Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Following Failure is When You Fail to Follow the Father - 12/28/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Following Failure is When You Fail to Follow the Father - 12/28/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to Meadows Baptist Church of
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  Walnut Cove, North Carolina. We're so
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  glad you joined us today. If you enjoy
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  today's message, be sure to subscribe,
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  follow, and share with your friends.
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  Now, let's join Pastor Charlie Branch
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  with a word from God.
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  looking forward to the new year here at
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  the church and uh just excited about
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  what the Lord's going to do for us and
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  uh
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  been trying to follow the leadership of
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  the Lord best that I can for Sunday
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  school and preaching and uh feel like my
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  series have been so scattered. I
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  normally like to stay in something until
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  I get done with it, but but I didn't
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  finish Daniel and I didn't finish the
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  parables, Matthew 13 either. And so the
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  Lord knows what we need better than
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  anything. And I just untied that and
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  it's tied up again. Let's let's just uh
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  put that in our pocket and move on.
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  Romans chapter 6. I want to read just a
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  couple of verses here. And uh
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  I'm thankful I have been able to finish
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  some studies. We've been through here at
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  the church. We we did make it all the
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  way through uh the epistles of the
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  Thessalonians and then all the way
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  through uh the book of First John and
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  done some other smaller series here at
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  the church. And I want to the beginning
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  of the year try to uh maybe get back on
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  track where we was at and finish out
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  where we was going. But I've just been
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  trying to mind the Lord best I can and
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  uh read read and study and share where
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  he speaks to me from. And uh Bible uh
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  teaches us we got to operate in the
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  fullness of this thing. Dad told me a
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  long time ago, he said, "You got to
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  operate out of the overflow." And so if
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  God's not putting it in, I can't give it
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  out. And so I got to go where he's
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  putting it in. And so uh he he knows
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  what we need. Amen. Let's look Romans 6.
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  I want to read down through about verse
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  number nine. Romans chapter 6 verse
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  number one. The Bible says, "What shall
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  we say then? Shall we continue in sin
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  that grace may abound? God forbid. How
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  shall we that are dead to sin live any
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  longer therein? Know ye not that so many
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  of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
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  were baptized into his death? Therefore,
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  we are buried with him by baptism into
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  death. That like as Christ was raised up
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  from the dead by the glory of the
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  father, even so we also should walk in
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  newness of life. For if we have been
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  planted together in the likeness of his
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  death, we shall be also in the likeness
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  of his resurrection. Knowing this, that
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  our old man is crucified with him, that
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  the body of sin might be destroyed, that
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  henceforth we should not serve sin. For
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  he that is dead is freed from sin. Now
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  if we be dead with Christ, we believe
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  that we shall also live with him. Verse
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  nine, knowing that Christ being raised
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  from the dead dieth no more, death hath
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  no more dominion over him. Notice verse
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  10 and 11. For in that he died, he died
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  unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he
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  liveth unto God. Likewise reckon, notice
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  that word, likewise, reckon ye also
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  yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
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  but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
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  our Lord. Okay, let's look at this text
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  here this morning. And uh I was
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  considering when I was studying this and
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  uh titles help me remember what I say.
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  And so I always try to give my text a
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  title. But really when you look at
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  chapter 6 and verse number one, the
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  Bible says, "What shall we say then?
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  Shall we continue in sin that grace may
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  abound?" And I this thought just jumped
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  off the page at me there out of verse
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  number one. And uh there's a possibility
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  of following failure in our lives. You
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  say, 'What do you mean by that?' Well,
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  if you notice this truth here in this in
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  verse number one, he says, "Shall we
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  continue in sin?" I would say, when you
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  notice that phrase, what does that tell
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  us? Well, number one, it's possible to
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  continue in sin, isn't it? Notice verse
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  12 of chapter 6. Let not sin therefore
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  reign in your mortal body that you
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  should obey it in the lust thereof. So,
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  if you have to let it not, that means it
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  is possible for it to happen. And so,
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  what is this? Well, when we continue in
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  sin, what are we doing? We're following
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  failure,
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  >> right?
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  >> Every sin is a failure. And you say,
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  "What is that?" Well, I this little
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  statement I and this it ain't much, but
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  it's just what the Lord gave me to
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  introduce this lesson this morning.
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  Following failure is what you do when
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  you fail to follow the father.
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  You see, anything outside of God, no
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  matter how successful or how big of a
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  failure it is in our eyes, anything
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  outside of the will and work of God is a
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  failure. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> One writer said it this way. He said,
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  "I'm afraid that if I go outside the
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  will of God, in essence," this is what
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  he said. He said, "I'm afraid that I'll
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  fail." He said, "I'm afraid that I might
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  succeed greater than I fail."
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  >> You're right.
