The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 6
06/04/16 (3/28) Video Broadcast
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse - Part 6 - Study
Part 6 - Comments and Questions
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 7 - Study01:33:37
Part 7 - Comments and Questions01:15:02
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 8 - Study01:30:39
Part 8 - Comments and Questions01:36:18
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 9 - Study01:43:15
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 10 - Study01:43:19
Part 10 - Comments and Questions01:59:03
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 11 - Study01:48:08
Part 11 - Comments and Questions02:41:41
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 12 - Study01:35:34
We are about to embark on
a very complex study that
I hope, by the spirit of
Yahweh, I will be able to
simplify as much as
possible for everyone to
understand and to grasp.
We know that Peter wrote,
second Peter 3 that Paul's
letters, some things are
hard to be understood, he
said.
If it was hard for Peter
to understand, I'm sure
that those of us, 2000
years later, especially
with the influence of
tradition and what I
believe is incorrect
understanding of the
relation of Yahweh's law
to us, and how we are
supposed to still observe
it today, I certainly
believe it will be
even harder for us to
understand.
But I do believe all glory
to Yahweh for his grace
and his mercies and his
loving kindness, that for
whatever reason in spite
of myself, in spite of
weaknesses and my failures
and my shortcomings, I do
believe Yahweh has shown
me the meaning of Romans 7
and the parable and the
understanding of the first
few verses which perplex
many theologian over the
last 2000 years.
Today's study probably
more than any other part
of the book of Romans is
going to require a high
degree of concentration
and attention.
I will do my best to
repeat important points so
that things
are not missed.
But it's not for, this
is the meaty stuff.
This is the heavy stuff,
but it's so, so important
for us to grasp.
If we can grasp this, it
will empower us beyond
measure.
Anyway, let's get started
here, book of Romans,
verse by verse, we are now
in the sixth part of the
book of Romans, if
you missed last week's
segment.
We're kind of building on
last week's segment, so if
you missed last week's
segment, it might even be
best if you go back and
watch it first, before
even going into this.
But for some reason you
feel led to go ahead and
dig in to part 6, that's
fine, but just understand
this basic point, and that
is, we do not regard our
flesh as even being
alive anymore.
We are dead, Messiah's
alive in us, by the body
of the Messiah, we are
joined to the body of
Messiah, and now his
history is our history,
and we identify with him,
and we are crucified with
him, and now we consider
ourselves be raised with
him and it's his body that
we now identify with, not
this body of flesh which
is only going to lead us
to death.
Understanding that, let's
look at Roman's Chapter 6
in Verse 20 before we
go in to Chapter 7.
It says, for when you
were slaves of sin, that's
something that
used to be true.
Do we understand that?
It's very important we
understand that, that we
were at one time a slave
of sin, but the truth is,
we are no longer
a slave of sin.
We were a slave of sin.
When you were slaves of
sin, you were free in
regard to righteousness.
You weren't walking
particularly, righteously
at the time.
What fruit did you have in
the things of which you're
now ashamed, for the end
of those things is death.
The fruit we had, when
we were slaves of sin was
death, because of
wages of sin is death.
That's what happens.
But now, having been set
free from sin, and having
become slaves of Elohim,
you have your fruit to
holiness.
That's our fruit
now, holiness.
The end, everlasting life,
for the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of
Elohim is eternal life, in
Messiah Yahushua,
our master.
One time were slaves of
sin and we did not walk in
righteousness, but our
fruit was bad fruit, only
leading to death.
But now, we have been set
free from sin, slavery and
now we are
slaves of Elohim.
Notice, slaves of Elohim are going to bear fruit to holiness, holiness, and in the end, everlasting life. Since we are slaves of Elohim, rather than slaves of sin, we do not have death abiding in us, we have eternal life abiding in us. That's why we have everlasting life. We will act like slaves of Elohim by walking in holiness. If you're a slave of Elohim, then it goes to show, just as if you have faith, the works is going to follow. The one will follow the other. Holiness will be our fruit. As Elohim's slaves, we cannot be walking rebellion to Yahweh's will, and still be considered holy. It doesn't make sense. We are called now to bear fruit to holiness because the only wages we will get for living in sin is death. But if we receive the gift of Elohim, which is a free gift of grace, we will receive eternal life. Okay, hopefully you understand this. The gift of Elohim leads to eternal life. The wages of sin only leads to death. We are free from that body of sin, we were slaves of sin, now we're slaves of Elohim, and we are not on a trajectory toward damnation and death. It goes on to say into Romans 7, which is commonly misunderstood, Romans 7, theologians, even some of them believe that Paul was wrong in his analogy. They didn't understand, it didn't make any sense to them. They question the word. But I don't believe he's wrong in his analogy. I believe he's beautiful, so let's continue to read here. For don't you know, for I speak to those who know the law, the law has dominion over man as long as he lives, as long as lives. Drawing on the fact that we died, Paul points out that the law cannot have dominion over us, it cannot condemn us as dead men.
Even in our nation today, the US legal code is only for the living, the long arm of the law stops at our grave, right? After that, it can't do anything to us.
In the same manner, once we have died and the even longer arm of Yahweh's law cannot condemn us or charge us, if we've died. Now, Yahweh's law can judge us after we die physically, if we choose to be associated with our bodies. But if we can somehow be disassociated with our bodies, and become associated with the Messiah, then the long arm of Yahweh's law stops. The law would not have the power over us to condemn us any further. We have experienced a death that causes a complete and total divorcement from our former body and causes us to be joined to the body of the Messiah. So much so, that it actually says, I have been crucified with the Messiah. His history became our history. It is no longer I who live, Messiah lives in me. The fact that we were crucified with him is what enables our sin to be laid upon him in his righteousness to be laid upon us, because we became associated with him, and he bore our sin in that manner, because we became one with him. Do we understand that? That was the last segment. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of Elohim, who loved me and gave himself for me. We don't even live anymore. It's no longer I who live, Messiah now lives in me.
Looking again at Romans 7, or do you not know brethren for I speak to those who know the law. The law has dominion over man as long as he lives.
If we are now a part of the body of Messiah, and we consider ourselves already crucified with him, and our sin was laid upon him and his righteousness laid upon us, the law no longer has the power to condemn us.
That's very important.
We're not under the law, we are under grace. Now, we come into an all important and very frequently misunderstood allegory.
It says, for the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband, as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the
law of her husband. Now, we are the woman who had a husband, and we're
bound by the law to our husband as long as we lived. Now that husband was not Yahweh because we were not, we're worthy of death, we're slaves of sin, we're not even conducting ourselves in a manner that would be acceptable to Yahweh to where he would accept us as his bride. This husband here can't be Yahweh here.
We were slaves of sin, slaves of transgression.
What I am going to propose to you here is that this husband is our own body.
I know that may sound strange to your ears, that you're married to your own body. But let me ask you this question, what does that mean to be married? What does it really mean? It means to be one, correct? If our mind and our heart and our will is centered around fleshly things, carnal things, and our body is naturally carnal and fleshly, then we're essentially one flesh with our own body, because scripture says, those who live according to the flesh, set their minds and the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. Bear with me now, because what I can see here, this explanation is the only one that makes any sense, and it's the only one that will stand up to the rest of the chapter in all of scripture. What law did our body of sin give us?
What law did our body of sin give us? Now it could be argued it gives us the law of sin and death, was spoken of later in this chapter, law of sin and death is that, when I want to do good, evil is ever present with me. I agree with that, and we're going to get into that later in the study. But remember something, our flesh, our husband himself was subject to Yahweh's law, because our bodies are made by Yahweh. Because our bodies are made by Yahweh, our bodies are under Yahweh's government.
Therefore, our bodies, our former husband is governed by Yahweh's law. In the same way, no earthly husband's completely autonomous and sovereign. No earthly husband is under complete self rule, and he just makes up the rule as he goes. Every husband is governed by Yahweh's law and then he passes that law onto his wife. It was likewise expected to abide by Yahweh's law, but husband are not. Both our bodies and minds are subject to Yahweh's law, just as a husband and wife are both subject to Yahweh's law. Now, if the body of sin dies, that frees us from
our relationship with that husband, that body of sin, and enables us to be the bride of another, joining us together with a different body, a body of Yahushua the Messiah, as scripture says. Knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with. That's what died. That we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. We escape sin's slavery through this death.
That's that died, that's the husband that died.
That's all he's been talking about is the death of the body of sin. The entire Romans 5, 6, 7, the whole thing he's talking about is this death of the body. When he's using an allegory, this is what he brings up. Then he says, so then if while her husband lives, while this body of sin lives, she marries another man, she'll be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she's free from that law, so that she is no longer an adulteress, so that she's married to another man. We are free from the law, this body of sin has imposed on us, part of which was Yahweh's law, and part of which was the law of sin and death, which we'll get into later in the chapter. But through the Messiah Yahushua, our former husband, the body of sin as regarded is dead, because the flesh, the body of sin, is crucified. It says, and those who are Messiah's have crucified the flesh with his passions and desires. That's what died. Now, we're not committing adultery, we're not allowing the body of sin to live, and still be connected to the body of messiah, that would be adultery. Instead, we have regarded the body of sin to be
completely dead through the body of Messiah, because the body of Messiah is what was crucified, that you may be married to another, to him who was raised from the death, this resurrected We are raised to him, we are married to him who is Messiah that we should bear a holy fruit to raised from the dead, the body of sin, our former Elohim.
husband died and now we are married to Yahushua who was raised from the dead, and now we can bear fruit to Elohim. We have one body that is no more, that's the flesh, the earthly body of sin, and we have a new body that we're associated with, the body of the Messiah, and we're called to bear fruit. Remember, Yahushua is that grain of wheat that went into the ground and died. But through that death, a new life sprung up, and that single grain went into the ground, but it yielded up many more grains on its stock of which we are. We are that weed harvest, we are that fruit that rose up out of the death of Messiah, a single grain of wheat, and Yahushua himself said, most truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain, and we are that grain.
