SALVATION, THE WORLD, AND BAPTISM

There have been so many strange things taught about baptism that it is necessary to search out everything the Bible teaches in order to correct so many errors. Baptism itself is not so complicated but some just teach concepts and traditions and what they have heard. Many are offended when they hear that baptism now saves you. The problem is in the concept of what salvation is and how it relates to baptism. We must answer the question of whether baptism relates to salvation or does salvation relate to baptism. Most churches that preach “salvation”, relate salvation to heaven and hell. Of course our final salvation does relate to heaven or hell, but more forcefully it relates us to God’s eternal purpose. However, one aspect of our “salvation” , at the present time, relates to the world system that has been established upon this earth. Another aspect of our salvation relates to our past sins and to our sin nature. Salvation may be much more comprehensive than we casually think.

We cannot separate the cross of Jesus Christ from our salvation. The blood of His cross relates to justification, reconciliation, forgiveness of sins and our righteousness by faith. The cross relates to death and the world system. GAL 6:14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. In order to understand how the cross and baptism relate to the world system, we need to see how the world system relates to God and His eternal purpose.

The world system relates to Satan and his forces of darkness. Together they make up a corrupt system that functions upon this earth in opposition to all that God has designed for the earth. The earth is the location of two opposing armies with their separate governments, purpose and goals. One is a kingdom of darkness and the other is a Kingdom of light. Everything about these two governments is diametrically opposed to each otheher is a kingdom of evil and perversion. The world system under Satan is already defeated and is passing away while God’s system of government is eternal and will never pass away or be destroyed. DAN 7:14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and {men of every} language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. ISA 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. 1JO 2:17 And the world is passing away, and {also} its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

Each and every one of us were born into this world system that has been condemned to Hell or the abyss (the pit). Salvation relates to being delivered from this world system and it’s eternal fate. This also includes deliverance from it’s prince, Satan, and his authority. Paul says that “the world” has been crucified (to me). It is by the cross of Calvary that the world has died (been crucified) in it’s attachment to me. The world is still a power to the many who live in it but it has no more attraction to me. I have died to it and it has died to me.

At Calvary the whole world system of anarchy and rebellion has been judged and condemned to the place reserved for the Devil and his angels. However, this will not take place until after the one thousand year reign of Christ on the earth. The world system will not die but be cast into the lake of fire along with all who have not escaped from the world system. Then how are we to escape this world system that has been condemned? We must die, be buried and be resurrected into a whole different kind of life and government.

Nothing that has been connected to the old world system, inclcepted into the New System Of The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God has it’s own kind of life which is the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus Christ. This alone is eternal life.

Then how do we escape from this natural life, which is not acceptable in the Kingdom, and receive this life of the Kingdom which is eternal? Since nothing of this former creation is acceptable, all that is of the former creation must die, the old person we used to be must be buried and remain in the grave. That old man is part of the old creation and must remain with it. Then a new man must be resurrected into “newness of a different kind of life”. This is the “zoe” life of God, Himself. What is resurrected out of the grave is called “the new creation”. The “new man” is born again into a “new creation”. All those who remain in the old system will be judged with that perverse system. All those who have died, been buried and resurrected into the new system will escape that judgement. Now all those who have escaped into the new Kingdom government of God will be judged according to the requirements of the Kingdom. ROM 14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. 2CO 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Salvation, then, relates to what system we are living in. If we have escaped the corruption that is in the world, we can say we are saved from the world system.

COL 2:20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, COL 2:21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” This is all part of the “Law of Commandments”. We will discover in Rom. 7 that we must also be delivered from that.

2PE 1:4 For by these He has, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. The tremendous promises of God will be of no benefit to us unless we have escaped from the world system. If we are still attached to the world system it will prevent us from becoming partakers of the divine nature

JAM 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

These two systems that are at work in the world are hostile to each other. It is not possible to participate in both. To be a friend of one makes you an enemy of the other.

1CO 11:32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. This is not a matter of are you born again or are you a good person but of what system are you attached to. You can be a very good person but if you have not escaped from the world system, you will be condemned along with the world. It could be compared with a ship that is sinking. When it goes down, everybody on it goes down with it. There are no life rafts on the world system.

2CO 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. EPH 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

We cannot stay “in this world” and be free from the prince of this world, the modern day Pharaoh. It was only when the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea and came out on the other side that Pharaoh and his armies were destroyed and Israel was out from under his authority. This is referred to in I COR 10 as baptism. Those who refuse proper baptism are very foolish because they will always be under the dominion of a foreign power. They will be alive unto Egypt and Pharaoh and dead unto God and His Kingdom. True faith will always lead to escape. Not escape for freedom’s sake but escape for the Kingdom’s sake. We come out from under one government but then into submission to another. Since there are only two government systems working on this earth, we must be under one or the other. We cannot escape “government”. We are either “slaves of sin” or we are “slaves of righteousness”. We cannot be free from slavery.

Baptism, then, is the termination point of being slaves of sin and the kingdom of sin and darkness and the graduation into being slaves of righteousness and of the Kingdom Government of God. We are dead to the first and resurrected into the second.