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  >> I think the greatest failure in the
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  Christian's life is to succeed at doing
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  something that does not bring glory to
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  God.
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  >> Amen. And so in this text when I
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  consider the thought here in verse
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  number one, shall we continue in sin?
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  Now there's a lot of avenues that we
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  could take with this this morning. But
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  the truth that he is trying to relay to
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  us is what he has just said in chapter
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  number five. We preached on this a few
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  weeks ago here at the church concerning
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  the thought of this grace that's given
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  abundant grace for a hurting world. And
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  the Bible says in verse 21 of chapter 5
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  that as sin hath reigned unto death. You
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  remember we talked about that? That sin
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  hath reigned. It means it's in control.
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  Sin has had control over the human race,
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  influencing us and sending us all to one
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  event and that event is death. And he
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  said, "As sin hath reigned under death,
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  even so might grace reign through
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  righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus
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  Christ our Lord." And so on the on the
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  other side of this now, what he's saying
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  to us is now that grace reigns in our
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  life. If you're born again, you know
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  what? Grace reigns.
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  >> Grace is in control of your life. Grace
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  is what brought you salvation. Grace is
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  what keeps you your salvation. And now
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  grace is is the is the function of the
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  Christian life. We are to operate in the
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  grace of God. Because if we operate
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  outside of that, we have no fruit.
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  There's no uh there's nothing that will
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  abound to our account. And so when he
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  says in verse number one, shall we,
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  there's the the people that he's
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  mentioning. Shall we continue in sin
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  that grace may abound? And I would say
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  number one, it's possible. But I would
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  say this, number two, it's prohibited.
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  You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
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  notice verse two. What's them first two
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  words? God forbid. How shall we that are
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  dead to sin live any longer therein? We
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  would all agree it's possible to to to
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  sin after we have received grace. But as
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  long as we continue in sin, the sin will
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  bar us from the grace that we could
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  receive from God for our sin. You say,
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  "What do you mean by that?" Well, it's
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  illustrated in what David said. If I
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  regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
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  will not hear me. And so, as long as we
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  continue willfully and unrepentant of
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  sin, we are barring ourselves from the
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  grace of God. We are limiting God's work
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  in our life. As long as we continue in
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  unrepentance and unbelief and
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  disobedience to God, we are barring
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  ourselves from the grace of God. And
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  when he says, "Shall we continue in sin
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  that grace may abound," we know that he
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  just said in chapter number five that
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  where sin abounded, grace did much more
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  abound. Ain't that right? Verse 20,
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  "Where sin abounded, grace did much more
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  abound." We rejoice in that because his
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  grace is greater than our sin. But the
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  truth is when we choose to willfully
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  sin, we are barring the grace of God
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  from working in our life. And and see
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  this is the thing in our life, the thing
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  many people can't come to grips with.
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  It's always one ditch or the other.
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  Either either man is got control of God.
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  We've got God by the coattails and he
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  does what we want him to do. Or a
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  Calvinist says God's got man by the
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  coattails and he's going to throw him
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  off into hell if he chooses to. He's
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  going to save him if he chooses to. But
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  you know what the truth is? That ain't
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  the way it works.
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  >> Right?
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  >> God has given us free will. Yes, God's
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  in control. He's sovereign.
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  >> But he has given us the choice to
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  choose.
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  >> And in this text, he says, "Shall we
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  continue in sin?" It's possible, but it
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  is prohibited. But we do know even
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  though it's possible if we do continue
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  in sin, grace is still greater than our
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  sin. But the effects of grace may not be
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  available to us if we are willfully
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  walking in sin. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> And so I noticed this. We we'll get into
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  this here a little more. Verse number
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  two, notice what he says. God forbid.
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  How shall we that are dead to sin live
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  any longer therein? So I would say first
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  of all when Paul says God forbid here in
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  verse number one, he's saying that it's
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  wrong to continue in sin. That's
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  supported by verse number 12 and 13.
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  Notice it again, verse 12 and 13. Let
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  not sin therefore reign in your m mortal
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  body that you should obey it in the lust
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  thereof, neither yield ye your members
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  as uninstruments of unrighteousness unto
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  sin. So it's possible, we'll say more
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  about that in a minute. And so he's
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  telling us here that God would forbid
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  number one, that we would continue to
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  sin, but God would also forbid for us to
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  count on grace when we are in willful
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  sin. You say, "What do you mean,
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  preacher?" Well, it's using grace or
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  salvation as a license to sin.
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  >> Because I'm saved. Because I belong to
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  God. Because I believe I can do what I
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  want to and God will forgive me. Well,
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  that that's not necessarily true.
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  >> Right?