Now everything I just said may seem a little foggy and hard to remember, maybe even hard to reconcile, but this is the nature of Paul's letters, which Peter himself said, were hard to understand. But everything I'm saying will be born out beautifully by the context, as we continue to read Romans 7. Hopefully by the end of the study, you'll see why this is the only understanding that really makes sense. But before we go on, I want to point out something here in Romans Chapter 7 Verse 4, that's very important for us to notice. It says that we died, we became dead to the law, through the body of the Messiah. We died to the law. That's because the body of sin died. It says for you died, Colossians 3:3, for you died and your life is hidden with Messiah and Elohim. Romans 6:6 through 7, knowing as our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who died, who has died has been free from sin.
Keeping that in mind, we died and because we died, we died to the law. What law? Certainly Yahweh's law, yes, we died to Yahweh's law. We are dead to Yahweh's law as far as the law is concerned, we're dead. The law demanded our death, because of our transgression, because of our sin, and so, we died.
But now we're married to another, Yahushua the Messiah. What is Yahushua's law then? What is his law? Every husband has a law, expects the family to follow. But Yahushua being our husband would have a law just as our former husband had a law. His law is it a brand spanking new law, it abolishes the standards of the old law, no,
absolutely not. As our husband, Yahushua is under authority, just as the former husband, the body of sin was under Yahweh's authority. Everyone is under Yahweh's authority. In fact, scripture says, I want you to know, the head of every man is Messiah, the head of woman is man, and the head of Messiah is Elohim. Our husband is also under authority, he is under the authority of Yahweh, the Father.
The messiah himself, just as our former husband is governed by authority, and so much so that he's actually called the word of Elohim that became flesh and blood among us. Anyone who beheld the Messiah's glory, is going to behold the glory of the father, because he was a son who was 100%, perfectly obedient to Yahweh's law, walked in his perfect image, followed his authority in every respect. He never failed or sinned even once.
In light of this, we have to recognize Yahweh's law and his authority, that's not dead.
It's power to condemn us, is no more, because we died, it can't condemn us. The law demanded our death and got what it wanted, when we died and became joined to Yahushua's body. The fact that it got what it demanded shows that the word of Yahweh is actually still living, powerful and sharper than a two edged sword. The law got what it demanded, and we got what we so desperately needed, righteousness imparted to us, deliverance from this body of sin that would enslave us, and the restored relationship with Yahweh the father.
But many people look at this verse and just read it. They think that the law died to us. It doesn't say the law died. It says it doesn't have dominion over us, because we died, we became dead to the law, because we became joined to a different body, the body of the messiah. You can't say, this causes the law to no longer be in effect. The law is now null and void. Scripture says, we read earlier, Romans 3, do we make void the law through faith, certainly not. On contrary, we establish the law. In the same way, a husband has certain household
rules. He establishes for himself and his family, and those rules are ultimately trace to Yahweh's standards, that he has given us and his law. Yahushua also has household rules which he abides by himself, because he is also under authority, and he expects us likewise, to abide by, as a good husband, and those standards are the words he himself live by, and that standard is the law of Yahweh, because Yahushua is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't change, he's still under Yahweh's authority. The same way, a good husband will receive
Yahweh's word, his commandments, and rule his household by those words and commandments. Yahushua, the perfect husband, not only abided by those commandments, but abided by them perfectly. Therefore, the household law is Yahweh's law in commandments, simply as that, nothing complicated there. We're gonna share more on that later, but I want to continue here in Romans 7.
Therefore, I leave verse 4 up here for reference, therefore my brethren, you also become dead to the law through the body of Messiah, that you may be married to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to Elohim. For when we were in the flesh, this is past tense, it's not anymore, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit to death, when we are in the flesh. This is our former condition, not our present condition. This is what the law did for us. It worked in our members, to bear fruit to death,
not directly, but by the fact that we chose to disobey it, indirectly. When we interfere, we got in the way, we decided to disobey it, then our members bore fruit to death. Before we rejoin to the body in Messiah, when we are in the flesh in those days, the law only brought death to us, that's what it did, because we disobeyed it. Now, the word aroused is not in the Greek. I don't know why they put that in there.
But the simply passions were by the law, and worked in our members, to bear fruit to death. The law simply reveals to us what sin is, the sinful passions were demonstrated to be sinful passions by the law. The law revealed our sin. Since the law condemns our actions, it bore fruit to death. But now, verse 6, we have been delivered from the
law, having died to what we were held by.
We died, and because we died, it was satisfied, the law was satisfied, it demanded our death, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. We, through our own death, by the body of Messiah, are delivered from the law's demand that we die.
We died to that law which held us to a place of condemnation. Again, it does not say the law died, or that Yahweh died. It says we died, and that indeed stopped the law from having dominion, so that on judgment day, we will not be condemned. The law didn't change, our relationship to it didn't change, we died.
The law is still in effect, it still stands, it didn't go anywhere, it's just our relationship to it is different, before it resolved in our death,
but not anymore. If we were to die apart from messiah, we would be judged as sinner and sent to the lake of fire for eternal damnation. We would have to bear our own sin. But Yahushua bore our sin, therefore we are not condemned. In Messiah, we are not accounted as sinners worthy of death, and therefore we are pulled out of the grave and we will live forever. Do we see this?
We've been delivered from the law because we died, not because the law changed, not because the law died, but because we died to what we're held by. The law demands perfect and 100% total obedience.
If not, we're worthy of death. But the fact that we died, okay, it's done its duty,
the transaction has taken place. We sinned and therefore we died, and therefore the law cannot condemn us any further. In light of this, it says, we should serve in the
newness of the spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. What is this newness of the spirit in comparison to the oldness of the letter? The oldness of the letter was, I saw the law said this, I saw, I was worthy of death. I'm going to try my best to be obedient, but I still have no assurance that I'm saved. I have only assurance that I'm worthy of death. I have no hope for salvation. But newness of the spirit, I can look at the law and say, these are righteous precepts. These are good things to live by, not something that's going to save me, or even kill me. But still, righteous precepts to live by, and that's why, Romans 8:5 though 7 says, those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things in the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim. Why is that? For it is not subject to law of Elohim, not indeed can be. It is not willing to be subject to Yahweh's law. It's a carnal mind. To be spiritually minded therefore, would be a
willingness to be subject to Yahweh's law. Who are we serving now, who are we serving now?
Are we still serving Yahweh the Father, yes, we are serving him through Yahushua the Messiah, and we are serving him in the newness of the spirit, not the oldness of the letter. We saw the law of something to come down on me and kill me and condemn me. If we were serving him in the oldness of the letter, which was by the old covenant, we would be looking at the law of something that condemned us. But if we serve in the newness of the spirit, we don't look at the law as something that condemn us, we see it as something to instruct us, teach us, to show us, something we want to follow, not because of condemnation, but because that's where the spirit leads us to go. If I was to create an illustration that would explain about the two husbands and our relationship to Yahweh's law, here's how I would do it, both the old husband, and the new husband are
subject to the law of Yahweh, they're both subject to it. Yahweh, in his law is not going to die, he's still
there. But we have a covenant now. The old covenant said, you do this, and you do that, and then I'll accept you, and then you will be able to have eternal life. The new covenant said something different, a covenant is an agreement. The new covenant does not say, you will obey me and then I'll accept you. Obedience is not the prerequisite to a relationship. We do not come to Yahweh and say to him, I have obeyed you, therefore you must accept me. Instead we say, I have not obeyed you, but I receive Yahushua the Messiah through him, I'm offering forgiveness, and now I want your law to be in my mind, in my inward parts, by your spirit, I'm able to obey you and bear fruit to you. Because the law is not the problem, the body of sin is the problem. Here's the old covenant, the law of Yahweh demanded our death because of our disobedience to it. We were the law's condemnation, because we
are associated with our carnal body. In the new covenant, we have a new body.
The death that was demanded by the law of Yahweh is fulfilled because we are crucified with him, and the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. We are dead to the law. As far as the law is concerned, we are dead, our death has been satisfied. It does not say, the law is dead, the law is not dead to us. Sin is still the transgression of the law, it's still living powerful, sharper than a two edged sword. Who are you married to, your carnal ways, your carnal body, are you one flesh because you had the fleshy mind, you had the fleshly body, and therefore you are one with it, or are you now spiritually minded, married to the Messiah and his body, recognizing that he has freed you, cause you to be delivered from death, and being spiritually minded, now you are able to be subject to Yahweh's law. Whereas before, you did not have the power of Messiah and his body in you, and therefore you were not capable of having the power to overcome.
What shall we say then, is the law itself sin, certainly not, absolutely not, there's that word
again in the Greek, as strong as possible objection, the law is not the problem, we're the problem.
For I would not have known sin, on the contrary, I would have not even known sin except for the law. Your body is sin, it wouldn't even be a body of sin if it wasn't for the law being there, inactive. I would not have known, this is not, the law has said, you shall not covet The law is not the problem. The law didn't have, the law is the law, it's not the problem, we're the problem. Our disobedience to the law is the problem. It produced sin in us and so sin is called transgression of the law, First John 3:4, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. By the law is the knowledge of sin. I would not have known sin, except through the law. The law tells us what sin is and sin isn't, it still does. But sin, so what's sin's doing, it's taking opportunity by the commandment, producing in me all evil desire. Apart from the law, there is no sin.
Sin produced evil desire. The law didn't produce evil desire, sin produced evil desire. The law did not produce evil desire. Pay attention to that, the law did not produce evil desire, sin produced in me inappropriate desires.
