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Flesh vs. spirit. It's a constant tug-of-war going within you. Your old yet-to-be-redeemed flesh pulls one direction. Your already-redeemed-waiting-for-a-new-body spirit pulls the opposite. This is the Christian life.

Flesh vs. Spirit

In Romans 5:5-13, Paul sets the record straight explaining how the unredeemed are unable and incapable of submitting to the "law of God." The reason? Because even if they do act in morally their heart remains "in the flesh." Your flesh and your spirit (i.e. mind) - meaning the way you think and what you focus attention on - are either in-tune or they are out of tune.

Either you're unredeemed, meaning your spirit and body (i.e. flesh) are both corrupted by sin. Or, you're redeemed, in which case your spirit is new but your body/flesh remains sinful. In the first case, the issue is not your obedience - although you can't be obedient perfectly - but the condition of your heart (Romans 2:29). The issue here is, the heart of the unredeemed is hostile toward God. Even if outwardly obedient, inwardly the motivation is altogether wrong. Flesh vs. spirit in this case...both in-tune with each other, necessarily so.

On the other hand, in the case of the redeemed, your heart is already changed and the goal is to discipline your flesh to follow. Flesh vs. spirit in this case...out-of-tune but striving to bring flesh under spirit's discipline. See the difference? For the lost, they cannot submit to God's law (Romans 8:7). However, that does not mean they cannot submit to God's gospel! And that is a key point discussed on the podcast.

All About Mindset

Paul points out that the unsaved cannot set their mind - their thinking and worldview - on the things of God. Specifically His law and submission to it. The reason is due to their heart condition. The saved, however, can set their thinking and worldview in-line with God's law. Please note: can does mean ought...but does not mean will. We are able and we certainly should. But by Paul's own personal admission (Romans 7:14-25), we will not always be successful.

Think in terms of the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32). Was it the one who determined to go and did not or the one who said he would not but did who was blessed? The issue is always the condition of the heart. Just look around at what is happening in our country today. It's a heart issue. And the only One capable of changing hearts is Christ Jesus our Lord.

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There is an agenda. An agenda to destroy the United States of America from within. Abraham Lincoln, in an 1838 speech at the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois said: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we lose our freedoms it will be because we have destroyed ourselves from within.” Truer words have rarely been spoken.

The Agenda

You might be looking around and wonder, "What is happening to America?" Truth is, it's no secret. There is an agenda driving what is happening all around us. That agenda is not new. In fact, Paul mentions it in Romans 1.

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." Romans 1:28-32 (NASB)

The issue is a "hatred of God" issue. This is the agenda...to rid us all of God and His influence. It has been this way from the beginning. And yes, as simple as it might sound, Satan is at the root of it all. I do not think, again, that it is an accident that I am presenting Romans to you. It is the absolute foundation of the Gospel and the key to our understanding. Even in this day and age. The message could not be more clear!

Understanding What Is Happening to America

What we are studying in Romans is directly related to what is happening in our country...and worldwide. We will get back to Romans next time. Instead of listening to me this week, I've decided to let you hear from a colleague of mine. Larry Taunton is an award-winning author, freelance columnist, and producer. Larry is the author of The Grace Effect and is founder and Executive Director of Fixed Point Foundation. Fixed Point has hosted numerous debates between atheists and believers. Among the participants are Dr. John Lennox, Dr. Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. If you've never seen any, you should watch.

Larry recently gave a keynote address to a sold out crowd at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama. In it he explains the agenda of those who seek to destroy our country from within. Their agenda is clear cut, has historical roots, and is not new. I believe his presentation is accurate and important enough for you to listen. Here is that presentation.

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Larry Taunton appears courtesy of https://larryalextaunton.com/. © Larry Alex Taunton 2019-2020

No condemnation! If Romans is the Himalayas, then chapter eight is its Mount Everest. Deliverance from bondage is freedom in Christ. The key is understanding exactly what we have been freed from. Only then will things begin to make sense and give you true independence.

No Condemnation!

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus - Romans 8:1. Never has there been a greater and more welcome declaration! (A close second might very well be the Declaration of Independence of the United States.) No condemnation - freedom from bondage - no penalty for you! All because of Christ Jesus our Lord.

For many people Romans 8 is the pinnacle of the Bible. It emphasizes the Christians assurance of penalty payment and victory over the power of sin. It is the climax of the Gospel of grace. And yet, so many people misunderstand and misapply it to their daily lives. Or worse, fail to see its significance to their daily life.