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  >> You say, "Preacher, but I'm saved. God
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  has to forgive me of my sins." And to
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  some extent, you're right. But you know
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  what? Your sin's going to have
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  consequences.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> I'll tell you this. A saved person is
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  not going to say that. Number one. Amen.
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  They're not going to operate like that.
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  If they do, God will take them out.
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  >> You will be punished for your sin.
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  >> You say, "Preacher, Jesus took my
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  punishment." Well, here's the thing
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  about that. Punishment's not just over
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  there. It's here now, too. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> The choices that we make have
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  consequences.
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  >> And he says, God forbid, number one,
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  that we're to continue in sin, but we're
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  also, God forbid, that we're to count on
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  grace when we are living in willful sin.
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  And then he says, "How shall we that are
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  dead to sin live any longer therein?" I
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  made a statement in the sermon I
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  preached here several weeks ago about
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  grace. And I made the statement that in
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  death we have become dead to death. And
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  that's what he is talking about here in
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  this text. He says, "How shall we that
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  are dead to sin live any longer
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  therein?" Now, death in the scriptures
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  is always a type of sin. Ephesians
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  chapter 2 says Paul said he told the
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  fees church and you hath he quickened
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  who were dead in trespasses and sins.
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  And so this death he says how shall we
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  that are dead to sin live any longer
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  therein at the moment of salvation we
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  become the old man becomes dead and he
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  begins in this text to describe to us
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  this death that takes place. So I would
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  say this this this truth here in our
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  text. Sin is prohibited to the believer
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  because of the death that we have died
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  in Christ. Notice the text again. How
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  shall we that are dead to sin live any
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  longer therein? So if we're dead to
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  something, that means that there's no
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  life that can be taken in that sin
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  anymore. The reason why a lost person
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  can enjoy their sin is because they feel
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  life in that. You're
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  >> right. But the reason a saved person
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  cannot enjoy their sin is because
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  they're dead to it.
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  >> There's no life in it. Sin, the Bible
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  says it brings it's pleasureful for for
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  a little season.
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  >> And I'll be honest with you, I really
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  don't know if that's just for the lost
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  people. I don't think sin's pleasureful
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  at all for a believer.
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  >> Right?
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  >> Notice this verse number three. He says,
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  "Know ye not that so many of us as were
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  baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
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  into his death?" And so sin is
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  prohibited to for the believer because
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  of death. Sin brought death to the soul.
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  The savior has brought us death to sin.
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  Sin brought death to the soul. The
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  savior brought death to sin. Notice not
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  only the possibility, the prohibition,
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  but know the process in verse three.
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  Know ye not that so many of us as were
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  baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
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  into his death. So here's the beginning
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  work of salvation. We know salvation is
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  repentance and faith. It is man
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  repenting of his sins and turning to God
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  in faith and trusting him for his
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  salvation. In the moment of salvation
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  here that's emphasized what he talked
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  about in chapter number five. Therefore
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  being justified by faith at the same
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  moment that we are justified by faith.
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  That very same moment the the the carnal
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  man dies. Notice it again. Know ye not
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  that so many of us as were baptized into
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  notice that into Jesus Christ? You say,
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  "Preacher, what is that baptized? Is
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  that talking about a a water baptism?"
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  Well, not specifically.
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  You say, "What's that talking about?"
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  Well, that word baptized means this. I
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  love this definition. It puts it so
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  clearly. That word baptized means the
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  introduction
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  or placing of a person or thing into a
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  new environment or into union with
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  someone else so as to alter its
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  condition or its relationship to its
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  previous environment or condition. Let
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  me read that again. It is the
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  introduction. All right, baptism. This
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  word baptize is the introduction or
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  placing of a person or thing into a new
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  environment or into union with someone
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  else so as to alter its condition or its
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  relationship to its previous environment
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  or condition. The imagery is like this.
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  You take a smith. This is the
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  illustration that I saw. There are
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  several different illustrations that you
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  can use for this, but this one works
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  really well. You take a smith after he
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  has took that iron and you know what
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  he's done? He's put it in the fire and
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  that thing's glowing red hot. You know
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  what he does to make that thing hard? He
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  takes it out and as that thing's glowing
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  red hot, what does he do? He dips it in
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  the water. What does that do? It hardens
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  it.
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  >> And what does it do? It makes it more
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  resistant
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  for use.
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  >> Right?