It was sin that produces passions for the things that were forbidden by the law. Our sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced lust in sinful behavior. Now, if there was no law, apart from the law, sin would be dead. What that basically tells us is that the law of Yahweh was not still in effect, there would be no sin. But the fact that there is something still called sin in this world, shows the law of Yahweh is still in effect.
He can't just say, well, I'm not gonna create a law, he has to give us his law. He who created our bodies, has to give us the parameters with which our bodies are to be governed. He who created us must also give us the guidelines and purpose for which we are created, in the same way a car is created to be driven in a safe way that will not harm others. We were created to live in such a way that does no harm. But we have done harm, and that's the problem.
I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Romans 7:9, I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. The commandment which was to bring life, I have found to bring death, for sin taking occasion by the commandment deceive me, and by it, kill me. Sin did this, not the law, it just took occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and killed me. We were once alive without the law because we were born having no knowledge of any laws. We're just a mind of mush, there was nothing written on it yet. But as we learn the proper behavior, this body of sin, this body from Adam, produced all manner of sin in us. While the commandment was given to bring us life, that was its intent, is to show us the way of life, the way of truth, the way of holiness. That was his purpose, and it ultimately brought us death. Since it teaches the way of life and love, it brought death because we did not wake in life and love, that it demanded. The law is not the problem, in fact, Verse 12 and 13 says, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good.
It's good, it's holy, it's just, it's good. If we want to be holy and just and good, if we want
to bear fruit on the holiness as we saw earlier, you have now your fruit to holiness, because you're slaves of Elohim, then what are you gonna do, you're gonna subject yourself with a spiritual mind to Yahweh's law, which is holy and just and good.
Has then what is good become death to me?
What's good here?
The law, the law is holy and just and good. Has then the law become death to me? There's that phrase again, the strongest, possible no that could be written, absolutely not, and we can put it in bold, got a few exclamation part marched to it. The law is not dead, and it doesn't become death to us. It's sin, that it might appear sin that's producing death in me. The law is not the problem, the sin is the problem, the transgression of the law is the problem, and since the transgression of the law is the problem, when we come to Messiah, why would we want to go and transgress the law again? I mean that's the whole reason he came, not to free us to transgress all we want, no, but to deliver us from the bondage and the slavery that we put ourselves in through sin. It's sin that was producing death in us through what's good, through what's good, that's the law. Sin produced death in me, through the law, because the law revealed what sin was to begin with. So that sin, THROUGH the commandment, might become exceedingly sinful, and so the more commandments that were revealed to us, the more sin and sinful we showed ourselves to be.
The law is good, it has not become death to us. The law is not dead, the law has not become dead to us, it was sin, our transgression of the law that produced death. Through the law, which was holy and just and good, it demonstrated us to be unholy, unjust and evil. That sin, through the commandments which reveal just how disobedient we are, reveals itself to be ever more sinful. The law is not sin, the sin itself is sin. The very concept of transgressing Yahweh's law is how sin defines itself.
That's why those who teach that we are fee to transgress Yahweh's law today, are actually, probably most of them unknowingly, actually promoting sin, and committing a sin, by choosing to suggest that it's okay to transgress the law of Yahweh, as given through the old testament.
For we know that the law is spiritual, guess what, if the law is spiritual, those who have the spiritual mind will subject themselves to it, because the law is spiritual, it's holy, it's just, it's good.
Serving in the newness of the spirit has nothing to do with rejecting the law, it has to do with being subject to it. The problem is, we have this carnal husband, sold under sin, wherein sin, slavery, apart from Messiah. Contrary to what you've heard, the law is spiritual, serving in the newness of the spirit is not something that allows for the breaking of the law. Serving in the newness of the spirit actually involves keeping the law. The very opposite, Ezekiel 36:27 says, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. It empowers us to walk in Yahweh's law. Romans 8:6 through 7 actually, it says, for to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, for it is not subject to the law of Elohim. But the spiritual mind is going to keep the judgments, the statutes, the commandments, and do them. It all makes perfect sense, aligns up exact,
exact. The law is spiritual, we are carnal, we're the problem, not the law. Natural man is the problem, natural man's carnal soul on their sins, slave of sin. But in Messiah, we are now slaves of righteousness, not slaves of sin. I read that last week, now having been set free from sin, you become slaves of Elohim, you have your fruit to holiness, everlasting life. Continuing here in Romans, for we know law is spiritually, I'm carnal, soul and sin. Now this is describing Paul's carnality and how his sold under sin. He's not describing the Christian life of the life of the believer in Messiah, he's describing what it's like to have a will to do good, but have those evil ever present with you. He's saying this.
For what I'm doing I do not understand. For I will to do, that I do not practice. But what I have, that I do. Paul has explained to us the challenge, when we do not reckon the body of sin to be dead, we come to a
state of confusion.
It's evidenced that we are slaves of sin, not doing the things that we wish. Galatians 5:17 says, for the flesh lust against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. You're basically in a place of slavery when you're in the flesh.
Roman's 6:6 through 8 says, knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who died. He who has died has been free from sin. But if we died with Messiah, we believe we shall also live with him. We are not slaves to sin anymore, we're not in those conditions anymore, that Paul is describing in Romans 7, where we have no, we got this sin always happening. We're not in that condition, we have been set free by faith in what Messiah has done for us.
Verse 16, if then I do what I will not to do, I agree that the law is good, the law is still good, it's still good. But now, it's no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells in me. He's moved on to the point where he wants to be obedient to the law of Yahweh, but the sin dwells in him, and he's in slavery to it.
This conundrum teaches us, the law is good, we are carnal, soul under sin, where if we don't do the things we wish, the law is spiritual, we are carnal. This is describing the condition of a man who has not accepted that the body of sin has died.
They act as one who is in slavery to sin, unable to do what we want, because of this body of sin that dwells in us. But we read in chapter 6, the body of sin is dead. We're not slaves of sin. We've been set free from sin, we're slaves of Elohim. It's not describing the life of one who has been set free, but one who is in slavery.
For I know that in me, that's my flesh, nothing good dwells, for too will is present with me, but how to perform what is good, I do not find in my natural state. For the good that I will to do, I did not do. But the evil that I will not to do, that I practice, living in sin, in slavery to sin, practicing sin. Those who practice sin will not enter the kingdom, scripture says. Now if I do what I will not to do, it's no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Why is this sin dwelling in us? Again, I maintain, this cannot be describing a life of one who's been set free from sin, this is describing someone, the conundrum of a person who's trying to overcome sin without having faith in the body of Messiah, delivering us from the body of sin. I still got this dwelling, indwelling of sin.
Knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we're no longer slaves of sin. It's the fact that the body of sin is done away with, that enables us to not be the slave of sin to begin with. But what we're seeing here in Romans 7, is the sky has got this body in sin, that's not dead, it's still working, it's still functioning, it's still causing him to do what he wills not to do, whereas we read in Romans 6 that the old man was crucified. How can he do anything when he's dead? Romans 7 is not describing what Paul's life is as a believer in Messiah, he's describing what it's like when you, okay, you've repented, you want to do the right thing, but all of a sudden, this body of sin is sitting here.
It's not dead yet.
I find then a law, now here's a separate law, this is not Yahweh's law, but this is a law, evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
For I delight in the law of Elohim, he's wanting to do good, because the law is good, according to the inward man. How could anyone say after reading that, the law is done away with? He delights in it, according to the inward man. But it's got this other law in our members, this other law, evil is present with him, the one who wills to do to good, warring against the law of mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. bringing me into captivity to another law, the law of What's the law of sin in your members? Evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good, law of sin, which is in our members. Now notice, carefully, it says, another law in our members, warring against the law of his mind,
sin. What does this law in our members, that brings us into captivity into a different law, which is this law of sin, which is in our members, what is that?
It's the enemy and his law.
The mind of the inward man are delighting in Yahweh's law, but there's this other law in the members of the body of sin that wars against the law of Yahweh that Paul delights in, the inward man. It is the law that the enemy seeks to teach us, both Satan and Yahweh have laws, believe it or not, both Satan and Yahweh have laws, instructions, doctrines, beliefs, doctrines of demons. Both are seeking to establish their laws in us, and causing us to abide by them. Yahweh has his kingdom, and Satan has his kingdom, both of which are governed by certain laws. Yahweh's laws are just, spiritual, holy, and good. The laws of the enemy are carnal, unjust, unholy and evil. That law is firmly entrenched in our earthly members and brings us into captivity to this law of sin, which is what, what's the law of sin? Evil's present with me, even though I want to do good.
Within our members, we have the law of the enemy battling against the law of Yahweh that's in our mind. This bring us into captivity to this condition of having evil present with us whenever we reject Satan's temptations, and we lo to do good, here is this problem, evil is present with me, the one who's willing to do good. Paul, in exasperation, throws up his hands and says, oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
from this body of death, who will, because he wants to follow the law, but he just can't seem to do it, as long as this body of death is still alive. It's giving him this other law of sin, this evil is present with him, the who wills to do good.
I thank Elohim through Yahushua Messiah, our master, so then with the mind, I myself serve the law of Elohim, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Evil is present with me, the one is saved to do good. I don't know how anybody can say, the law of Elohim is abolished or dead, or anything, when Paul himself says, plainly, he serves the law of Elohim.
The question is this, who will deliver me from this body of death?
Clear answer, Yahushua delivers you from the body of sin and death. The body of sin is done away with. They're not longer slaves of sin. Old man is crucified with him, that's the answer.
That's why he says, I thank Elohim for Yahushua Messiah, our master. He already answered he's going to deliver you,
spent two chapters on it. Who's going to deliver you? Yahushua is going to deliver you.
Now, I want to get back here, we're going to go on Romans 8 just a minute. I want to go back here and look at Romans 7 again, he said, I speak, do you not know brethren, for I speak to those who know the law, the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. For the woman who has a husband is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband, the law of her husband, the law of her husband.