In first Peter 3: 18-21 he uses the picture of Noah and the Ark to show the reality of our escape from the old corrupt system that is on this earth. That totally corrupt system was manifest in all it’s perversion at the time of Noah. It was so filthy that God could not look upon it any longer. Therefore God told Noah to build an Ark for the saving of his family. When the Ark was completed, it began to rain for 40 days and forty nights. The ark rose above the corruption of the world system while “the result” of the world system that was operating at that time was drowned. The Ark traveled to a whole New land that was free of corruption but not yet free of “the corrupt world system”, under Satan, that was still operating on the earth. Peter says “ Baptism now saves you”.

Paul uses the escape of Israel from Egypt, at the Red Sea, as a picture of baptism. Israel was saved from death by the blood. They were saved from Pharaoh by the waters of the Red Sea. They were saved from starvation by the Manna. They were saved from dying from thirst by the water out of the rock. They were saved from Ameleck by prayer. Salvation was related to Egypt and to Canaan. They were saved from Egypt but not saved as far as Canaan because that salvation required faith and obedience. They manifested unbelief and disobedience. They had enough faith to pass through the Red Sea but not enough to cross over into Canaan. ( The Kingdom). HEB 3:16 For who provoked {Him} when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt {led} by Moses? HEB 3:17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? HEB 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? HEB 3:19 And {so} we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

JUD 1:5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently God destroyed all except Joshua and Caleb (who were over the age of 20 years) of those who came out of Egypt.

Now all this puts Romans 6 in proper perspective to our salvation. We are not speaking about heaven and hell but of being dead and buried to all our past life and then being resurrected into a whole new life. Baptism is bringing to a final conclusion all that has been attached to this world system. It is a severing between two kingdoms. Baptism is an escape from the kingdom of darkness and the gateway to the kingdom of light. Since we all came into the world system by birth, we must go out by death. That then requires burial. To participate in the system of God, we must be resurrected into a totally different realm and into a totally different kind of life. Even the old kind of life is not acceptable in the Kingdom of God.

Since the Kingdom of God is in absolute opposition to this world system, Calvary must provide a way of escape from the world system. It is not enough to be forgiven of our sin and stay in this fallen and condemned world, we must also be delivered from the world system before it is destroyed. Therefore, the process is that we must first be forgiven and then delivered. To preach one and not the other is not the full gospel. We are forgiven by the blood and then delivered by the cross. We are being saved by HIS LIFE. ROM 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

All this may seem confused because of the traditional gospel we have heard. The modern gospel says, accept Jesus as your personal savior. When you accept Him you are “saved”. Just confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that is all there is to it. Once you do that you can never be lost. The implication is that is the whole gospel. Therefore, baptism is optional. It does nothing for you except provide a hort of all the provisions that Jesus died for on Calvary. It leaves the believers still captive in the world system of government. The implication is that as long as we “say” Jesus is Lord, that is enough. However, if He is truly your Lord, He demands obedience. LUK 6:46 “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Those who prefer “a gospel of salvation” and ignore the gospel of The Kingdom of God say that is just “works” for rewards. No! That is the principle of the Kingdom of God. Everyone in the Kingdom does the will of God. That is simply how the Kingdom government of God functions. Those who refused to do the will of God in heaven were cast out. Those who refuse to do the will of God on earth will not be accepted into the Kingdom of God. 1PE 1:1 ----, who are chosen 1PE 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. HEB 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Regardless of what the “gospel of the 1/2 priced sale” proclaims, salvation is connected to obedience. That is simply because Jesus Christ is Lord of maximum authority and sovereign king of the Kingdom of God and demands obedience. You cannot acknowledge Him as Savior and ignore Him as King. What does it really mean to “ confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord?” If that means we are confessing our full submission and obedience to His Lordship, we are on salvation ground.

Now, in addition to being born into the world system, we were also born into first Adam, the first man. Since we were born into Adam, the only way of escape is also through death. All who were born into first Adam will stand in his condemnation and judgement. We escape first Adam the same way we escape from the world system. By death and burial. Forgiveness of sins is one thing while escape is quite another. It is equally important to escape the first Adam as it is to escape the world system, in order to be delivered from their condemnation. It is as important to escape from the control and authority and government of Satan as it is to fully enter into the government and discipline of the Kingdom of God. The reason is because you cannot serve two masters.

God is only recognizing two men. The first Adam and the Last Adam. The first man and the Second Man. Everyone on earth is either in one or the other. Everyone on earth begins this life in first Adam. They don’t have to try to get into him, they are born into him. Salvation then must include escaping from the first Adam and entering into the Second Man. It is the Second Man who has begun a whole new race of men. EPH 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, {that is}, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. Other translations say “Gathering together all things into Christ.” Those who don’t get “gathered” will be lost. We first must escape from first Adam before we can be gathered together into Christ.

