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Romans 8:1-4 - Part 1 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Romans chapter 8.
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!
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Our text for today is Romans chapter 8 verses 1 through 4.
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!
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Romans would be the gem that enhanced that ring.
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And Romans 8 would be the brilliant splendor that emanated from that ring.
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This is perhaps my favorite chapter in the Bible.
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In fact, when I suggested that we study Romans as a church to your elders,
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I had this chapter in mind.
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So the rest of it is of great value.
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The entirety of the book is good for us.
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But oh, chapter 8.
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I have been long awaiting getting to this text.
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So let's not delay as we have planned to look at the first four verses today.
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Before I read it, let me remind you, beloved.
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This is God's Word to us.
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It was written for His glory and our good.
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And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
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For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.
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By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.
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In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh,
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but according to the Spirit.
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Our text this morning begins with,
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There is therefore now.
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So let's briefly think about what he means by this opening phrase.
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He certainly means something that he's going to say in the text,
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but I also think he's generally referencing back to the entire letter up to this point.
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So let's draw a straight line through his argument to get our bearing for today.
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You may remember back in Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and 17,
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Paul's thesis statement for the entirety of his letter.
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There he says,
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, or hear it in the positive,
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I am proud of the good news of Christ,
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for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
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to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
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For in it, the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.
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As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.
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And we have been driving the point that we are saved,
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we are declared righteous, justified before God by grace alone,
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through faith alone,
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in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
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And I have been contending to you that this is not a thing that should be assumed in our day,
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but it's a thing that should be held onto and held tightly onto and contended for.
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He then begins to set up the great problem of sin in the world.
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We'll pick up in chapter 2, verse 12 and 13.
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There he says,
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For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, Gentiles.
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And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law, Israelites.
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For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,
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but the doers of the law who will be justified.
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But then he goes on to talk about in chapter 3 how none is righteous.
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No, not one.
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So if it's the doers of the law who will be justified,
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then we have a great problem.
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We cannot be justified by our doing of the law
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because we have already failed in our keeping of the law.
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So chapter 5 and verse 1, there he says,
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Therefore, since we have been justified by, not our works, but by faith,
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we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Justified by grace through faith in Christ.
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And then chapter 6 and verse 6, there he writes,
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We know that our old self was crucified with him
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in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing
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so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
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And we've been working out all that this means
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through the rest of chapter 6 and through chapter 7.
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But I think not only is Paul generally referencing back to the entire letter,
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but he is also certainly specifically referencing the end of chapter 7.
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So read with me from verse 23 to the end.
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There he says, he's stated that he's been set free from the power of sin,
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but here he says,
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I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind
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and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
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There's this struggle still in this life with his old self.
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He's got new desires and yet he seems to be at competition within.
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In verse 24 he breaks out and says,
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Wretched man that I am,
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who would deliver me from this body of death?
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And the answer is that question,
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Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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And that's where we pick up.
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Sometimes our chapter breaks are very helpful to us in our Bibles.
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And sometimes they are not.
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This is one of the cases I wish that there was not a chapter break here.
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Because it goes right into this,
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There is therefore now
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no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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The Greek word here rendered condemnation
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relates to the sentencing of a crime,
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but focuses not on the verdict,
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but on the penalty the verdict demands.
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Its emphasis is not on the declaration of guilt,
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but on the price that must be paid
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for the crime of rebellion against our God.
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Paul tells us that for those who are in Christ Jesus,
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there is no longer any condemnation.
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There's no longer a price that must be paid
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for it was paid for us.
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However, the implication is that for those who are not in Christ Jesus,
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there is condemnation.
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And we must take some time to consider this.
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If we're to rightly appreciate what it means
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for there to be no condemnation,
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what does it mean for there to be condemnation?
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Paul has told us previously in the letter
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what sin has purchased for us
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if we are not in Christ Jesus.
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Chapter 6 and verse 23,
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For the wages of sin is death.
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Death, not just temporal, which we will all experience,
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but eternal death awaits all who are not in Christ Jesus.
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death forever.