The Most Succinct Statement of Substitutionary Atonement

Romans 8:3-4 may very well be the most succinct statement of substitutionary atonement found in the Scriptures. It perfectly describes what Jesus came to do - in our place.

It is His payment of our penalty that sets us free to truly live. Our redemption and regeneration, together with the indwelling Holy Spirit, give us power of sin. No more living in fear of reprisal or retribution. No more fear of death. Living under the power of sin and death has come to an end.

That all sounds great...but what about what Paul just shared about Christian living in 7:14-25? There it doesn't sound that easy. Well, easy it is not. However, that does not mean we cannot and will not be victorious. Freedom in Christ is about knowing the truth and reality of who and Whose we are. The daily battle is about living out the reason we're here.

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Symptoms! It's the symptoms that you see. Just like a tree. You can see the trunk, the limbs, the leaves and the fruit. But these are not the problem. Nor are they the cause of the problem. What we can see is the result of the problem which is the result of the cause. Symptoms!

Symptoms Are Affected By Motivation

What's my motivation!? The familiar cry of the actor paid to play a part that is not naturally themselves. In order to perform in a certain manner (read behavior), I must have the proper or corresponding motivation. Given the present climate of things (as of June 4, 2020) relative to virus outbreaks, social injustice, protests, and rioting, too many people are only identifying the symptoms.

Nearly every report, commentary, and interview I've seen or heard has only addressed the symptoms. The question comes: What can we do to effect change? The answer: Stop dealing with the symptoms and define the problem. Once defined, root out (pun intended) the causes and deal with those.

How Romans Fits In

I don't think it is by "accident" that we are going through Romans chapters 6-8 at this time. In fact, I believe it's Divine Intervention. Why? Because in these passages the Apostle Paul is dealing with the root that effects real change. What change are we talking about? Behavioral change.

Behavioral change (effective over the long term) does not come from simple behavioral modification through conditioning or reward/punishment approaches. This only deals with the symptom. The symptom is what we see...the behavior. To effect real change (to make the behavior different) you have to confront the root problem and the motivation behind it. Paul is dealing with motivation specifically in these chapters.

Motivation Comes From the Heart

The people of Rome are wondering about their relationship to the law while being under grace. Do they have to obey it? If so, why and for what reward? Paul says you have already received the reward...eternal life! Your motivation is the result of the change you have already experienced.

Behavior is the result of thinking and thinking is the result of belief. If I act in a certain way it's because I think a certain thing about the situation or person. I think that way because of what I believe about it or them. If I want to effect how I behave, I change how think. And I change how I think by determining what I believe and why I believe it.

The real problem is a heart problem. The cause is sin that destroys and kills the heart. It's dead in its transgressions and sins (Eph. 2). If we/I want to have a heart change, then we have to trust Someone big enough and powerful enough to accomplish it. Once received (converted, born again, regenerated), the heart is soft (Ez. 36:26) and the motivation is changed (Romans 6-8).

The motivation to do what? The motivation to live according to the law of God. Why is that important? Because its the law that teaches us how we are to behave and treat others. And isn't that what social justice is, treating others the right way? Well, it's the law that tells us the right way.

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The inner conflict of every Christian is the tension between your already-redeemed spirit and your not-yet-redeemed body. Yes, it's that simple. Unfortunately, too many Christians don't understand this dynamic of their changed state. Even more unfortunate is the reality that most Christians are never told upfront that this tension is going to exist after they are born again.

The True Experience

Some have read Romans 7:13-25 and wrongly concluded that Paul is describing his life prior to becoming a Christian. However, this cannot be the case for several reasons:

The major theme of chapters 6-8 is the Christian life - how grace and law work together in the life of the redeemedPaul clearly uses the present tense and this should be taken at face value, as his First Century readers would have donePaul's description of the God's law and his own inner life is incompatible with the heart and life of an unregenerate personThe struggle described exists only the hearts of the redeemedThe assurance of deliverance is something only a Christian can have (v. 25)All Christians can relate to the struggle Paul describes of himself

Additionally, all other descriptions of this passage that suggest Paul is discussing something other than his own, at present, experience fail for many of the same reasons. The inner conflict is the real and legitimate experience of every Christian.