We are at one time, we were one with our flesh. But when the body of sin died, we were free from two things, the law of our former husband, this body of death, and the law it gave us. What law did it give us? The law of sin and death, that's what it gave us.
Yes, also Yahweh's law, because Yahweh, this body is governed by Yahweh's law. But just as any husband can add laws and say, okay, I want this to be done this way, or that to be done that way, that's okay. Our body of death also added things. What it gave us was this law of sin and death. Since our body of sin died, that also freed us from that law of sin and death, and freed us from the condemnation that the law had hanging over us. The law can no longer charge us as guilty because we've died to it, and we have a new body, the body of the Messiah, all the laws' requirements are completely fulfilled. He kept every righteous requirement in the law. We are safely in his body. But since we died, the Adam man died, we're no longer slaves to it, and we are free from that law of sin and death. Then if while her husband lives she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she's no longer an adulteress, though she has married another man. We can't be adulterers and adulteresses and seek to be married to the body of sin while we're married to the body of Messiah.
Therefore, my brethren, you also become dead to the law, for the body of Messiah, that you married to another. To him he was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to Elohim. I want to put all of this here in an illustration. We're gonna add some things here to help us grasp what's being said here in Romans 7.
Yahweh and his law are still living. There's nothing dead about it, okay, whether you're in the new covenant or in the old covenant. The old covenant demanded obedience, and then you will live. The new covenant says, I will put my spirit within you, my laws will be in your heart, in your mind, that you may do it.
The old covenant, the carnal body was her husband. The new covenant, the Messiah and his body are our husband.
Here's some of the reasons why I believe, this is the only way that can correctly explain Romans 7, because this lines up exact, perfect. Look here, as in any marriage, your husband can add laws, right? Same with Messiah, but the carnal body gave us a law
of sin in death. The Messiah, he gave us the law of the spirit of life, that's in Romans 8, as we're going to look at here in just a minute. The law of Yahweh therefore demanded our death because of our disobedience to it, and we were under Yahweh's, the law's condemnation. But in Messiah, being joined to his body, he
being our husband, the death as demanded by the law of Yahweh, is fulfilled, because we are crucified with them, and the righteous requirement of the law was fulfilled in us.
With our carnal body being our husband, and we cannot overcome sin because of the law of sin and death. When you want to do good, evil is present with us. When you want to do good, evil is present. Who will deliver me from this body of death?
The body must die, so that we may be joined to a new husband. Through him we have the power to overcome sin because the body of sin is dead, and the law of the spirit of life has made me free from the law of sin and death. The spiritual mind is subject to Yahweh's law.
That's on Romans 8, we're gonna see that here in a minute. But I'm lining this all up, so that we can understand where we're going here, and why I do believe the carnal body was our former husband. Who will deliver me from this body of death, I
think Elohim through Yahushua Hamashiach, our master, the mind serve the law of Elohim only with the flesh do I serve the law of sin. We don't have a fleshly mind anymore. There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yahushua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Messiah Yahushua has made me free from the law of sin and death. This is the law that the messiah has given us, as our husband. This is the law that our body gave us, as our former husband. Now what is the law of the spirit and life, it's what Yahushua did for us, condemning sin of the flesh, enabling their righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us. That's the law of the spirit of life. It's the law that brings up to life rather than condemnation. But we can only have this law, the spirit of life, applied to us if we're willing to walk in the spirit. It says, only for those who do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the spirit.
When you do that, there's no condemnation, and the law of the spirit in Messiah Yahushua will make you free, if you're willing to walk according to the spirit. We have to repent, repentance and faith are both necessary. The very evidence of our faith is works, as we've
been talking about a working faith. If we're walking according to the spirit, it's evidenced that we have been set free from the law of sin and death, that was in our members, a law, the evil is present with us, the one who wills to do good. Look back here.
Messiah gives us a law of the spirit of life. The carnal body gave us the law of sin and death. They both gave us laws. The law of Yahweh therefore demanded our death because of our disobedience unto it, or under the laws, condemnation. The death demanded by the law of Yahweh is fulfilled. We still have the law here. It's just, it can't kill us anymore. The righteous requirement of the law has now been fulfilled because we are now associated with a new body, a righteous body, who bore our sin, who bore our shame, and then we are now associated with that body. We have the power to overcome, because the law of the spirit of life has made me free from the law of sin and death. Do you get that? That Romans 7, that latter part of the chapter, is not our present condition, we are free from the law of sin and death, free, free a thousand times, free. Since we have embraced the law of the spirit of life,
we're going to have the spiritual mind, because we're free, we have a spiritual mind. We're walking according to the spirit. That's why Paul said back in Romans 6, he said, how shall we who died of sin, live any longer in it.
We're free from that life, that former condition.
Romans 6:16 said, don't you know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves to whom you obey, whom you obey, whether it's sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness. Whose slaves are you?
Whose slaves are you, he wants to know.
For what the law, Romans 8:3, for what the law could not do, and that it was week through the flesh, because we are married to the flesh, Elohim did, by sending his own son. The likeness of the simple flesh, on account of sin, he condemns sin in the flesh, because he lived in a fleshly body and yet did not sin.
He condemns sin, he showed it was possible to live without having sinned. He condemned sin in the flesh. Elohim did for us through his son, what we were able
to do through the first body, the body of sin. We are not able to accomplish righteousness through the body of sin. We are only able to accomplish righteousness through the body of the messiah, that the
righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. There's that thing again, you can't walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
You got to do the opposite of what you were doing. You were walking according to flesh, you were in a place where you were in slavery to the law of sin and death and your members, you no longer in slavery to that, you are now slaves of the Messiah, and you are able, through him, to walk in obedience and freedom from temptations that lead you to sin. The law of the spirit of life is what Yahushua did for us, condemning sin in the flesh, enabling the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us. That's why I wrote back here, in him the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. In his law, empowers us to be overcomers, not only cleanses us and makes us righteous, but enables us to walk in righteousness. Whereas a lot of sin in death, the only thing it did for us is fight against everything that were trying to do, which was walk in according to Yahweh and his law, that our bodies were governed by. Both the body of Messiah, and the body of sin and death were both governed by Yahweh and his law. Nothing's going to ever change that.
But now, we're no longer alive to the law, we're dead to the law. The law has demanded for our death, has been fulfilled because we've been joined to the body of Messiah. We were crucified with him, and now we are able to live with him forever. Are we getting this? I hope so, I hope so. We're not slaves to sin, the body of sin died.
How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer in it, that's the question that Paul spent two chapters answering, and actually into a third.
For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. Now we're not walking according to the flesh anymore, we're now walking according to the spirit, and that's a prerequisite for us to be really able to be free from the law of sin within our members. For to be carnal in mind is death, be spiritually in mind is life and peace.
The law of sin our members wants to bring us to death. If we're willing to be carnally minded, it will gladly just join with us in that marriage and lead us right there. But be spiritually minded as life and peace, Yahweh has given us his spirit, through the Messiah Yahushua, so that we are led to life, we are led to peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, why, for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, nor
indeed can be. The law has not died, my brothers and sisters.
That's a false doctrine from Christianity that has been handed down to us, people saying the law is dead, no. It's still something we're supposed to be subject to, we died. The idea that the law is dead has thrown everybody
off.
The carnal mind is enmity against Elohim. If we want to be at enmity against Elohim, all we do is say, I don't want to be subject to Yahweh's law.
Unknowingly or not, and I'm sure Yahweh has plenty of mercy available for those who are seeking to do what's right. But what's being taught in traditional Christianity, is essentially carnality. We can disobey Yahweh's law and everything will be all right. That's not the doctrine of Yahweh, that's the doctrine of the enemy, who was warring against Yahweh. The same doctrine was in the Garden of Eden, oh, you shall not surely die.
Has Elohim really said that? It's the same old trick, repackaged and redistributed.
We're not in the flesh, we don't live according to the flesh, we don't mind the things of the flesh, we don't try with our own flesh to overcome temptation. We overcome by faith say, I believe what Yahweh said, my body is now the body of the Messiah. I' m members of his body. If I believe that, whatever temptation comes my way, I'll say I'm dead to the sinful things, I'm alive to messiah, and Messiah's body does not do these things. He is my identity. Then those who were in the flesh cannot please Elohim, why, because they're not subject to the law of Elohim, that's why, because they're in the flesh. The law is spiritual, remember that, the law is spiritual, not carnal. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit. You're not in the flesh, you're not in this place where you're refusing to be subject to Yahweh's law in Verse 7. You are in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Messiah, he's not his. He promises his spirit to anyone who repents and receives the master Yahushua, Acts 2:38 through 39. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead. That condition that Paul was talking about in Romans, latter verses of Romans 7, you're not in that condition. The body is dead, it cannot have power over you, so you don't do the things you wish. By the power of Messiah who dwells in you, you have the ability to overcome any temptation, any addiction, anything the enemy may throw your way. By the power of his spirit dwelling in you, by the power of Yahushua who lives in you. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Sin is what brings us to the point of death, but the righteous requirement being fulfilled in us is what leads us to righteousness.
Verse 11 through 13, but if the spirit of him who raised Yahushua from the dead dwells in you, he raised Messiah from the dead while also give life to your mortal bodies, through his spirit who dwells in you, because Yahweh's spirit dwells in us, we are able to continue to live. Therefore, brethren we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, by the spirit, you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.
Our former husband needs to go somewhere else, needs to die, needs to go on the grave.
