Lesson 57a

Okay, everybody got the questions for lesson 57. I think I sent them out Friday or something like that Yes We have moved to we're in chapter 14 and We are going to do lesson 6 or verses 6 through 13 and But I thought in setting this up correctly, I thought I'd start with verse five. We talked a little bit about that last week.

Verse five says, one person regards one day above another. Another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. Verse six, he who observes the day, observes it for the Lord and he who eats does it for the Lord, and he who gives thanks to God, and he who eats not for the Lord, he does it not, he does not eat, and he gives thanks to the Lord.

So a couple of things. One, we're talking about every human being here, or are we talking about just believers? Believers. I think you're right. I think we're talking about believers. and the situation with believers in terms of what is appropriate, at least in their mind, and we're talking about strong and weak believers.

So Paul is very careful in verse six to say that he who observes the day, in other words, someone who thinks we've got to go to church on Wednesday night, or we've got to whatever, If you observe, what's the key there? The first question is, what is verse six really telling us? The focal point is the Lord. I'm going to get that music from Jeopardy. I'm going to ask a question. No, notice the verse says, he observes the day, observes it for the Lord. What does that mean?

Our motivation is for the Lord. What we do is for the Lord. That's exactly right, Gary. And it's not a legal thing where we give a bunch of requirements and then we say at the end, well, we're going to do it for the Lord or we're going to You know, we're going to give you glory or whatever it is.

It's the true intention of the person's heart that if he is observing a day, he's doing it under the Lord. He's doing it for the glory of God. And he who eats, he does so for the Lord. In other words, you know, if you're Jewish and you become a believer and you won't eat pork products, and so you don't eat pork products and that's fine, or if you are a believer and not Jewish and you do eat BLTs, the issue is not what you eat or what you don't eat, the issue is what you do to the Lord and for the Lord. You see, that's the premise of this verse. He does it for the Lord, and for he gives thanks to God, thanks him for the day, he thanks him for the food.

And he who eats not, for the Lord does not eat, and he gives thanks. So, what's interesting about, this is a setup for the rest of the verses, and I think it gets a little challenging, maybe is the right word as we go forward. Because verse eight says, Or if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. So, verse 7. Does verse 7 tell us something different than verse 6?

What do you think? It doesn't seem so. It seems to agree with one another. They do agree? Yeah. But here's the difference. The very first phrase says, not one of us lives for himself. Or is that really right? I mean, I thought that God existed and Christ did what he did for my benefit. Isn't this about me? Mike, it's about him living through you, not us being the issue. Yeah. It's interesting that this kind of viewpoint is all over Paul's epistles, that we do not live to ourselves anymore.

And we look at a phrase like that and we think, oh, well, that's not a problem. But realistically, I live a lot of my day for good old Mike. And because I'm always complaining when I have a problem, and I'm always overjoyed when God fixes whatever my worldly problem is. So I have a quote from Denny. He says, the truth which has been affirmed in regard to the Christian's use of food and observance or non-observance of days is here based on a larger truth of which it is part.

His whole life belongs not to himself, but to his Lord. So do you think, how long does it take a believer to get to the point in his spiritual growth where he really will say, Lord, from now on I live to you and that's it? How long does that take? A lifetime. And it's interesting, it's not just the living part, there's a dying part too. There's two parts to that. I mean, what's left for us if we can't do either? I mean, that's an interesting thought.

I I think that uh there's so much that goes into so much that goes into understanding of verse six and seven and the understanding is all built into the book of Romans. You start with salvation in chapter three and work your way up to assurance, the doctrine of the two men, identification, uh death, burial, and I'm free from the law. I'm under grace. I'm not condemned because I'm in Christ Jesus.

And on and on it goes. And all of this builds it into what the believer needs to be settled down on in terms of living unto the Lord. Because the sin nature, good old self, is a really, really strong desire in us. And we would assent to the fact that we would live unto the Lord if he would give us what we want, or if he would satisfy what my needs are. Now, what we're talking about here is a sellout to Christ. I exist solely as his servant for his pleasure, for whatever he wants, no matter what I want.