Flesh Against Spirit

The inner conflict, described as battle and war - and make no mistake, the war-language is intentional - is the same for every believer. Each will experience it to varying degrees, of course, but experience it we all do.

The unredeemed and still-tied-to-this-world flesh (which is the reason it dies and goes back to dust) resists and wages war against our new inner man. Our new spirit is young, naive, and in great need of growing up. And, just like children, this process will take time and will at times, be painful. But grow and mature we must. We must educate and train our new inner man to "be the boss" of our flesh.

This is part of the reason why sanctification is a necessarily part of the salvation process. In fact, it is for the purpose of obeying God's law that we have been redeemed and remain in this life. There is no biblical process for moving from justification to glorification that does not include regeneration and sanctification. It just doesn't exist.

Victory Is Assured

Reading this passage (7:13-24), one might conclude the battle is lost but nothing could be further from the truth. We are, in fact, already saved and our victory over sin and death is already assured. Christ has conquered both sin and death and we are equal participants in that (see 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15). This battle we face against our own sin/flesh is the "daily cross" Jesus spoke of (Matthew 16:24ff).

Our motivation to "keep the faith" and "fight the good fight" is the assurance of our salvation. We WILL be raised up and receive new bodies at the resurrection. These new bodies will match our already-new-spirit and will inherit eternal life in the very presence of God.

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Is the law sin? No! Absolutely not! After twice confronting an antinomian (i.e. against law) view of grace, Paul a third time asks a question.

The first question was: Do we go on living the sinful lifestyle we had prior to our conversion? No. In fact, you can't because that "old man" has already died and been buried. He doesn't even exist anymore.

The second question was: Can we just sin since grace abounds and we're under grace and no longer under law? Again: Absolutely not! If you do, you simply do not understand grace. You're free from law as a system of salvation, not as a code of conduct. Grace eliminates your responsibility to pay a penalty.

Third Question

Now the question is: Is the law itself sin since it seems - in comparison to grace - to be so negative? And a third time, no! The law is not sin. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The law is good, righteous, and holy...just like God, its Author.

Having a right understanding of being "under grace and not under law" has everything to do with right living. Is the law sin? How can it be since it comes from God (cf. James 1:17). It is not given to cause sin but to define it. It's only through the law that you can know what sin is.

Wicked Flesh

However, it does "provoke" the sin still dwelling in your flesh. It can "create" rebellion in that its command evokes a sense of "restraint" from God. Meaning, your flesh often responds to the as a means by which God keeps you from having "good things you deserve." In point of fact, the opposite is true.

The law is not the problem. It's the sin living in you (i.e. in your flesh) that is the problem. This sin that remains in your body is what must be dealt with. This is what you "crucify daily" and learn to discipline.

Is the law sin? Far from it. It actually serves as a guardrail to your life. Understanding this is foundational to successful Christian living.

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Being "free from the law" has everything to do with understanding what actually died. When you were crucified and buried, what died? Your "old man" died...your old nature. Now, you've been resurrected, born again, and regenerated. You're a new creation in Christ. You are God's workmanship. You have a new nature.

Law Has No Jurisdiction Over the Dead

In Romans 7:1-6, Paul uses the illustration of a married woman being married to another man (i.e. bigamy; having two or more husbands at the same time). He says the law only has jurisdiction restricting this second marriage only so long as the first husband is still alive. (Paul is not discussing the grounds for marriage, divorce, or remarriage.) If the first husband dies, the wife is released from him "under the law" and is now free to marry another man. The law only has jurisdiction over the living.

In context, Paul is referring to our own death and burial (Romans 6:4-6) in Christ. The laws jurisdiction - its ability to impose a penalty - ends when we die. Since we "died" in baptism and our "old man" was buried, we are now new (i.e. born again) and free to "marry" another. In this sense, we are now united a new husband...namely Jesus. (Consider the analogy of Christ the Groom and the Church the Bride of Christ.)

New Husband - One Nature

We now have a "new husband" to follow and to lead us, Christ the Groom. We have been set free of the "first husband's" jurisdiction over us and are now free to "re-marry." Our "new husband" is good, gracious, and loving in comparison to the first. The first was a tyrant, a slave master, and a heel. We served him out of fear and under penalty of hell. Now we serve from the heart, out of willingness and want-to, desiring to please the One who loves us so.

