Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Like to turn this afternoon to a all known portion in the third chapter of John.
There is a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher comes from God.
The No man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except the man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I stand to thee, except a man be born of water and the Spirit.
He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
Not which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. More than not that I sent him to thee, he must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but can't not tell whence it cometh, and whether it God.
So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou master of Israel, and most not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know and testify that we have seen, and you receive not our witness, if I have told you earthly things and you believe not.
How Shoni believe, if I tell you of heavenly things, and no man hath ascended up to heaven.
But he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up. And whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world.
That that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. When I purpose in reading this and some other portions this afternoon.
Is because I would like to speak about the believer having two natures.
In this chapter we don't have the mention of the forgiveness of sins, but we do have the necessity of new birth and possessing a new life. And you know, there is much that is preached in Christendom about the necessity of having our sins forgiven.
And this is a very blessed thing and a very important thing. Without the forgiveness of sins, we could most assuredly never be in heaven. But I believe we could say that the truth of what new birth really is and the truth of the two natures is something that many have not entered into. And the result is that there is no real liberty and joy in their souls.
That God's word shows us.
Not only forgiveness, but that we receive a new life and are brought into a new position.
Might I illustrate it like this? Supposing I were a thief and I stole something from a man, and in kindness he forgives me. Yet if I were to meet that man on the street, it would be fine to know that I was forgiven, but somehow I wouldn't feel thoroughly at ease in his presence. Somehow I'd almost wish I didn't meet him, because I would think he looks on me as a forgiven faith.
But proposing that when he forgave me, he told me that he would not look upon me as a forgiven thief, but he wanted me to know that he was going to always look upon me with the same love and affection as his own boy. He would not look on me as though I had ever committed the crime, but as one who was in this position of love and favor and affection before him.
Well, now I could meet him.
Perfect ease and liberty. I would know that I was forgiven, but I would say he doesn't look at me as a forgiven thief.
He loves me like He loves His own boy, and now I can feel at home in His presence. Well, God not only forgives our sin, but He has brought us into the position mentioned in Ephesians 1 where He tells us that we're holy and without blame before Him. In love, He tells us that we are accepted in the beloved 1.
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That this is something that we are often slow to lay hold of.
Because.
Perhaps we don't realize about these two natures, and perhaps when we discover that the old nature is still there after we're saved, it causes us a great deal of concern, has caused some to even doubt their salvation.
Because they have found that old nature still within and not improved. Well, I believe it's it's well for us to get hold of the truth of God from the children of Israel were sheltered under the blood. There was a wonderful security to know that God said when I see the blood I will Passover you, but it wasn't God's intention to leave them in Egypt at all.
Not only was he going to shelter them from judgment.
But he wanted to bring them clean out of Egypt, and he did. He brought them to the other side of the Red Sea.
Where they not only knew that they were sheltered from judgment, but they were in a position where they could say judgment is behind us. They looked back and saw all their enemies dead upon the seashore. All that was the first time they sang. They didn't sing when they were sheltered under the blood, but they did sing when they came up on the other side of the Red Sea.
And I believe there's great joy in the soul when we see not only that we're sheltered from judgment.
But brought in to blessed a new position.
In order to go back to our chapter here we find that this man Nicodemus, he came to the Lord Jesus by night and said we know that thou art a teacher, come from God. That is the shows very clearly that he didn't see the necessity of new birth.
He thought that what he needed was good teaching and the Lord Jesus was a very wonderful teacher.
And that if he were just, here are some of the wonderful teachings of the Lord Jesus, that he could improve his life and do better. But the Lord said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man, be born again.
He cannot see the Kingdom of God, how much how much preaching there is in the world today.
That would recognize the Lord as a great teacher, teaching men a better way of life, teaching them how they should be kind to their neighbors and love God and all this sort of thing, but not recognizing the fact that man is totally fallen depraved.
That he's lost now, that he doesn't have any nature that's capable of loving his neighbor as himself or loving God. No, the law only proved this because the law said thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy soul. But the law only condemned because the word of God says by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.
