Six laws are to be distinguished in Romans.
1. The Law of Moses--What does it do? It condemns.
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:19-20).
Why do they want to take the Ten Commandments out of the school? Out of places that are governmentally owned? Because it is one big conviction tool of God. People come through and see them. They already blew the first two commandments, but they try to reject that by their little tradition and religious things. But by the time you get around to lying and coveting--I mean, it's got everybody! And God comes along and says, "Guess what guys, you broke one you broke them all."
Oh man! Why? Because the world is thinking what? I'm not a murderer, I'm not a rapist, I'm not an embezzler--no, but you are a stinking liar though. How did I lie? Then you go, 'Oh, that was just a little white lie ... a little sin.' Well, to God a little sin will send you to hell. Sin is sin. They hate the Law because it condemns. Yes it does.
2. And then, Law as a principle . . .
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets"
(Romans 3:21).
'Witnessed,' what's that mean? What is a principle? Something you live by. The principle you live by is the Law. So, trying to live by the principle of the Law. You don't want to kill, you don't want to steal, you want to obey the Law--the principle by which you live. Right? The best you know how. That is a good principle.
People will tell you in order to have civilization you have to have the Law of God. You have to, otherwise you are a barbarian or a Scythian--or Muslims running around here crazy, killing anybody they want, doing whatever they want. That isn't civilized. And yet they think that they have the law of God.
3. The Law of Faith--which excludes self-righteousness.
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:27-28).
". . . by the law of faith . . ." - We operate by faith. Do you know what that is? It's a law. It's supposed to be a constant in a Christian. Faith, believing in and acting on what God says.
4. The Law of the Mind . . .
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21).
Now can we all please say that we are in the same boat as Paul? We are going to end up in the same direction as Paul. Paul is our ... what? ... spokesman, right? Gentiles. He is going through this. A lot of times when I look at this and read it ... somehow Paul was excluded ... even though he wrote it. When I finally looked at this and saw a man that was converted, had that connection with God, was taught of God and personally taught of the Lord Jesus Christ for three years in the desert. He is growing in the Lord, just like you and I grow. And he is coming across this perplexing lifestyle, because all of a sudden he is finding out stuff.
My goodness! I'm converted. I got taught by Jesus. Man! His light shone around him, he couldn't see after the brightness of that light! I've got power, yet where is the power over this stinking flesh! And he's writing this saying, "Oh my goodness!" Maybe we just need a definition of law? What is law? It's a law! It's constant. Unless some revokes it, or changes it--it's a law, right?
Look what that verse says. Please look at what it says! " . . . when I would do good, evil is present with me."
If you get nothing else, I hope that you will get this . . .
You know, you get up in the morning, you want to be good. I ain't messing up! No way, Jose! You are determined to be good. I'm not saying you have to mess up--I'm just saying that there is a law here--that when you start to do good, you realize that evil is present with you. Now if you doubt your salvation--and you look back--you know He came in, but somehow you feel you lost it; I'm telling you, you didn't lose it. I'm telling you you need to grow in the Lord. You need to get enough of God in you to be more confident. And the very fact that when you try to do good, evil is with you--you recognize evil is with you--it says it is a law. That means that wherever you go--evil goes with you. It's immutable!
You know what? A man can even preach while thinking evil thoughts . . . evil is present with him. "Whenever I try to do good, evil is present with me."
I'm telling you. Get a hold of this.
Again, we are talking about the Law of the Mind
Why do you think pornography is so bad nowadays? It's always been bad--it's always been wicked and evil as hell, but it was kept in a corner somewhere. You had to sneak to get it. Now its everywhere. It's accepted. And that stuff ruins everything it comes into contact with. Well, why can't you stop--bless your little heart.
5. The Law of the members . . .
"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:23).
You have a law in your members working against that mind--the good mind--the mind of Christ, the good person on the inside. Not the old person on the outside. There is a constant battle, because when you try to quit that stuff--that is a good thing to do--and that is when you recognize that evil is present with you. You'd be shocked to know how many little girls sneak and watch that stuff. We are talking about before, like 11 and 12 years old statistically.
Man, it effects your brain. It makes little paths. It's a drug! It's right up there with heroin and cocaine. You can't just quit it. You find out after a while just how evil this thing is. And it does everything contrary to what God wants you to do. It is against good--I'm telling you--it's so wicked that it'll even use a little good to get more feet in with the evil. It is slick! You say I'm personifying it ... I sure am!
6. The Law of the flesh . . .
Look at the conclusion that Paul makes
"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:25).
Do you get that? With the mind you are serving God, right? With the flesh you serve sin. Whatever controls your mind controls your actions. If you have the mind of Christ, you have the power of Christ, to do what He wants you to do--not what the flesh wants you to do. Because you know it is not going to work.
So, if you are serving God, you know that this evil is present with you. It's a law. It's not going away!
Getting saved is the most wonderful thing in the world, but you are not out of the woods. You are saved, you are going to heaven, you have the power of God but you have to learn that as a saved individual, you have to grow to understand that what is preached from the pulpit--that people sometimes think it is mean--it is not mean. It is the preacher trying to get you to wake up to the sinfulness of your stinking flesh, and how it is out of control when it is in control of you.