Many read this passage, and the verses following, and wrongly conclude it to be a discussion about two opposing natures. In fact, the translators of the NASB wrongly place the heading, "The Conflict of Two Natures", above verse 14. This is a common but false view.

We do not have two natures. At least not at the same time. Our "old nature" was polluted and corrupted by our personal sin. This was the "old man" who was crucified, died, and was buried in our Christian immersion (Romans 6:3-7). That "old nature" died and was replaced - regenerated and born again - as a "new nature" willing and able to obey. Thus our battle is not between two natures but between one new nature and our "old flesh." This perspective can be a game changer when it comes to understanding how live a successful Christian life.

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This is really the wrong question. Paul's point in Romans 6:15-23 shows that you are a slave. The question really is: Whose slave are you? "Who's your daddy?" - a modern idiom - implies you haven't yet determined whom you will serve. Through your conversion, as Paul points out, you have already made that decision.

Free To Sin?

Too many people believe that being "under grace" and no longer being "under law" means you're free from obedience to the law. Not true! In fact, you have actually reinforced your responsibility to obey God's commands. We touched on this last episode (Free OF Not Free FROM). Those who lean (or outright teach) antinomianism simply do not understand grace. Nor do they understand the law or a Christian's relationship to the law. Further, they fail to recognize Paul's clear teaching in Romans 6 & 7.

But I Don't Wanna Be A Slave!

Sorry, you are. Simply be virtue of not being the Creator - and being a creature instead - you're a slave. Now, before we get too deep into this analogy, understand that Paul is speaking in "human terms" (v. 19) so we can better understand. He is NOT attempting to portray God as a domineering, whip-wielding, slave master. What he is doing is helping us see that whatever we "obey" becomes our master.

Herein lies the issue. You are either a "slave to sin" or you're a "slave to righteousness." You don't get to determine whether or not you're a slave (i.e. that you'll be obedient). But you do get to determine whom you will obey.

You can either obey a loving, kind, generous, and good God who makes your burden light (Matthew 11:30). Or, you can be a slave to a dictator who only seeks your destruction. Grace does not diminish our obligation to obey God's commands. Not one iota!

Gift or Wages

Paul puts grace in terms of a gift given by God. At the same time he places sin in terms of wages earned. Simply put, the choice is ours. Whom will you serve. Accepting grace and redemption necessarily means that we have willfully submitted ourselves to a new Master. A Master who loves and cares for us and provides for our every need. Knowingly giving in to sin again just doesn't make sense for any Christian.

Obedience to Christ is the essence of what it means to call Him Lord.

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Romans 6:14 is a verse that historically has been misapplied, misinterpreted, and misunderstood. The Christian life - the successful Christian life - is all about having a right understanding of this verse.

You are free OF law's penalty but you are not free FROM law's obedience.

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New Life! That's what it's all about. Not the "hokey-pokey," not "being happy," and not "keeping up with the Jones." Your new life is about counting yourself dead to sin...but living to God!

Resurrected To New Life Is Real

Verse 11 of Romans chapter six is the first imperative - the first command - that Paul gives in this letter. However, it is different from other commands we see in the New Testament. Most of the others deal with behavioral commands and how to conduct yourself. This one is a belief command. It is an exhortation to believe and accept that what Paul is telling you is the truth. It's a fact and a reality, not an abstract thought or pretend fiction.

What is Paul commanding us to believe? That you should count yourself dead to sin! That you are in fact, alive to God! From verse 2 through verse 11, Paul has repeated this reality as fact several times. Now it is time for you to accept it - and live in it - as your new reality.

This is not pretend. It is not wishful thinking. You're not being asked to believe something for which there is no evidence. This is not blind faith. This is your new spiritual - and human - reality. Believe it!

Resurrection Is For New Life

The purpose of the resurrection of Christ was to affirm and confirm His penalty payment for the sins of the world as acceptable to God. Christ's resurrection also served as proof that He was God in the flesh (Immanuel). Resurrecting Jesus further made Him the "firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:13-20) who now has a glorified body. (see Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 1:8).

Your resurrection - accomplished in/during water immersion through the power and working of God (cf. Colossians 2:9-14) - serves the same purpose. You were raised to live a new life. Your new life is simply a life of following God. Living according to His word (i.e. His law).

Just as Christ was put to death and resurrected, we have experienced the same thing. When did we experience this? In our water baptism. Out death and burial to sin and resurrection to new life draw their meaning and power from Christ's.

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