No one ever got righteousness before God.
Through keeping the law, for it says by the law is the knowledge of sin. There is nothing wrong with God's law. It was holy, just and good. But the trouble was with us, because good laws don't reform bad hearts.
No, they only show that they are bad. If my face were dirty and you held a good mirror in front of me, that wouldn't make my face clean, would it? It would only show it was dirty. And the law was. The nod gave the knowledge of sin, but it didn't wash away. Sin took the blood of Christ to do that. And so the law only condemned man. And it wasn't good teaching he needed. It was a new life that he needed.
There was new birth. And so the Lord's answer to Nicodemus, a man who was perhaps we might say morally upright, better than the average. And yet the Lord said to him, except the man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
For if he would teach us the necessity of new birth, he didn't pick up a man who was sunk in the depths of sin. He didn't pick up one like we read of in the 4th chapter who was looked down upon by society and say to that person, he must be born again. Noah picked, God would bring me for us the very best, the finest of humanity, and would show that such a man needed new birth.
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And so it doesn't matter who it is.
Whether it's the finest living person in Saint Louis or the person that is sunkless, new birth is a necessity. As though the Lord could have said through Nicodemus, you can't get to heaven in that life with which you were born. You'll have to have a new life.
And everyone of us, every baby that was ever born to this world was born with a sinful fallen nature and could never get into heaven with that fallen nature. We have to have a new life. We have to have a new life in the very best and finest.
Need that new birth, need a new life from God. And if there's anyone here to this afternoon who is clinging to your own works and remember the Lord Jesus said he must be born again. You must have a new life.
Because that life that you and I received at birth before God.
Is fallen depraved, but the Son of Man came to seek.
And to say that which is lost, perhaps someone may say, well, I don't think I'm as bad as other people that I know.
Well, the Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the reins. Let me illustrate it like this. If I had two rotten eggs sitting here on the table and I dropped one on the floor.
All the bad of that egg comes out. You say what a horrible smell, what an awful smell. Yes, I say the other ones just as bad too. So you pick it up and you smell it and you say I don't think so. No bad smell from this egg. I don't believe it's half as bad as that other.
Oh, I say yes, it's just as bad. The only difference is that when the bag came out, the other the bad still in. And perhaps you've had a good bringing up. I thank God for our Christian father and mother. That restrained me, that kept me from doing many things. But when I got into the presence of God, I found that my heart was just as bad as the vilest person able to do the same things.
Restrained by a Christian father and mother.
But until I receive Christ as my Savior, I was still guilty before God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that egg, whether it spills out on the floor or whether it remains inside the shell, it's rotten. That's what God says about your nature and mind.
He says as in water, face answers to face.
So the heart of man to man, that is if you look into.
A wall and the water is nice and still. What will you say? You'll see your own heart. You'll see your own face reflected in the well.
For God says you look into somebody elses heart and you'll just see the reflection of your own, that's all. There's no difference before God, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
While Nicodemus couldn't understand this and so he tried to reason about it, he knew how natural birth took place and he wondered how this new birth would take place. And so the Lord said, except the man be born of water under the spirit.
He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. All in the Lord spoke of water under the Spirit.
He didn't refer here to baptism because.
Christian baptism hadn't been instituted at this time, for one thing. And later on he says in this chapter that Nicodemus ought to have known these things, and how would he have known them if Christian baptism had never been even mentioned yet? So you can see that the Lord didn't refer to Christian baptism. But if you were to turn to the 36th of Ezekiel, it says, I will sprinkle clean water upon you and.
Clean a new heart will I give you. And so the Lord was Speaking of what Nicodemus ought to have known.
The necessity of receiving a new heart.
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And as far as the water is concerned, the scripture uses that as a figure.
Of the Word of God. It tells us in Ephesians 5 that He might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word.
Solid water is a figure of the word of God. And more than this, if there is any question about it, we could turn the Peters epistle. And Peter says being born again by the word of God which live us and abide us forever. He didn't say that you were born again by baptism. He said you're born again by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.
You turn over to James and he says in the first chapter of his own will be God. He us by the word of truth.
So Paul speaks of water as a figure of the Word of God. Peter speaks of being born again by the word of God. James speaks of being born again by the word of God. And not one of them ever spoke about being born again by water baptism. Now it's a figure here.
Of the need of cleansing and God uses two things for the new birth of the soul, and that is.
His word and His spirit. And as the word of God is preached, the Spirit of God applies it to the soul. And God gives a new life, a new life. And this is how one is born again. He's born again by the word of God applied by the Spirit. And so there are many that have heard the word of God and conclude verses.
But the Spirit of God hasn't yet applied it to their hearts and consciences.
But when the Spirit of God applies it to your heart, and you find yourself a Sinner in God's presence, and then you see what Christ has done for you to meet you in your need, not only does God put away your sins, but He gives you a new life. And that's what the Lord is speaking out here. And so the Lord says in the sixth verse, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit.
His spirit, that is, it's not improving the flesh, and the new life that He gives doesn't need any improvement because as we shall see shortly, it's the very life of Christ. So it doesn't need to be improved. And the old nature that we were born with can't be improved. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And so the Lord is saying to Nicodemus.
That he hadn't come to improve the fallen nature of man.
But that man might receive a new life. And so he said to Nicodemus, Marvel not that I said unto thee, He must be born again. And then the Lord says, The wind blow for at least us, and now hearest the sound thereof. But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whether it goes? So is everyone that is born of the spirit Nicodemus had.
Mentioned about the birth of a child into the world. A little baby is born. We see that little baby.
We see a drawing breath. We know that a child has been born into the world. But now he speaks about new birth. And he said it's just like when the wind blows, because you never saw the wind in your life, did you? And neither did I. But I've often seen the results of it. I've seen the snow flying. I've seen the dust flying. I've seen the trees bowing down and the wind. I didn't see the wind. I saw the result of it.
And this is what the Lord is mentioning here.
That when one is truly born again, it's not talking about some great experience. I know people that rest on their experience.
That their lives make you wonder if they were ever born again. Their lives make you wonder. But they can talk a lot about experience. But I would far rather meet someone who said, well, I'm afraid I can't tell you much of an experience. I really can't say very much about how the Spirit of God began the work in my soul.
But I know the Lord Jesus is precious to me. I know his blood has cleansed me from my sin. And you see in that persons life, love for the Lord Jesus and a desire to please him, I have much more confidence that that's a real work than someone who can do a lot of talking about an experience. And so the Lord here speaks.
Have it been just like the wind blowing and you might say, well, how can I be sure?
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That I have been born of the Spirit. I'd like to really know well, as the Lord said, the word of God and the Spirit of God.
What is What is it that gives 1 The assurance of salvation? Why he rests upon the precious Word of God.
As we were telling the children yesterday, how simple for an Israelite to rest upon that wonderful message, when I see the blood I will pass over you. And how simple it is when a Sinner comes to the sense of his guilt before God, just to rest upon God's precious word that says he that believeth on the Son.
Half of a lasting life.
Or perhaps someone might say, well, I've heard it said you might believe in your head, not in your heart. How could one tell that he really believed in his heart and not just in his head?
Well, when one believes in his heart, his heart goes out to the person, to the Lord Jesus. And I'd like to just give you a couple of scriptures in connection with that. In first Peter two it says.
Unto you therefore, which believe he is precious. And another one in first John chapter 3 that says, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. And so if one has really believed in his heart, the Lord Jesus will be precious to him, and his heart will go out to others who love the Lord Jesus too.
If you were walking down the street tomorrow and someone put his hand on your shoulder and said, do you love the Lord Jesus?
Would that make any feeling of response in your heart? But I'm sure of this, that if you're born again, there's something inside that responds to the precious name of the Lord Jesus. You know that you're saved because you rest upon the Word of God. But as we see here, there is new birth, there is a new life given when one is saved.
And that new life is the very life of Christ, for it tells us in Colossians 3.
When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall He also appear with Him in glory. It also says in first John chapter one, we declare unto you that he, and show them to you that eternal life.
Which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us now, which we've seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon.
The apostle John said yes, he'd actually looked upon that eternal life. He had seen him with his eyes. It was the Lord Jesus himself. And so Christ is the believers life. And again I say, if you really have received that new life, your heart responds when you meet someone else who loves him.
I might have a piano here and if there are no keys inside of that piano.
It might look very nice to everyone that was in the audience, but if I touched one of the keys, you just get a thumb. You wouldn't get any music at all. There's nothing inside. Looks all right on the outside, but there's nothing inside.
But even if the piano is a little bit shabby and some of the keys were chipped and didn't look so wonderful, if there were keys inside, if you just touched one of those keys, you'd get some music.
To get a response from touching the key, because there's something inside, and I know this, that if you have received the Lord Jesus as your Savior, your heart responds to that precious name and the proof I say that one is really born again.
Is that his heart goes out to the Lord Jesus? Oh, I don't say that. We love him as we should.
None of us would ever boast and say, well I love the Lord Jesus as much as I should. Everyone of us have to confess.
How cold our hearts often become. But I do say, and I say it confidently, that I don't believe it's possible for a real Christian to meet someone else who speaks about the Lord. That there isn't a response in his heart because.
The new life is there, and So what the what the Lord is speaking out here is that the new birth evidences itself in the result. And I say this because some people make a great deal of experience, but I believe that God makes far more out of the result that is evident in the life. And so here the result that would be evident in the life is.
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Love for the Lord.
Love for his people and a desire to please him.
While Nicodemus asked how these things could be. And so the Lord Jesus goes on to make this very simple. Notice the 13th verse. And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
I believe it's important here the first thing the Lord brings before Nicodemus in connection with new birth, and that is his own person.
Notice what the Lord said. He said that while he was talking to Nicodemus, he was also in heaven.
That is, he said, No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. Even the Son of man which is in heaven, How could the Lord be in heaven and still be talking to Nicodemus?
Well, I remember asking that question back in the Sunday school in Ottawa, and a little boy put up his hand and I wondered what answer he was going to give. And he said because Jesus is gone. Well, that boy had the truth. That's exactly the point. And it's most important too, because we're living in days when the deity of the Lord Jesus is denied, and what the Lord brings before Nicodemus is.
That this one who had come, her forgiveness, new life.
As God himself, it says, it says he's not the Lord Jesus quickness whom he will. I can't give you a new life. The finest preacher on earth couldn't give you a new life. But the Lord Jesus can give you a new life. He can impart a new life to you because he is God. He is God the Son.
And when one believes the gospel?
No life is given, but I I mentioned this again. I want to press it upon each one here because we're living in days when the deity of Christ is denied. When people come to your door selling literature that they tell you that the Lord Jesus is not really God.
Well, if he's not really God, we have no savior. We have no savior because of all this says that there is one savior. And if the Lord Jesus isn't God, then he isn't a savior. He isn't the savior, but thank God he is. And while he was talking to Nicodemus, he was in heaven too, as the little hymn said.
How wondrous the glories that made in Jesus and from his face shine his love of eternal and sweet.
Is also divine, His glory not only God standing manhood, He had his full part and the union of both joined in one form the fountain of love in his heart. He asked the one who is talking to Nicodemus and the one who I hope is speaking to your heart this afternoon is perfect man and perfect law.
Now the next thing the Lord brings before Nicodemus is the necessity of redemption. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. And we often speak of these two things, the importance of the person and the work of Christ his person.
That he is God, God the Son and his work.
