Address—H. Brinkman
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I like to turn again to the book of Romans.
You know, we haven't gotten as far into the book of Romans as.
Some of us probably had hoped to get into but they so much.
And we just cannot pass by.
Some important points.
And someone has described speed in this way.
You try to get from one place to the other as fast as you can and missing as much as you can in between. Well, we cannot go that way through the scriptures, you know, we have to take time, but.
I have especially Romans Chapter 7 on my heart.
Because I believe that chapter is not understood by many of God's people and it's an important chapter. But maybe we can make some remarks even as to the second part of chapter 5 and some remarks on chapter 6. But my main exercise is Chapter 7, so we read.
Romans, Chapter 7.
Verse one.
Nor ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he liveth.
For the woman which has an husband is bound by the law of her husband.
So long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband liveth, she'd be married to another man, she shall be called an adulterous.
But if her husband be dead, she's free from the law so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man. I think we are in danger in our day that we are lowering the standards on that very point. But that's not my exercise to go into that particular site only to see how.
Marriage relationship is used in connection with this chapter.
So we go on.
Therefore, my brethren, he also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ. That you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead. That we should bring forth fruit unto God for when we were in the flesh.
Notice it's in the past tense the motions of sins, which were by the law, that work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were helped, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness.
Of the latter, what shall we say then is the law of sin? God forbid, May I had not known.
Then but by the law, for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
But since taking occasion by the commandment brought in me all manner of concupiscence, For without the law sin was dead, for I was alive without the law once. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the commandment which was ordained to life I found.
To be unto death.
For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me.
And by its Lumi, therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy.
And just and good.
Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid but sin, that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
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For that which I do, I allow not.
For what I would that I that do I not but what I hate.
That I do if then I do that, which I would not.
I consent that the law unto the law that it is good.
Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me, for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do now if I do that I would not. It is no more I that do it.
But sin that dwelleth in me, I find in a law.
When I would do good.
Evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God.
To Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Therefore there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, period. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do.
And that it was weak through the flesh. God sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness of the Law, or the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in US who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
We heard in the readings that.
From verse 12 of.
Chapter 5. A new subject opens up in the book of Romans.
Since was the subject.
Previously and since are forgiven.
The evil fruit that we produced.
But some verse 12 on behalf.
The tree that produced these fruits thin.
And there is no forgiveness for sin.
Forgiveness for sins, yes.
You know, in the work of the Lord Jesus.
Is the righteous basis for God to forgive our sins?
But how are we going to be delivered from sin?
Through death.
You know, and that is the wonderful truth brought out.
In that part of Romans.
When he died, then we died with him buried in his grave relay.
And he's not only the one that bore the penalty of our sins.
Our substitute.
He also delivered us, through the work of Calvary's cross, from the power of sin and Satan.
We need more than one that takes my place in judgment.
You see that in the deliverance of Israel from.
Egypt when they were sheltered behind the blood.
Judgment couldn't fall upon that house because judgment had fallen upon another.
And that's a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus. We are judgment free.
We don't have to fear.
We shall not come into condemnation.
But we need more.
And that side of the death of Christ is seen in the Red Sea.
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When the power of Pharaoh.
Was destroyed and overthrown. They were delivered.
And set free from *******.
I need as much faith to lay hold of that side of the death of Christ.
As I need for the first aspect of the death of Christ.
I see in the death of Christ that the power of sin and Satan is broken.
Are therefore in free. I therefore can live to God.
I think many times when you have defeat in a believer's life.
I think part of it is that they haven't seen and laid hold by faith of that side of the death of Christ. I still need more.
And that is seen in the Jordan.
You know, in the Jordan, what do we see there? It's a picture of the death of Christ, like the blood on the door and the Red Sea. What we see there is that the 12 Stones that were put in the middle of Jordan where the ark had stood.
Represents the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. But then there were 12 Stones taken on the other side.
Of Jordan.
Might say the resurrection side and the waters of death flow over these stones and they are there to this day, the scripture said.
That speaks of myself coming to an end in the death of Christ.
Wonderful truth, dear young people. Behold of that the Lord Jesus didn't only bear the punishment for your sins. He didn't only break the power of sin and Satan. He put you to death.
You see, God as much as said that Sinner Hein Brickman is so bad the only thing we can deal with him is put him to death.
