because of the fact that
he differentiates well look at the fact of
calculation the last verse, verse 25 see the
two words, so then now he's summing up
all that he's been trying to tell these
saints he's summing it up so then with
the mind that renewed mind of mine you
know the darkened mind wouldn't see very much,
would it?
so with the mind I myself serve the
law of God but with the flesh the
law of sin you know when this renewed
mind leads the way I really serve God
but when this old flesh takes the helm
I serve sin do you think a Pharisee
could differentiate like that?
is that what you've been taught in this
town for a long time, God pity that's
a saved man that can calculate like that
that's a saved man man who knows what
a renewed mind can do and a man
who knows that when flesh takes the helm
what it can do yes but he's not
only a saved man because he differentiates and
because he calculates but because of the fact
that he jubilates look at verse 22 for
I delight in the law of God do
you think any Pharisee could say that?
my dear friends this is really delighting look
this is the man in the first time
would you please who's delighting in himself in
the law of God day and night that's
who that is that's not a boy without
law nor a Pharisee on the law that's
a man who's experienced the new breath and
his mind is renewed and he's delighting in
the law of God oh yes when that
mind's in control yes but you see he
not only differentiates and calculates and jubilates but
he ejaculates watch this ejaculation verse 24 oh
wretched man that I am you mean to
tell me that one man can make these
two statements and not be a saved man
I delight in the law of God oh
wretched man that I am you mean to
tell me that the man that uses both
is not a saved man my dear friends
he's a saved man who's in trouble he's
trying to make this old flesh bow to
God and he's trying to make it live
for God and he hasn't got the answer
yet and he hasn't got the victory yet
he's in the backside of the desert and
you know some of the saints live there
don't they you know I am sure that
some of the saints here tonight could say
this most of them all there's things I
would love to do and there's things that
I hate and I always do that's right
and there are times when I'm just delighting
in the law of God and there are
other times when I'm just a wretched man
that's right no father see that you know
no father see that God doesn't want you
to live there you know like that not
at all so the fact that he differentiates
between flesh the old man and the inward
man and the law in his members and
the law in his mind and the fact
that he calculates and the fact that he
jubilates and the fact that he ejaculates and
the fact that he supplicates verse 24 who
shall supplicate himself supplicate get fed up with
it you know when you get fed up
it's very near to you it's very near
to you sometimes God lets you have a
go you're going to row the boat on
your own alright you'll fall asleep put your
head in the pillow have a go at
it and the disciples of the Lord will
take the oars in their own hands and
they're going to row the boat and wake
up son you'll not do it and you'll
not make the old man do it either
you can have a try at it but
there'll come a moment when you'll let the
oar go and say Lord Lord you'll begin
to cry who shall deliver me you know
it's a great moment in your life when
you learn to look away out from yourself
man there's not a thing behind these clothes
worth toppings it's only a saved soul which
the Lord can do nothing for God it
is not I oh you must get this
correct Paul says I live yes I'm living
now yet not I just feeling I'm not
doing it on my own but Christ that
lives in me you know he's got this
idea I'm crucified with Christ my everything that's
above me has been put there and yet
you know the personality remains the same I'm
still William of Amiens 64 years of age
yet that means I was born in Newtown
that's the same book you don't lose your
personality and that will be the same personality
in heaven oh I'll be changed to be
like Jesus conform to the image of God
some at the end yet you'll recognize me
you know but we shall know each other
in heaven you never lose it it's me
you say yet in another sense it's not
I that's doing the doing oh Lord you
know it's not I it's Christ that comes
to live and control and move and energize
and work for me going on in your
own learn and to let the Lord do
it it's not I you know when he
got here he got to the place hadn't
he you know this is the outcome of
this the outcome of this is that he
finds he can't make this old man do
the work of God you see the law
and print condemns the old man and the
laws of pilgrim is the thing that God
wants him to be about but the laws
of principle has spoiled it all he seems
to be carrying about with him this dead
thing that upsets everything and now he cries
oh wretched man that I am who shall
deliver me from the body of this death
and then comes your glorious wit with this
evening you know Paul had wrestled this out
I believe in the Arabian desert and then
he lifts his face towards the heaven and
he cries I thank God oh Jesus Christ
our Lord it's the Lord that liberates you
Lord you know the Holy Ghost has come
to umbrella hasn't he and the Holy Ghost
wants to fill up and when the Holy
Ghost fills up continually then the production of
this life Paul said for me to
live why the Lord loves to come and
save you and the Lord loves to come
to use you and the Lord loves to
come to pull through you when the glory
is all his own I am so scared
of the congregation thinking something of me that
sometimes I scold you never you would dare
to talk about me may my name perish
I'm terrified may his name be glorified with
all this glory this is the Lord my
you go home let him just there let
him draw you to the place where you
were calculate got to die to a lot
of old things Lord by your grace Lord
Jesus I can do it Lord I've got
to give you my hands and my feet
my hair my heart give it to me
Lord by your grace I'll give you everything
I want to be your servant I'll be
your body, your mind Lord you'll have to
come through Christ with your will and he
will guide you very
patiently let's bow together dear Lord
Jesus we thank thee for these mighty passages
of thy holy word we thank thee for
these great ways that thou hast placed before
us oh help us to remember that we
are identified with thy death help us to
calculate this at every corner of the way
help us to present our members to thee
help us to be thy servants help us
to remember that we are united with thee
oh what a bond there is between us
master help us to do the wee things
just because we love thee Lord never let
us expect anything from this old man of
ours Lord you've got to do the whole
thing oh come and fill us with thyself
grow thou in me and put all the
addictions out and flood me with thy power
Lord until thy name is magnified in everything
about bless thy saints this evening part us
in thy fear and rest thy blessing through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen