SOMEBODY'S PERFECT

FROM B SMITH'S KITCHEN WINDOW

637-1 SOMEBODY'S PERFECT
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
October 11, 1981

John 1: 1 - 3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.

As we have studied the last two Sunday mornings we have seen that Jesus Christ is Very God. It is clear, that if you want to be saved, if you are trusting Jesus Christ you must believe that he is God.

John 8: 24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.

1/ Words cannot be clearer. Ye shall die in your sins for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins. He is literally taking the name of God. "I AM".

2/ The Jews who listened to Him, knew quite well that I AM was Jehovah God, and Jesus Christ is saying I AM Jehovah.

3/ Exodus 3: 13 -15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

When Moses asked the Name of God, I AM that I AM was the mysterious answer. Then He says at the end of the 14^th vs. You say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you, and in vs. 15 He says, you tell the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob has sent me unto you. 

So, I AM is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. So Jesus Christ is taking that Name.

4/ But now we have another problem that we must face. How can this God be a real man? Certain questions force themselves upon us. Was He really a man? Was He a real man? Being a man did He cease to be God? These are questions all of us must answer. Then another important question, Is it necessary that we believe that Jesus Christ was a real man? So we will search the Scriptures this morning to find the answer to these questions.

5/ John 8: 39 - 40 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Here He was debating with the Jews as to whether, or not they were the children of Abraham. He said, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham, but now ye seek to kill me--a Man who has told you the truth which I have heard of God. So there is no question--He calls Himself a man.

6/ Acts 2: 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

In Peter’s famous sermon on the day of Pentecost, he said to the nation, Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved unto God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. So you see that Peter does not hesitate to say that Jesus Christ is a Man. In the following verses Peter hastened to announce also the preexistence and the deity of this man. But, he does not scorn to use the term that tells us there was humanity in Jesus Christ.

7/ Whether Jesus Christ was Man was debated in the early church. In those early days they never had a question as to His deity. But, it was hard for them to understand how God could also be a man. But, the leaders of the early church were very dogmatic as to the manhood of Jesus Christ. So here we have what theologians call the hypostatic union, the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ.

8/ Paul was sure of the real humanity of Jesus Christ. Romans 5: 15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And the gift of grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many, so that also is clear.

9/  I Corinthians 15: 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. He writes to the church at Corinth, for since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

10/ I Timothy 2: 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Again, he calls Jesus a man when he writes to Timothy, for there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. Believe me, anyone who reads the Scriptures with honesty in his heart will soon be convinced that Jesus Christ was god and that Jesus Christ was a real, or true man. 

11/ To show also that Jesus Christ was a real or true Man, we read in Matthew 4: 2 That when He had fasted 40 days and nights He was desperately hungry. So the human nature of Jesus Christ knew the weakness and suffering that comes from the lack of food. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. Any person upon this earth who cries to God that he is hungry, will know that God is conscious of what it is like to be hungry.

12/ John 4: 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. His body experienced a great and overpowering weariness. Notice in the 6th verse. It says, He, being wearied with His journey sat by the well. You have to realize they were within a few hundred yards of Sychar, and He sat on the curb of the well to rest and recover His strength, while His disciples went on into the village in pursuit of food. Tired by the long jorney, worn by the heat of the day, the Man, Jesus Christ, said to the woman of Samaria, I thirst, give Me a drink. So He was tired and He was thirsty.

13/ Matthew 8: 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Being a real man, He had a need of sleep. Perhaps the saddest words that ever came from His lips were spoken when He stood in the gathering dusk and said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." Many were the weary nights that He wrapped Himself in His mantle and lay under the canopy of the stars to refresh His weary body.

14/ Mark 10: 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go they way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. Here we have the case of the rich, young ruler. He came to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ, beholding him, loved him. He loved.

15/ John 11: 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Here we have that Jesus loved Martha and her sister, Mary, and Lazarus. It was a home where they entertained Him often, and whenever He had time, He turned to the shelter of their home in Bethany and refreshed His spirit with companionship and communion with other human beings whom He had loved.

16/ Matthew 9: 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Here we see a real human instinct. Here we read, but when He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion on them. Why? Because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no Shepherd.

17/  What was the purpose of the incarnation? Why did God, Why did Deity become humanity? He become a real man?

18/ The God-man is the answer to man's unceasing search for God. Man has a natural instinct to worship, and man has tried to satisfy that instinct by making idols, and we have in Romans 1: idols of wood, gold and stone. Man as wanted to see God, that's why he paints pictures of God. He wants to know what God looks like--he tries to form in his mind an image of God. So God put Himself in the place where man could see Him.

John 1: 18 tells us that "no man has seen God at  any time. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." That means a manifestation or a showing forth so that the only thing of God you will ever see is Jesus Christ’s humanity.

19/ This should be almost at the beginning John 1: 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Notice that this verse starts with the conjunction, And. Here, and, connects two thoughts, but I don't believe this means to connect verse 13 with 14, but rather verse 1 with verse 14. In the beginning was the Word, and now the Word became flesh. Between verses 1 and 14 we have a big parenthesis. We see that God became a man, a real man, a perfect man. You hear the phrase over, and over, again, "no one is perfect" but when we look in the Bible we see a man who was perfect in every way.

20/ John 1: 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Here we read, and dwelt among us. This is a great key in the understanding of the humanity of Jesus Christ, or why He became true Man. His sojourn among us was supposed to be temporary, in order, that John might express the temporary aspect of the coming of the Logos, he used a Greek word which, rightly translated, is TENTED, OR PITCHED HIS TENT. A tent is a thing that is used for a temporary dwelling, either by Nomads, or by soldiers. It was not the purpose of Jesus Christ to  come down here and live as long as He could. He could have lived much longer than the short span of His 33 years. We are born into this world to live, but he was born into this world to die.

21/ Now we must see when Jesus Christ arose from the tomb, He did not merely have a restoration, or a resuscitation of the old body. His old body was gloriously transformed. He took uponHimself a new resurrection body. Which was unique and immortal, it couldn't die. His body that died became a seed for a resurrection body, never again will He come back into the body He had then, in the body of His humiliation, but in the body of His resurrection, the body of His glorification. Never again was He to die. He is now to live forever as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the only Potentate.

22/ We entitled this message, "Somebody's Perfect". When Jesus Christ was on earth, He was the perfect Man. Let's look at some Scriptures that will prove this. I John 3: 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Here we read, "and in Him is no sin." II Corinthians 5: 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He knew no sin. 
Hebrews 4: 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Yet without sin. So it is very clear that Jesus Christ was not a sinner. He did not have a sin nature, and He was the perfect Man in flesh.

23/ The question is often asked, could Jesus Christ have sinned? He was a perfect Man, but could He have sinned? I say absolutely not. This perfect man could never have sinned no matter what. Hebrews 7: 26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate fro sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Here we read He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.

24/ It is ridiculous to teach that Jesus Christ could have sinned. It was absolutely impossible for this perfect Man to have an evil thought, to succumb to the devil.

25/ Could Jesus Christ have sinned when He was tempted there in Matthew 4? He was in the wilderness, facing that great tempter, Satan. Of course not. One Scripture will answer forever that proposition that He could have sinned when the devil tempted Him.

John 14: 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. Here He says, the Prince of this world cometh and has nothing in Me. It is impossible that Satan could have caused that true Man to sin. There was nothing in Him that Satan could use--no old nature.

Ref: 10-11/1981 / 637-1 SOMEBODY'S PERFECT / 3/18/2020

  

THE HARDEST THING FOR A MAN TO BELIEVE

Photo taken from B Smith's Kitchen Window

250 - THE HARDEST THING FOR A MAN TO BELIEVE

10-21-1962 

Henry F. Kulp

Ephesians 3: 1 - 7 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

In the spiritual realm, there is one truth above all others which man finds exceedingly difficult to believe. In my years of experience in dealing with man relative to the things of God, I make this statement, and I am sure that most preachers will concur with my thoughts. 

1.  MANY PEOPLE FIND IT HARD---To believe in the reality of Heaven. They just can’t comprehend it, and others have a hard time believing in a hell of fire and brimstone. Others stumble over the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, and still others have a hard time with the deity of Jesus Christ. But others have problems with the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, still others with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.  BUT ABOVE ALL THESE, the glorious revelation that man is saved and justified by grace and grace alone is the most difficult for man to believe. Only the Spirit of God can reveal this wonderful truth to his blighted soul. Only by the Holy Spirit can he begin to comprehend it.

I Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritual discerned. Nothing appears more foolish to the unsaved person than the doctrine of the grace of God. Sin has so blighted his mind and his thoughts that he just can’t believe it.

3.  MAN BECOMES ENRAGED when this doctrine is taught. He becomes incensed and he is willing to kill and destroy to stamp out this doctrine of the grace of God. Let me show it to you in the Bible. I want to show you the climatic statement made by the Apostle Paul in the synagogue at Antioch---Acts 13: 16 Then Paul stood up and beckoning with his hands said, men of Israel and ye that fear God, give audience. After recounting God’s dealing with the nation and the story of Christ’s death and resurrection---Paul make this startling statement. Acts 13: 38, 39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren that though this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified by the law of Moses. Think of it---here is Paul’s statement---justification apart from the law of Moses. Nothing but a miracle of God could open man’s blinded eyes to see this truth. 

4.  NOW, THIS PREACHING BY PAUL OF THE GRACE OF GOD aroused violent opposition on the part of the religious people, first of all, notice, Acts 13: 44, 45, 50 The next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews, the religious people, saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. My, how they hated the grace of God and spoke against it. Then this 50th verse. But the Jews stirred up, the devout and honorable women, and chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 

From Paul’s day to this day, the Gospel of the grace of God has been the subject of bitter attack. From the time that Cain, in self-will, brought before God his basket of fruits and vegetables unto our present day, men have hated, taught against, and sought to overthrow this grand doctrine of the Bible. YOU WILL NOTICE IN Ephesians 3: 1, 2 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: Here we read about the dispensation of the grace of God. What do we mean by the dispensation of the grace of God? This present day is known as the dispensation of the grace of God. But now, what is grace? We have told you so often the best definition we can find for grace is everything for nothing, and this is what man hates---he wants to do something for God, where God says, He has already done it for us. 

BUT BEFORE WE GO ON STUDYING THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD, let us look at a few verses in the Book of Romans that absolutely thrill my soul. Romans 5: 20, 21 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

5.  HERE WE READ ABOUT SIN ABOUNDING. If you were ever given the supernatural power to be able to behold all of the sin, the wickedness that is in the world, all the evil thoughts, all the terrible deeds of all the people living upon the face of the earth, you would then know the meaning of abounding sin. BUT, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, and of course, that means super abound, and it has the Greek word Hoop-pear, which means over and above. Where sin abounds, grace did much more abound, upon super, super abound. No matter how much sin is in your life, there is more then enough grace to compensate for it. 

6.  NOW LET US LOOK AT THE 21st verse and here few folks have ever read this Scripture with real comprehension. It is a thrilling passage of Scripture. You will notice there are two things reigning in this verse. You have the same word reign that means to reign as sovereign, to reign as a king. First of all, sin hath reigned unto death. Sin has reigned sovereign unto death.  Sin hath reigned as a sovereign unto death. Sin has been in the world as a despot, ruling over man as a tyrant. Sin and death do not ask their subjects to bow before them---they reign over them in force, and they make mankind seek to postpone physical death as long as possible. Death has secured this control over mankind by the means of sin, and it has brought all humanity under its power.

7.  EVEN SO DOES GRACE REIGN. Grace is on the throne right now. Grace is sovereign over sin and death. Grace reigns today.  Let us show you another thrilling Scripture. 

Hebrews 4: 16 For we are instructed, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,.. Grace is on the throne, and it is on the throne in greater power then sin ever had. In one respect, the most important word in the last verse of the 5th chapter of Romans is the first word ‘that’.  It is a word of great purpose. It could be just as well translated, so that, or in order that. So what is the thought? Grace super abounds in all that grace might reign.

8.  FOR THE CHILD OF GOD--God considers the reign of death to be over for those who are in Jesus Christ. Sin and death did not abdicate, death and sin we conquered. Conquered by the grace of God. He says sin abounds and grace does much more abound. They are different words in the Greek. The word abound means overflow. The picture is this---a stream and the bed of the stream is filled with water from the rains until the banks over-flow--that was sin, sin was like a river or stream that over-flowed its banks. Sin has abounded in this world.  But grace does super-abound, and so we see the picture of sin as a stream that has over-flowed its banks, but up the hill there is a great body of water, held back by a dam, and because of the rains and the weight of the water, the dam gives way, and there is a great flood, and now all the country is flooded, and you can’t find the river---even the river itself is gone. You cannot see the course of it. That is where super abundance overcomes abundance. Sin as a river overflowed and just hid sin, but GRACE washed it away. What a wonderful fact, grace is now reigning on the throne. Reigning as a sovereign, as a king.

9.  BUT NOW, LET US GO BACK and consider that this is the dispensation of the grace of God. Now, I want to emphasize the difference between the grace of God in a dispensation and the dispensation of the grace of God. There is a world of difference there. You have had grace in every dispensation. Noah found grace in the sight of God. 

Genesis 6: 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But grace was not reigning then---that was not the dispensation of the grace of God. Men living under the dispensation of the law were saved by the grace. Men living under the dispensation of law were saved by grace, but that was not the dispensation of grace, and grace was not reigning on the throne at that time. 

10. FIRST OF ALL LET US NOTICE that Christ Jesus had to abolish death before the dispensation of the grace could begin. Before there could be a reign of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ abolished death. 

11. AND THEN ALSO, before the dispensation of God could be in effect, before the human race could be rescued, Jesus Christ had to die and destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil.  Hebrews 2: 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 

Do you remember when Jesus Christ was going to the cross to die, and then to be resurrected from the dead, He said concerning Satan in John 12: 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. By the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the prince of this world was judged. Christ destroyed him who had the power of death---that is the devil. The abolition of death and the judging of Satan had to happen before there could be a reign of grace. 

12. BUT THERE COULD NOT BE A REIGN OF GRACE DURING THE REIGN OF THE LAW.  God had to abolish the law. He had to get the law out of the way. Let us notice the Scripture to prove this Colossians 2: 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out the way, nailing it to His cross. Yes, death is abolished. The devil is judged, the law blotted out. Now, when we see the ordinances that were written with handwriting, we immediately remember the Law of Moses. Remember the law was ordinances that were against people, not for them.  And I find that the word, contract comes from the word that means an adversary. An adversary that is too much for you---one that you cannot overcome. 

13. THEN DID YOU EVER KNOW that when Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, He himself nailed something to the Cross.  When they were driving the nails through His hands, Jesus Christ was nailing to the LAW that which was written against every man---the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ nailed it to the cross and the debt was paid and we are free.

14. THE THOUGHT HERE IS THAT IN THE TIME OF ROME a debt was a crime. A man who was in debt was always in danger of not being able to pay and if the time came that he could not pay then he and his family could become slaves. It was a glorious time when a man’s debt was paid and he could say he was clear. Often a man wanted his neighbors to know that he was no longer in danger of servitude, so when the debt was paid, he took the old canceled debt, nailed it over his door, and all the neighbors knew that he was a free man. That is exactly what God did. He nailed our sin debt to the cross so that we can see that we are free. The law had to be abolished, done away with, before the reign of grace could take place, before the dispensation of grace could be begun. 

15. WHAT ELSE? WELL, SIN HAD TO BE PUT AWAY BEFORE GRACE COULD REIGN, before the dispensation of grace could begin. Hebrews  9: 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Christ Jesus put sin out of the way. What a glorious, wonderful, truth. 

16. WHAT ELSE?  ISRAEL HAD TO BE CAST AWAY. Romans 11: 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead. Then notice the 12th verse Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? And, the 30th verse---for as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:  The middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile had to be broken down, so that now there is no difference---all have come short of the glory of God. Both Jew and Gentile. There is no favorite nation. That position had to crumble and pass away, before the grace of God could reign. 

17. TITUS 2: 11 - 14. If you want to see what grace is doing under the reign of grace, under the dispensation of grace, here we have its work in capsule form. First of all, the grace of God saves, for nothing else can. Then the grace of God schools, it child trains us. Then the grace of God satisfies, it provides life with a hope. To live without hope is a terrible thing, but whoever is saved by the grace of God under the reign of grace, the dispensation of grace, has hope. And then grace secures. You are secure in Christ for all eternity.           

Ref: 10/21/1962 / 250 - THE HARDEST THING FOR A MAN TO BELIEVE /2/18/2020 

THE TRAGEDY OF CARNALITY

The view from our kitchen window

286 - THE TRAGEDY OF CARNALITY

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

January 24, 1965

Romans 8: 4 - 9 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

In this Scripture, we have some very important facts—first of all, there is no judgment for the believer—there is no judgment day ahead for him. Then secondly, we are free from the law of sin and death, which is in every individual, and we have been made free by the law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus, and this is true because Christ bore our sins in His body. Right at this point, there are three words that I would like to study with you—it is important that you know these words and understand them. The first word is ransom, the second is redeemed, and the third is reconciled. 