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We get some perhaps hint of what that may look like,
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although it's a horror I don't want to imagine.
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Jesus says in Luke chapter 13, verse 27 and 28,
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I tell you, I do not know where you come from.
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Depart from me, all you workers of evil.
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In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
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and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,
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but you yourselves cast out.
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So at very least, it's a place of great sorrow and concern.
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Death forever.
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Do not be mistaken this morning.
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The most important thing about you,
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the most important thing,
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we have so many things we tend to want to define ourselves by,
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but the most important thing about you
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is whether or not you are in Christ Jesus.
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At the end of all things,
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nothing else will matter.
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The American pastor, Jonathan Edwards,
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once preached a sermon called
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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
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He preached it in 1741,
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which is in the midst of the Great Awakening,
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and it was an exposition of Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 35.
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I want to read to you just a short excerpt from this sermon.
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I'm going to do my best to read it well,
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but history tells us that he read this standing at the back of this room.
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He wasn't facing anybody.
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Nobody was looking at him,
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and he read it extremely flat.
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And yet people were begging him to stop reading
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because of the conviction they were feeling.
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But I'll try to read it better for your benefit.
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He said this,
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There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God.
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There is hell's wide, gaping mouth open,
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and you have nothing to stand upon,
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nor anything to take hold of.
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There is nothing between you and hell but the air.
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It is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.
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You probably are not sensible of this.
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You find you are kept out of hell,
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but you do not see the hand of God in it,
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but look at other things,
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at the good state of your bodily constitution,
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your care of your own life,
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and the means you use for your own preservation.
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But indeed, these things are nothing.
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If God should withdraw his hand,
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they would avail no more to keep you from falling
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than the thin air to hold up a person
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that is suspended in it.
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Your wickedness makes you, as it were, heavy as lead,
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and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell.
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And if God should let you go,
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you would immediately sink and swiftly descend
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and plunge into the bottomless gulf
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and your healthy constitution
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and your own care and prudence
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and best contrivance
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and all your righteousness
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would have no more influence to uphold you
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and keep you out of hell
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than a spider's web would have
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to stop a falling rock.
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Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God,
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the earth would not bear you one moment,
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for you are a burden to it.
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The creation groans with you.
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The creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption.
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The sun does not willingly shine upon you
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to give you light to serve sin and Satan.
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The earth does not willingly yield her increase
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to satisfy your lusts,
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nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon.
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The air does not willingly serve you for breath
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to maintain the flame of life in your vitals
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while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies.
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God's creatures are good
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and were made for men to serve God with
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and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose
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and groan when they are abused to purposes
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so directly contrary to their nature and end.
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And the world would spew you out
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were it not for the sovereign hand of him
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who has subjected it in hope.
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There are the black clouds of God's wrath
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now hanging directly over your heads,
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full of the dreadful storm
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and big with thunder.
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And were it not for the restraining hand of God,
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it would immediately burst forth upon you.
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You don't hear preaching like that much anymore.
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If you are not in Christ Jesus,
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condemnation awaits you.
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Death forevermore.
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flee to Christ,
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that you would be saved.
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Believe that he paid the penalty for your sin on the cross.
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He bore your condemnation
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and that he perfectly kept the law on your behalf.
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Find yourself in Christ Jesus
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by grace alone,
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through faith alone,
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in him alone.
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condemnation.
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Because, oh,
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in Christ Jesus,
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there is no longer
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any
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condemnation.
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Some of you may have been
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asked to read in school
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an excerpt
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like the one I read
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from Edward's famous sermon
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to show how terrible
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American Puritanism was.
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I was asked to do this
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in a college English class.
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There is a reason
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you were not assigned
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the entirety
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of the text.
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I made a pretty grand point
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of this
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in my English class
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in college.
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Later in that same sermon,
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Edward says,
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And now,
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you have an extraordinary
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opportunity.
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A day wherein Christ
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has thrown the door
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of mercy
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wide open
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and stands in
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calling and crying
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with a loud voice
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to poor sinners.
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A day wherein
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many are flocking
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to him
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and pressing
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into the kingdom
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of God.
