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Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey
The Cross Radio
August 18, 2021 12:00 am

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Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey

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August 18, 2021 12:00 am

The Apostle Paul has been contrasting the life and legacy of the two most important men in history, Adam and Jesus, in Romans 5, and as Stephen wraps up his his study of that passage with this message, he’ll cause us to question which of these men we’re following: Adam, who disobeyed God, or Jesus, who obeyed God even to death?

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Long King why would you ever see see how much of the gutter. You can grovel the growing believer understands the vileness of sin and the vileness of his nature hates the smell, taste and touch of sin you yourself as you are a true believer growing in Jesus Christ. More and more saying I can't do that when you're asked why the only thing you can think of is I'm a Christian.

I don't say that. Why will I just can't do that I can embrace that vocabulary because I'm a Christian and the Romans chapter 5 the apostle Paul presents a contrast of the life and legacy of the two most important men in history. Adam and Jesus knowing about the sin that Adam ushered into the world and knowing about the salvation that Jesus brought to the world is not enough. This is wisdom for the heart. Today Stephen baby concludes his series from Romans five and six called the first and second Adam as he brings this series to a close. Will challenge you to consider which of these men you're following Adam disobeyed God or Jesus who obeyed God, even to a young man called his pastor late at night and asked if he would meet them the next morning they made arrangements to meet at a restaurant for breakfast. They settled into our restaurant booth and young man told the pastor his bad news recent business trip. He had taken with a female coworker had led the sin he had seen it coming, but it failed to protect himself and what could happen and now it happened, the man asked the pastor what I do now for the pastor responded he couldn't help but think of this man's young wife their expected child. The little children Artie had and how their lives would be so terribly affected by his wanted this man to do the thinking for himself and so he said I tell you what I want to do here. Let me just ask his questions and don't answer them yet.

Just listen to them and then we'll talk it through. Yes, the man had he prayed and asked God's forgiveness had he confessed to send of the woman told her that nothing like that would ever happen again and he confessed his sin to his wife, asked for forgiveness.

Would he be willing to have an HIV test before jeopardizing the health of his wife. The child she was. Expect long silence followed those questions until finally the young businessman pushed his breakfast plate away and leaned back in his restaurant booth, folded his arms and said I didn't come to hear these kinds of questions I came to hear Grace. You disappoint me ask antinomianism or the belief that sin doesn't matter, because the grace of God is available as one of the greatest threats even to the true believer who desires to live a holy life antinomian join churches sing inquirers. They volunteer in Sunday school classes, but their lives are no different from the world address they talk, they purchase the joke. They work they all play with the same impulses and motivations of the unbeliever, the greater the influence they exert on any one church and the church at large. The more like the world the church become.

These are people who believe that grace is an excuse for sin.

Mainline churches of America are as one author noted recently rampant with antinomianism Jew dealing with the situation back in his generation, just years after the Lord Jesus himself ascended to the father so the Holy Spirit wrote a stern letter because they were already struggling with this problem. He said to them, for certain people have crept into the church. Those who were beforehand marked out for condemnation, that is there unbelievers, ungodly people listen to this could've turned the grace of God into a license to sin.

Sin doesn't matter, because grace is available. Have you had that thought every thought well I know what I'm doing is sinful and if it wasn't for the grace of God and be in real trouble. On the one handed me right where all sinful and if it were not for the grace of God we would all be in trouble but on the other hand, you are dangerously an error. I will show you why what I want to do today is simply asking answer one question that I am praying to God by his spirit will ambush your heart so that you cannot hide any longer that the reality of who you are, will be revealed to you today. Here's the question, is the presence of grace and excuse for the practice of sin in your life. We ask it again is the presence of grace and excuse for the practice of sin in your life that happens to be the same question was asked nearly 2000 years ago. It isn't a new question because every generation needs to ask if you take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 6 you'll find the question asked by the apostle Paul. Romans chapter 6 verse one. If you think were finished with chapter 5.

Don't get too excited question is recorded, what shall we say then are we to continue in sin, the grace might increase. May it never be. How shall we die to sin still live in it.

What shall we say you could paraphrase this to simply read what are we gonna say about this truth.

Obviously, this does draws back a diverse 20 of chapter 5.

This is the truth that he's just delivered where sin increased, grace abounded all the more that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What we can say about this one is sin piled upon another.