First of all turn to I Timothy 2: 6. Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. As I read these Scriptures—there are three Scriptures that I want to read—I want you to keep in mind the three words—ransomed, redeemed, reconciled, and, of course, this is the first one—Who gave Himself a ransom for all, and when we come to redeemed we will find they are different, and when we come to reconciled, we will find that is different form the other two. But now it says He gave Himself a ransom. Who is He? Who is the Son of God? He is Man and God, the Wonderful Being, the One Who left His place in the glory where He created the universe, and came down here and took humanity upon Himself and became God and Man in one Being. The Body in which Christ lived, that Body was human and divine, the most precious thing in the universe, and He gave this a ransom for us. 

Ephesians 1: 7 In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;..  For a ransom He gave Himself, for redemption, He gave His blood. Then it says, He gave Himself a ransom, there is no mention of blood, because He was giving Himself as the price for us to be free. A ransom is given for those who are held in bondage by an enemy, and a ransom must be paid. The ransom necessary for us was so great that only God Himself could pay it, for redemption, and that brings in sin, there has to be blood, so we are redeemed by His blood, and for that reason, He had to go to the Cross. 

The third word, is reconcile. Romans 5: 11 Here you have the word, atonement, but it is really the word, reconciliation, And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Or, reconciliation. Being ransomed is by the gift of Himself, redemption is by the pouring out of His blood, reconciledby His death. So man is reconciled by the death of Christ, and you have to distinguish between these three. Man is at war with God and man needs to be reconciled to God—there is enmity between man and God, and thereby Jesus Christ died, that we might be reconciled.

1.   But now we come to a very important verse, Romans 8: 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. What does this mean? Right away someone will say, if you don’t walk a certain way, you are not saved, but this is not talking about our personal walk. What this verse is actually saying is that we are keeping the law. You say ‘’We are? In days gone by you said we can’t keep the law. We can’t keep it in our own flesh, our own endeavor, but nevertheless, we are keeping the law, and we are keeping the law perfectly. Everyone who is saved is keeping the law and keeping it perfectly. How has this come about? You are not able to keep the law to be saved, and after you are saved, you still can’t keep the law, but the One Who lives in you keeps the law. The being kept in you—maybe you don’t realize it, but if you are saved this is exactly what is taking place. How does God fulfill the law in us? Christ was the only One who ever kept the law, Who ever met the demands of the law, and in Colossians 1: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Christ in you the hope of glory. In this one instance, He is our Hope of glory. He is fulfilling the law in us. He is keeping the law in us.

2.   The law demands two things: Whenever you have summed up the whole law it demands two things. What are these two things? Let us first of all notice in this law might be fulfilled in us. First of all, it demands righteousness, and we do not have righteousness. Remember, I Corinthians 1: 30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: He is righteousness within us.

3.   Galatians 5: 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Where all the law is fulfilled in one word—notice, all the law is fulfilled in one word. What is this one word? Even this, that thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Romans 13: 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Here is the same thing, the law demands righteousness, the law demands love. But you do not have love within yourself. But love is what the law demands. Notice, I Timothy 1: 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: Do you realize that in John’s Gospel and in John’s epistle he uses the word, love, in different forms 102 times. Paul uses it 109 times, and he says in I Corinthians 13 the greatest of these is love. Christ is our righteousness, and let us notice another Scripture about love now. Romans 5: 5 And this is a good verse to remember. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. This is not an experience that some people have. I would like to have that experience. You do have it when you are saved. This is what happened when you were saved, and if it didn’t happen, you weren’t saved. The love of God was shed abroad in our hearts and this is what came in when the Holy Spirit came into live in our life. So Christ and the Holy Spirit in us are keeping the law, fulfilling it perfectly.

4.   Let us notice the words, who walk not after the flesh—you say that means a Christian shouldn’t walk in the flesh, no, that isn’t what it means at all—notice verse 9. That ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. This is what it means in II Corinthians 5: 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. He is a new creation, and he is now spiritual. He wasn’t before, but he is now. This is true of all believers, and then he goes on to say, old thing have passed away. That is the flesh, and behold, all things are become new.

5.   What is the flesh and what is the Spirit? Anyone who is in Adam is fleshly—we said earlier in this study of the Book of Romans, God only recognizes two men—the first Adam and the second Adam—Adam and Christ—if you are in Adam, you are fleshly, if you are in Christ, you are spiritual, and all who are saved are walking after the Spirit. The important word here is, after, after the Spirit.