And that takes a while. It takes a while for spiritual growth, and it also takes some understanding of the word of God that's pretty precise and pretty and to the point where there's more than just knowing that I own it and I rest in it. See that? Well, it's this idea of possession, right? I mean, who do you belong to? And that's something that is really hard for an American, right?

I mean, we're free. We, you know, the land of the free and the brave, and we're not, easily possessed by anything. And I don't mean that in a strange way, but if you move on to verse eight, this is complete and total possession of the Lord. And it's not in a bad way. It's in a wonderful way, right? And how long does it take for you to understand that you belong somewhere? Yeah, those are some interesting terms, but that's what it says.

If I may, I think I look at it like we die daily. We die daily to self. And we're part of God's life now. I'm in him, and he's in me. And there is no longer self. There may be Jimmy in Christ. And that's what we're living. We're living to Christ. And so I love the fact that I'm dying to self daily, because I just don't like it. that you pick that up Jimmy in about 15 minutes right? Both of us would agree, I think, Jimmy, that that timetable is different for each of us. But, I mean, the delight that comes from that is really the upper side of that verse. That's the joy of it.

But yeah, we're all on a different timetable with regards to belonging and understanding who we are in Christ. It truly is a lifetime journey. You have to keep learning that lesson. He's got something to say. This is why Mike uses my computer, so he silences me. Hopefully you can hear me, but this goes back to the beginning. This is no different than the beginning of our identification.

In Romans 6, 11, we're to consider ourselves dead dead in the sand and alive in the gut. So, did you all hear that? Yes. Okay. I I have a loud enough voice. Now, here we are three blocks away. Yeah. So, with that being the premise and and JD, I would say II can remember Miles Stanford saying that uh when a believer is first introduced to the identification truths that it's 20 years from that date until you own him. It takes that long, and I think he's right, because this whole idea, if you entertain the thought in your mind that I really was crucified on that cross 2,000 years ago, I really was. That's something that's really true of me. And I was buried, and I'm resurrected, and I'm a new creature in Christ, and all that goes with my new position, It takes the spirit of God 20 years to persuade us enough about that that we can rest in it.

Do you agree with that? So I've got to wait until I'm 80 years old? I was just going to say, Jim. I was just going to say. Yeah, I mean, given a rough estimate, I would say that maybe there's something like that in play. I don't know if it's scientific, but it does take a while. It really does take a while. It really does. So, you know, you don't need to be in a hurry about it.

The great blessing is the fact that you know it and that you, like Jimmy says, you can reckon upon it, that it is true of you. But there comes this time of where it goes, your whole understanding goes from objective knowledge to, wow, you know, I do have this intimacy with Christ because of desperate resurrection, seeding, ascension. I'm not struggling through my life and hopefully God's paying attention. I'm in Christ and he's in me and that's the way life is and I do belong to him. I don't have an argument about that. I can begin to see things now that I couldn't see before. None of us are gonna walk into glory and face-to-face with the Lord and say, I got this. He's gonna say, really? But the truths are so magnificent.

And for him to put this in chapter 14 of Romans is really cool because there's a lot that goes into just three verses like this. So question three is, what does it mean to live unto the Lord? I've got some verses I'm gonna quote to you out of 1 and 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 5, 14 and 15 says, for the love of Christ controls us.

Having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. It's really interesting. It connects identification with the love of God. And the growing and entering into my position as being identified with Christ and his work on the cross is controlled by the love of Christ controls me. And from that love, Paul makes a concluding statement.

He says that if one died for all, then all are dead. Every believer died with Christ, every single one of us, whether you know it or not. And if he died for all, he who lives might no longer live unto yourself. You don't have to live unto yourself because of your inclusion in what Christ has done on the cross.

That's a stupendous understand, first enter into it. It just, it's like, wow, you mean, I've often thought, I have to live under myself. I don't have anybody else but myself. And then I find out, wait a minute, I do. I have the Lord Jesus Christ and I can live unto him. And that's the purpose. That's the purpose.