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  >> And so the illustration here, he says,
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  "Know you not that so many of us as
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  we're baptized into Jesus Christ, it
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  means we've been united. We have been
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  put in, okay, to Christ. We were
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  baptized into his death. So, we talk
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  about baptism. It's an image. It's an
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  image of a of the the death. Amen. It's
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  an image of the burial. We we go down
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  the the burial is underneath the water
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  and then the coming forth of the water
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  is resurrection. And so, that's the
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  picture of baptism. But this baptism
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  here he's talking about is the literal
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  baptism. When you get saved, you become
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  united with Christ. In marriage, when
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  you when you say the vows, two become
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  one. And that is the same emphasis that
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  is in this text. He says you were
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  baptized into his death. Now this uh
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  Kenneth Whis says this. He says, "This
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  refers to the act of God introducing a
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  believing sinner into vital union with
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  Jesus Christ in order that the believer
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  might have the power of his sinful
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  nature broken and the divine nature
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  implanted through his identification
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  with Christ in his death, burial, and
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  resurrection." Now, you're not going to
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  hear any better description of that
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  verse than that right there. It is the
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  divine working of Jesus Christ where we
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  are planted with him in likeness of his
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  death. What is that? Well, the Bible
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  says that Jesus came, he was made in the
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  likeness of sinful flesh. Ain't that
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  what the Bible says? And in his physical
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  death, all right, he presented to us the
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  spiritual death that we would have to
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  die. This carnal man must die.
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  >> Right?
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  >> You say, "How is that, preacher?" Well,
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  Paul described it this way in Galatians
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  2:20. He said, "For I'm crucified with
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  Christ." Amen. That's a death. Ain't
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  that right? He said, "For I'm crucified
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  with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet
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  not I, but Christ liveth in me in the
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  life that I now live in the flesh. I
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  live by the faith of the son of God who
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  loved me and gave himself for me." So
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  Scott Codle said it this way. I like the
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  way he said. He said, "If you're going
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  to live, you're going to have to die."
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  >> Amen.
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  >> So he begins with this death. We are
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  united with him in death. As Christ was
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  raised from the dead, we are to be
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  raised from our sin. And remember that
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  death is a type of sin. We are to be
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  raised from our sin to walk, notice what
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  he says in verse four, to walk in
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  newness of life. Look what he says.
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  Therefore, we are buried with him by
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  baptism into death. That that burying
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  there, that means we are completely
• 17:21
  immersed. Don't you think about this?
• 17:23
  This is what I love about this book.
• 17:24
  Amen. It's just perfect. When you get
• 17:26
  saved, all of you get saved,
• 17:28
  >> right?
• 17:29
  >> And when you go into Christ, you're not
• 17:31
  half in, half out.
• 17:32
  >> Look what he says. We are buried with
• 17:34
  him by baptism into death. When you get
• 17:37
  saved, you die. That carnal man dies
• 17:40
  completely. He's dead. You say,
• 17:43
  "Preacher, why do I still sin?" Hold on.
• 17:45
  I'll get there in just a minute. Look
• 17:47
  what he says. That like as Christ was
• 17:49
  raised up from the dead by the glory of
• 17:51
  the father, even so we also should walk
• 17:55
  in the in newness of life. So basically
• 17:57
  if we have died in Christ and with
• 18:00
  Christ we also will live in Christ and
• 18:02
  with Christ.
• 18:03
  >> Amen.
• 18:05
  >> You say what do you mean by that? Well
• 18:07
  Bible talks about the mystery Colossians
• 18:09
  chapter 1 Christ in you the hope of
• 18:11
  glory that mystery if we have we have
• 18:14
  died in him if we have took part in
• 18:16
  salvation in him that death has taken
• 18:19
  place to the old man we also too will be
• 18:22
  resurrected. And he says in verse five,
• 18:25
  notice the terminology, for if we have
• 18:27
  been planted together in the likeness of
• 18:29
  his death, we shall be also in the
• 18:31
  likeness of his resurrection. That word
• 18:34
  planted and the word baptized in verse
• 18:36
  number three pretty much mean exactly
• 18:38
  the same thing. That planted we've been
• 18:41
  united together in his death. Now death
• 18:45
  is an unpleasant thing. We would all
• 18:46
  agree with that, wouldn't we? But I'll
• 18:48
  say this, for a child of God, this is
• 18:50
  what makes it possible for us to live
• 18:52
  the Christian life.
• 18:54
  >> You see, a lost man has no victory over
• 18:56
  sin,
• 18:56
  >> right?
• 18:57
  >> He has no ability to overcome.
• 18:59
  >> And and this text reveals to us here
• 19:02
  what makes it possible for us to live
• 19:04
  and walk in fellowship with Jesus. So if
• 19:07
  we've been planted together in the
• 19:09
  likeness of his death, this is gives us
• 19:11
  a hope knowing that we shall also be
• 19:14
  also in the likeness of his resurrection
• 19:16
  that we will walk in new life just like
• 19:18
  he did. Notice verse six.