6.    Now beginning in Romans 8: 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. We have a comparison between this new life that is in us and the old life in the flesh. Some people read these verses from verses 5 on as a warning to God’s people. But it isn’t that all—it is a comparison. Some people think this is a warning to us not to live according to the flesh, but to live according to the Spirit. But that 9^th verse shows us how foolish this is. But ye are not in the flesh—you see, that is a definite statement. We have been taken out of it—out of the flesh, and we have a new life for the Holy Spirit has come in. Let us look fully at that verse 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. If the Holy Spirit didn’t come in and bring the life of God, then you are not saved. The Holy Spirit’s coming in is not a second experience, it is when you are saved. God gives you the Holy Spirit and He does the work of bringing in righteousness and the love of God into your life.

7.   Now look at Romans 8: 7 Because the carnal mind is amenity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. That is a distinction that is one that is not saved. He is showing here what it means to have the Holy Spirit, He is not here warning the Lord’s people, He is showing the difference between the life that we have in the Spirit and the life that is lived without the Spirit.

8.   Romans 8: 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now, look at the 9^th verse. But ye are not in the flesh. Do you see the difference? It matters now how good a life a man tries to live, if he is still in the flesh and doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, he cannot please God. So he is showing a distinction between a man who is saved, and a man who is unsaved.

9.   I wonder how many folks really realize what a wonderful position we have today. Having salvation and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us—Christ in us. I am sure we don’t realize this as we ought—God couldn’t do it for David. He could not do for David what He has done for you. He could not do for Abraham, Isaac. And Jacob, or Moses or Joseph or any other character in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit was not given as the Holy Spirit is given today. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit only operated.

10.This came home to my heart very clearly as I was studying the Book of Judges the other day. It says four different times that the Spirit came on Samson. Judges 14: 5, 6 Here, it says, Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand:…

This was the Bible’s Hercules. We don’t understand this the Holy Spirit operating in Samson—not at all—Holy Spirit gave to David the wisdom to rule, and to some others He gave them the wisdom to write poetry, to others to be great leaders of armies—but to Samson, the Holy Spirit was physical power. Did you ever see a picture of Samson? And he had those great muscles like a giant. From studying the Scriptures, he wasn’t anything of the kind. His strength was not in great physical muscles, like a giant. It was in the Holy Spirit coming in his body. Notice, he couldn’t have taken this young lion and rent him like a kid, if the Holy Spirit hadn’t come upon him.

11. And then, Samson had a vow that he made—he was a Nazarite, and when he broke his vow, the Holy Spirit didn’t come upon him, he was as weak as any other man. A Nazarite should never have his hair cut, nor his head shaven, but Samson told his vow, the secret of his power. 

Judges 16: 16 – 19   And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; ¹⁷ That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. ¹⁸ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. ¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

When they shaved his head, he was just like any other man, and the Holy Spirit did not come upon him to empower him. Verse 20 when she said, (that is Delilah) The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.—but what happened, the Lord had departed from him. The Holy Spirit was not going to come upon him and empower him this time. And then notice, verse 21 the Philistines took him and put out his eyes. They didn’t even bind him to put out his eyes. It was when they brought him down to Gaza that they bound him with fetters of brass. For he was just like any other man. The Holy Spirit did not come upon him and empower him. His strength was in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only operated in the Old Testament. But in the New Testament, He dwells and lives in us. This makes the difference.

12. Now notice, Romans 8: 11 But if the Spirit of Him that from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. We, and then He says, therefore, brethren, we are debtors to God for what He did. This Holy Spirit in us also guarantees our resurrection body. Some people read in the 11^th verse to read that He quickens our mortal bodies right now. But the mortal body is the body that dies, mortal means that it must die. And it says here, shall also quicken or raise up your mortal bodies—that is future. When you pass away from this present life and lay your body in the tomb, you are with the Lord, and that is why we keep telling you that we only sow the body of the believer. 

I Corinthians 15: 42, 43 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: ⁴³ It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: The Holy Spirit in us is a guarantee, a foretaste--a down-payment of the fact that even though now we have mortal bodies, one of these days, our bodies will be like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that we might understand that.

13. It is wonderful to know that we are not in the FLESH, BUT we are in the Spirit. This is not taking about our everyday walk, but it is talking about our position in Jesus Christ. Again, we must warn you, this is not a warning, this is a comparison; this is a distinction. Rejoice in what you have in Christ Jesus.

14. We have entitled this message, the tragedy of carnality. Carnality is death, to be fleshly is death, you are fleshly if you are in Adam, but not in Christ. Remember, I Corinthians 16: 22 “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

It is our prayer that you love Christ, you are no longer fleshly, but now you are spiritual.

Ref: 01/24/1965/ 286 - THE TRAGEDY OF CARNALITY / 2/11/2020