Then, in addition to these former things, there is the problem of “death” that has come upon all men. Thank God we can be forgiven of our sins by the blood of Jesus. We can be made righteous and justified by faith and have peace with God. But, how can we be delivered from death? It doesn’t say we can be forgiven of “death”. The blood is set against sins. It is resurrection “LIFE” that is set against death. However, all men are appointed once to die. Since we came into all these things by birth, we must go out by death. ROM 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. It is necessary now to go back to Romans 1 to 5 to see Paul’s whole argument. ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ROM 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have so that they are without excuse. ROM 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ROM 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, ROM 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. ROM 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. ROM 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ROM 1:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, ROM 1:27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. ROM 1:28 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, ROM 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; {they are} gossips, ROM 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ROM 1:31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; ROM 1:32 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. ROM 2:1 Therefore you are without excuse, every man {of you} who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

The uncomplicated fact is that all men, everywhere, are under God’s severest condemnation. ROM 3:10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; ROM 3:11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; ROM 3:12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. “ ROM 3:13 “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under theh is full of cursing and bitterness”; ROM 3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, ROM 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, ROM 3:17 And the path of peace have they not known. “ ROM 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes. When man ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil it was supposed to give them the revelation of “good and evil” and make them wise. However, there are none who do good or who have become wise. In fact they all do evil even if in their own eyes they are doing good. That is God’s evaluation of “mankind”. This applies even if they are religious. We all came into these things by birth and we can only be delivered by death.

Paul presents some powerful problems that face mankind. All these things can be confirmed daily by reading our newspapers and magazines. There are sins, sin, death, unrighteous, disobedience, judgement upon all who are not of the Kingdom, and condemnation upon all men. There is much more evidence of the seperation between God and man! We can be forgiven of these transgressions by faith in the blood but how can we get delivered from the problems. ROM 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? This is a valid question and deserves an answer. In much of the “church” this is still a problem. Why? ROM 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? They may have been forgiven but they have not yet died to it.

It should be obvious to everybody who has read the Bible that the provision for each and every problem facing mankind must be provided for at Calvary. If we make a distinction between the “sins” which Paul speaks about from Romans 1 to Romans 5 and the “sin” that he speaks of from Romans 6 through the first part of Chapter 8, it will help us see the difference between forgiveness and deliverance. “SINS” are forgiven but “SIN” was born into all who were born into this world and reflects what we are. Because we came into ll became “sinners”. The old person we were was a “sinner” because we were born with a “sin principle” in us called “the body of sin”. Twentieth Century translation calls this “the stronghold of sin”. Another Greek word study book calls this “body of sin”, “THE SIN FACTORY”. The term “body of sin” is rather abstract in it’s explanation. “THE SIN FACTORY” is much more pictorial. It pictures a “factory” that produces a product called “sins”. Even though the “product” may be suppressed, the factory is always ready to go into production. It also has built up a large inventory which it can ship instantly. “SINS” are forgiven but the greatest problem in the church is this “SIN FACTORY” which has not been dealt with.

One problem is with the translation of Rom 6:6. Some Bibles say “ That the body of sin might be destroyed”. Several other translations say “ made powerless”, “Neutralized”, “ ineffective and in active” or “unemployed”. It does not mean “annihilated” in the sense that it no longer exists but that it is temporarily shut down. (Maybe for repairs)

How then can we escape from this “SIN FACTORY” that may reopen at any moment? The “reopening” of the factory is manifested quite often in church meetings where major decisions are trying to be made. Since the “SIN FACTORY” will not die but is always on standby, the only other solution is for us to die in relationship to “SIN”. Since we came into this problem by birth, we must go out by death. Death alone will separate us from the “SIN FACTORY”.

Now, Romans 6 puts this into perspective with our salvation.

ROM 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? ROM 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? ROM 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ROM 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ROM 6:5 For if we have become united with {Him} in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also {in the likeness} of His resurrection, ROM 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin ( THE SIN FACTORY) might be done away with (CLOSED FOR VACATION), that we should no longer be slaves to sin; ROM 6:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

The “SIN FACTORY” will not die, Therefore we must die to it in order to be free from it and it’s products. In the same way we die to the source of the “SIN” we also die to the world. Since the world system will survive and increase in intensity up until the millennium , we can only escape by our own death, burial and resurrection into another life and realm. “The life” we must receive is Christ’s resurrection Life and the realm is the Kingdom of God. If we are looking for “escape” into total freedom we will look in vain.

The subject of Romans 6 focuses upon “sin continuing” after it is forgiven. Our old person ( that which we were) is crucified with Christ. Each of us must identify our death with Christ’s death by realizing the “FACT” of our being included in His death. This is not a promise that we may someday receive but is a divine “fact” from God’s point of view. If we take a different point of view, we will not experience “the fact of our death”. If we are looking for “the promise” of our death coming to reality, experientially, we will not arrive at the fact. We must begin with the “fact”. Our faith must focus upon what God has said and not upon whether we feel dead or not. If we still have the feeling that death is future, we have not yet experienced the resurrection with Christ.

The doctrine of baptism looks squarely at the death of Christ, the burial of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Anything less than that is not New Testament baptism. If baptism was just a testimony, Philip would not have baptized the eunuch in the desert by himself but rather he would have taken him to witnesses. These concepts are man made substitutes for reality. If baptism is just death and burial and not resurrection, the second half of the Romans 6 will be impossible. How can we present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead if we are not truly resurrected with Christ? ROM 6:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin {as} instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members {as} instruments of righteousness to God.