• 19:21
  So we consider the possibility, the
• 19:23
  prohibition, the process. But now notice
• 19:25
  the purpose. Verse number six. Knowing
• 19:28
  this, that our old man is crucified with
• 19:30
  him. Look what your Bible says. that the
• 19:32
  body of sin might be destroyed and
• 19:34
  henceforth we should not serve sin. Now
• 19:38
  this right here is not literally talking
• 19:40
  about a physical body. You probably
• 19:42
  could make an application there in verse
• 19:45
  number six to say that this body will be
• 19:47
  destroyed. We know that this fleshly
• 19:48
  body will go back to the ground will
• 19:50
  receive a new body. But that's not the
• 19:52
  primary interpretation of this text. He
• 19:54
  says in verse six that there's a
• 19:56
  crucifixion. Our old man that is the old
• 19:58
  nature the sinful man who we are before
• 20:01
  we get saved is crucified with him in
• 20:04
  salvation in trusting Christ by grace
• 20:07
  through faith crucifixion takes place
• 20:10
  inevitably
• 20:12
  when there is repentance and faith the
• 20:15
  old man dies
• 20:16
  >> right
• 20:17
  >> and the Bible says that out of that
• 20:18
  crucifixion there is a collapse notice
• 20:20
  what he says in verse six that the body
• 20:23
  of sin might be destroyed this flesh has
• 20:27
  to be eradicated,
• 20:28
  >> right?
• 20:29
  >> It has to be eradicated. You know, when
• 20:32
  we talk about we we talk about
• 20:34
  practically, we talk about positionally,
• 20:35
  we talked about progressively,
• 20:37
  sanctification, all of that type of
• 20:39
  stuff. But what he is saying here in
• 20:41
  this text that the body of sin might be
• 20:43
  destroyed, he's talking about that the
• 20:45
  power, the influence of sin, our life.
• 20:47
  What did Dave say? Behold, I was shapen
• 20:49
  in iniquity. This body is a body of sin.
• 20:52
  You're
• 20:52
  >> right.
• 20:52
  >> But it's within us. That's what with
• 20:54
  what what is within us is the true body
• 20:57
  of sin. This flesh can't sin on its own.
• 20:59
  You're
• 20:59
  >> right.
• 21:00
  >> Amen. This is just a a figure is all
• 21:02
  this is. We're a tabernacle. The soul,
• 21:05
  that sinful part of man is what sins.
• 21:08
  And that is this body of sin. It is the
• 21:11
  embodiment. The heart is deceitful above
• 21:13
  all things and desperately wicked. That
• 21:15
  is the body of sin. Might be destroyed.
• 21:17
  That henceforth that we should not serve
• 21:19
  sin. So there is the crucifixion.
• 21:22
  There's the collapse. that body is going
• 21:24
  to be destroyed and then there is the
• 21:26
  chain that is loosed. Notice verse six
• 21:28
  in the last part that henceforth we
• 21:30
  should not serve sin. So there's the
• 21:32
  implication there that we are servants
• 21:34
  to sin. Well Paul talks about that all
• 21:36
  through the book of Romans that we are
• 21:38
  servants we are in bondage to sin.
• 21:41
  Notice we said verse seven for he that
• 21:44
  is dead is freed from sin. You know what
• 21:47
  a dead man when he dies them men when
• 21:49
  they go in the electric chair you know
• 21:51
  what happens to them? Their sentence is
• 21:53
  over with. You're
• 21:54
  >> right.
• 21:55
  >> When you die and salvation, you know
• 21:57
  what? When you die to your flesh, you
• 22:00
  know what? Your sentence is over with.
• 22:03
  >> You have no death has no control over
• 22:05
  you any longer. For he that is dead is
• 22:07
  freed from sin. So there's freedom out
• 22:11
  of this death. But then there's
• 22:12
  fellowship out of this death. Notice
• 22:14
  verse eight. Now if we be dead with
• 22:16
  Christ, we believe that we shall also
• 22:17
  live with him. out of this death. If
• 22:20
  we're planted in the likeness of his
• 22:21
  death, we're also going to be raised in
• 22:23
  the likeness of his resurrection.
• 22:25
  There's a promise of that. And so,
• 22:27
  that's a promise of uh to come for the
• 22:30
  future. Of course, we know that has to
• 22:31
  do with the resurrection under life
• 22:34
  eternal. 1 Corinthians 15, there's
• 22:35
  bodies terrestrial and bodies celestial
• 22:37
  and and there's bodies mortal and bodies
• 22:40
  immortal. And we're going to be raised.
• 22:41
  Amen. One of these days, we'll put on
• 22:43
  immortality and we'll be given a new
• 22:45
  body. Of course, that's future. But you
• 22:47
  understand he's talking what he's
• 22:48
  talking about in verse number eight is a
• 22:50
  new life.
• 22:51
  >> Right?