You know that's what he did in the death of Christ. But I am a new creature in Christ.
I'm identified with the head of a new race.
You see, that's what we have in Romans 5. From verse 12 on, we have.
Two heads, as we had heard already.
You know, in Adam.
And then we have another head in Christ. Adam heads up the fallen race. Christ heads up the new race. Wonderful.
But then we also have two masters.
You know sin and righteousness.
You know we have now to serve a new master.
Wonderful.
We are dared to sin. We have in Romans chapter 6.
We don't have to kill sin. We are dead to sin, and we have to reckon ourselves dead unto sin.
And then we have in chapter 6.
Uncleanness and death are linked together, and holiness and eternal life.
Holiness is to what is to be characteristic of those that have been experienced, the grace of God that is so clearly presented in the book of Romans. Maybe we don't stress that enough. Beloved things of God, we take quite a few liberties sometimes, do we not?
The way we dress.
And activities that we engage in.
We have had contact now with a family with sick children.
They have come to the meeting several times.
And they are godly souls.
He enjoyed visiting with them a couple of weeks ago. The spirit of that brother.
I thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe these dear souls are a little on the legal side.
When it comes to outward things. But he said to me.
I would like to go to one of your conferences sometime.
You know, I'm outright afraid to take him to a conference. They might be greatly offended by what they see.
The immodesty.
That is displayed all covered under grace. Holiness is what is to be characteristic of those who have been touched by the grace of God.
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So we have new masters, a new master.
And.
And cleanness shouldn't be characteristic of us.
But Holiness?
And unto eternal life. You know we had some comments on eternal life in the readings and that is more the site that we find in John's writings, the present possession of eternal life. But in Pauls writings it is usually presented as something that we will come into at the end, eternal life.
That isn't conflicting with one another. Someone has described this with this beautiful picture of the deep sea diver that goes into the depth of the ocean. What sustains his life is that lifeline from above.
That's how we have eternal life at the present time. But when he comes out of the depth of the ocean, he comes into the fullness of it.
We have it now, but we will get into the fullness of it when the Lord Jesus comes and takes us to be with Him selves.
Well, in Chapter 7.
We have two husbands.
We have two natures and we have two laws.
Why does Paul touch on the marriage relationship in Romans Chapter 7, the 1St 4 verses?
The first husband is the law.
Second husband is the risen Christ, and you cannot have two husbands.
At the same time, and when that principle is applied to us, that isn't a husband that dies.
That is the law, but we die to the law. How can the law have anything to say to anybody that is dead?
It has nothing to say to anybody that is dead.
But beloved Saints of God, I believe many who have Christ associated with the risen Christ are committing spiritual adultery.
By remaining under law and placing themselves under law. We're not under law, we're under grace. We have died to the law. Does that mean that I can live as I please?
No, what we have read in Romans 8 is that the righteous requirements of the law shall be fulfilled in US.
Who live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
But the difference is.
That the believer will not do what the law forbade.
But he will not do it in order to establish his righteousness or to gain God's favor. He has God's favor, and therefore he does what he does without being under the law. And his standard for Christian living is not the law.
There is a much higher standard. All you have to do is re ink the Sermon on the Mount.
It's not eye for eye and tooth for tooth. Love your enemies.
But we will also not do things that God forbade under the law.
When God gave the law to man, that was really not His desire to do so. They asked for it. He had taken them in sovereign grace.
And made promises to them unconditionally.
It was not dependent on them and their faithfulness. But that changed at Sinai.
At Sinai they ask for the law. All that Jehovah says we will do.
So God gives them a minimum of requirements.
That which he can expect of man in the flesh.
These people were under the law.
They didn't have to have life from above.
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Or new birth in order to be under the law because.
They were trying now to establish their own righteousness by their doings, and God says, all right, this is the minimum of the requirements that I can put before you. But He didn't give them any power to do it. They were dependent upon themselves to do it. No wonder nobody could keep it in every point, and therefore everybody died.
The law promised life, continuing life on Earth.
For those who kept it in every point but transgressing in one, you were guilty of it all, and then you died. So even the lawgiver died. Nobody ever on that ground continued to live, proving that nobody can keep it in every point.
But now Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.
He does not allow men to try to approach him on that basis anymore.
You know he has given his son.
And the death of his son.
Makes all the difference and he gives me a life.
That delights, as we have read, in the law of God.
