SIN LESS
Part 7

MF Blume
October 5, 2014

Rom 1:21-32 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Imagine being happy over people doing what you know is against God.

Verse 20:

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

This is the Gentile world who did not know God.

They know there is one God by looking at creation!
Just look at creation and you know there is a Creator.
Find a pocket watch in a field and you know a creator was behind it due to its intricately mechanical operation.
A factory did not blow up and all the pieces of metal came together to make a clock.
They mock people who believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
But that is not the point of the bible.
The real issue is our lives going through struggles in life and victory over our own spirits that get upset.
We are in the trenches handling our own spirits while most cannot take life and become stressed.

The real issues are about how to treat people right and get along.

Real Christians did not cause holy wars, and so on.
The Bible is against warring against each other.

So, while we get victory over self, and while things go chaotic we still have faith, that that is a powerful person.

THAT is what the Bible is about.

So, Romans 1 speaks of Gentile sins that Jews would disdain.

But Romans 2 has words to the Jews telling them that if they do the same thing gentiles do, whether they have Law or not.

Rom 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

After saying Gentiles have no excuse, Paul told the Jews they are without excuse as well.

The Jews were simply proud because they had the commandments from God.
They were privileged.
But Jews need salvation from Jesus like any Gentile does.

Rom 2:17-21 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, (18) And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; (19) And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, (20) An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. (21) Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

Jews had no more victory over their flesh than Gentiles did.

But they felt superior for having words from God.
Yet they lied like Gentiles lied.

Law demanded fleshly effort to be righteous, but it never helped the Jews who had Law any more than the Gentiles who never had the Law.

Deu 6:25    And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

If they could keep Law, they'd be righteous.

Gal 2:21    I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

You'd be righteous if you could keep law, but no one could keep it, which is why Paul stated righteousness could not come by law.

Gal 3:21    Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

Jews might point at Gentiles and their sins, but Jews with Law had just as many sins, and law has not improved that.

You can have all the truth, but that does not mean you have victory.
Real victory is never committing sin when you know it is wrong.
What good is it to know it is wrong if you cannot stop doing it?
You cannot improve yourself by your own power to keep commandments .
God purposely gave them a Law they could not keep, to show we need His power and help.

Rom 3:10-19 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (13) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: (14) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: (15) Their feet are swift to shed blood: (16) Destruction and misery are in their ways: (17) And the way of peace have they not known: (18) There is no fear of God before their eyes. (19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Paul quoted Law and showed all that was written about bad people was written to those under Law, showing having Law did them no better than not having it like Gentiles whom they disdained.

It was a grand lesson.
When those passages described nobody was righteous it was speaking about those under law.
Why?
To shut the mouths of everyone, not just Gentiles -- even Jews, too!
The Jews' own law said their feet were swift to do evil.
This proves that no matter how much you KNOW, you need the LIFE of the Holy Ghost to get power.

God saw Adam and Eve take knowledge of good and evil, and saw them deceived, so He taught them a lesson of what the knowledge of good and evil does, by giving a perfect Law.

Now, can we see, and can we get it, that we need more than awareness of what is right or wrong.

God did that before he brought grace, to teach us a lesson.

So many Christians feel they know so much, but they hurt people, and treat them badly, and think the worst of a person rather than the most positive option.
The Holy Ghost sheds the love of God throughout our hearts!

Those passages in Romans 3 are not talking about all mankind, but the context shows the Jews who had law could not keep it.

Those who had it, could not keep it.
Church cannot be rules without Life.
The New Testament is not a list of rules, but LIFE that changes the heart to cause us to not want to do what is wrong.

The Jews thought only the Gentile world was guilty, but Paul used Law to prove all the world is guilty including Jews.

Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Law never came to make anyone righteous.

If they could keep it they'd be righteous.
But they couldn't.
It came to give them the knowledge of sin, no matter how much you know is right and wrong.
It came to show us we need LIFE!
Satan wanted them away from Life for he knew!

For 1,500 years Israel tried to keep law and be righteous, while the Law said they had the poison of asps in their tongues.

They had to learn we cannot save ourselves.

You can see how filthy you are when you see a mirror without any water, soap and cloths to wash with.

But what good is it?

Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

The very law that told people to be righteous also witnessed of the very grace and salvation we have now!

Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

So, now the New Testament is come for everyone -- Jews and Gentiles -- to be saved!

The law was like Jesus --- let him without sin cast the first stone.

That was the lesson.
Now that God taught that lesson, here is righteousness in Christ by faith!
That is why Law came.

Rom 3:23    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Regardless of how much the Jews knew, they came short of God as well.

Rom 3:24-25    Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

HIS righteousness shines forth now, not our own by Law!

If God had to forgive sins and remit them, then that tells us we could never make ourselves good.

Rom 3:26    To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

HIS righteousness is repeated!

How can we brag if we have to have God remit our sins and forgive us?

Rom 3:27-31    Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (29) Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (30) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (31) Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

One God has to justify both Jews and gentiles!

Last week in our meeting, the worship was powerful by people living in trials and yet we still worship!

Two prophecies came through.