Many have made a disastrous mistake teaching that baptism doesn’t do anything for us because they haven’t seen any results in themselves or in those they have baptized. The main reason is not in the baptism but in a total lack of what follows. The balance of Romans 6 is not a different study but all part of baptism. Without Rom. 6:12-22 in our experience, the baptism will be ineffective and the Romans 7 frustration will be evident. Baptism is not set against the flesh but against the world, death, first Adam, sin and the Law. “Sins” are set against the blood of the cross. “The Spirit” is set against the flesh. The “cross” is set against the world, the first Adam, death, sin and the law. Baptism brings these things to the cross for a conclusion and death. The death that we inherited must be satisfied by our death in Christ. The sentence of death is upon all men but is satisfied in Christ’s death at Calvary. We are therefore “baptized into His death”. For that reason we are buried with Him in baptism. The purpose stated is so we “may be resurrected with Him into newness of life”.

To return to the true Romans 6 reality we need to see that there is the need to escape from first Adam and his condemnation. Jesus Christ, the last Adam, included in Himself all that was wrong with the first Adam. Jesus took all the condemnation and guilt and the judgement that was due to all who were “in Adam” and gathered it all up and included all of it in His death and burial. We may partake of that personal experience by faith and by personal identification with Christ. When we come to the realization and the reality of “ Knowing” that we were crucified with Christ and we no longer live, we are ready for the burial. Israel was commanded to bury their dead the same day they died, before sundown. They were not permitted to leave their corpses laying around and we shouldn’t either. The same day they die they should be buried in baptism.

The reason that many churches insist upon evidence of certain changes before baptism is that they expect “reform from the old man first” instead of death. Once we understand the 14 indictments against the old man from Romans 3 we should understand that he cannot be reformed. He can only be crucified until he is dead. It is clear that he cannot crucify himself. The only alternativ be included in His death. When he knows he is dead we can bury him in baptism as soon as possible. Ideally, the same day he has died. If we baptize those who have only been forgiven of their sins but are still alive unto themselves, we can expect little more than a ritual. We will need to continually ask “ Shall we continue in sin that grace may increase?” Don’t you know that those who are friends with the world are enemies of God? Don’t you know that those who are of the first Adam are subject to the things of first Adam” Don’t you know that those who are alive to sin will still live in it? However, if we have died with Christ, we are freed from sin, we are freed from first Adam and we are freed from the world system. This is the “fact” of baptism that we are to “reckon” upon.

ROM 6:11 Even so consider ( reckon) ( look upon ) ( calculate) yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. This usage of the term “reckon” implies that it is going to require faith, endurance and patience to hold on to this “FACT” that we have died to sin but are alive to God in Christ Jesus. This is not a promise but an eternal fact. If it was a promise, we can “hope”. If it is a “FACT”, we can reckon. Through out the book of Romans Paul relates many facts about Jesus Christ. These are eternal facts that will never change or need to be modified. Some of these “FACTS” are what we base our salvation upon. We continually “reckon” upon these facts so we continually “live by faith”. If we accept the “promise” that He is both Christ and Lord, we will have some hope that someday we can be saved. Now there are certainly promises that we “hope for” but salvation is a fact in Jesus Christ. We can participate as soon as we accept, acknowledge and personalize the “fact” by faith. Dead to sin and alive to God is a fact that must be personalized by faith.

Everyone who tries to overcome sin by will power will surely fail. The “SIN FACTORY” is not even slowed down byn by himself and in himself cannot succeed in serving God or even doing good.

When God received us into Christ, He received us into Christ of the resurrection and not into Christ of the flesh. It was in Christ of the crucifixion and in Christ of death that God first received us. We see there were two aspects and manifestations of Christ. One was before His crucifixion and death, the other is following His resurrection. Our new man cannot participate in Christ before His resurrection. It is our old self, the person we once were, who participates in Christ of the crucifixion and death. Since we ( our old self) was crucified with Him and died with Him, the “I” which is the person I once was, does not resurrect but remains in the grave of baptism. It is the new “I” that is resurrected with Christ into newness of Life. That old self, that was joined inherently with the first Adam, remains in the grave as even the first Adam did.

The Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, carried all that was of the first Adam into the grave and brought the first Adam to a final conclusion in the grave and left him there. Jesus was the LAST ADAM. There will be no more. Then how do we participate in Christ of the resurrection? It was the Second Man that was resurrected. The first man remains in the grave. The Second Man means that there is a whole new race of man that has begun. In the same way that the first man began a whole new race of men that were sinners, the Second Man started a whole new race of men that are righteous. Eve was created as companion and helper for Adam. It was to both that God said to be fruitful and multiply. Adam could not do it alone. Now God has raised up a helper for Christ that He might bring forth fruit for God. This is the consecrated church that is joined to the Lord and has become one spirit with Him. This consecration could be compared to a wedding vow before God.