Yet grace is higher still sin draws higher and still higher. And yet, grace still overwhelms it. What are we gonna say about that Paul knew that that would be there question and so he basically set it for them. What shall we say then what's our response to this truth, would you suggest that we are to continue in sin so that grace might increase ladies and gentlemen.

He is battling the error of antinomianism.

Since God is glorified by the expression of his attributes, and since one of his attributes is grace, and since his grace is demonstrated when we sin, then let's sin like maniacs so that the grace of God will be revealed in God's attributes will truly be magnified. Let's give God an opportunity to show his grace by sitting several things like that. What about the thought. I know this is sinful. God will forgive me because that's God's job to be forgiving. Have you ever thought. I know I'm sending but isn't God great. I know I shouldn't be seeing this or saying that for doing this or planning that God is a God of grace isn't that great.

I ask you again, this the presence of grace. Excuse your practice of sin. Do you believe that Christianity is given you freedom to sin or freedom from sin, but isn't that what Paul implied sin grows great, but grace grows greater than all our sin. Though we sing that I was singing hymns of heresy.

What he can say about this policy. Romans six what are we getting continue and send the word to continue means to practice to abide to cherish to stay in sin, are we going to cherish sin, the grace might increase. That is, the grace might be seem to be the magnificent attribute of God that it is and what is his response. Verse two may it never be. You can render it, perish the thought, God forbid, the King James version, certainly not the English Bible by no means the alive. What a ghastly thought. John Phillips translates don't you even think about it that's my mother's translation fathers on how shall we who died to sin still live in it I believe is basically asking or reminding the believer of three things that I want to rephrase his question into the form of three questions here they are.

Have you forgotten was happen to you. Second, have you forgotten who you are.

Third, have you forgotten where you belong. Paul asks have you forgotten what's happened to you. Notice verse two. How shall we, who died to sin still live in. Have you forgotten you died to sin. He uses the expression of death throughout this chapter. Verse three we were baptized into his death verse four we were buried with him through baptism into death verse five we became united with him in the likeness of his death verse seven for he who has died is free verse eight know if we have died with Christ. Verse 11 wrecking yourselves to be dead indeed to sin over and over again. We can get much better than he describes us here. But what is that mean we died to sin.

We still struggle with sin only. How can we struggle with something that were dead, but there are four different errors. I believe that have been taught that have in some way hindered the walk of holy pursuits and I'm going to spend very little time on these four but I want to give you 1/5 you that I think is right. One is the views of people who teach that what he saying here is that we died to the allurement of sin with us is simply easy to prove wrong. I had to do is read Paul's letters, where he writes to believers who are both converted and attempted to sin second view is found in those who teach that what Paul is saying here is that were supposed to die on a daily basis to sin. Certainly the Holiness movement is tosses they believe in these moments of crucifying self, which is the secret to victorious Christian living. The problem is the starting point is wrong is with man.

Instead of with God. In addition to that the images wrong. The one thing you cannot do is crucify yourself Paul is not saying here that what we ought to do is diary day what he says is were already dead. Just as we all sinned in Adam past tense, errors tend speaking of a past event, so also we have died in Christ errors.

Then something happened in the past. One time for all time. When Adam sinned, as the head of our race. We send in him, and we've already explored. Now he says, when Christ died on the cross we died in him are representative of this new race that you get into biface so it isn't something that you do daily. It is of the effort of man. It is something God has done by placing you in Christ it's something that is already been accomplished. Another view is that the believers sin nature is been eradicated. This is the belief that somehow you reach a state of perfection. Tragedy of this view is that it confuses the believers perfection, which is imputed to his account and Christ's perfection which he has an air it also ignores the many promises that when we sin, we can go to God, we confess our sin is writing to believers in first John, not unbelievers. If we confess our sin is faithful and just what forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Another view is that the Christian dies to sin by simply renouncing if you have a special moment in your life may be some special experience where you reach a special point in your spiritual journey and you just simply renouncing you simply sound like a sin anymore feel for those who say that because the next day or maybe a week later the prove to themselves the renouncing. It is insufficient again. That is a man centered view and not a God centered the fifth view that I believe is consistent with this letter is that the believer died and you might write in the margin by that verse. These words the believer died to the rain of sin you back to verse 21 again of chapter 5.

Here's the context as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, we die to the rain of sin in Christ, the head of our new race. The word rain comes from a record that actually gives us the word kingdom you could translated power kingdom control the reign of sin is what controls a person before they come to Jesus Christ, the reign of grace is that which controls the person.