The one who accomplished redemption on the cross, and so that one who is lifted up upon the cross, was none other than the one who was there to bear the wrath and judgment of God against them. Perhaps you might have wondered, why wasn't there a lamb on a pole? Why was it a serpent on a pole?
I believe there's something for us seeing this and that is the serpent was that which had bitten the Israelite and so the serpent was put on the pole. And So what we need to see is that the Lord Jesus.
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Didn't just die as an example of love. Many people would say yes. The death of Christ was a wonderful example of the world of divine love.
But all I want to tell you, it's more than that. It's Christ made sin for us.
It says in Second Corinthians 5/21 He hath made him to be sin for us.
Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him says in Isaiah 53 and verse 6, All the like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him.
The inequity of us all. And if you just see the Lord's death as an example of sacrifice.
I'm afraid that you're not saved, but if you see him as the one.
Who was bearing your sins, settling the question of sin before God?
So that God could come out in blessing to you. That's the way that the Lord was bringing before Nicodemus here. And I know it's so important that we should see this because.
Unless the question of our sins was settled at the cross, we could never settle it ourselves. We could never put away our own sins. We could never be in heaven. Perhaps the Lord Jesus is the one who has borne the judgment of God against sin.
And I love to think of it this way, that it was God himself who placed my sins upon Jesus.
I were to have to put my own sins upon Him. Sometimes it's so. Have you put your sins on Jesus? Could you remember them all? Could you put them all there? Why you and I weren't there? On the question of sin was settled. And more than that, darkness covered the whole scene, that it was God Himself that took up the question of sin, settled it to His own glory and to His complete satisfaction.
And the Lord Jesus said it is finished, He died, he rose again. And this afternoon we tell you of one who has accomplished redemption, as one dear man said to me, is the approach the end of his journey and to see him in the hospital. And he said, Gordon, isn't it lovely to know all the judgments behind you and not ahead of you, our dear friend, That's what took place at Calvary.
Judgments behind because the Lord Jesus.
For all the judgment. So here in Nicodemus had asked how this new birth could take place. And the Lord brings before him his person and his work. Then he says, the God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And so because, because the question of sin has been settled.
As we sing in little hymns sometimes.
Says God could not pass the Sinner die. A sin demands that he must die.
But in the cross of Christ I see how God can save, yet righteous be so. The question of sin being taken, taken up and settled. Now the heart of God can come out without limit. God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son. And how simple it says that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have not hope to have, but have a relaxing life. Yes, we can.
Know this, we can rejoice in it. And this is the new life that we speak of. This is new birth. To get eternal life is new birth.
And it's a life that the Lord gives to one who is born again. And so one is sometimes said like this, when we are saved, our body becomes like a house that has two tenants in it. We have the old fallen nature that we received at our natural birth, and then God gives us a new life.
That new life is the life of Christ. And so the believer then.
Within him, two natures. This is why the Christian is sort of a paradox. He is often misunderstood because he has a new life that has new desires and new affections, and he also has the old nature there. And sometimes if he's not careful, he indulges the old nature and yet he also has the new. Now I'd like to say a little bit about those two natures and what God has done.
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In connection with those two natures, and how the believer can live in the enjoyment of his new possession even below the old nature still there. But I'd like to turn first of all to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 22, that she put off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness.
And true holiness.
And they also turn with me to the Epistle of John, First Epistle of John, and the third chapter in the ninth verse. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
Where we find the character of these two natures, one called the old man, the other called the new man.
Promise, the fallen nature we received at birth, sometimes called the flesh or sin in the flesh, and the other one, which is eternal life, the life of Christ, which the believer has all says that one is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, tells us that the other one is created in righteousness and true holiness.
It tells us in this passage in first John three and verse 9.
That we have a life that cannot sin, cannot sin? Why not only do we have a life?
Of that hates sin but a life that cannot sin because if we had received a new life that could sin then when we got to heaven we could bring sin into that place and it wouldn't be the life of Christ because.
If God gave us the life of Christ, and that life could sin, then that would be a denial of the very deity of Christ Himself.