• 22:53
  >> When Christ was raised again, what
• 22:54
  happened to him? He was resto life was
• 22:57
  restored unto him. You know what happens
• 22:58
  when you get saved? You get life
• 23:01
  restored unto you. The same life that
• 23:02
  Adam had.
• 23:05
  >> Real life, new life,
• 23:07
  >> right?
• 23:08
  >> And so there is the fellowship in verse
• 23:11
  number eight. I'm moving quickly here.
• 23:13
  We'll be done just a minute. Note, not
• 23:15
  only the fellowship in verse number
• 23:17
  eight, but consider the future in verse
• 23:18
  number nine. I already hit on this a
• 23:21
  little bit. Look what he says. Knowing
• 23:23
  that Christ being raised from the dead
• 23:25
  dieth no more. Death hath no more
• 23:27
  dominion over him. And this is a place
• 23:30
  where we can stop and rejoice. Okay? You
• 23:32
  know, we talk about we die. Paul said,
• 23:34
  "I die daily." That's a biblical
• 23:36
  principle. Okay? But the truth is when
• 23:38
  you get saved, the old man died,
• 23:41
  >> right?
• 23:41
  >> He's dead. You said, "Well, why does he
• 23:44
  rear up his ugly head?" All right. Now,
• 23:46
  let's just notice the verse here. We we
• 23:48
  consider our future because Christ, he
• 23:51
  raised from the dead. He dies no more.
• 23:53
  You understand? Our flesh is done with
• 23:56
  you. Think about this. One of these days
• 23:58
  we're going to put it off,
• 23:59
  >> right?
• 24:00
  >> And the truth is there's nothing that
• 24:02
  can stop us.
• 24:03
  >> Amen.
• 24:04
  >> From getting to that place. You realize
• 24:05
  that?
• 24:06
  >> You're right.
• 24:06
  >> It does not matter if you are born
• 24:08
  again. Let me just stay stay time out
• 24:10
  right there for just and hang on that
• 24:12
  for a minute. If you are born again,
• 24:14
  there is nothing that can keep you from
• 24:16
  victory,
• 24:17
  >> right?
• 24:18
  >> Over self.
• 24:20
  >> You can have it now, but I'll tell you
• 24:22
  this. If you don't have it at all in
• 24:23
  this lifetime, you're going to have it
• 24:25
  at the end of the way. Amen. It's like
• 24:27
  one preacher said, "Everything that
• 24:28
  revival don't fix, the rapture is going
• 24:30
  to take care of." Amen.
• 24:32
  >> And so, the truth is, our future is
• 24:34
  settled. Amen. Christ being raised from
• 24:36
  the dead dieth no more. Death hath no
• 24:39
  dominion over him. Why is that? Because
• 24:41
  grace reigns and he reigns. Notice verse
• 24:45
  10. For in that he died, he died unto
• 24:47
  sin once, but in that he liveth, he
• 24:49
  liveth unto God. Now, I pointed out this
• 24:51
  phrase in verse number 11. This is the
• 24:53
  key to this text. Ver that little word
• 24:56
  in verse number 11, reckon. Now, we've
• 24:59
  considered these thoughts. The
• 25:00
  possibility, the prohibition, the
• 25:02
  process, the purpose. Now, consider the
• 25:04
  plan here. The plan. What is the plan?
• 25:07
  Well, he tells us in verse number 10, he
• 25:09
  died. He only died once. Verse 9 tells
• 25:12
  us that he's going to die no more
• 25:14
  because death has no dominion over him.
• 25:16
  But in verse number 10 reveals to us the
• 25:18
  singularity of his death. He only died
• 25:20
  one time. That's why you can only get
• 25:22
  saved once. Somebody say amen right
• 25:24
  there. He died once. I only have to die
• 25:26
  once. Okay, look what he says. But in
• 25:29
  that he liveth, he liveth unto God. And
• 25:33
  so his his purposes his purpose was in
• 25:36
  his resurrection that he was to glorify
• 25:38
  the father. We get off on this so much
• 25:40
  and I and we're all like this. Okay. We
• 25:43
  think that Jesus he came to this earth.
• 25:46
  He died, was buried, and got up again
• 25:48
  the third day, and he's in heaven now so
• 25:49
  he could save us.
• 25:50
  >> You're right.
• 25:51
  >> But you know what? That wasn't the
• 25:52
  primary purpose.
• 25:53
  >> That's right. Amen.
• 25:54
  >> What was the primary purpose, church?
• 25:56
  It's to glorify him.
• 25:57
  >> Right.
• 25:58
  >> Look at your text again. He says, "But
• 26:00
  in that he liveth,
• 26:03
  he liveth for me." No,
• 26:05
  >> he liveth unto God.
• 26:08
  >> And so the truth is here, he's died
• 26:11
  once. He's now alive, living unto God.