1. The Law of Moses--What does it do? It condemns.
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:19-20).
Why do they want to take the Ten Commandments out of the school? Out of places that are governmentally owned? Because it is one big conviction tool of God. People come through and see them. They already blew the first two commandments, but they try to reject that by their little tradition and religious things. But by the time you get around to lying and coveting--I mean, it's got everybody! And God comes along and says, "Guess what guys, you broke one you broke them all."
Oh man! Why? Because the world is thinking what? I'm not a murderer, I'm not a rapist, I'm not an embezzler--no, but you are a stinking liar though. How did I lie? Then you go, 'Oh, that was just a little white lie ... a little sin.' Well, to God a little sin will send you to hell. Sin is sin. They hate the Law because it condemns. Yes it does.
2. And then, Law as a principle . . .
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets"
(Romans 3:21).
'Witnessed,' what's that mean? What is a principle? Something you live by. The principle you live by is the Law. So, trying to live by the principle of the Law. You don't want to kill, you don't want to steal, you want to obey the Law--the principle by which you live. Right? The best you know how. That is a good principle.
People will tell you in order to have civilization you have to have the Law of God. You have to, otherwise you are a barbarian or a Scythian--or Muslims running around here crazy, killing anybody they want, doing whatever they want. That isn't civilized. And yet they think that they have the law of God.
3. The Law of Faith--which excludes self-righteousness.
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:27-28).
". . . by the law of faith . . ." - We operate by faith. Do you know what that is? It's a law. It's supposed to be a constant in a Christian. Faith, believing in and acting on what God says.
4. The Law of the Mind . . .
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21).
Now can we all please say that we are in the same boat as Paul? We are going to end up in the same direction as Paul. Paul is our ... what? ... spokesman, right? Gentiles. He is going through this. A lot of times when I look at this and read it ... somehow Paul was excluded ... even though he wrote it. When I finally looked at this and saw a man that was converted, had that connection with God, was taught of God and personally taught of the Lord Jesus Christ for three years in the desert. He is growing in the Lord, just like you and I grow. And he is coming across this perplexing lifestyle, because all of a sudden he is finding out stuff.
My goodness! I'm converted. I got taught by Jesus. Man! His light shone around him, he couldn't see after the brightness of that light! I've got power, yet where is the power over this stinking flesh! And he's writing this saying, "Oh my goodness!" Maybe we just need a definition of law? What is law? It's a law! It's constant. Unless some revokes it, or changes it--it's a law, right?
Look what that verse says. Please look at what it says! " . . . when I would do good, evil is present with me."
If you get nothing else, I hope that you will get this . . .
You know, you get up in the morning, you want to be good. I ain't messing up! No way, Jose! You are determined to be good. I'm not saying you have to mess up--I'm just saying that there is a law here--that when you start to do good, you realize that evil is present with you. Now if you doubt your salvation--and you look back--you know He came in, but somehow you feel you lost it; I'm telling you, you didn't lose it. I'm telling you you need to grow in the Lord. You need to get enough of God in you to be more confident. And the very fact that when you try to do good, evil is with you--you recognize evil is with you--it says it is a law. That means that wherever you go--evil goes with you. It's immutable!
You know what? A man can even preach while thinking evil thoughts . . . evil is present with him. "Whenever I try to do good, evil is present with me."
I'm telling you. Get a hold of this.
Again, we are talking about the Law of the Mind
Why do you think pornography is so bad nowadays? It's always been bad--it's always been wicked and evil as hell, but it was kept in a corner somewhere. You had to sneak to get it. Now its everywhere. It's accepted. And that stuff ruins everything it comes into contact with. Well, why can't you stop--bless your little heart.
5. The Law of the members . . .
"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:23).
You have a law in your members working against that mind--the good mind--the mind of Christ, the good person on the inside. Not the old person on the outside. There is a constant battle, because when you try to quit that stuff--that is a good thing to do--and that is when you recognize that evil is present with you. You'd be shocked to know how many little girls sneak and watch that stuff. We are talking about before, like 11 and 12 years old statistically.
Man, it effects your brain. It makes little paths. It's a drug! It's right up there with heroin and cocaine. You can't just quit it. You find out after a while just how evil this thing is. And it does everything contrary to what God wants you to do. It is against good--I'm telling you--it's so wicked that it'll even use a little good to get more feet in with the evil. It is slick! You say I'm personifying it ... I sure am!
6. The Law of the flesh . . .
Look at the conclusion that Paul makes
"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:25).
Do you get that? With the mind you are serving God, right? With the flesh you serve sin. Whatever controls your mind controls your actions. If you have the mind of Christ, you have the power of Christ, to do what He wants you to do--not what the flesh wants you to do. Because you know it is not going to work.
So, if you are serving God, you know that this evil is present with you. It's a law. It's not going away!
Getting saved is the most wonderful thing in the world, but you are not out of the woods. You are saved, you are going to heaven, you have the power of God but you have to learn that as a saved individual, you have to grow to understand that what is preached from the pulpit--that people sometimes think it is mean--it is not mean. It is the preacher trying to get you to wake up to the sinfulness of your stinking flesh, and how it is out of control when it is in control of you.