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Many are daily
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coming from the east,
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west,
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north,
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and south.
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Many that were
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very lately
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in the same
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miserable condition
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that you are in
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are now
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in a happy state
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with their hearts
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filled with love
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to him
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who has loved them
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and washed them
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from their sins
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in his own blood
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and rejoicing
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in hope
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of the glory
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of God.
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Beloved,
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in Christ Jesus,
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there is no
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longer
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any
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condemnation.
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Because of the
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completed work
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of Jesus Christ,
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the sentence
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that we
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fully
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deserved
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has been
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commuted.
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We have passed
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from death
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to life,
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from enemies
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to friends.
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We were once
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estranged,
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but now
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we belong.
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Hear me
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carefully
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this morning.
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This declaration
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of Paul's,
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there is therefore
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now no
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condemnation
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for those
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who are in
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Christ Jesus,
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does not
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depend
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on you.
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It does not
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serve at the
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whim of your
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emotions.
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It depends
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entirely
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on God,
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so it
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is
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sure.
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I hope
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that you
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can rest
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in that.
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God
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accomplishes
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all that
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he sets
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out to
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and all
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of his
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promises
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are kept.
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Our salvation
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finds its
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confidence
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in him.
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But I know
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that you
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sometimes have
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a hard time
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believing this.
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I sometimes
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have a hard
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time
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believing
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this.
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You are
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in good
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company,
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as am I.
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Listen to
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Paul once
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again,
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Romans 7,
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23-25.
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I see
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in my
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members
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another
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law
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waging war
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against the
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law of
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my mind
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and making
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me captive
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to the
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law of
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sin that
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dwells
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in my
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members.
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Wretched
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man
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that I
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am,
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who will
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deliver me
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from this
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body of
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death?
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What does
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he say
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next?
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In verse
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25,
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does he
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say that
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he must
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deliver
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himself?
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Does he
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say that
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perhaps
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tomorrow
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he will
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perform
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better
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and feel
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better?
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No.
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What does
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he say?
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Thanks be
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to God
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through Jesus
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Christ,
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our Lord.
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God does
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the saving
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and the
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keeping.
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There is
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therefore
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now no
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condemnation
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for those
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who are
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in
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Christ
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Jesus
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regardless
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of how
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you might
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feel about
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it.
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Some of
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you may
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have
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noticed
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I brought
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my copy
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of
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Pilgrim's
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Progress
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with me
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today.
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So I'll
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read a bit
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more to
17:56
you from
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it.
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The driving
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point I'm
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making here
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is that the
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experience is
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common
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that we
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might feel
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at times
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this strain.
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how can
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it be
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true of
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me
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that there's
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no
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condemnation
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for me?
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Look at
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the way
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I willingly
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sin once
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again.
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Beloved,
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if you're
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in Christ
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there is
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no
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condemnation
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for you.
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This is
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much of
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the Christian
18:25
experience.
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This book
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is called
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The
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Pilgrim's
18:30
Progress.
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And the
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main character
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in the book
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is not
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named
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Pilgrim.
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His name
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is Christian.
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John Bunyan
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meant for
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this to
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be understood
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as the
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typical
18:43
experience
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of the
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Christian
18:45
life.
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Maybe we
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don't get
18:48
every bit
18:48
and piece
18:49
of it,
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but we
18:50
pick up
18:50
much of
18:50
this
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across
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our
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life.
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I find
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myself
18:54
in it
18:54
more
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and more
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the
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longer
18:56
I
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follow
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Jesus.
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So the
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short
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little bit
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I want
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to read
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to you,
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Christian
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has met
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a
19:02
companion
19:02
named
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Faithful.
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And
19:05
Faithful
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is recounting
19:07
the story
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of how
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he
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arrived
19:08
at
19:09
this
19:09
spot
19:10
on the
19:10
journey
19:10
along
19:11
with
19:12
Christian.
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And just
19:13
before he
19:14
has headed
19:14
up a
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hill
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called
19:16
Difficulty,
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he was
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tempted
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by
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Adam
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I.