Our new husband Yahushua Hamashiach is longing to live within us. Too many people walk around defeated, thinking oh I can't overcome whatever this temptation is. If that's your mentality, you're not walking by faith in what Yahushua did for you. You're not putting the death of these in the body. You're saying, this body is still alive, I'm still married to it, it's still got me and I'm still under its power, I'm still under its jurisdiction, and the law of sin and death, has got its hold on me. That's not what scripture's teaching here. The scripture's teaching that you're free, you're free from this body of sin. Now Yahushua Hamashiach lives in you, and you have the power to be overcomers through him. It's not to say brothers, for some reason, you slip
up, you mess up, you fail, there's no hope. The scripture says if you confess your sins, he's faithful and just to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all righteousness. But we don't live there, that's not our life, that's not where we dwell, that's not where we practice. If we mess up, we have forgiveness available. It is a daily learning, growing, practicing, new ways of living, new ways of thinking, that's an ongoing process of growing in righteousness.
As long as we are truly seeking to be overcomers,
and we're doing it the right way, we will overcome. We have to do it by faith, not by works, but by faith
in what Yahushua has done for us.
Let's pray, heavenly father Yahweh, in Yahushua's name, we embrace your word. It is no longer we who live. It is the Messiah Yahushua who lives in us. The life which we now live, we live by faith, only by faith, and the son of Elohim, who loved us and gave himself for us. We reject this body of sin, we embrace the body of Messiah, of whom we are a part.
We reject the idea that the body of sin is even alive anymore, and we yield our members as instruments of righteousness, to love, to love the way you loved, to live the way Messiah lived, fully subject to your law, to recognizing,
the law is not our life, it is not our source of life, it is your grace, your forgiveness that has given us life. We embrace it, we receive it, the free gift of grace that you promised. To those who turn away from our former ways and receive your son Yahushua Hamashiach, fill us with your spirit in greater and mightier ways, that your name might be glorified, that all might see living examples of Messiah's body in action on the earth.
For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty.
All praise, honor and worship belongs to you Yahweh our mighty one, Yahweh Elohim, forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name we pray, amein.
HalleluYah.
Notice, slaves of Elohim are going to bear fruit to holiness, holiness, and in the end, everlasting life. Since we are slaves of Elohim, rather than slaves of sin, we do not have death abiding in us, we have eternal life abiding in us. That's why we have everlasting life. We will act like slaves of Elohim by walking in holiness. If you're a slave of Elohim, then it goes to show, just as if you have faith, the works is going to follow. The one will follow the other. Holiness will be our fruit. As Elohim's slaves, we cannot be walking rebellion to Yahweh's will, and still be considered holy. It doesn't make sense. We are called now to bear fruit to holiness because the only wages we will get for living in sin is death. But if we receive the gift of Elohim, which is a free gift of grace, we will receive eternal life. Okay, hopefully you understand this. The gift of Elohim leads to eternal life. The wages of sin only leads to death. We are free from that body of sin, we were slaves of sin, now we're slaves of Elohim, and we are not on a trajectory toward damnation and death. It goes on to say into Romans 7, which is commonly misunderstood, Romans 7, theologians, even some of them believe that Paul was wrong in his analogy. They didn't understand, it didn't make any sense to them. They question the word. But I don't believe he's wrong in his analogy. I believe he's beautiful, so let's continue to read here. For don't you know, for I speak to those who know the law, the law has dominion over man as long as he lives, as long as lives. Drawing on the fact that we died, Paul points out that the law cannot have dominion over us, it cannot condemn us as dead men.
Even in our nation today, the US legal code is only for the living, the long arm of the law stops at our grave, right? After that, it can't do anything to us.
In the same manner, once we have died and the even longer arm of Yahweh's law cannot condemn us or charge us, if we've died. Now, Yahweh's law can judge us after we die physically, if we choose to be associated with our bodies. But if we can somehow be disassociated with our bodies, and become associated with the Messiah, then the long arm of Yahweh's law stops. The law would not have the power over us to condemn us any further. We have experienced a death that causes a complete and total divorcement from our former body and causes us to be joined to the body of the Messiah. So much so, that it actually says, I have been crucified with the Messiah. His history became our history. It is no longer I who live, Messiah lives in me. The fact that we were crucified with him is what enables our sin to be laid upon him in his righteousness to be laid upon us, because we became associated with him, and he bore our sin in that manner, because we became one with him. Do we understand that? That was the last segment. The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of Elohim, who loved me and gave himself for me. We don't even live anymore. It's no longer I who live, Messiah now lives in me.
Looking again at Romans 7, or do you not know brethren for I speak to those who know the law. The law has dominion over man as long as he lives.
If we are now a part of the body of Messiah, and we consider ourselves already crucified with him, and our sin was laid upon him and his righteousness laid upon us, the law no longer has the power to condemn us.
That's very important.
We're not under the law, we are under grace. Now, we come into an all important and very frequently misunderstood allegory.
It says, for the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband, as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the
law of her husband. Now, we are the woman who had a husband, and we're
bound by the law to our husband as long as we lived. Now that husband was not Yahweh because we were not, we're worthy of death, we're slaves of sin, we're not even conducting ourselves in a manner that would be acceptable to Yahweh to where he would accept us as his bride. This husband here can't be Yahweh here.
We were slaves of sin, slaves of transgression.
What I am going to propose to you here is that this husband is our own body.
I know that may sound strange to your ears, that you're married to your own body. But let me ask you this question, what does that mean to be married? What does it really mean? It means to be one, correct? If our mind and our heart and our will is centered around fleshly things, carnal things, and our body is naturally carnal and fleshly, then we're essentially one flesh with our own body, because scripture says, those who live according to the flesh, set their minds and the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. Bear with me now, because what I can see here, this explanation is the only one that makes any sense, and it's the only one that will stand up to the rest of the chapter in all of scripture. What law did our body of sin give us?
What law did our body of sin give us? Now it could be argued it gives us the law of sin and death, was spoken of later in this chapter, law of sin and death is that, when I want to do good, evil is ever present with me. I agree with that, and we're going to get into that later in the study. But remember something, our flesh, our husband himself was subject to Yahweh's law, because our bodies are made by Yahweh. Because our bodies are made by Yahweh, our bodies are under Yahweh's government.
Therefore, our bodies, our former husband is governed by Yahweh's law. In the same way, no earthly husband's completely autonomous and sovereign. No earthly husband is under complete self rule, and he just makes up the rule as he goes. Every husband is governed by Yahweh's law and then he passes that law onto his wife. It was likewise expected to abide by Yahweh's law, but husband are not. Both our bodies and minds are subject to Yahweh's law, just as a husband and wife are both subject to Yahweh's law. Now, if the body of sin dies, that frees us from
our relationship with that husband, that body of sin, and enables us to be the bride of another, joining us together with a different body, a body of Yahushua the Messiah, as scripture says. Knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with. That's what died. That we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. We escape sin's slavery through this death.
That's that died, that's the husband that died.
That's all he's been talking about is the death of the body of sin. The entire Romans 5, 6, 7, the whole thing he's talking about is this death of the body. When he's using an allegory, this is what he brings up. Then he says, so then if while her husband lives, while this body of sin lives, she marries another man, she'll be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she's free from that law, so that she is no longer an adulteress, so that she's married to another man. We are free from the law, this body of sin has imposed on us, part of which was Yahweh's law, and part of which was the law of sin and death, which we'll get into later in the chapter. But through the Messiah Yahushua, our former husband, the body of sin as regarded is dead, because the flesh, the body of sin, is crucified. It says, and those who are Messiah's have crucified the flesh with his passions and desires. That's what died. Now, we're not committing adultery, we're not allowing the body of sin to live, and still be connected to the body of messiah, that would be adultery. Instead, we have regarded the body of sin to be
completely dead through the body of Messiah, because the body of Messiah is what was crucified, that you may be married to another, to him who was raised from the death, this resurrected We are raised to him, we are married to him who is Messiah that we should bear a holy fruit to raised from the dead, the body of sin, our former Elohim.
husband died and now we are married to Yahushua who was raised from the dead, and now we can bear fruit to Elohim. We have one body that is no more, that's the flesh, the earthly body of sin, and we have a new body that we're associated with, the body of the Messiah, and we're called to bear fruit. Remember, Yahushua is that grain of wheat that went into the ground and died. But through that death, a new life sprung up, and that single grain went into the ground, but it yielded up many more grains on its stock of which we are. We are that weed harvest, we are that fruit that rose up out of the death of Messiah, a single grain of wheat, and Yahushua himself said, most truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain, and we are that grain.
Now everything I just said may seem a little foggy and hard to remember, maybe even hard to reconcile, but this is the nature of Paul's letters, which Peter himself said, were hard to understand. But everything I'm saying will be born out beautifully by the context, as we continue to read Romans 7. Hopefully by the end of the study, you'll see why this is the only understanding that really makes sense. But before we go on, I want to point out something here in Romans Chapter 7 Verse 4, that's very important for us to notice. It says that we died, we became dead to the law, through the body of the Messiah. We died to the law. That's because the body of sin died. It says for you died, Colossians 3:3, for you died and your life is hidden with Messiah and Elohim. Romans 6:6 through 7, knowing as our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who died, who has died has been free from sin.
Keeping that in mind, we died and because we died, we died to the law. What law? Certainly Yahweh's law, yes, we died to Yahweh's law. We are dead to Yahweh's law as far as the law is concerned, we're dead. The law demanded our death, because of our transgression, because of our sin, and so, we died.
But now we're married to another, Yahushua the Messiah. What is Yahushua's law then? What is his law? Every husband has a law, expects the family to follow. But Yahushua being our husband would have a law just as our former husband had a law. His law is it a brand spanking new law, it abolishes the standards of the old law, no,
absolutely not. As our husband, Yahushua is under authority, just as the former husband, the body of sin was under Yahweh's authority. Everyone is under Yahweh's authority. In fact, scripture says, I want you to know, the head of every man is Messiah, the head of woman is man, and the head of Messiah is Elohim. Our husband is also under authority, he is under the authority of Yahweh, the Father.