He would have us live unto him. underhand every minute of every day and i don't have it well i'm sorry mike uh... president uh... i was just gonna say these words of like control and possess and whether we live or we die untim these are these are actually love terms even though they don't sound like them in the english way that work Speaking of them, because he loves us, these things are true of us.

It's not an ownership. We think of those terms as just being somewhat negative. Control? Oh my goodness, why would we ever want to be under control? But that is a giving and serving and love. That's a gracious place to be receiving of what our Father has done. We're talking about family here.

It's not a system. And sometimes those words, I think, at least for me, they come across that way, but that's not the case. They are out of a familial love and gracious environment that these things exist for me. So I just wanted to add that because those are harsh terms for English-speaking Americans, maybe. Oh, they are. They are. You know what? Oh, I think two or three weeks ago. Russ, did you want to say something? No. OK. Two or three weeks ago, in service, you looked at 1 Corinthians 3, 21 through 23.

Therefore, let no one boast of men. And this was a cool part. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or present or things to come. All things belong to you and you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. There it is, JD. There's the love of that God just lays out, you know? Yeah, that's that's the chain. That's perfect. Yeah, that's the chain right there. We belong to Christ. Christ belongs to God.

The father and I. I was going to say that, you know, for me to think that the persons that created the galaxy and you know the magnificence of you know it's just beyond our imagination what our father in heaven and the lord jesus christ has done beyond imagination and he imparted his life into us.

We're part of him. So that, how could we not be possessed by him when he's, you know, when we're part of his life? And it's, it's so exciting to, to think that I'm so grateful that I'm possessed by, by, uh, by our God, you know, it's, it's, it's pretty amazing. The fact that he would not only include us in what he's doing, but he also puts this thought that all things belong to you. In other words, We read, depending on what side of the political spectrum you're on, we look at the news and we think, well, these people are on either side, control our lives and they do this and they do that.

No, the word of God says they belong to you. From God's perspective, they belong to you. And that life with all its changes and death with all its tears belong to you. You know, death is a, as we'll see in a minute, death is a positive thing, not a negative thing.

So that no matter what happens in the present or in the future, it's all set under the Christian, under the believer, because the believer belongs to Christ and Christ belongs to God. So these, the circumstances that we find every day are not things that we belong to them. They belong to us because of who we are.

Boy, you talk about a change in perspective, it doesn't make you arrogant, it makes you humble, but it makes you realize, my goodness, the degree to which God has elevated us in Christ is really, really difficult to get your arms around at first, that all things are mine, not arrogantly and not by sin nature, but because of my position in Christ, all things are mine.

I have a question about that, what you just said. So if you're going through a situation, say, and you feel controlled by it, or this is bad, or whatever, but it really belongs to you, rather than it controlling you, is that what you're saying? A lot of times, because we are ignorant or we don't understand our position in Christ, we let stuff control us. Circumstances, that kind of thing. When in fact, our position in Christ would allow us to be the controlling factor.

I'll give you an example. I got a letter last week from someone who's in the real estate business, a believer. And they've just gone through what every real estate salesman goes through is that somebody stole a deal from them. And it was somebody who was a friend who went to the same church that they did. Okay? So they're all upset and all wired up about it. And what are they going to do as Christians? They can't go, you know, spit in their eye. What are they going to do? That's the world's view. But if you go at this kind of thing from the viewpoint we're looking at this morning, it changes your perspective.

Wait a minute, that's not to control me. I'm to control it because it's part of what my sovereign father is doing personally in my life to grow me up in Christ. And because I have a setback or because someone took advantage of me, So what? They took advantage of my savior and nailed him to a cross. Well, at least I'm not going to have to suffer that this week anyway. And so that's the point.

The point is, is that all circumstances, Romans 8, 28, that incredibly cool verse that God works all things together for good to those who love him. to those who called according to his purpose. And his purpose is to conform us to Christ. Why? Because we belong to him and he belongs to God. Well, when you belong to God, nobody gets to mess with you without his permission. And it's always designed to approve us. It's never designed to defeat us. I don't care what it is. I don't care what it looks like on the surface, you know.