Here they are:

"Thus saith the Lord, My Word teaches you in Hebrews Chapter 4 that My Word is the Sword of the Spirit. A Sword stood in the entrance of the Garden of Eden, and a sword stands to this day in the entrance to my Rest. But that sword is my Word. And you're to mix the Word with faith and enter into the rest. You are labouring, you are toiling with your own works and your own good deeds. Enter into my rest, and my Sword will go in and pierce your heart and it will take out all the unbelief and all the lies that you can improve yourself by your own good works, and you will therefore come boldly -- you will come with confidence into my throneroom to find grace to help in the time of need. You won't find your earnings that you've worked for. You will find grace to help. Unmerited, un-worked for favour. Because I did the work on the cross. I caused the work to be done to give you confidence. So, allow my Word to be that sword and let it mix into your heart with your faith and cause a reaction where all those lies will come out of your heart by the Sword of my Word so that you can come boldly into my throneroom in the Garden of Eden, thus saith your God."

"Thus saith the Lord. I would speak further to you. As the sword was in the entrance to the Garden, the sword was in the entrance to the land of Canaan. As the angel of the Lord held the sword up before Joshua, and when Joshua asked the angel, "Are you for us or for our adversaries," the angel said, "No, I'm not for you., I'm not for your enemies. I am the one leading. You're going to be for me!" And My sword had to deal with Joshua's heart. My word had to change him before the word and the sword would tear down the walls of Jericho. If I can get My Word into your life, where you depend upon my power, and not Me following you, then I will tear down every wall that stands before you. I will tear down every giant that stands before you, for you have exalted and glorified me and not lifted yourself up. Thus saith your God."

(I played the audio of these prophecies in our meeting in Sidney, MB, and after the meeting One of the sisters, Carla, came up to me and told me she had two words in her mind on the way to church all morning. "Joshua. Prophecy." And Joshua is not known to be a prophet. But after I gave these prophecies that we recorded in Winnipeg, she realized it came together because we'd hear a prophecy from the Lord about Joshua!)

God has to correct our minds so we can see the enemy dealt with adequately.

Only God working with and through us can cause our enemies to be defeated.

So, in order to be able to work through us, He needs to teach us how that can be accomplished.
We need to stop trying in our fleshly might and seek His power and have faith for Him to step in and be with us.
Joshua 5 shows the people of Israel being circumcised a SECOND TIME.
They neglected to circumcise their children born all during the Exodus journey.

Joshua 5:1-2 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. (2) At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

It was no coincidence the enemy was afraid at the very time Israel was circumcised.

Numbers 14:33-34 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. (34) After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

God put a ban on Israel.

Circumcision ceased and as a result they could not take Passover.
So after circumcised we read they had Passover for the first time in decades!

Joshua 5:9-10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. (10) And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

The same chapter reads:

Joshua 5:12-14 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (13) And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? (14) And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Manna ceased at the point of getting grains from the land.

And an angel appeared with a sword.
The sword is the Word of God.
The WORD came to Joshua that he WAS NOT THE ONE IN CHARGE.
Joshua asked if the angel was FOR him or the enemy, not knowing it was an angel.
In other words, will he work UNDER Joshua or the enemy?
But the angel indicated HE WAS CAPTAIN.
No, he would not work under Joshua, but Joshua must adjust his thinking and see the angel as CAPTAIN.
ANGEL OF THE LORD means GOD in visible form in the Bible.
Margin says PRINCE.

And once the SWORD of the Word corrected Joshua’s thinking, then the hosts of God tore down the walls of Jericho, for it was not the shouts of the people that tore them down. They had to keep quiet. They had to shut their mouths, since complaining got them in trouble 39 years earlier.

Hebrews 4:2-3 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (3) For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

BELIEF causes us to enter, just like we’re saved by faith.

It’s not our efforts and works.
So, ideas that we can improve and progress by fleshly works are lies that need to be cut out.

After the "rest" is mentioned with the need to mix faith with the WORD, we read of a SWORD.

Hebrews 4:11-12 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

And the labour is mixing the SWORD OF THE WORD with our faith, to CUT OUT THE UNBELIEF.

Hebrews 4:15-16 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. (16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We can come BOLDLY to the THRONE… (KINGDOM) …after the SWORD has cut away unbelief to find GRACE, and not wages we earned through works.

GRACE is God working, not us.
And we enter the KINGDOM, represented by the GARDEN and the LAND OF CANAAN.

We got ourselves in a jam due to a works-mentality.

We did not have a handle on salvation by grace, not works, which made us feel like losers when we fail.
We were so condemned because we were not good enough for God, when that was because we felt if we could do enough good things we’d please God.
And that caused God to stop blessing us.
But then we sink, and if we think we are not good enough, saying lack of blessings prove it when lack of blessings were result of God seeing us believe in self-improvement, we certainly cannot think we can overcome sin in our lives.
So, we believe we will always sin.

THAT is our next phase of study.

When we get faith correct to the point we do not ever feel like losers, and stand in His righteousness, we can then realize the same God who caused us to be saved, empowers us to overcome sin, since it is NOT BY OUR POWER.

Joshua tried to get that into their heads when they first saw Canaan.

Numbers 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

But they could not accept it. The same lesson had to be learned by the younger generation entering Canaan.

After this sermon, the following prophecy came to teh congregation:

"Thus saith the Lord, my servant Moses was not to lead Israel into Canaan. Joshua would lead them in. Joshua is the Hebrew name "Jesus". It's not Moses. It's not the law. It's not your good deeds. It's not the lack of your good deeds. It's Jesus. Your righteousness is in Me. I am your Lord. I am your Captain. And when you stop living by your good works, I will bring you into the Kingdom land, for I am King of kings, not you. You are kings and you are priests. And I am King of you, kings, saith your God."
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