The messiah himself, just as our former husband is governed by authority, and so much so that he's actually called the word of Elohim that became flesh and blood among us. Anyone who beheld the Messiah's glory, is going to behold the glory of the father, because he was a son who was 100%, perfectly obedient to Yahweh's law, walked in his perfect image, followed his authority in every respect. He never failed or sinned even once.
In light of this, we have to recognize Yahweh's law and his authority, that's not dead.
It's power to condemn us, is no more, because we died, it can't condemn us. The law demanded our death and got what it wanted, when we died and became joined to Yahushua's body. The fact that it got what it demanded shows that the word of Yahweh is actually still living, powerful and sharper than a two edged sword. The law got what it demanded, and we got what we so desperately needed, righteousness imparted to us, deliverance from this body of sin that would enslave us, and the restored relationship with Yahweh the father.
But many people look at this verse and just read it. They think that the law died to us. It doesn't say the law died. It says it doesn't have dominion over us, because we died, we became dead to the law, because we became joined to a different body, the body of the messiah. You can't say, this causes the law to no longer be in effect. The law is now null and void. Scripture says, we read earlier, Romans 3, do we make void the law through faith, certainly not. On contrary, we establish the law. In the same way, a husband has certain household
rules. He establishes for himself and his family, and those rules are ultimately trace to Yahweh's standards, that he has given us and his law. Yahushua also has household rules which he abides by himself, because he is also under authority, and he expects us likewise, to abide by, as a good husband, and those standards are the words he himself live by, and that standard is the law of Yahweh, because Yahushua is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He doesn't change, he's still under Yahweh's authority. The same way, a good husband will receive
Yahweh's word, his commandments, and rule his household by those words and commandments. Yahushua, the perfect husband, not only abided by those commandments, but abided by them perfectly. Therefore, the household law is Yahweh's law in commandments, simply as that, nothing complicated there. We're gonna share more on that later, but I want to continue here in Romans 7.
Therefore, I leave verse 4 up here for reference, therefore my brethren, you also become dead to the law through the body of Messiah, that you may be married to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to Elohim. For when we were in the flesh, this is past tense, it's not anymore, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit to death, when we are in the flesh. This is our former condition, not our present condition. This is what the law did for us. It worked in our members, to bear fruit to death,
not directly, but by the fact that we chose to disobey it, indirectly. When we interfere, we got in the way, we decided to disobey it, then our members bore fruit to death. Before we rejoin to the body in Messiah, when we are in the flesh in those days, the law only brought death to us, that's what it did, because we disobeyed it. Now, the word aroused is not in the Greek. I don't know why they put that in there.
But the simply passions were by the law, and worked in our members, to bear fruit to death. The law simply reveals to us what sin is, the sinful passions were demonstrated to be sinful passions by the law. The law revealed our sin. Since the law condemns our actions, it bore fruit to death. But now, verse 6, we have been delivered from the
law, having died to what we were held by.
We died, and because we died, it was satisfied, the law was satisfied, it demanded our death, so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. We, through our own death, by the body of Messiah, are delivered from the law's demand that we die.
We died to that law which held us to a place of condemnation. Again, it does not say the law died, or that Yahweh died. It says we died, and that indeed stopped the law from having dominion, so that on judgment day, we will not be condemned. The law didn't change, our relationship to it didn't change, we died.
The law is still in effect, it still stands, it didn't go anywhere, it's just our relationship to it is different, before it resolved in our death,
but not anymore. If we were to die apart from messiah, we would be judged as sinner and sent to the lake of fire for eternal damnation. We would have to bear our own sin. But Yahushua bore our sin, therefore we are not condemned. In Messiah, we are not accounted as sinners worthy of death, and therefore we are pulled out of the grave and we will live forever. Do we see this?
We've been delivered from the law because we died, not because the law changed, not because the law died, but because we died to what we're held by. The law demands perfect and 100% total obedience.
If not, we're worthy of death. But the fact that we died, okay, it's done its duty,
the transaction has taken place. We sinned and therefore we died, and therefore the law cannot condemn us any further. In light of this, it says, we should serve in the
newness of the spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. What is this newness of the spirit in comparison to the oldness of the letter? The oldness of the letter was, I saw the law said this, I saw, I was worthy of death. I'm going to try my best to be obedient, but I still have no assurance that I'm saved. I have only assurance that I'm worthy of death. I have no hope for salvation. But newness of the spirit, I can look at the law and say, these are righteous precepts. These are good things to live by, not something that's going to save me, or even kill me. But still, righteous precepts to live by, and that's why, Romans 8:5 though 7 says, those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things in the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim. Why is that? For it is not subject to law of Elohim, not indeed can be. It is not willing to be subject to Yahweh's law. It's a carnal mind. To be spiritually minded therefore, would be a
willingness to be subject to Yahweh's law. Who are we serving now, who are we serving now?
Are we still serving Yahweh the Father, yes, we are serving him through Yahushua the Messiah, and we are serving him in the newness of the spirit, not the oldness of the letter. We saw the law of something to come down on me and kill me and condemn me. If we were serving him in the oldness of the letter, which was by the old covenant, we would be looking at the law of something that condemned us. But if we serve in the newness of the spirit, we don't look at the law as something that condemn us, we see it as something to instruct us, teach us, to show us, something we want to follow, not because of condemnation, but because that's where the spirit leads us to go. If I was to create an illustration that would explain about the two husbands and our relationship to Yahweh's law, here's how I would do it, both the old husband, and the new husband are
subject to the law of Yahweh, they're both subject to it. Yahweh, in his law is not going to die, he's still
there. But we have a covenant now. The old covenant said, you do this, and you do that, and then I'll accept you, and then you will be able to have eternal life. The new covenant said something different, a covenant is an agreement. The new covenant does not say, you will obey me and then I'll accept you. Obedience is not the prerequisite to a relationship. We do not come to Yahweh and say to him, I have obeyed you, therefore you must accept me. Instead we say, I have not obeyed you, but I receive Yahushua the Messiah through him, I'm offering forgiveness, and now I want your law to be in my mind, in my inward parts, by your spirit, I'm able to obey you and bear fruit to you. Because the law is not the problem, the body of sin is the problem. Here's the old covenant, the law of Yahweh demanded our death because of our disobedience to it. We were the law's condemnation, because we
are associated with our carnal body. In the new covenant, we have a new body.
The death that was demanded by the law of Yahweh is fulfilled because we are crucified with him, and the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. We are dead to the law. As far as the law is concerned, we are dead, our death has been satisfied. It does not say, the law is dead, the law is not dead to us. Sin is still the transgression of the law, it's still living powerful, sharper than a two edged sword. Who are you married to, your carnal ways, your carnal body, are you one flesh because you had the fleshy mind, you had the fleshly body, and therefore you are one with it, or are you now spiritually minded, married to the Messiah and his body, recognizing that he has freed you, cause you to be delivered from death, and being spiritually minded, now you are able to be subject to Yahweh's law. Whereas before, you did not have the power of Messiah and his body in you, and therefore you were not capable of having the power to overcome.
What shall we say then, is the law itself sin, certainly not, absolutely not, there's that word
again in the Greek, as strong as possible objection, the law is not the problem, we're the problem.
For I would not have known sin, on the contrary, I would have not even known sin except for the law. Your body is sin, it wouldn't even be a body of sin if it wasn't for the law being there, inactive. I would not have known, this is not, the law has said, you shall not covet The law is not the problem. The law didn't have, the law is the law, it's not the problem, we're the problem. Our disobedience to the law is the problem. It produced sin in us and so sin is called transgression of the law, First John 3:4, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. By the law is the knowledge of sin. I would not have known sin, except through the law. The law tells us what sin is and sin isn't, it still does. But sin, so what's sin's doing, it's taking opportunity by the commandment, producing in me all evil desire. Apart from the law, there is no sin.
Sin produced evil desire. The law didn't produce evil desire, sin produced evil desire. The law did not produce evil desire. Pay attention to that, the law did not produce evil desire, sin produced in me inappropriate desires.
It was sin that produces passions for the things that were forbidden by the law. Our sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced lust in sinful behavior. Now, if there was no law, apart from the law, sin would be dead. What that basically tells us is that the law of Yahweh was not still in effect, there would be no sin. But the fact that there is something still called sin in this world, shows the law of Yahweh is still in effect.
He can't just say, well, I'm not gonna create a law, he has to give us his law. He who created our bodies, has to give us the parameters with which our bodies are to be governed. He who created us must also give us the guidelines and purpose for which we are created, in the same way a car is created to be driven in a safe way that will not harm others. We were created to live in such a way that does no harm. But we have done harm, and that's the problem.
I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Romans 7:9, I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. The commandment which was to bring life, I have found to bring death, for sin taking occasion by the commandment deceive me, and by it, kill me. Sin did this, not the law, it just took occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and killed me. We were once alive without the law because we were born having no knowledge of any laws. We're just a mind of mush, there was nothing written on it yet. But as we learn the proper behavior, this body of sin, this body from Adam, produced all manner of sin in us. While the commandment was given to bring us life, that was its intent, is to show us the way of life, the way of truth, the way of holiness. That was his purpose, and it ultimately brought us death. Since it teaches the way of life and love, it brought death because we did not wake in life and love, that it demanded. The law is not the problem, in fact, Verse 12 and 13 says, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good.
It's good, it's holy, it's just, it's good. If we want to be holy and just and good, if we want
to bear fruit on the holiness as we saw earlier, you have now your fruit to holiness, because you're slaves of Elohim, then what are you gonna do, you're gonna subject yourself with a spiritual mind to Yahweh's law, which is holy and just and good.
Has then what is good become death to me?
What's good here?