• 26:14
  The man Christ Jesus. Verse 11, what's
• 26:16
  that first word? Likewise.
• 26:20
  Death is a one-time thing.
• 26:22
  >> Right?
• 26:23
  >> You say, "Preacher, well, the Bible says
• 26:24
  we're to die daily." Hold on. Okay, I'm
• 26:26
  going to get there. All right. Look what
• 26:28
  he says. Verse 11. Likewise, reckon ye
• 26:32
  also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
• 26:35
  sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
• 26:38
  Christ our Lord. Now, here's where this
• 26:42
  this truth comes in about the death of
• 26:45
  the old man. When you get saved, the old
• 26:48
  man is dead.
• 26:50
  >> Right?
• 26:50
  >> He cannot be raised back to life again.
• 26:52
  >> Right? regardless of what we say and
• 26:55
  what I've even said from this pulpit
• 26:56
  that the old man rears up his ugly head.
• 26:59
  And he does. It seems, you know, he
• 27:00
  does. He rears up his ugly head. But you
• 27:02
  know what? He's still dead. That's
• 27:03
  >> right. Amen.
• 27:04
  >> He's still dead. And so what does what
• 27:07
  does that tell us? Well, if he's dead
• 27:09
  and he's rearing up his ugly head, you
• 27:10
  know what we're doing? We're dragging
• 27:12
  him up.
• 27:12
  >> You're right.
• 27:13
  >> Amen.
• 27:15
  >> We're dragging him up. We're pulling him
• 27:17
  up. Notice this in the text. Now, you
• 27:19
  say, "What do you mean we're pulling him
• 27:20
  up?" Well, that word reckon there means
• 27:22
  this. The same way that you pull up the
• 27:25
  old man, the same effort that you use to
• 27:29
  bring up that old life is the same
• 27:31
  effort that Paul says in verse number 11
• 27:34
  that you're to put him to death. You're
• 27:36
  >> right.
• 27:37
  >> That word reckon means this. All right?
• 27:40
  Reckon means to count, to consider, to
• 27:43
  estimate, to compute, or to calculate.
• 27:48
  And when he says, "Reckon ye yourselves
• 27:50
  to be dead." What is he saying? He's
• 27:51
  saying, "Count yourself dead."
• 27:55
  You say, "Preacher, I thought you said I
• 27:56
  was dead." You are, but it's up to you
• 27:59
  whether you really realize that.
• 28:02
  >> See, here's here's the thing about it's
• 28:05
  on both sides of the aisle. All right?
• 28:08
  In dealing with the old man, you have to
• 28:10
  count him dead. You have to choose to
• 28:13
  let him be dead.
• 28:15
  >> Right.
• 28:17
  I hope that I'm explaining this clearly
• 28:19
  enough.
• 28:21
  >> And in salvation, to live the Christian
• 28:23
  life, you have to choose
• 28:26
  to feed the spiritual man.
• 28:29
  >> You're right.
• 28:29
  >> And so when he says, "Reckon ye
• 28:31
  yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."
• 28:34
  He's not saying that you're not dead,
• 28:36
  but you need to count yourselves dead.
• 28:38
  What he is saying is this. He says, "The
• 28:40
  old man is dead." He's already proved
• 28:43
  that, hasn't he? But when he says you're
• 28:46
  to reckon yourselves to be dead, he said
• 28:48
  the problem is not that he's not dead.
• 28:49
  The problem is you don't believe he's
• 28:51
  dead.
• 28:51
  >> That's right.
• 28:52
  >> Amen.
• 28:53
  >> That's the problem. In your estimation,
• 28:56
  you do not count him dead.
• 28:59
  >> Right?
• 28:59
  >> You say, "Preacher, where is it that I
• 29:01
  make this decision?" Well, every time
• 29:03
  temptation rears its head, this is what
• 29:05
  you have to remember. There's got to be
• 29:07
  a reckoning that takes place, right?
• 29:09
  >> That temptation shows itself. You look
• 29:11
  at that and you say, "I'm dead." Yep.
• 29:14
  You ever seen a dog that plays possum?
• 29:18
  They're faced with something that scare
• 29:19
  you. Ever seen a fainting goat? It's the
• 29:22
  imagery. All right. When temptation
• 29:24
  comes, you know what? You remember? I'm
• 29:26
  dead.
• 29:29
  Lester Olaf and Bobby Robertson were
• 29:31
  having a conversation. Sis, you probably
• 29:33
  heard this. Miss Vicki, you probably
• 29:35
  heard this before, but Lester and
• 29:37
  Brother Bobby were having a
• 29:39
  conversation, and Bobby said something.