And then he gives me the Spirit of God to empower dead life.
To do that which the divine nature delights to do.
That's Christianity.
So the first few verses in Romans 7.
Give you the principle and then you see that the one.
Who is going through this upheaval and struggle is really one.
Who has life but still is on a legal ground?
And that's why there is this miserable failure.
He does not have the power.
New births get a hold of that. Dear young people, does not give you power to do what God wants you to do.
Brother Landine used to say, and I remember distinctly hearing him say that more than once.
New birth gives me capacity for divine things. You know you couldn't see nor could you enter the Kingdom without new birth. There was no spiritual understanding and appreciation without new birth. Whether it's the Kingdom or anything that God has for us, before you can have any appreciation of it, you have to have new birth.
But we need more.
Then a nature that delights in the law of God.
You need.
The power of the Spirit of God.
To Indwell.
That's why we have in Romans chapter 8, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Has made me free from the law of sin and.
Death.
The law of sin and death is not the law of Sinai.
That's the evil principle within.
The sinful nature, the spirit of life has made me free.
The indwelling spirit has set me free. Of course I find the deliverance.
In the Lord Jesus, not in self. You know that's what this man learns at the end of Romans 7. Who shall deliver me? It's not found in myself, in yourself that is found in another. The death of the Lord Jesus has to come in, and then the Spirit of God gives us the power.
To really lift pleasing to God. So we have the two husbands and then you have the two natures.
You know the Believer has two natures.
And continues to have the two natures until he either dies or the Lord Jesus comes and to take us.
Home.
And many times young believers or even older believers who have been coming to the good of the truth at this point are troubled when they see that they still, although they're safe, they have no doubt that by faith they accepted the Lord Jesus and they still find that they have some evil thoughts and evil desires.
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And you know, young people, that doesn't change with age.
That doesn't change with age.
We who are older have the same problem that you have.
You know, when I was 45 years old, we had a Jimmy Smith visit us in Mosinee. Stayed with us for five weeks.
And I said to him, Brother Smith, when somebody gets to be about your age.
Maybe you don't have quite the problem anymore that we younger people have. You know what? He answered. There is no fool like an old fool, he said. No fool like an old fool.
Young people, we who are older, have the same problem. We have still the flesh within us.
And we need God's grace to keep it down.
Another story that.
I like to share with you some might have heard that before.
There was a young believer who was saved and he was baptized.
And a brother that led him to the Lord and baptized him, he came to visit him.
The young man came to visit him.
Not long after he was baptized and he set to this man. You know I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. How come I still have some thoughts and desires that embarrassed me?
Well, the brother said if you want to get rid of that, we should have put you under the water for 10 minutes.
Yes, the point is made. We won't get rid of that flesh.
Until we die.
And we better recognize that, beloved Saints of God.
We mentioned already during the reading.
How do I get to victory?
Reckon yourself dead unto sin.
Avoid things that will stir up that flesh.
You know, don't enter into conversations.
That will only tend to rouse up evil desires. Don't read things, don't watch things. That only will tend to stir you up. And dear sisters, allow me to say that. And I say I like to.
Say it in love.
Have you ever thought that when you dress in modestly that you tend to arouse evil thoughts and desires in your brothers? Have you ever thought of that a man is made-up, that he is aroused by what he sees?
You know, and the world knows that. The advertising world knows that.
When they want to sell cars they sell, they put a picture of a scantily clayed girl right next to it.
Are you aware that that is a weakness in men?
Yes.
We have to be honest and admit that that's a problem that we have. Well, I hope the Lord will give us grace that we do not put a stumbling block in front of any, even our brothers in Christ.
But then there are also two laws.
And that is?
The law of sin and the law of my mind.
You know the law of sin is that evil principle within.
The law of my mind is the divine nature.
That we have, and the conflict described in Romans 7 is the conflict of the law of my mind and the law of sin.
And this man is very sincere. He wants to do that which is right and he can't do it. He even says, I delight in the law of God.
The conflict that we have in Galatians is not between the divine nature and the evil nature, that is between the spirit and the flesh.
And there the simple answer is, walk in the Spirit and you will not commit the deeds of the flesh.
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Well.
This experience of the man in Romans 7.
It's not really Christian experience.
A Christian might experience it.
But the man in Romans 7 has life, but does not have the spirit.
Now you might say, Now wait a minute.