Now it's very clear in the Scripture that we have Christ himself as our life. It's very clear, the many Scriptures, that the new man was created in righteousness and true holiness and that it cannot sin. And so I say again, the believer has two tenants in his body. He has a life of fallen nature, and that nature is characterized by sin.
By wanting to do its own will, turning to its own way, perhaps sometimes on the clean side of the broad Rd. sometimes on the broad on The Dirty side. But it's the same old nature. It's just wanting to do its own way that the new life.
That is the life of Christ. Now we can easily see that if the believer has this new life, then it's a very blessed thing because the new life doesn't have to be improved. We don't have to set up standards for the new life because it's the life of Christ.
We need to feed it there and we feed it by reading the Word of God and prayer. We feed them their life by attendance the meetings so that as Peter says, we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a Christian has within him.
If he's truly a Christian, that no life. And I've seen some Christians that have got very far away from the Lord, but after talking to them for a little while and speaking about the love of Christ, I've seen a response from within because that new life is there. It may have been that through neglect of the Bible and prayer that maybe they've grown cold.
But I say that every born again child of God possesses that new life.
And that we need to nourish it and feed it. And when you meet someone, if you're not sure whether he's a Christian, just begin to talk about the Lord Jesus, begin to talk about his love. And he'll say that if he's truly a child of God, there will be a response because the new life is there. And so this new life doesn't need a law.
To put one under law is to say that the that the new life that God has given needed some kind of restraint.
Now the old nature, of course the law was given for the old man, but what did the law do by it only condemned.
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But God has given us a new life. Now it will turn over to Romans 6 why they'll see a little more of what God has done.
Connection with this new life. Romans, chapter 6.
First one, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abandoned? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein, knowing not that so many of us as were baptized under Jesus Christ were baptized into His death, therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death.
The life of Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. But henceforth we should not serve sin, but he that is dead is freed from sin.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the Dad, dies no more. Death, hath no more dominion over him. When he died, he died under sin once, but then when he liveth, he liveth unto God likewise.
Like an ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin that allowed unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the less thereof, neither you your members as instruments of righteousness, of unrighteousness unto sin.
That heals yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members of instruments of righteousness unto God.
Now I just like to read in May 8th chapter and the third verse.
So what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and force, then condemned sin in the flesh.
Now the question is brought up, what has God done with that old nature? And this brings in what we often speak of as the believers standing. Now this is very important for us to see because when we are saved, as we remark, God gives us the new life, but he also brings us into a new.
Standing, and he no longer looks upon us as in the old man before him.
But he sees us in a new standing in Christ. I quote that verse again in 2nd Corinthians 5 and 21. He hath made him to be sinned for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him says in Ephesians one, He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
And the believer is brought into a new standing before God.
Upon him as being in the flesh, although he has the flesh in him, he looks upon him as being in Christ. And what has God done with that old nature? Well if you noticed in the different verses that I ran that in the 8th chapter, in the third verse it says he condemns sin in the flesh.
And the 6th chapter and the sixth verse it says.
Our old man was crucified with him. And then in the third verse of that 6th chapter.
A rather fourth verse, it says buried with him by baptism. So we can say condemned, crucified, buried so before God. As far as that old nature is concerned, while it's still there, we have been brought into a new standing.
And God did not attempt to improve the old nature. He condemned it. He condemned it. The Lord Jesus said that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Ephesians 4 said it was corrupt according to the deceitful lust. You have something rotten. What do you do? You try to improve it.
No, you probably bury it. And when God had tested man under the law.
And he had showed his own helplessness, his utter helplessness to do what God required. Then God said the trial is over, the trial is over. And now God is not looking for anything good in the flesh. He has already condemned it.
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And in the death of Christ, our old man is crucified with him.
And so don't expect that that old nature is going to improve because God himself has condemned it. God himself put it to an end in the death of Christ. And in baptism we recognize that by burial which which baptism figures. And so we can see that before God it is the end of our standing in the first atom.