This consecration is the joining in resurrection that is seen in Romans 6: 16-23. The joining is to the resurrected Lord by those who are resurrected. Nothing of the old creation can be joined to the Lord. Only what is of the new creation. Consecrating anything of the old creation is very popular but cannot be accepted by Christ. For example: We consecrate our golf clubs and are very proud that we have “forsaken all”. Forsaking “your own self also” has to do with the old creation and consecration has to do with the new creation that has resurrected from the grave. Consecrating “your old self and anything of the old creation” is like offering a dead animal to God. He wouldn’t even accept a sick one.

ROM 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

Again we see that Paul has not changed his theme. He is still concerned about those who continue in sin after they are forgiven. What follows is his solution to “continuing in sin”. This is all part of the baptism solution but is speaking about more than getting wet. We really cannot consider baptism to be “the solution” until the consecration is complete.

ROM 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone {as} slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? ROM 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ROM 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ROM 6:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members {as} slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in {further} lawlessness, so now present your members {as} slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. ROM 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ROM 6:21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. ROM 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

“Slaves of obedience”, “Slaves of righteousness”, “Enslaved to God”, are the terms that cause pastors to offer baptism in a half priced sale along with the gospel of the giveaways. Just as a witness and public testimony instead of consecration. If we required that much, who would want to be baptized? Exactly! Then the church would be “the church” instead of one of the religious clubs. The reason given for this extreme is so “that sin shall not have dominion over you”. This is not just forgiveness but deliverance. It appears that resurrection into Christ Jesus, is a resurrection into a life of the bondservant and into the same consecration that Jesus had.

Since Paul is writing to Christians, it is significant that he then warns again. ROM 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone {as} slaves for obedienceeath, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? These seem to be the only options we are given. We are either slaves of sin or we are slaves of righteous. The problem is that sin always results in death. Sins can be forgiven but this “SIN FACTORY” will kill you.

We can only become “slaves of righteousness” after we are raised from the dead. ROM 6:13 ----- present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members {as} instruments of righteousness to God. If we refuse to die and be buried, how will we be resurrected? If we are not resurrected, we will have to present something of the old creation to God. This He cannot accept because nothing of the old creation can be transferred to the new creation.

God’s way of dealing with every aspect of the old creation is by death and burial. It is brought to a conclusion in the Last Adam and the “new race” and the “new creation” begins at the resurrection of the “Second Man”. Everything of resurrection is included in the Second Man. The death, burial and resurrection is designed for our deliverance and not for our forgiveness. This is why many are offended by the scripture that says “ Baptism now also saves you”. This is not the same as salvation “by the blood”. This is being saved by deliverance from the different sources that cause us to sin after we are forgiven. Deliverance does not depreciate the blood as so many claim.

The blood of the passover lamb saved Israel from death but it was deliverance that saved Israel from Egypt and for God’s purpose. The deliverance continued until Israel failed to advance into God’s purpose by entering Canaan. Then judgement took over to discipline Israel so the next generation could enter into Canaan. For example; There was no blood sacrifice at the Red Sea. That was deliverance from Egypt and the authority of Pharaoh. To put all the emphasis upon the blood will leave believers trapped in Egypt, (the world). It is certain that Israel was saved from the death of the first born by the blood upon the lintels and doorposts but God’s purpose was still for Israel to posses Canaan. That required deliverance, faith and obedience.

To sum up what we have discovered so far we could say that; God has included us in Christ at Calvary. When Christ died as the Last Adam, He carried all that was of the firemnation and all men born of the first Adam came into that exact condemnation. Since dominion over all the earth was given to first Adam, when he fell from God’s purpose and authority the “world system” arose and established itself upon the earth. When “SIN” entered into man Satan had the right to exercise authority over him because that caused all men to commit “SINS”. “Sin” was Satan’s identity in man. Sins are Satan’s manifestation in man. All therefore became a part of the kingdom of darkness. For that reason all men became alienated from God and were existing as enemies of God. Whoever is not for God is against Him. Because man is estranged from God, Who is eternal life, he is living in eternal death. Death then came upon all men. All men became “earthy” and bore the image of the first Adam who was originally created in the image and likeness of God. We can no longer say that man is in the image and likeness of God but in the image of first Adam after his fall. Mankind now are just “natural” and men of flesh. The judgement of God is upon all men because all have sinned. There are none who do good. Not even one. God’s evaluation is just, righteous and accurate. Man is dead in his trespasses and sins, he is alienated from God and he is without hope in this world.

ROM 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ROM 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ROM 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. ROM 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

EPH 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now worki them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. EPH 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, EPH 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly {places}, in Christ Jesus, EPH 2:7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Without Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary no one could be saved, or redeemed, or justified, or made righteous or been reconciled to God. All mankind would still be condemned, lost and sentenced to Hell along with the devil and his angels. Multitudes have no idea what Jesus Christ did for all mankind.

The scriptures reveal “THE FACTS” about all that was accomplished at Calvary. These are “eternal facts” and are eternally true whether anybody believes them or not. It does not require “faith” to make these “ETERNAL FACTS” true. They are eternally true. Of course to make these “FACTS” personally true in our experience, each one of us must exercise “PERSONAL FAITH”. Faith is simply believing what God has said in His word and acting upon it. Believing the fact of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus and acting upon it by confessing it with our mouth will make forgiveness of sins a reality in our lives, personally. Most all “born again” Christians hold to this truth.