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I should
19:21
mention
19:21
if you're
19:21
unfamiliar
19:22
with this,
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it's an
19:22
allegory.
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He's
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tempted
19:24
by Adam
19:25
I.
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to go
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with him
19:27
to the
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town
19:28
of
19:29
Deceit.
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And Faithful
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considers
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this
19:32
for a
19:33
time.
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And so
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he begins
19:35
up the
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hill
19:36
difficulty
19:37
feeling
19:38
the guilt
19:39
of being
19:40
tempted
19:40
by Adam
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I,
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tempted
19:42
by
19:43
his
19:43
flesh
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to go
19:45
to this
19:46
town
19:46
of
19:46
Deceit
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and to
19:47
fill
19:48
himself
19:48
with the
19:49
desires
19:50
of this
19:51
life.
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So
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he's
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headed up
19:53
the hill
19:53
difficulty
19:54
and he
19:55
says,
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now when
19:56
I had
19:56
climbed
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about
19:57
halfway
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up,
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I
19:59
looked
19:59
behind
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and
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saw
20:00
someone
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coming
20:01
after
20:02
me
20:02
swift
20:02
as
20:03
the
20:03
wind.
20:04
Soon
20:04
he
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overtook
20:05
me
20:05
just
20:05
about
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the
20:06
place
20:06
where
20:07
the
20:07
arbor
20:07
stands.
20:08
That
20:09
is the
20:09
place,
20:09
said
20:09
Christian,
20:10
where I
20:10
sat
20:10
down
20:10
to
20:10
rest,
20:11
fell
20:11
asleep,
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and
20:12
lost
20:13
my
20:13
scroll.
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Christian
20:14
lost
20:14
the
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assurance
20:15
of his
20:15
faith
20:15
by
20:16
napping.
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Dear
20:18
brother,
20:18
hear me
20:19
out,
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Faithful
20:19
urged.
20:20
So
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as soon
20:21
as the
20:22
man
20:22
overtook
20:22
me,
20:22
without
20:23
saying
20:23
a
20:23
word,
20:24
he
20:24
struck
20:24
me
20:25
and
20:25
knocked
20:25
me
20:25
down
20:26
unconscious.
20:28
When I
20:29
came to,
20:29
I asked
20:29
him why
20:30
he had
20:30
thus
20:31
assaulted
20:31
me.
20:32
He
20:32
said
20:33
that it
20:33
was
20:33
because
20:33
of my
20:34
secret
20:34
inclination
20:35
to
20:35
follow
20:35
Adam
20:36
the
20:36
first,
20:37
and
20:37
with
20:37
that
20:37
he
20:37
struck
20:38
me
20:38
with
20:38
another
20:39
deadly
20:39
blow
20:39
on the
20:40
chest
20:40
and
20:41
beat
20:41
me
20:41
down
20:41
backward,
20:42
and
20:43
I
20:43
lay
20:43
at
20:43
his
20:44
feet
20:44
as
20:44
if
20:44
I
20:45
were
20:45
dead.
20:47
So
20:47
when
20:47
I
20:48
came
20:48
to,
20:49
I
20:49
cried
20:49
to
20:49
him
20:50
for
20:50
mercy,
20:51
but
20:52
he
20:52
said,
20:53
I
20:53
do
20:53
not
20:53
know
20:53
how
20:54
to
20:54
show
20:54
mercy,
20:55
and
20:55
with
20:55
that
20:56
knocked
20:56
me
20:56
down
20:57
again.
20:59
Now
21:00
this
21:00
figure
21:01
is
21:02
Moses
21:03
beating
21:04
him
21:04
down
21:04
with
21:04
the
21:05
law.
21:05
Why?
21:06
Because
21:06
he
21:07
had
21:07
an
21:07
inclination
21:08
to
21:08
Adam
21:09
the
21:09
first,
21:10
and
21:11
the
21:11
law
21:12
comes
21:12
to
21:12
bear
21:12
witness
21:13
of
21:13
that
21:13
transgression.