And in by new birth were brought into an entirely new standing before God.
Perhaps to make it a little more simple and I'd use the illustration of citizenship. Perhaps most of you realize that I'm a citizen of Canada. But if I decided to become a non citizen of the United States and was accepted as such, when the eyes of the United States government, my standing becomes different. I once stood in their eyes.
As a visitor who belonged to another country.
And I was not a citizen of their country, just here on a visit. But if I was accepted as an American citizen, I have an entirely new standing before them. And as far as they are concerned, Borden Hail the Canadian citizen would be dead and Gordon Hale the American citizen would be alive. That is, there would be an end 1 standing and being brought into a new standing in.
Well, now that's what God is seeking to show us here in these chapters. He is seeking to show us that we have been brought into this new standing before God and every believer is seen before God in Christ. Isn't it a grand thing, dear fellow Christian? But as you sit in this room this afternoon.
With that old nature within you that God tells you.
He said I don't see you in that old nature. I see you in Christ. That's where the believer stands. That's true of the youngest believer. That's where God has brought us. Now you know there are many people that try.
By efforts to attain a kind of a holier standard by which they feel they can elevate themselves and improve themselves, and then they get into a higher bracket, shall I say.
Where they feel they're living what they call a victorious life and others are on a lower plane. That this is where God starts. He puts you in a new position and He gives you a new life that can't do anything but please Him.
That urge you we read out there and John's epistle, Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, and his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin.
Because he is born of God, you know, sometimes it said, ought to be justified as to be before God, just as if you'd never sinned. Well, that's only part of the truth. Because the Scripture says justification of life to be before God as if you had never sinned would indeed be fine. But isn't it better to be before God in a life that never did sin and never cannot sin?
That's where the believers stand. That's where God sees you not only as if you never sinned, but you are before God in Christ in a life that never sinned at all and never could. And that's where you stand before God now He goes on and exhorts on that basis. He doesn't say that we're by effort and by attainment to finally come to this.
Standing and he says, that's where I put you, that's where I put you. Now he said, I want you to live in the good and the enjoyment of it. And this is what God always does. He always tells us what he has done for us. And behold, our Christian life is founded upon what Christ has done for us and not attained by any effort of our own.
All that we can do.
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Is only to live in the enjoyment of what the Lord has done for us, so that the Christian, the simplest Christian, the fabulous Christian, could not have a better standing before God than he has. But all many are not in the enjoyment of it. But whether you're in the enjoyment of it or not, it's yours. And that's where God has brought you. And you can never live a happy, joyful Christian life.
You're trying to attain something because if you're trying to attain a standing before God.
You're either proud if you think you have attained it or discouraged because you think you haven't, and neither one are the happy state of soul to be in. But when you see where God has placed you, then how blessed to look up and thank Him and to live to please Him because of what He has done for you.
Well, now we see exhortations founded upon this notice.
On the 11Th verse.
And the 6th of lemons likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now there are others that would say, well, you can attain a point in your life where the old nature is finally burned up. Oh no, you're standing before God is that?
Your the old man before God is dead.
And you have a new life, but you wouldn't be told to reckon the dead if it was actually dead. And Gordon had a Canadian citizen didn't die at all. But as to his standing, he did as to his standing. And when God puts you in that new standing, the old nature still there.
And it doesn't improve. It doesn't get any better. God says it's corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And so don't expect that after you're saved that somehow this old nature is going to get better and improve.
No it doesn't.
But God, God condemns it and puts it in the place of death. And now he says you do the same.
Reckon you yourselves to be dead in deed, and to sin that arrived unto God?
Was talking to a young man while I was on this trip and.
He was telling me about how he was brought into a temptation in his life and how the Lord enabled him to overcome in this temptation. But he said what bothers me is that I found an impulse within that wanted to do what's wrong. And he said I feel so badly to think that there was something in me that wanted to do that wrong thing, even although the Lord delivered me.