In addition to these “ETERNAL TRUTHS”, there are many more than these that point to faith. They also are eternally true whether anybody believes them or not. While the Word of God reveals these ETERNAL TRUTHS”, they each must become “personally true” in our experience.

All true Christians believe in the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. The emphasis thencern our deliverance. This is where so much of the church is confused and therefore stop in walking out their full salvation. This is specifically true when it applies to our baptism and what God’s word says is “ETERNALLY TRUE”. That is that “we are crucified with Christ, we are dead with Christ, we are buried with Christ and we are resurrected with Christ into a whole new life”. We may say “yes, I believe that is true because that is what the bible says”.

This truth can be objective or it can be subjective. “Yes, I believe” can mean I believe in that objective truth. However, that truth has no personal fulfillment in my life. When that “ETERNAL TRUTH” becomes personal, by personal faith, and it becomes subjective, you will stand upon that “ETERNAL TRUTH” as a personal “FACT”.

The application is this; The “ETERNAL TRUTHS” presented in Romans 5,6,7 & 8 can remain objective or they can become subjective. Believing the objective truths in Rom 5 will not “save you”. Believing into a personal experience where these “facts” become subjective, results in forgiveness of sins, justification, reconciliation and righteousness. The “ETERNAL FACTS” will become personal truths in our experience.

ROM 6:11 Even so consider (count) (decide) ( reckon) yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. After presenting these “ETERNAL TRUTHS” about our crucifixion, our death, our burial and our resurrection, we must reckon and stand fast by faith in God’s word in order to make these objective truths become a reality in our life by becoming a subjective experience, personally. If water baptism is going to produce the desired results listed in Rom. 6, we must “live by faith” by reckoning on the “FACTS” of our experience “in Christ”. From the time of baptism until we go to be with the Lord there must be a continuous “reckoning” to hold that truth in our subjective experience. When we stop “reckoning”, the “eternal truths” become objective once again and are e appears to be contradictory because “the body of sin”, which was inactive, now becomes active.

Jesus Christ has accomplished so much “for us” at Calvary through His shed blood and His death. He has purchased our redemption, our forgiveness and our justification and has reconciled us to God. The shock comes to us when we find out that there is still much work to be done in order to render powerless all that the first Adam has done “in us”. Now man must co-operate with God to accomplish this work of “sanctification”. All this requires faith in order to stay in grace. God must work “in us” to accomplish this task of removing “from us” all that first Adam left “with us”. Even though the first Adam is dead, it appears that he is still living in us because of the many attributes he has left with us. The scriptures imply that nothing of the attributes of first Adam can participate in the Kingdom of God.

The problem is that Adam’s life and the attributes of the first mam has survived for hundreds of centuries and shows up in every generation. Even though he has died, his life and attributes refuses to die. The only way we can escape is for us to die since we carry all these things with us to the grave. God has made that provision in the death, and burial of Jesus Christ. This is the meaning of the cross and our participation by water baptism. Paul’s declaration that it is no longer “I” that lives but Christ lives in me is not just a Christian cliche. It is the reality of Calvary. You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God is one of the “FACTS” that we reckon upon. The “old you” is dead and buried. The “new you” is resurrected in the Second Man. He is now living His life in me or “I” am living by His life. There are only two lives. One is of the first Adam and the other is of the Second Man. We must live by one life or the other.

Now since “we have died with Christ” when He died, we are commanded to be baptized into His death. This takes the objective “fact” and personalizes it into a subjective experience so that “the fact” becomes my experience. Since “I” am immersed into His death, the new “I” can now be resurrected into the newness of His life. Old things have passed away and by resurrection “ all things become new”. Now we can say “ he who has died is freed from sin”. Are we to continue in sin after we are forgiven? That is not God’s plan.

To teach that baptinorant. But people say “the thief on the cross was not baptized and he made it to paradise”. The fact is that he died “with Christ” in a historical moment but not “in Christ”. The thief on the cross is not a picture of our salvation but of Christ’s mercy. The thieves were both buried but not “in Christ”. When we mix the physical with the spiritual we will arrive at the wrong conclusion. Our salvation is infinitely more that what the thief experienced.

Then the “BIG” question arises. If we have died with Christ, been buried with Christ and been resurrected with Christ, why do we see the old Adam and his attributes manifested in the church? The answer to this important question is seen in Paul’s admonition to “reckon yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”. The “reckon” is the continuous exercise of our faith in “THE FACT” of our death, burial and resurrection. If we don’t “reckon” we revert. “The righteous man must “live by faith”. Not just exercise faith once for forgiveness of sins. The Christian life is a whole lifetime of “living by faith”. This is not “super faith” to get rich but steadfast faith to live in the Spirit. If we are not in the Spirit we are in the flesh. We discover that the Christian life cannot be lived “in the flesh” and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

ROM 8:12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- ROM 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. If you are still living “in the flesh” it means that you have not yet died or that the old nature is manifesting itself again. How can that be since “I” died and “I” was buried with Him in baptism? The old Adam refused to die in us in that his attributes are still with us. As long as we “reckon”, the old man is powerless, inactive. unemployed and ineffective. When we quit “reckoning” his attributes manifest. We could say that “reckoning” is a steadfast faith held in perseverance.