• 29:40
  I don't remember exactly what it was,
• 29:42
  but it was something to do along the
• 29:43
  dietary lines of Dr. Roloff. You know,
• 29:46
  he didn't eat anything. He drunk carrot
• 29:47
  juice and eat vegetables. That's all
• 29:49
  that he all it lived off of that. And uh
• 29:53
  said ham was was a sin and and all of
• 29:56
  that. And and uh man, I'm telling you,
• 29:58
  it just hurt me when I figured that out
• 29:59
  after listening to him preach.
• 30:02
  But Bob, him, brother Bobby and brother
• 30:03
  Lester were having a conversation and
• 30:06
  Bobby said something to him and not
• 30:07
  thinking he turned around and said to
• 30:08
  him, "Brother," he said, "I hope that
• 30:10
  didn't offend you." And Lester looked at
• 30:11
  him and said, "You can't offend a dead
• 30:12
  man."
• 30:13
  >> You're right. Amen.
• 30:15
  >> The truth is, all right, it's not that
• 30:18
  when somebody when somebody's saved,
• 30:21
  they're dead. We've already laid that,
• 30:23
  okay? The old man is dead. But what
• 30:26
  happens is we forget to remember
• 30:29
  that we are. Amen.
• 30:31
  >> Right.
• 30:32
  >> He says, "Likewise, reckon yourself
• 30:35
  count in your estimation." Remember,
• 30:38
  look what he says. Likewise, reckon you
• 30:40
  also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
• 30:42
  sin. Dead truly, dead in the reality,
• 30:46
  you are dead unto sin, but alive unto
• 30:48
  God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And
• 30:52
  so, there is accounting that must take
• 30:55
  place. So, the plan is this. It's a
• 30:58
  choice. Everything I preach comes back
• 31:00
  to this. The Christian life is a choice.
• 31:02
  >> Right?
• 31:03
  >> Salvation is a choice. The Christian
• 31:05
  life is a choice. And the Holy Ghost
• 31:07
  gives you the option.
• 31:09
  >> Right?
• 31:13
  >> I believe his Adrian Rogers said this.
• 31:15
  He said, "You are free to choose." He
• 31:18
  said, "But you're not free not to
• 31:19
  choose." You're
• 31:20
  >> right.
• 31:21
  >> Amen.
• 31:21
  >> And when he says that in verse number
• 31:23
  11, he says that you need to reckon
• 31:25
  yourselves dead. What what do we what
• 31:28
  gives us that truth? Well, we remember
• 31:30
  that Christ died.
• 31:32
  >> And as he died, we've died with him.
• 31:34
  >> Yeah.
• 31:35
  >> When temptation shows up in your life,
• 31:37
  you remember that he died.
• 31:39
  >> So, you're dead also,
• 31:40
  >> right?
• 31:41
  >> But because he lives, we have life. We
• 31:43
  don't need that stuff anymore,
• 31:44
  >> right?
• 31:45
  >> Death has no more dominion over us. And
• 31:49
  so, I'll end with this.
• 31:54
  Following failure is what you do when
• 31:57
  you fail to follow the father.
• 32:01
  When you fail to reckon your flesh dead,
• 32:04
  to count it dead. All right?
• 32:08
  Unto sin, what's going to happen is
• 32:10
  you're going to fall. Bible says, "Let
• 32:13
  any man that take heed thank he standeth
• 32:16
  take heed lest he fall." Romans 12.
• 32:19
  Father, thank you for this time this
• 32:21
  morning. And God, I pray that you would
• 32:22
  help us,
• 32:24
  Lord, to remember just because we're
• 32:26
  saved, that does not give us a free
• 32:28
  ticket to sin.
• 32:30
  Does not give us reason to do whatever
• 32:33
  we want to do. But Lord, it all it ought
• 32:36
  to encourage us to strive to do what you
• 32:39
  want us to do. Lord, help us not to
• 32:42
  follow failure. Lord, help us not to
• 32:45
  even follow success outside the will of
• 32:47
  God. But Lord, let us follow your
• 32:49
  sovereign will for our life and be
• 32:51
  obedient to you. And God, I pray that
• 32:54
  you'll help us today. Bless the
• 32:56
  services, but I pray that you will help
• 32:58
  us as we preach. Pray for all those that
• 33:00
  are sick this morning, that you be with
• 33:02
  them, touch them, their lives, their
• 33:04
  families, and we'll be sure to thank you
• 33:06
  for what you do. Save that one nearest
• 33:08
  hell today. And we give you praise. We
• 33:09
  ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
• 33:12
  >> Amen.
• 33:13
  Thank you for joining our service today.
• 33:15
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 33:18
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 33:20
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 33:23
  2988
• 33:24
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 33:27
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 33:30
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 33:32
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 33:35
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 33:37
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 33:40
  information, visit us at
• 33:42
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 33:44
  Thanks again for tuning in.