What's the difference? If I have new life, doesn't that mean I have the spirit? No.
There is a distinct difference between new birth and the indwelling of the Spirit.
In Acts chapter 10.
You have a man, Cornelius, who was born again.
But he did not have the Spirit of God.
And Peter is sent to him, and prepared in going to him by the vision that he saw.
And what was that vision sheet comes down from heaven, All kinds of unclean animals in it. Kill and eat. I've never eaten anything unclean.
What I have made clean, do not thou make unclean.
You see, Cornelius was clean.
You know he had been given a bath.
He had new birth. I think we are ready in the readings referred to him.
His prayers and alms had come before God.
If these prayers and arms would have been of a Sinner, dead in sins and trespasses, then you would have a basis for the Catholic doctrine that we can make ourselves acceptable by our doings, by good works.
But since these deeds were the result.
Of this man possessing divine life, God could accept it. They came before God.
But salvation in the New Testament is not connected with new birth.
You couldn't have salvation without new birth, but salvation goes further than new birth.
The indwelling of the Spirit.
Is connected with salvation. Then that work, which began with new birth, is complete. People present new birth as if it is the ultimate of Christian blessing. It's only the beginning.
Only the beginning.
You know parents have used this picture. Here is a dead body laying on a floor.
You put a pound of weight on the chest of that body. Does he notice it?
Put 100 lbs of weight on him. Does he notice it? No.
But if there is life in that body.
He does notice it.
So if there's a soul that we meet that is under the conviction of sin, it's already an indication that there is a work of the Spirit of God going on in that soul.
When Peter comes back after visiting the House of Cornelius.
He has to give an account why he went to the Gentiles.
And it is in Chapter 11.
That he says that Cornelius was told to send for Peter and that he would hear words from Peter.
Whereby he was to be saved.
You know, and what was the message that Peter presented?
To Cornelius, the person at work of the Lord Jesus.
You know the Spirit of God is not limited to John 316.
To quicken a soul.
But in order for a soul to be brought into full Christian blessings, he needs to know about the Lord Jesus and His work.
Mr. Kelly points that out in Acts Chapter 10 very clearly.
You know, but there is no strength, no power in the life itself.
That gives us desires after divine things and that appreciation of it.
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But.
We need the Spirit of God.
To indwell these bodies of ours to empower us to do that which is pleasing for God. See, that's a different in Christianity.
Before He expects anything of you and me, remember what I said in the law. He didn't give men anything to do what he put before them as conditions. But in Christianity, before He expects anything of you, he gives you a new nature, and he gives you the Spirit of God. And then.
He expects that we live in newness of life, that we live pleasing to God.
You know, you and I cannot turn to Romans 7 if we are Christians and have the Spirit of God to find comfort for our failure. That's what many Christians try to do. You see, I'm like that man in Romans seven. Well, if you have the Spirit of God.
You have what it takes to live pleasing to God. But then why did I say?
A Christian might experience.
Romans 7. Well, if you lean on the arm of the flesh.
Lean upon yourself, your own energy and strength. You'll make similar experiences because the Spirit of God cannot manifest His power in your life because you're not turning to what God in His goodness has given you as a resource to live pleasing to God.
This man in Romans 7 makes some important.
Discoveries.
I know that is in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
How important that is for us to come to that realization.
I think we all, to some extent I believe, go through similar experiences as we find it in Romans 7.
Because it is not natural to man to lean on God's grace. You know He wants to do something and that's why we are experiencing failure and misery.
Of course, if there is something in our life that we have grieved the Spirit of God.
He cannot manifest His power in us. He has to deal with our failure and lead us to repentance and confession. And then communion is restored and we can go on in the power of an ungrief spirit.
So the flesh profits nothing we read in John's Gospel.
How important that lesson is.
For all of us.
And we do well to remind ourselves of this over and over again. That is, in within me, within my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.
And the flesh profits nothing.
We have no strength in ourselves.
But strength has been given to us.
And the Lord Jesus is at our sight.
We have the Word of God, we have the Spirit of God. That will open up the word of God for us. Now a question might come up, what is the difference between?
Being in the flesh.
And having the flesh within. We have read in Romans 7 that.
When we were in the flesh.
Past tense.
So evidently.
We are not seen as Christians to be any longer in the flesh.