The law, the law is holy and just and good. Has then the law become death to me? There's that phrase again, the strongest, possible no that could be written, absolutely not, and we can put it in bold, got a few exclamation part marched to it. The law is not dead, and it doesn't become death to us. It's sin, that it might appear sin that's producing death in me. The law is not the problem, the sin is the problem, the transgression of the law is the problem, and since the transgression of the law is the problem, when we come to Messiah, why would we want to go and transgress the law again? I mean that's the whole reason he came, not to free us to transgress all we want, no, but to deliver us from the bondage and the slavery that we put ourselves in through sin. It's sin that was producing death in us through what's good, through what's good, that's the law. Sin produced death in me, through the law, because the law revealed what sin was to begin with. So that sin, THROUGH the commandment, might become exceedingly sinful, and so the more commandments that were revealed to us, the more sin and sinful we showed ourselves to be.
The law is good, it has not become death to us. The law is not dead, the law has not become dead to us, it was sin, our transgression of the law that produced death. Through the law, which was holy and just and good, it demonstrated us to be unholy, unjust and evil. That sin, through the commandments which reveal just how disobedient we are, reveals itself to be ever more sinful. The law is not sin, the sin itself is sin. The very concept of transgressing Yahweh's law is how sin defines itself.
That's why those who teach that we are fee to transgress Yahweh's law today, are actually, probably most of them unknowingly, actually promoting sin, and committing a sin, by choosing to suggest that it's okay to transgress the law of Yahweh, as given through the old testament.
For we know that the law is spiritual, guess what, if the law is spiritual, those who have the spiritual mind will subject themselves to it, because the law is spiritual, it's holy, it's just, it's good.
Serving in the newness of the spirit has nothing to do with rejecting the law, it has to do with being subject to it. The problem is, we have this carnal husband, sold under sin, wherein sin, slavery, apart from Messiah. Contrary to what you've heard, the law is spiritual, serving in the newness of the spirit is not something that allows for the breaking of the law. Serving in the newness of the spirit actually involves keeping the law. The very opposite, Ezekiel 36:27 says, I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. It empowers us to walk in Yahweh's law. Romans 8:6 through 7 actually, it says, for to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, for it is not subject to the law of Elohim. But the spiritual mind is going to keep the judgments, the statutes, the commandments, and do them. It all makes perfect sense, aligns up exact,
exact. The law is spiritual, we are carnal, we're the problem, not the law. Natural man is the problem, natural man's carnal soul on their sins, slave of sin. But in Messiah, we are now slaves of righteousness, not slaves of sin. I read that last week, now having been set free from sin, you become slaves of Elohim, you have your fruit to holiness, everlasting life. Continuing here in Romans, for we know law is spiritually, I'm carnal, soul and sin. Now this is describing Paul's carnality and how his sold under sin. He's not describing the Christian life of the life of the believer in Messiah, he's describing what it's like to have a will to do good, but have those evil ever present with you. He's saying this.
For what I'm doing I do not understand. For I will to do, that I do not practice. But what I have, that I do. Paul has explained to us the challenge, when we do not reckon the body of sin to be dead, we come to a
state of confusion.
It's evidenced that we are slaves of sin, not doing the things that we wish. Galatians 5:17 says, for the flesh lust against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. You're basically in a place of slavery when you're in the flesh.
Roman's 6:6 through 8 says, knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who died. He who has died has been free from sin. But if we died with Messiah, we believe we shall also live with him. We are not slaves to sin anymore, we're not in those conditions anymore, that Paul is describing in Romans 7, where we have no, we got this sin always happening. We're not in that condition, we have been set free by faith in what Messiah has done for us.
Verse 16, if then I do what I will not to do, I agree that the law is good, the law is still good, it's still good. But now, it's no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells in me. He's moved on to the point where he wants to be obedient to the law of Yahweh, but the sin dwells in him, and he's in slavery to it.
This conundrum teaches us, the law is good, we are carnal, soul under sin, where if we don't do the things we wish, the law is spiritual, we are carnal. This is describing the condition of a man who has not accepted that the body of sin has died.
They act as one who is in slavery to sin, unable to do what we want, because of this body of sin that dwells in us. But we read in chapter 6, the body of sin is dead. We're not slaves of sin. We've been set free from sin, we're slaves of Elohim. It's not describing the life of one who has been set free, but one who is in slavery.
For I know that in me, that's my flesh, nothing good dwells, for too will is present with me, but how to perform what is good, I do not find in my natural state. For the good that I will to do, I did not do. But the evil that I will not to do, that I practice, living in sin, in slavery to sin, practicing sin. Those who practice sin will not enter the kingdom, scripture says. Now if I do what I will not to do, it's no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Why is this sin dwelling in us? Again, I maintain, this cannot be describing a life of one who's been set free from sin, this is describing someone, the conundrum of a person who's trying to overcome sin without having faith in the body of Messiah, delivering us from the body of sin. I still got this dwelling, indwelling of sin.
Knowing this, our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we're no longer slaves of sin. It's the fact that the body of sin is done away with, that enables us to not be the slave of sin to begin with. But what we're seeing here in Romans 7, is the sky has got this body in sin, that's not dead, it's still working, it's still functioning, it's still causing him to do what he wills not to do, whereas we read in Romans 6 that the old man was crucified. How can he do anything when he's dead? Romans 7 is not describing what Paul's life is as a believer in Messiah, he's describing what it's like when you, okay, you've repented, you want to do the right thing, but all of a sudden, this body of sin is sitting here.
It's not dead yet.
I find then a law, now here's a separate law, this is not Yahweh's law, but this is a law, evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
For I delight in the law of Elohim, he's wanting to do good, because the law is good, according to the inward man. How could anyone say after reading that, the law is done away with? He delights in it, according to the inward man. But it's got this other law in our members, this other law, evil is present with him, the one who wills to do to good, warring against the law of mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. bringing me into captivity to another law, the law of What's the law of sin in your members? Evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good, law of sin, which is in our members. Now notice, carefully, it says, another law in our members, warring against the law of his mind,
sin. What does this law in our members, that brings us into captivity into a different law, which is this law of sin, which is in our members, what is that?
It's the enemy and his law.
The mind of the inward man are delighting in Yahweh's law, but there's this other law in the members of the body of sin that wars against the law of Yahweh that Paul delights in, the inward man. It is the law that the enemy seeks to teach us, both Satan and Yahweh have laws, believe it or not, both Satan and Yahweh have laws, instructions, doctrines, beliefs, doctrines of demons. Both are seeking to establish their laws in us, and causing us to abide by them. Yahweh has his kingdom, and Satan has his kingdom, both of which are governed by certain laws. Yahweh's laws are just, spiritual, holy, and good. The laws of the enemy are carnal, unjust, unholy and evil. That law is firmly entrenched in our earthly members and brings us into captivity to this law of sin, which is what, what's the law of sin? Evil's present with me, even though I want to do good.
Within our members, we have the law of the enemy battling against the law of Yahweh that's in our mind. This bring us into captivity to this condition of having evil present with us whenever we reject Satan's temptations, and we lo to do good, here is this problem, evil is present with me, the one who's willing to do good. Paul, in exasperation, throws up his hands and says, oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
from this body of death, who will, because he wants to follow the law, but he just can't seem to do it, as long as this body of death is still alive. It's giving him this other law of sin, this evil is present with him, the who wills to do good.
I thank Elohim through Yahushua Messiah, our master, so then with the mind, I myself serve the law of Elohim, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Evil is present with me, the one is saved to do good. I don't know how anybody can say, the law of Elohim is abolished or dead, or anything, when Paul himself says, plainly, he serves the law of Elohim.
The question is this, who will deliver me from this body of death?
Clear answer, Yahushua delivers you from the body of sin and death. The body of sin is done away with. They're not longer slaves of sin. Old man is crucified with him, that's the answer.
That's why he says, I thank Elohim for Yahushua Messiah, our master. He already answered he's going to deliver you,
spent two chapters on it. Who's going to deliver you? Yahushua is going to deliver you.
Now, I want to get back here, we're going to go on Romans 8 just a minute. I want to go back here and look at Romans 7 again, he said, I speak, do you not know brethren, for I speak to those who know the law, the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives. For the woman who has a husband is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband, the law of her husband, the law of her husband.
We are at one time, we were one with our flesh. But when the body of sin died, we were free from two things, the law of our former husband, this body of death, and the law it gave us. What law did it give us? The law of sin and death, that's what it gave us.
Yes, also Yahweh's law, because Yahweh, this body is governed by Yahweh's law. But just as any husband can add laws and say, okay, I want this to be done this way, or that to be done that way, that's okay. Our body of death also added things. What it gave us was this law of sin and death. Since our body of sin died, that also freed us from that law of sin and death, and freed us from the condemnation that the law had hanging over us. The law can no longer charge us as guilty because we've died to it, and we have a new body, the body of the Messiah, all the laws' requirements are completely fulfilled. He kept every righteous requirement in the law. We are safely in his body. But since we died, the Adam man died, we're no longer slaves to it, and we are free from that law of sin and death. Then if while her husband lives she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she's no longer an adulteress, though she has married another man. We can't be adulterers and adulteresses and seek to be married to the body of sin while we're married to the body of Messiah.
Therefore, my brethren, you also become dead to the law, for the body of Messiah, that you married to another. To him he was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to Elohim. I want to put all of this here in an illustration. We're gonna add some things here to help us grasp what's being said here in Romans 7.
Yahweh and his law are still living. There's nothing dead about it, okay, whether you're in the new covenant or in the old covenant. The old covenant demanded obedience, and then you will live. The new covenant says, I will put my spirit within you, my laws will be in your heart, in your mind, that you may do it.
The old covenant, the carnal body was her husband. The new covenant, the Messiah and his body are our husband.