21:15
But
21:16
here
21:16
he
21:16
finds
21:16
himself
21:17
on
21:17
the
21:17
hill
21:17
difficult,
21:18
unable
21:19
to
21:19
get
21:19
up,
21:20
and
21:20
maybe
21:21
you
21:21
find
21:21
yourself
21:22
in
21:22
the
21:22
shoes
21:23
of
21:23
faithful
21:23
this
21:24
morning.
21:25
Listen
21:25
to what
21:26
Bunyan
21:26
writes
21:27
next.
21:29
He
21:29
would
21:29
have
21:29
beaten
21:30
me
21:31
to
21:31
death,
21:33
except
21:33
one
21:34
came
21:34
by
21:34
and
21:35
told
21:35
him
21:35
to
21:36
stop.
21:38
Christian
21:39
asked,
21:39
who
21:39
was it
21:40
that
21:40
told
21:40
him
21:40
to
21:40
stop?
21:42
Faithful
21:42
went
21:42
on,
21:42
I
21:43
did
21:43
not
21:43
recognize
21:44
him
21:44
at
21:45
first,
21:45
but
21:46
as
21:46
he
21:46
went
21:47
by,
21:47
I
21:47
saw
21:47
the
21:48
wounds
21:48
in
21:48
his
21:48
hands
21:49
and
21:49
in
21:50
his
21:50
side.
21:50
Then
21:51
I
21:51
concluded
21:52
that
21:53
he
21:53
was
21:54
our
21:54
Lord.
21:55
So
21:55
I
21:55
continued
21:56
up
21:57
the
21:57
hill.
21:59
The
22:00
Lord
22:00
Jesus
22:00
Christ
22:01
came
22:01
by
22:02
and
22:02
said,
22:03
stop.
22:05
He
22:05
said,
22:06
mine
22:07
of
22:08
faithful,
22:08
and the
22:09
law
22:09
stopped
22:10
beating
22:11
him
22:11
down.
22:13
Do
22:15
you
22:15
sometimes
22:15
still
22:15
feel
22:16
the
22:16
weight
22:17
of
22:17
a
22:17
burden
22:18
that
22:18
has
22:18
already
22:19
been
22:19
loosed
22:20
from
22:20
your
22:20
back?
22:22
Our
22:23
Lord
22:23
did not
22:24
place
22:24
that
22:24
weight
22:25
upon
22:25
your
22:26
shoulders.
22:27
You
22:28
did.
22:29
You
22:29
stopped
22:30
believing
22:30
that there's
22:31
no
22:31
condemnation
22:32
for those
22:32
who are
22:32
in
22:33
Christ
22:33
Jesus.
22:35
Listen
22:35
to the
22:36
words of
22:36
Jesus
22:36
in
22:36
Matthew
22:37
11,
22:37
verse
22:38
28 and
22:39
29,
22:39
find some
22:40
solace
22:41
there
22:41
where he
22:42
says,
22:43
come to
22:44
me,
22:45
all who
22:46
labor
22:46
and are
22:47
heavy laden
22:48
and I
22:49
will give
22:50
you
22:50
rest.
22:52
Take
22:53
my yoke
22:54
upon you
22:54
and learn
22:54
from me
22:55
for I
22:55
am gentle
22:56
and lowly
22:57
in heart
22:57
and you
22:59
will find
22:59
rest
23:00
for your
23:01
souls.
23:03
Love
23:04
still
23:05
bids you
23:06
welcome,
23:07
dear
23:07
Christian.
23:09
Jesus
23:10
calls to
23:10
you
23:11
in your
23:11
failure,
23:12
come
23:12
to
23:13
me.
23:14
He
23:15
is
23:15
unendingly
23:16
gracious
23:17
and merciful
23:18
to those
23:19
who belong
23:20
to him.
23:22
Your
23:22
standing
23:23
with him
23:23
was
23:24
accomplished
23:24
by
23:25
him.
23:27
You
23:28
are
23:28
his
23:28
and he
23:29
will
23:29
not
23:30
cast
23:31
you
23:31
out.