Well, I believe in the flesh is connected with our natural responsibility before God, our creature responsibility.
But this is not our position today. Since we are Christians, we are not in the flesh.
What's the difference between the flesh and the old man?
The old man was dealt with.
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In the death of Christ, while judicially also the flesh was dealt with.
You know, but we still have the flesh, but we are not seeing any longer as being identified with the old man that found its end in the death of Christ.
We are a new creature, a new man in Christ.
I knew a man in Christ, Paul says.
That's our position now.
In Christ not.
In the flesh or in the spirit?
But the flesh is still within us. Never get rid of it till we die or go to be with the Lord Jesus. But this is what this man also learns through his experience, that he learns to disassociate himself from the old sinful self. It's no longer I that do it.
But the sin within twice we have that statement.
And this is what the word of God tells us, that we can claim that for ourselves.
I desire to do that which is right, and if I still do it, it isn't myself that does it, but the sin in me.
Well.
It's wonderful.
To get a hold of these things, meditate on these things. Dear young people, dear brethren, it's important that we get a hold of these things because.
This is necessary for Peace of Mind, you might say, you know, especially when we recognize the flesh still within. It is no longer I. I'm not identified before God anymore with that sinful eye.
I'm identified now with the Newman.
And if God sees me that way, I can see myself that way. We have to learn to look at ourselves the way God looks at us. Now a few comments on.
Romans 8.
There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Not only can we not be condemned, there is no condemnation for us.
Well, if you understand what has been brought out in the book of Romans up to this point.
We know there is no condemnation for us even seeing ourselves no longer identified before God with the sinful eye.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
In Christ Jesus is only true of Christians.
Wasn't true of the Old Testament Saints.
And I think we mentioned during the reading, what puts me in Christ is not new birth.
The Old Testament Saints were born again, but they cannot be referred to as Christians or being in Christ.
You know, our brother Dave in Sunday school is a wonderful message that he gave for the children, which I'm sure we all thoroughly enjoyed. He quoted that verse in First Corinthians 15. The death, the death in Christ.
You know in Christ shall all be made alive.
You know that does not mean that all who are made alive are in Christ.
But.
The power.
Which makes them alive is referred to, you know, but.
We who are Christ, that is coming.
Includes the Old and New Testament Saints.
Well.
In Christ. What a wonderful position it is. How did Brother Dave put it? When he looks at us, he sees Christ.
Yes, it's a beautiful way of presenting it simply.
And that's why we are acceptable, because when he looks at us, he sees.
His son.
Brother Dave went to Belgium. Excuse me, Brother Dave.
But there's a fellow that wants to marry his body.
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You know why is he acceptable to Brother Day?
Because of Bonnie, you know.
And she is going to bring him into his family.
Of course, it's the reverse is true too. She is brought into Mark's family.
Well, how wonderful to be in Christ.
And the last part shouldn't be there who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, because our being in Christ has nothing to do.
With how we walk.
Our being in Christ is entirely based upon the work of the Lord Jesus, just like.
When we get to heaven.
Is anybody going to be in heaven because of anything good that they have done? No.
You know, anybody that's going to be in heaven is there because of the work of the Lord Jesus. That's the basis for our being there, and that's the basis for our being in Christ.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
The law here is not a legal principle, it is a fixed principle.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Brother Gordon used this example. You know, if you have an object here, the law of gravity pulls it down, you know. But then if you put a balloon with gas on that object, and that balloon raises this object, that object is set free from the law.
Of gravity.
And this is a new principle now that has come in the law of life in Christ Jesus has set me free for the spirit of life. I'm sorry. The spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free, not like the spirit of life.
From the law of sin and death, from that evil principle within.
We set free.
For what the law could not do.
And that it was weak through the flesh. Remember, it was given to men in the flesh, we said.
And the law could not help such a person, because it didn't give him any power to do what the Lord glory required. Now God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. The Lord Jesus was not sinful flesh, but He came in the likeness. Outwardly there was no difference between Him or other men.
But.
He sent him in the likeness of sinful flesh. He couldn't have become our Redeemer, our kinsmen Redeemer, unless he would become a man.
You know, and that's why he could go to the cross. But he never ceased to be, as we pointed out, what he ever was.
So he could accomplish a redemption and force in here. Notice again that his sin.
Condemned sin in the flesh, you know it was condemned when he.
Was made sin, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
And let us all remember.