Once they have believed in Christ, you are no longer a member of the kingdom of sin.

You are now a member of the kingdom of Christ. You can imagine these two rains. This way, imagine for a moment that you been captured by a pirate captain of the ship and you're on the ship and you, along with other captives are commanded by that evil Capt. to do his bidding. He treats you like an animal.

He tells you to do all sorts of things that you find despicable harsh hard you work so hard under his command. Finally, your country sends out another ship to engage that pirate ship in battle, and your countries ship conquers the pirate ship and a new commanding officer is placed in charge and if he takes that evil Capt. and he chains him below deck on the way back as you sail back to your country that Capt. from below is shouting out orders to you.

He is intimidating you he is threatening you, he is telling you what to do now you can obey him. If you want to but you don't have to is no longer the captain you don't have to follow his orders any longer.

Paul wrote to the Colossians, and he said he is delivered us from the power of darkness, the right of darkness is rain and delivered us over into the kingdom of the son by his love me put it to you this way the basis of this text then to say that you must sin denies the truth of grace to say that you will never sin denies the need for grace to say that you no longer have to set is to understand the power of grace. Don't forget what happened to you, says sin once reigned as you were in Adam, but now you died in Christ to the power of sin and you are now under the reign of you have to send any longer. Have you forgotten what happened to you. Paul Lozano asked, secondly, have you forgotten who you are looking verse two. Again, how shall we who died to sin still live in it. The English reader misses the emphasis of Paul is literally saying how shall we be who we are still live in sin.

How can you a Christian live in cherished embrace practice. A life of sin. Have you forgotten who you are belong to the king why would you ever seek to see how much of the gutter. You can gravel in the growing believer understands the vileness of sin and the vileness of his nature, and he hates the smell and the taste and the touch of sin and you hear yourself as you are a true believer growing in Jesus Christ.

More and more saying I can't do that and we are asked why the only thing you can think of is I'm a Christian. I don't say that anymore. Why will I just can't do that I can embrace that vocabulary because I'm a Christian, you present your kids like I have.

Don't let that dog lick you on your face. You had no idea where the dogs so that your kids kids don't quite connect the dots.

Younger kids are dog loves yucky stuff you think that the dog of the preacher would have better sense, but it's not true. Just this week got loose in the pasture behind just off our backyard with horses graze throughout the day. And sure enough she goes and she finds a pile of old maneuver. She rolls it she rural she's having a great time that she runs back over underneath the fence to petted BIOS. My dog has a serious serious problem. Somebody a few weeks ago asked me to our pets go to heaven.

I sure hope mine doesn't think the whole place, says that she's not a Christian.

I'm pretty sure she's a dog dog.

Dogs do that stuff the other. No man lives like a dog lives in sin. Rebels in sin will defend sin, do you ever ask him or her, even on your sit in the same Sunday school class right in the parking that what they would say will happen. I do that who you are in charge. They defend their sin and they revel in their sin and they would say I'm disappointed in you for ever asking me why would do something like that.

Not true believers there deceived. Have you forgotten what happened to you. If you forgotten who you are. The third question bound up in this phrase would be this. Have you forgotten where you belong. How shall we, who died in sin with their little belong to no one who believes they belong there reveals they haven't died to sin in Christ Eugene Peterson paraphrase this verse and the message wonderfully well. He says it this way if we've left the country where sin is sovereign.

How can we still live in our old house.

There, do you not realize we packed up and left there for good. Don't keep a change of clothes back there in the old house don't keep any furniture there so that when you go back it's comfortable walking to the believer is packed up and left, you know.

So often we think that we will keep from sinning. As long as we remember all of these things. Remember what it will cost us if we remember the consequences of sin. What about keeping from sin because of what it did to Jesus Christ. What about keeping from sin is an act of gratitude for the one who gave everything for us. We don't say how much sin can I get by with. But what my sin. What my sin costs my Savior John Piper address this perspective recently when he wrote about resisting temptation. He said we need amount of violent counteract with our mind. As soon as a sinful image.