All New Testament believers were baptized into His death and were buried with Him in baptism. If baptism does what Romans 6 says, why did Paul spend so much time correcting Church problems that were gross? Are we to continue to sin?

All this focuses upon the lack of consecration that is presented in Rom. 6:12-22. However, the problems of flesh is presented in Rom. 7. The last part of Romans 6 deals with still being slaves of sin. Romans 7 deals with being slaves of the flesh. How shall we who have died to sin still live in it? The answer is given in Romans 6-7-& 8. However, those who don’t bother about making themselves slaves of righteousness and slaves of God will not bother about “reckoning themselves to be dead to sin”.

If we have been properly baptized ( after we know we have died with Christ) “the fact” is “we have died with Him” but if we don’t constantly “reckon upon that fact”, “the fact” is not presently true for us, personally. In the book of Romans we see a long list of “facts” presented about the cross, the blood, our old nature, our new nature, death, burial, resurrection, new kind of life, law, spirit, Holy Spirit, sons, flesh, slaves, freedom, etc. These things are absolutely true. If they are not in our experience, they are still true. We need to reconcile our experience to God’s word and not try to get God’s word to fit our experience.

Then Romans 7 presents the problem with the law of commandments and the sin that was made known and made personal through the law. Man’s problem is that in the flesh it is impossible to keep the law. The laws were not given so that the man of flesh would keep them but so that the man of flesh would recognize that it was “sin” that dwelt in him. The purpose was to make sin utterly sinful. The flesh is in total bondage to sin because flesh has no power to overcome sin. Here we see the same problem that was presented in Romans chapter 6 which was sin continuing after it is forgiven.

In Romans 7 we see two problems. One is the law that demands a certain performance from us but gives us no power to do those things. If we don’t obey the things of the law, we will sin. However, the man of flesh cannot fulfill the law of commandments. Therefore, the man of flesh is sold into bondage to sin and he cannot help hinself.

The first problem is that man must be set free from the law of commandments. The second problem presented is that man must also be set free from bondage to the flesh. These two things working together will keep man serving the law of sin. This reveals that “sin” is a law that is working in us. Sin is not just our behavior and acts we have committed. Sin is a law that is working and existing in us. Sin is a power in me that I have no control over.

In Rom. 7:1-4 Paul is using an example of a woman married to a man under the law of commandments. She would sincerely like to be free of this marriage and be married to another man she much prefers over her husband. However, the law says that if she leaves her husband and joins herself to this other man she will be an adulteress. If her husband would die she would be free to marry another.

The application is that the husband is a picture for us of “the law”. We want to be free from the law so that we can be married to Jesus. Since the law won’t die and will be with us untill all is fulfilled, we cannot be free! Of course, if we should die then the law would have no jurisdiction over us. Since the law will not die, the only possibility is for us to die to the law. Then the law has no power over us because we are released from the law by death.

God’s provision for us to get free from the law is to die in Jesus Christ, be burried and then be resurrected into a realm where the law has no jurisdiction. Then we can be married to The One who was raised from the dead, even Jesus. The purpose of this new union is to bring forth fruit for God ( spiritual children).

Before we were resurrected, we were bound to the law. Resurrection is by the Holy Spirit and lifts us up to the realm of the Spirit rather than remain in the realm of the natural and the letter of the law. The realm of the Spirit is the only acceptable realm in which we can serve God.

The flesh also presents a great problem for man. This old person I used to be functions through the flesh or that part of me that is of the earth and earthy, just natural. This sin nature is revived by the flesh and the “sin factory” begins to produce it’s product of “sins”. “I” don’t approve of what the flesh is doing. In fact “I” hate the things the flesh is doing but “I” have no power to stop it. With my mind “I” still want to serve God but the “sin factory” just keeps on turning out “sins”. As long as “I” am in the We have to die to the law of commandments by participating in Christ’s death and burial. That releases us from the sin that comes to us by failing to keep the law. Now God has a solution for the flesh. That is the message of the first part of Romans 8. ROM 8:4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ROM 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. When Jesus Christ was resurrected, He also ascended and received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit which He poured out upon His disciples. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of resurrection and He imparts the resurrection life of Christ to us out of the grave of baptism. We are filled with the Spirit and resurrected into newness of “life” as opposed to oldness of the letter. ACT 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. ACT 2:38 And Peter {said} to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ACT 2:39 “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.”

It is every believer’s responsibility to receive and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The flesh is responsible for all this controversy about what that means. Since it is the Spirit that confronts and discourages the activities of the flesh, how will the flesh be dealt with if the Holy Spirit is not active in each life? To fail to receive the Holy Spirit in all His activities because of some doctrinal misunderstanding is still inexcusable. His work is so crucial to the Christian life that He must be received and obeyed at any cost. Pentecost is a church age blessing and has not o reject Pentecost because there are no present day “tongues of fire” that sits upon us is foolish. In other places in the book of Acts we see believers receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues but there was no evidence of tongues of fire sitting upon them.