And I said, oh, I said that that old nature will always be there.
And God tells you that it doesn't improve after you're saved. Bob tells you in his word in me that is, in my flesh dwelleth nor good thing. I also gave him that verse and John and Peters epistle where it says he that hath suffered.
In the flesh have ceased from sin. I said that that old nature.
Will still want to do what's wrong, but God tells you to put it in the place of death.
Now you're making yourself unhappy thinking that that old nature should have improved of God himself hasn't attempted to improve it. He condemned it. He condemned it. And when you find an impulse in your heart to do that's wrong. So I just look up and give thanks that God can put an end to that old man in the cross and that he's given you a new life and he tells you to reckon.
That old nature death. And now he goes on in the next verse and tells us.
To yield our members not as instruments of unrighteousness descend.
But to yield ourselves unto God.
I spent a few moments ago about the body being like a house with two tenants. So I've got in my body those two tenants. Now God says you once let the old nature tell those hands what to do. You once let the old nature tell those feet where to go. You once let the old nature tell those years what to listen to, and you once let the old nature.
Tell those eyes what to say. But he said now, Now, he said, there's a new tenant in your body.
And now don't yield yourself to the old nature which God tells us to put in the place of death, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead. And so instead of saying, oh, isn't it terrible that I had such an impulse, isn't it lovely to say instead?
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Well, God's given me a life that wants to please Him, and now I just want to use my hands and my feet and my eyes and my ears.
I want to just heal my whole body to the new life that he has given to me and that's what he's exhorting us here to yield yourselves and to God as those that are alive from the dead and and your instruments as instruments of righteousness under God. Pleasant lovely to know that God tells us about that old nature being there and then tells us that we have the privilege.
Putting it where he has put it, he's put it in the place of death. He says you do the same. Now let's turn to the 7th chapter, and I'd like to point out a few little thoughts here in the end of the 7th chapter, beginning at the 18th verse.
For I know that in me that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for the will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good?
I found not.
Now there are three little things that I would like to bring out from the last part of this 7th of lemons. This is the first. I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
Did you ever have an evil thought? And then you said to yourself that I never thought a Christian would think a thing like that.
Perhaps you have. Well, if you did, it's because you didn't believe this verse. Because if you really believed it, you wouldn't be surprised at any evil that you sigh in your heart. I'm not surprised at any evil that I see in my heart because God himself has told me that there is absolutely nothing good in that form nature.
Has it improved since I've been saved? No. This is the apostle Paul speaking here and he says.
When me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. And if you're saved for 50 years, the old nature wouldn't improve. And if you ever expect it to improve, you're only going to be disappointed.
Well, perhaps this may sound kind of hard to say that it doesn't improve, but isn't it a comfort? Perhaps you when you had an evil thought you were so upset about it?
Perhaps the devil even whispered in your ear. Maybe you're not saved when you had a thought like that. Well, God tells us in this verse what he has done with the old nature and what we are to realize about it, so that when that old nature.
As it were, pops up and makes a suggestion or something about instead of instead of being discouraged and cast down.
That we can just say, well, isn't it good that God doesn't see me in the flesh?
That he sees me in Christ.
This is the first thing for us to realize that the flesh does not improve after we're saved.
In thee that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Now the second point that I'd like to bring out is this 20th verse. Now if I do that, I would not. It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. If we had read through this chapter, you would find the man is in a great conflict, and the conflict is because.
In one breath he is calling the new nature eye.
In the next breath he's calling the old nature I and so this he can't understand why that he does want to please God, but he also finds that somehow he wants to do what's wrong and because he doesn't understand the truth of the two natures.
Why he has he is so troubled and so upset. He thinks that perhaps if he put himself under loud he would help to keep this.
This old nature in the place of restraint.
But in the 18th verse, he's come to the point where he's realized about the old nature does not improve. When it comes to this 20th verse, he no longer calls the old nature eye. He said if I do that, I would not. It is normal, I would do it, but sin what dwelleth in me.