A lustful thought or impulse a selfish impulse enters our mind. We need to say the 1st to 2nd get out of my head. Then the real battle begins to sin begins in the mind the absolute necessity is to get the image of the impulse out of her mind. How to get a counter image. He says into your mind and must be an image that is so powerful that the other image just cannot survive. He said the next time a thought comes in your mind that sinful, lustful, selfish use all of your mental power to see the lacerated back of our Lord Jesus Christ 39 lashes left little flesh intact. He heaves with his breath up and down against the rough vertical beam of the cross, each breath put splinters into his lacerated flesh. The Lord gasps from time to time he screams out with intolerable pain. He tries to pull away from the wood in the massive spikes ripped through his wrist into the nerve endings in the streams with the agony and pushes up with his feet to give some relief to his wrists, but the bones and nerves in his pierced feet crush against each other with anguish and cries out again. There is no relief. His throat is raw from screaming in pain and with his deep thirst. He loses his breath and thinks he is suffocating and suddenly his body involuntarily gasps for air and all the injuries united in pain and torment he throws his head back in desperation, only to hit one of the thorns perpendicular against the crossbeam and drive it half an inch of the school's voice reaches a soprano pitch of pain and sobs break over his pain wracked body is every tribe brings more and more pain now Piper's that I am not thinking that sinful thought. I am at Calvary, understanding, grace, ladies and gentlemen, does not mean you go out and sin all you can understanding grace means really never want to sin again because of what it costs Savior the one who says I'm a send and I want to be like the world and I'm one of his close to the edge and all in all things I want to do and sell the things I want to say and dress like I want to address it plainly going to plan and live from me myself and I was nothing. The antinomian simply hides behind his religiosity and his façade mask, but in his heart he knows he is not genuine. The spirit of God is the only one he can pull the mask off and bring the life this consciousness that is dead.

The sin only the spirit of God can bring about the miracle of an awakened tension to sin.

It is the goodness of God.

For those of us who understand grace though and struggle with sin that leads us continually daily. To repentance is not we understand when we say the grace of God is so correct is a felony in a church that I read about struggled with profanity. He had gotten saved later in life had this habit he wanted a break and he hated to new it offended the Lord in his own testimony, he didn't know what to do and so he called a brother in the church and said look, let's just begin meeting weekly set up some accountability and Dante what let's do. He said all put in five dollars into the offering plate for every one time that I used a curse word business partner said okay that sounds good to me, will pray about it. I'll be praying God will just help you this week and so that meant. It is best to became the church the next Sunday, put $100 of the offering plate. I failed. They talked about it and they prayed together. He said I'm a do better this week so that we can tried and he came in and he said the hits/gestalt $55 of the off next week and would back off fourth week. It was again even higher in the fifth week. It was a little lower struggle like that, until finally he came his friend he said I will be bankrupt if we keep up this plan. Pastors like this kind of play. By the way, the T said I would be bankrupt and his friend had a thought from the Lord. He said to tell you what I'm in reverse everything we've been trying and his friends only mean Islamic and Italian just come next Sunday and I'll show you so when you come next Sunday. I want to explain to you the meaning of grace next Sunday arrived and this man walked in the church's head was low. He had evidently had a real struggle all week. His friend met in the lobby and said how to go he said and do well at all and he said well here's what were going to do. He said I have prepared one of my own checks I've written my name here in the Dayton made it out to the church and all you have to do is fill in.

See if this will cost, but it's gonna cost me now and I want to demonstrate to you the grace of God) protest that I can't do that if I can't spend your money like that gonna do it this way and so he he filled in the amount $65 plate. The next week he came in, fill out a check again. After much protesting, but it was much lower.

It was $25 third week. No need to fill in the checking what happened. The motives for living a holy life is not based on what it meant to him what he meant. Those who know they have died in Christ and Christ is done what he has done for them as they grow in grace.

They do not forget what happened.

They do not forget today are they do not forget where they belong. There's nothing more powerful to living a holy life and the amazing grace you belong. My friends, my faith, not in this first kingdom is rain is sin that you belong to the second is greater everlasting reign of grace. Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank you for joining us today here on wisdom for the hearts. This was the third and final message in Stephen Davies series from Romans five and six called the first and second Adam, we have this series available as a set of CDs that you can add to your library of biblical resources. Give us a call today. Our number is 866-482-4253 when you call, be sure and ask about our magazine. We have a monthly magazine that includes articles written by Stephen a daily devotional guide and behind-the-scenes information about our ministry. It's called heart to heart. The next three issues would be our gift to you.

You can sign up for it on our website or you can talk to us about it when you call today that number again is 86 648 Bible and the website is wisdom online.org were so glad you were with us today. Thank you and I hope you will be with us next time right here on wisdom for the hundreds