23:32
There
23:33
is
23:33
therefore
23:34
now
23:35
no
23:35
condemnation
23:37
for those
23:37
who are
23:38
in Christ
23:39
Jesus.
23:41
Not
23:41
there is
23:42
therefore
23:42
now
23:43
no
23:43
condemnation
23:43
for those
23:44
who feel
23:44
like
23:45
there is
23:45
therefore
23:45
now
23:45
no
23:46
condemnation.
23:49
Charles
23:49
Spurgeon
23:49
once said,
23:50
this is the
23:51
quotation on the
23:51
back of your
23:52
bulletin,
23:53
my hope
23:53
that I
23:54
am saved
23:54
does not
23:55
lie in
23:55
the fact
23:56
that I
23:56
preach
23:57
or that
23:57
I do
23:58
this or
23:58
that.
23:59
All
24:00
my hope
24:00
lies
24:01
in
24:02
this,
24:03
that Jesus
24:04
Christ
24:04
came to
24:05
save
24:05
sinners.
24:05
I
24:07
am
24:07
a
24:07
sinner.
24:08
I
24:08
trust
24:08
him.
24:09
Then
24:09
he
24:09
came
24:10
to
24:10
save
24:10
me
24:11
and
24:11
I
24:12
am
24:13
saved.
24:16
In
24:17
Romans
24:17
chapter
24:18
12
24:18
and
24:19
verse
24:20
2,
24:21
Paul
24:21
tells
24:21
us
24:22
that
24:22
we
24:23
are
24:23
to
24:23
be
24:23
transformed
24:24
by
24:24
the
24:24
renewal
24:25
of
24:25
our
24:26
minds.
24:29
Beloved,
24:30
by the
24:30
renewal
24:31
of our
24:31
minds,
24:31
not
24:32
our
24:32
emotions.
24:34
I
24:36
think we
24:36
live in
24:36
a day,
24:37
perhaps,
24:38
more than
24:39
any other
24:39
day,
24:40
although I've
24:40
never lived
24:41
in the
24:41
others,
24:43
that emotions
24:44
lead the
24:45
charge.
24:47
We are
24:48
such a
24:48
people
24:49
batted
24:49
around by
24:50
the way
24:51
we
24:51
feel.
24:54
Perhaps
24:54
because it's
24:55
difficult to
24:55
know what
24:56
the truth
24:56
is as
24:57
we walk
24:57
in such
24:58
a
24:58
confused
24:58
world.
25:00
We have
25:01
an
25:01
absolute
25:02
word.
25:03
a
25:04
clear
25:05
text
25:06
that
25:06
tells
25:07
us
25:07
what
25:07
the
25:07
truth
25:07
is
25:08
as
25:08
it
25:08
concerns
25:09
the
25:09
most
25:09
important
25:10
things.
25:12
Do not
25:12
let your
25:13
feelings
25:14
lead the
25:14
charge
25:14
and try
25:15
to get
25:15
the
25:15
truth
25:15
to
25:16
catch
25:16
up
25:16
to
25:16
your
25:16
feelings.
25:17
Rather,
25:18
let your
25:18
feelings
25:19
catch
25:19
up
25:19
to
25:20
the
25:20
truth.
25:22
We're
25:22
to be
25:22
transformed
25:23
by the
25:23
renewal
25:24
of
25:24
our
25:25
minds.
25:28
So
25:28
repeat
25:28
it
25:29
until
25:30
you
25:30
believe
25:30
it.
25:31
There's
25:32
therefore
25:32
now no
25:33
condemnation
25:34
for those
25:35
who are
25:35
in
25:35
Christ
25:36
Jesus.
25:37
There's
25:38
therefore
25:38
now no
25:39
condemnation
25:39
for those
25:40
who are
25:40
in
25:40
Christ
25:41
Jesus.
25:42
No
25:42
condemnation,
25:43
no
25:43
condemnation,
25:44
no
25:44
condemnation.
25:47
We've
25:47
been set
25:48
free
25:48
from it.