Here's some of the reasons why I believe, this is the only way that can correctly explain Romans 7, because this lines up exact, perfect. Look here, as in any marriage, your husband can add laws, right? Same with Messiah, but the carnal body gave us a law
of sin in death. The Messiah, he gave us the law of the spirit of life, that's in Romans 8, as we're going to look at here in just a minute. The law of Yahweh therefore demanded our death because of our disobedience to it, and we were under Yahweh's, the law's condemnation. But in Messiah, being joined to his body, he
being our husband, the death as demanded by the law of Yahweh, is fulfilled, because we are crucified with them, and the righteous requirement of the law was fulfilled in us.
With our carnal body being our husband, and we cannot overcome sin because of the law of sin and death. When you want to do good, evil is present with us. When you want to do good, evil is present. Who will deliver me from this body of death?
The body must die, so that we may be joined to a new husband. Through him we have the power to overcome sin because the body of sin is dead, and the law of the spirit of life has made me free from the law of sin and death. The spiritual mind is subject to Yahweh's law.
That's on Romans 8, we're gonna see that here in a minute. But I'm lining this all up, so that we can understand where we're going here, and why I do believe the carnal body was our former husband. Who will deliver me from this body of death, I
think Elohim through Yahushua Hamashiach, our master, the mind serve the law of Elohim only with the flesh do I serve the law of sin. We don't have a fleshly mind anymore. There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yahushua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Messiah Yahushua has made me free from the law of sin and death. This is the law that the messiah has given us, as our husband. This is the law that our body gave us, as our former husband. Now what is the law of the spirit and life, it's what Yahushua did for us, condemning sin of the flesh, enabling their righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us. That's the law of the spirit of life. It's the law that brings up to life rather than condemnation. But we can only have this law, the spirit of life, applied to us if we're willing to walk in the spirit. It says, only for those who do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the spirit.
When you do that, there's no condemnation, and the law of the spirit in Messiah Yahushua will make you free, if you're willing to walk according to the spirit. We have to repent, repentance and faith are both necessary. The very evidence of our faith is works, as we've
been talking about a working faith. If we're walking according to the spirit, it's evidenced that we have been set free from the law of sin and death, that was in our members, a law, the evil is present with us, the one who wills to do good. Look back here.
Messiah gives us a law of the spirit of life. The carnal body gave us the law of sin and death. They both gave us laws. The law of Yahweh therefore demanded our death because of our disobedience unto it, or under the laws, condemnation. The death demanded by the law of Yahweh is fulfilled. We still have the law here. It's just, it can't kill us anymore. The righteous requirement of the law has now been fulfilled because we are now associated with a new body, a righteous body, who bore our sin, who bore our shame, and then we are now associated with that body. We have the power to overcome, because the law of the spirit of life has made me free from the law of sin and death. Do you get that? That Romans 7, that latter part of the chapter, is not our present condition, we are free from the law of sin and death, free, free a thousand times, free. Since we have embraced the law of the spirit of life,
we're going to have the spiritual mind, because we're free, we have a spiritual mind. We're walking according to the spirit. That's why Paul said back in Romans 6, he said, how shall we who died of sin, live any longer in it.
We're free from that life, that former condition.
Romans 6:16 said, don't you know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves to whom you obey, whom you obey, whether it's sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness. Whose slaves are you?
Whose slaves are you, he wants to know.
For what the law, Romans 8:3, for what the law could not do, and that it was week through the flesh, because we are married to the flesh, Elohim did, by sending his own son. The likeness of the simple flesh, on account of sin, he condemns sin in the flesh, because he lived in a fleshly body and yet did not sin.
He condemns sin, he showed it was possible to live without having sinned. He condemned sin in the flesh. Elohim did for us through his son, what we were able
to do through the first body, the body of sin. We are not able to accomplish righteousness through the body of sin. We are only able to accomplish righteousness through the body of the messiah, that the
righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. There's that thing again, you can't walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
You got to do the opposite of what you were doing. You were walking according to flesh, you were in a place where you were in slavery to the law of sin and death and your members, you no longer in slavery to that, you are now slaves of the Messiah, and you are able, through him, to walk in obedience and freedom from temptations that lead you to sin. The law of the spirit of life is what Yahushua did for us, condemning sin in the flesh, enabling the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us. That's why I wrote back here, in him the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. In his law, empowers us to be overcomers, not only cleanses us and makes us righteous, but enables us to walk in righteousness. Whereas a lot of sin in death, the only thing it did for us is fight against everything that were trying to do, which was walk in according to Yahweh and his law, that our bodies were governed by. Both the body of Messiah, and the body of sin and death were both governed by Yahweh and his law. Nothing's going to ever change that.
But now, we're no longer alive to the law, we're dead to the law. The law has demanded for our death, has been fulfilled because we've been joined to the body of Messiah. We were crucified with him, and now we are able to live with him forever. Are we getting this? I hope so, I hope so. We're not slaves to sin, the body of sin died.
How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer in it, that's the question that Paul spent two chapters answering, and actually into a third.
For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. Now we're not walking according to the flesh anymore, we're now walking according to the spirit, and that's a prerequisite for us to be really able to be free from the law of sin within our members. For to be carnal in mind is death, be spiritually in mind is life and peace.
The law of sin our members wants to bring us to death. If we're willing to be carnally minded, it will gladly just join with us in that marriage and lead us right there. But be spiritually minded as life and peace, Yahweh has given us his spirit, through the Messiah Yahushua, so that we are led to life, we are led to peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim, why, for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, nor
indeed can be. The law has not died, my brothers and sisters.
That's a false doctrine from Christianity that has been handed down to us, people saying the law is dead, no. It's still something we're supposed to be subject to, we died. The idea that the law is dead has thrown everybody
off.
The carnal mind is enmity against Elohim. If we want to be at enmity against Elohim, all we do is say, I don't want to be subject to Yahweh's law.
Unknowingly or not, and I'm sure Yahweh has plenty of mercy available for those who are seeking to do what's right. But what's being taught in traditional Christianity, is essentially carnality. We can disobey Yahweh's law and everything will be all right. That's not the doctrine of Yahweh, that's the doctrine of the enemy, who was warring against Yahweh. The same doctrine was in the Garden of Eden, oh, you shall not surely die.
Has Elohim really said that? It's the same old trick, repackaged and redistributed.
We're not in the flesh, we don't live according to the flesh, we don't mind the things of the flesh, we don't try with our own flesh to overcome temptation. We overcome by faith say, I believe what Yahweh said, my body is now the body of the Messiah. I' m members of his body. If I believe that, whatever temptation comes my way, I'll say I'm dead to the sinful things, I'm alive to messiah, and Messiah's body does not do these things. He is my identity. Then those who were in the flesh cannot please Elohim, why, because they're not subject to the law of Elohim, that's why, because they're in the flesh. The law is spiritual, remember that, the law is spiritual, not carnal. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit. You're not in the flesh, you're not in this place where you're refusing to be subject to Yahweh's law in Verse 7. You are in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Messiah, he's not his. He promises his spirit to anyone who repents and receives the master Yahushua, Acts 2:38 through 39. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead. That condition that Paul was talking about in Romans, latter verses of Romans 7, you're not in that condition. The body is dead, it cannot have power over you, so you don't do the things you wish. By the power of Messiah who dwells in you, you have the ability to overcome any temptation, any addiction, anything the enemy may throw your way. By the power of his spirit dwelling in you, by the power of Yahushua who lives in you. If Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Sin is what brings us to the point of death, but the righteous requirement being fulfilled in us is what leads us to righteousness.
Verse 11 through 13, but if the spirit of him who raised Yahushua from the dead dwells in you, he raised Messiah from the dead while also give life to your mortal bodies, through his spirit who dwells in you, because Yahweh's spirit dwells in us, we are able to continue to live. Therefore, brethren we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, by the spirit, you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.
Our former husband needs to go somewhere else, needs to die, needs to go on the grave.
Our new husband Yahushua Hamashiach is longing to live within us. Too many people walk around defeated, thinking oh I can't overcome whatever this temptation is. If that's your mentality, you're not walking by faith in what Yahushua did for you. You're not putting the death of these in the body. You're saying, this body is still alive, I'm still married to it, it's still got me and I'm still under its power, I'm still under its jurisdiction, and the law of sin and death, has got its hold on me. That's not what scripture's teaching here. The scripture's teaching that you're free, you're free from this body of sin. Now Yahushua Hamashiach lives in you, and you have the power to be overcomers through him. It's not to say brothers, for some reason, you slip
up, you mess up, you fail, there's no hope. The scripture says if you confess your sins, he's faithful and just to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all righteousness. But we don't live there, that's not our life, that's not where we dwell, that's not where we practice. If we mess up, we have forgiveness available. It is a daily learning, growing, practicing, new ways of living, new ways of thinking, that's an ongoing process of growing in righteousness.
As long as we are truly seeking to be overcomers,
and we're doing it the right way, we will overcome. We have to do it by faith, not by works, but by faith
in what Yahushua has done for us.
Let's pray, heavenly father Yahweh, in Yahushua's name, we embrace your word. It is no longer we who live. It is the Messiah Yahushua who lives in us. The life which we now live, we live by faith, only by faith, and the son of Elohim, who loved us and gave himself for us. We reject this body of sin, we embrace the body of Messiah, of whom we are a part.
We reject the idea that the body of sin is even alive anymore, and we yield our members as instruments of righteousness, to love, to love the way you loved, to live the way Messiah lived, fully subject to your law, to recognizing,
the law is not our life, it is not our source of life, it is your grace, your forgiveness that has given us life. We embrace it, we receive it, the free gift of grace that you promised. To those who turn away from our former ways and receive your son Yahushua Hamashiach, fill us with your spirit in greater and mightier ways, that your name might be glorified, that all might see living examples of Messiah's body in action on the earth.
For truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty.
All praise, honor and worship belongs to you Yahweh our mighty one, Yahweh Elohim, forever and ever. In Yahushua's great name we pray, amein.
HalleluYah.