To reject Pentecost because those who speak in tongues also manifest the flesh is childish. Paul never rebuked the Corinthians for the use of tongues but for the misuse of tongues. One of their problems was the manifestation of flesh. However, to reject the Holy Spirit because of the manifestation of flesh is to reject the only help that God has given us to deal with the flesh. The flesh is a universal problem with all believers. Thefore, Paul is addressing the subject in Romans 7.

Now “the flesh” is not overcome by “dying to the flesh” but by “walking in the Spirit”. We have died to sin and we have died to the law but we do not die to the flesh. We put to death the deeds of the body but the flesh is only ovrercome by walking in the Spirit. ROM 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. The problem presented now is in serving God. To have our sins forgiven is just by faith in what Christ has done. Forgiveness does not take in the matter of the sin factory, or sin itself, or of the law of commandments or of the flesh. It is just a matter of faith in the blood of Jesus. After our sins are forgiven and we become bondservants or slaves of God to serve God and do the whole will of God, we are faced with and many times overcome by the flesh. It is not even the problem of not knowing what good to do. It is the problem of having no power in myself to do the good I want to do. The problem is this principle of sin that dwells in me that manifests through the flesh when I decide to do good. This problem is recognized when I stand up to do the will of God and serve Him.

Did or Yes, the word of God says we did. That is an eternal fact. The sin factory has become ineffective and inactive but the law of sin still functions within the members of my body. It is in my body that I must serve God and it is the members of my body that hinders me from doing the will of God. Even though my sins are forgiven, I am just a man of flesh.

ROM 7:14 For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ROM 7:15 For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I {would} like to {do,} but I am doing the very thing I hate. ROM 7:16 But if I do the very thing I do not wish {to do}, I agree with the Law, {confessing} that it is good. ROM 7:17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me.

Even though I have died to sin so that I no longer live in it, the members of by earthly body is still waging war with my mind to take me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.

ROM 7:23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ROM 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

It is obvious that this problem of the flesh must be dealt with by Jesus Christ and a provision made through Calvary. That provision was distributed at the ascention. ACT 2:32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. ACT 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

God’s provision to deal with the flesh is “the Holy Spirit”.

ROM 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ROM 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and { as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ROM 8:4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ROM 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ROM 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ROM 8:7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able { to do so}; ROM 8:8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. None of us can do the will of God or even please God, even if we are very active, if we are in the flesh. The law of sin that manifests through my members produces “deeds of the body”. ROM 7:23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ROM 8:12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- ROM 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

It should be clear that to live the Christian life is not a passive experience where we just sit in a pew and wait for Jesus to come for us. Those who walk by the flesh and live according to the flesh cannot please God or be ready for the coming of Christ. There is no substitute or alternative to walking in the Spirit. “Walking in the Spirit” is absolutely essential to the Christian Life, which is a life of serving God.

Even though the flesh is always present, it is peculiarly manifest as soon as we set out to serve God. We discover that we have died to the law but we have not died to the flesh. ROM 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. As soon as we try to serve God according to the oldness of the letter rather than the newness of the Spirit we are trapped. ROM 7:20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. ROM 7:21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. ROM 7:22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, ROM 7:23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. All this points to the man who sets out to serve God in the flesh and discovers that sin is working as a law within him.

Now it is evident that even the baptized person who has died to sin, was buried and is resurrected into a whole new life can easily revert back to his former bondage to sin unless he then walks in the Spirit. This is the reason that the Rom. 7 experience is so common in the church. Even “Spirit filled” churches that walk according to the flesh.

He would not die. However, God has provided for our release from that master by our dying. When we die we are released from that slavery. Nevertheless, if we walk in the flesh, “he”, “sin”, comes again to take us captive. ROM 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone {as} slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? If we fail to present ourselves as slaves of righteousness and obedience to God, all that God provided in baptism is of no effect. In that same way, those who walk in the flesh fail to experience the deliverance that God has provided in Rom. 6.

We may consider that baptism has failed but in reality it is our lack of consecration and our walking in the flesh that has brought the failure. In addition to that, there is the continual need to “reckon” our selves to be dead. God’s provision cannot fail if we fulfill our responsibility. ROM 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. We may wish it wasn’t this way but it is! The conclusion of the matter is this; We are dead to sin as long as we walk in the Spirit. As soon as we revert back to the flesh, the law of sin revives. Therefore, no one can serve God in the flesh and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ( Flesh means soul and body functioning together with little or no input and function of the spirit, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit).

The failure of the law of commandments was not because they were not holy, righteous and good. The law failed because man was only flesh and flesh was held in bondage to sin. The “Christian life” also fails because of “flesh”. The church is divided for the same reason. The “requirement of the law” can only be fulfilled by those who walk in the Spirit. The true church can only function wheat the solution to the Rom. 7 disappointment is walking in Rom. 8. Rom. 7 is truth but it need not be a disappointment. The Holy Spirit has come to deliver us from the disappointment of Rom. 7.