25:50
Stop
25:50
carrying it
25:51
around like
25:52
a burden
25:52
on your
25:53
back when
25:54
the burden
25:54
has
25:55
been
25:56
taken.
25:58
You
25:58
didn't do
25:59
it.
25:59
Praise
26:00
God,
26:00
you can't
26:01
undo it.
26:01
the Lord
26:03
has
26:03
done
26:03
it
26:03
for the
26:05
glory
26:05
of his
26:06
grace
26:06
to be
26:07
expressed
26:07
to us.
26:09
What an
26:09
incredible
26:09
thing.
26:10
And we
26:11
walk around
26:11
beating
26:12
ourselves
26:12
down
26:13
as if
26:13
we've
26:13
not
26:14
been
26:14
set
26:15
free
26:15
from
26:16
the
26:16
condemnation
26:17
that
26:17
comes
26:18
with
26:18
sin.
26:20
I
26:21
want
26:21
to
26:21
ask
26:21
and
26:22
answer
26:22
two
26:23
questions
26:24
about
26:24
verse
26:24
one
26:25
that
26:26
find
26:26
their
26:27
answers
26:27
in
26:27
verses
26:28
two
26:29
through
26:30
four.
26:31
But as
26:33
I look
26:33
at the
26:33
time,
26:35
yeah,
26:36
I want
26:37
to ask
26:38
and answer
26:38
them at
26:38
length
26:39
next week.
26:42
When you
26:42
make the
26:42
preaching
26:43
schedule,
26:44
you get a
26:44
little bit
26:44
of liberty
26:45
to do
26:46
this.
26:47
But let's
26:47
consider them
26:48
briefly
26:48
before I
26:51
close.
26:51
Maybe
26:52
good just
26:53
to set
26:53
our minds
26:54
on no
26:55
condemnation.
26:58
Let me
26:58
ask them
26:58
and answer
26:59
them briefly.
26:59
Number
27:00
one,
27:02
how is
27:02
there
27:02
therefore
27:03
now
27:03
no
27:04
condemnation?
27:06
Paul has
27:06
been making
27:06
this argument
27:07
to us
27:07
across the
27:08
entirety
27:08
of the
27:08
letter,
27:09
but he
27:09
sums it
27:10
up for
27:10
us in
27:11
verses
27:11
two
27:12
and
27:13
three.
27:15
Because
27:15
if you
27:16
are in
27:16
Christ
27:16
Jesus,
27:17
you have
27:17
been
27:18
justified.
27:20
This
27:20
word is
27:20
so
27:21
important.
27:22
Justification
27:22
is a
27:23
legal
27:24
declaration
27:25
that your
27:26
sins
27:27
have been
27:27
forgiven
27:28
and that
27:30
you have
27:30
perfectly
27:30
kept
27:31
the law.
27:34
The
27:34
Mosaic
27:35
Covenant
27:35
requires
27:36
this of
27:36
us.
27:37
If we're
27:37
to be
27:37
God's
27:37
people,
27:38
we have
27:38
to be
27:38
perfect
27:39
law
27:39
keepers.
27:40
And we
27:40
haven't.
27:41
We have
27:41
failed at
27:42
this.
27:42
We deserve
27:43
the punishment
27:43
of our
27:44
sin.
27:44
That debt
27:45
has to be
27:45
canceled.
27:46
But not
27:46
just that,
27:47
we also
27:48
have to be
27:48
perfect
27:48
law
27:49
keepers.
27:50
And so
27:50
we get
27:51
both
27:51
from
27:52
Christ.
27:54
It's the
27:54
doctrine of
27:54
double
27:55
imputation.
27:56
We'll talk
27:56
about it
27:57
at length.
27:58
next week.
27:59
Our sin
28:00
taken
28:00
by Him,
28:02
given to
28:03
Him,
28:04
and His
28:05
righteousness
28:05
given
28:06
to us.
28:08
So briefly
28:09
see that
28:09
in verses
28:10
2 and
28:11
3.
28:11
The law
28:11
of the
28:12
spirit
28:12
of life
28:12
has set
28:13
you free
28:13
in Christ
28:14
Jesus
28:14
from the
28:15
law of
28:15
sin
28:16
and death.