There is no such a thing as that. We can now, since we are in great and great underground of grace and not law, that we can do as we please. The righteous requirements of the law will be fulfilled in us. We will be honest, you know we will not lie, we will not steal, but we will do much more than what was ever expected of anybody under the law.
We do what we do as not being under the law.
We're free.
How wonderful.
A sister asked me just before this meeting and allow me to make a few comments that because the sister asked what about divorce and remarriage and we are in danger to be influenced by what is going on in the world. 50% of the marriages end up in divorce or more.
What is the teaching of Scripture? Romans 7 does not present the exception as we have it in Matthew 5 and Matthew 19. That's adultery.
The same with Mark 10 and in Luke 16.
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It takes.
Only this into consideration that you cannot have.
Another husband as long as your first husband lives. And in Mark 10, even a woman cannot divorce her husband.
You know, in Mark 10, usually it's always the man cannot put away the woman. But in Mark 10, the woman cannot put away a man, her husband, you know, and if they do, they commit adultery, any divorce that takes place without adultery.
That person cannot remarry.
Romans 7. First Corinthians 7.
Many of us believe that that brings in another principle, and that is when the unbeliever leaves, the believer abandons him, then he is free.
But those are the two exceptions.
When a divorce takes place without adultery, nobody can remarry. If adultery is the case, then the innocent person is not under the same restrictions as the guilty person.
The guilty person. Anyone marrying the guilty person commits adultery.
You read Matthew 5 and Matthew 19. I don't know how anybody can come to any other conclusion.
These are serious things to consider.
You know, we don't want to be influenced by what is going on in the world. A broader once mentioned to me that there is such a thing as a common law marriage and since the government recognizes it, we should recognize it.
Well, I discussed that with Brother Gordon and he quoted John 4.
This woman had had five husbands under the law that could divorce a wife given her a letter of divorce in order that she could be married to another. Not in Christianity. She had had five legitimate husbands, but the one that she now had was not her husband. She was living in a common law marriage.
With her, I said to this brother, So if the government would allow a marriage between two of the same sexes, will we recognize it?
We have to be going by the word of God.
I trust.
We will continue to cling to sound principles as to marriage.
And remarriage after divorce.
We are in danger of giving lead up.
But that only by the side and because the sister asked that question just before the meeting. She didn't know I would be taking up Roman 7. But I feel we ought to put that before us.
In danger of being influenced by what is going on in the world. Ask the Lord for grace to help us and as to our marriage life.
It's a wonderful thing to see a godly couple going on in love with the Lord.
You know, and when I became interested in my wife, there was a dear brother in Doucheburg, next city to where I grew up.
Morris Hazen was his name and he heard about my interest in her. He gave me this advice, he said.
Heinz, never forget Christ in the church. You have an opportunity now in your marriage to give.
A demonstration of that, well, I'm afraid I failed many times to live up to that, but that is nevertheless an advice that can be given to all married couples. You know what a wonderful thing that is to go on together. It's still a recommended thing, you know. And then to cling to our married partner till death.
Shall us part you know?
How wonderful it is to see when the Lord comes in for a widow or a widower, you know, and brings in another husband like that dear sister in Iowa lost her husband with four children. The Lord brought her another husband, you know, and he will no doubt be, I'm sure, a good father.
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To those children, but till death shall us part.
And let's ask the Lord for help to be faithful in that marriage relationship.
But how wonderful to see.
What the work of Christ has accomplished for us, where it has put us, and to lay hold of these various aspects of the death of Christ. There are other pictures of the death of Christ.
That we haven't touched upon the serpent on the pole, the smitten rock, you know, and the red heifer. And you know, there's a number of things that we haven't touched on, but how wonderful to get a hold of what the work of Christ has accomplished for us. Not only bearing my sins, He also has broken the power of sin and Satan. And I therefore can live for God, and He put me.
To death put me out of his sight and make me a new preacher in Christ. That's true of all of us.
And then we can live this life for the glory of God. You know, there are things that we will do for all eternity when we are with the Lord Jesus, but there are things that we can do for Him.
Only while we're still in this life.
And may the Lord help us.
That we walk in the power of an unbrieved spirit.
And when things come into our lives.
Hopefully we will come to confess it, remove it so that the Spirit can again occupy us with Christ and show His strength and power that He is able to give to every believer.