So at this point in Romans, there's a lot of instruction and a lot of it goes to attitude about circumstances in my life. Life, which is harder to die or to live? They're both the same. I don't know. It's much easier to die than it is to live. You're right, Mike. So question four. How are we doing time-wise? We've got five minutes. Question four.

What does it mean that if we die, we die unto the Lord? What the heck does that mean? Does that mean I get to go to heaven? I think it's kind of a letting go of the old man and walking in the spirit and recognizing that. That's interesting, do we choose when we die?

No. No, we don't. It's the Lord's, it's the Lord's, it's the Lord's will. I'm gonna die when it glorifies God the most, you know? And I keep telling Courtney he's gonna die before me because he needs to glorify God more than I do. There's a physical death and also an ongoing death process, right? Death to the old man, that's exactly right.

So you ever think about the fact that death is a gift from God because it's the one event that ushers us into the presence of the Lord Jesus? It's a huge gift. How else do we get there? Well, we're all hoping that the rapture happens on Thursday so we don't have to die.

If I'm living under myself, it doesn't mean every man's conduct affects others for better or for worse, whether we live or not. It doesn't mean that. No Christian is, I don't have my own life anymore, so to speak. The life I have is the life of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. And it's his rule of his conduct. It's his interest. And it's the same that holds true of dying.

You read about saints over the centuries who have given their life to Christ. It's not a big deal. They look forward to it. You ever hear the story about the Christians being marched down to the Colosseum to be lunch for lions and they're all singing? I'm not sure. When I first heard that, I thought, maybe they were smoking something.

You know, how could that possibly be that I know I'm gonna die this morning in an awful way and I'm happy about it? Yeah, I get to go see my Lord, get to go home. This is the day, you know? And so from the old man's viewpoint or from the world's viewpoint, that's the biggest tragedy a human being can face. from a Christian's viewpoint, it's the greatest day in his existence. He gets to be face to face with his Lord from that moment for all eternity. That's really cool. Because that's what we all desire as Christ grows in us. We really do desire to be with him.

So anyway, that kind of, It's God's will about when we die. So if someone says to me, well, I don't mind the dying, or I don't mind when I die, it's how I'm gonna get there that I'm worried about. In other words, I may have to go through a long involved process of slowly dying. But again, these verses cover that by saying that I live unto the Lord, no matter what it is. Whether it's, you know, whether I hit a brick wall doing 100 miles an hour or it's a slow process. You know, they say people die an inch at a time, whether it's that or whether it's fast, I'm not here about me. According to these verses, I'm here to live unto the Lord, which includes if we die, we die unto the Lord. It's his decision and how it happens is his decision. And so whatever it is, however it's gonna be, it's gonna be for the glory of the Lord. So, okay. Can we do one more question or we got time? We really don't, we only got a minute. So anybody got anything to say? Start the music. Anyway.

I just, I would ask maybe before we convene next week, is this a position or condition verse? Yeah. Yeah. If we could answer that real quick, that'd be good for me. It could be both maybe. I agree. Do I have a, do I have a show of hands who thinks it's positional? Well, the only hand that's up is Nick Hemingway. I think it could be both. I think it could be both. Who thinks it's conditional? Show me your hands. Boy, if I got a lot of chickens, it won't raise their hands. I don't have a hand up.

I think it's both. That's interesting, Cheryl. I'm curious. Yeah, I would like to pick up on that maybe next week. OK, we'll do that. I thought it was purely positional, but I'm interested in hearing more. OK. That'll give you a reason to tune back in. I'm tuned in, buddy. OK, I know you are. All right, let's close. And I don't need to send out new questions. I was going to add a question four and a half.

But no, that's where we'll start next week. So let's pray. Dear Father, how we thank you for your word, how we thank you, how careful you are to teach us. And through that process to reveal intimately to each one of us, your dear son, the Lord Jesus. And we pray in his name, amen.