28:17
For God
28:17
has done
28:18
what the
28:18
law,
28:19
weakened
28:19
by the
28:20
flesh,
28:21
could not
28:21
do.
28:22
We could
28:22
not keep
28:23
the law
28:24
in our
28:24
sinful
28:25
flesh
28:25
flesh.
28:26
By
28:26
sending
28:27
His
28:27
own
28:28
Son
28:28
in the
28:29
likeness
28:30
of
28:30
sinful
28:30
flesh
28:31
and for
28:32
sin,
28:33
He
28:33
condemned
28:34
sin
28:34
in
28:35
the
28:35
flesh.
28:36
Whose
28:36
flesh?
28:37
In
28:37
Christ's
28:38
flesh
28:39
on our
28:40
behalf.
28:41
So you
28:42
see,
28:42
Jesus'
28:43
perfect
28:44
law
28:44
keeping
28:44
and His
28:45
taking
28:46
of our
28:46
condemnation
28:47
there in
28:49
the text.
28:49
Christ's
28:50
Christ's
28:50
But also
28:51
we should
28:51
ask,
28:51
why
28:52
have
28:53
you been
28:53
set
28:54
free
28:54
in
28:55
Christ
28:55
Jesus?
28:57
So that
28:58
we might
28:59
be
28:59
sanctified.
29:00
Another
29:00
important
29:01
term.
29:02
Sanctification
29:03
is the
29:03
growing
29:04
process
29:05
of becoming
29:05
holy.
29:07
When we're
29:08
declared
29:08
righteous,
29:09
this is
29:09
an eternal
29:10
state in
29:11
which we
29:11
stand.
29:12
It's a
29:13
positional
29:13
thing,
29:14
but then
29:14
we are
29:15
in this
29:15
life
29:16
sanctified.
29:17
Bit
29:18
by bit,
29:18
one
29:19
degree of
29:19
glory to
29:20
another,
29:20
Paul says.
29:21
We grow
29:22
in holiness.
29:25
Justification
29:25
necessarily
29:27
leads to
29:28
sanctification,
29:29
and much of
29:30
the rest of
29:30
this chapter
29:30
is about
29:31
that.
29:31
How do
29:31
we do
29:31
that?
29:32
Well,
29:32
we live
29:33
life by
29:34
the Spirit.
29:35
We're
29:35
empowered
29:35
by Him
29:36
to keep
29:37
God's
29:38
law.
29:40
Always
29:40
starting with
29:41
the fact
29:42
that we're
29:42
no longer
29:43
condemned
29:43
in Christ,
29:44
we're now
29:45
set free
29:45
to be
29:46
obedient
29:47
by the
29:48
power.
29:49
of the
29:49
Spirit.
29:51
Two
29:51
wonderful
29:51
things.
29:52
We will
29:52
take up
29:53
both of
29:53
these
29:54
questions
29:54
and we'll
29:55
answer them
29:56
in depth
29:56
next week
29:57
as we
29:58
continue
29:58
to study
29:59
together.
30:00
So,
30:01
we just
30:01
skipped
30:01
four pages
30:02
of notes.
30:04
We bring
30:04
you back
30:05
to verse
30:06
one.
30:08
I hope
30:09
it just
30:09
resonates
30:09
around
30:10
inside of
30:11
you
30:11
this morning.
30:12
Christian
30:14
brothers and
30:14
sisters,
30:15
almost all
30:17
of the
30:17
counseling
30:17
I do
30:18
is found
30:20
in verse
30:20
one.
30:21
We come
30:22
at it
30:22
from many
30:22
other places.
30:23
There's
30:23
practical
30:23
applications
30:24
to be
30:25
done,
30:26
but oh,
30:26
if we
30:27
would just
30:27
believe
30:28
that there
30:29
is therefore
30:30
now no
30:31
condemnation
30:32
for those
30:33
who are
30:34
in
30:34
Christ
30:35
Jesus.
30:36
Let's
30:36
pray
30:36
together.