[0:00] And we'll be in prayer for those checks that arrive in the mail. Romans chapter 7, and I want to read a verse to start.
[0:10] We'll move to chapter 8. In verse 24, consider the Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, the one who's laid a pattern, the one who's commanded us to follow him, the one who many would just call him the greatest Christian ever.
[0:28] The Apostle Paul says this in verse 24, O wretched man that I am. That's a personal statement from his own lips, his own pen about himself.
[0:42] Having been saved at least 25 years, he declares himself to not be the greatest and to not be that example, although in Christ he knows that he is.
[0:55] But when he tells the truth about himself, I'm a wretched man. And the verse finishes by his longing to be delivered. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
[1:10] Now we're going to look closer at why he's such a wretched man, what that means, this body of this death. But now come back over to chapter number 8 and look at verse 23. Paul continuing the thought and referring to getting a new body.
[1:28] And he says in verse 23, And not only they but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to it, the redemption of our body.
[1:41] Look at verse 29. Paul says, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
[1:55] So Paul longs for a deliverance. He's waiting for this body to be redeemed. It's a change that will take place as he writes to the Corinthians, that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed.
[2:12] And he longs to be like Jesus Christ, once and for all, forever, and to be done with this body. He calls it the body of this death. Now because Paul spoke in the first person, because he spoke about himself as he writes to these believers, I'm just going to take that very thought and do it today myself.
[2:33] And I'm going to do it in the first person, because it will make it easier on you, so that I'm not pointing the finger at you the whole time. But rather, I'll be pointing the finger at me, just like Paul was pointing his finger at himself, saying, O wretched man that I am.
[2:49] Now he's confessing to them his weaknesses and his struggles with his flesh, and I don't mind doing the same. I'm not going to confess sins and air dirty laundry and do anything that would be improper, anything like that.
[3:02] But I want to preach what I'm calling in this message, the day I say goodbye to Toby Wolski, as you see him, to this body of flesh up here.
[3:14] And you can, in your own mind, infer and understand it'll be the same day, or there'll be a day when you'll say goodbye to yours too. So let's pray together, and then let's look back into this passage stronger.
[3:26] Father, I love you, and I love you because you washed me of my sins, and you saved my soul. And Lord, today, as we consider the doctrine and the truth and the scripture of the battle that we face in the flesh, Lord, I pray you'd open our eyes and illuminate us to the way you see us, to what you've called us to, and help us to pick up our sword and fight, and not to lay down, not to give in.
[3:51] Help us to be strong in the Lord. Help us, God, and to see ourselves for what we are, and to have that longing. And Lord, maybe kindle that inside of us, a stronger yearning, and a longing to be like you, and to be with you, and to wait, as Paul says, for that redemption, to look for it, and to desire it.
[4:13] And Lord, may Jesus Christ be glorified in all of this, we pray in his name. Amen. Now, Paul said it in verse 23 of chapter 8, that he said, waiting for the adoption.
[4:24] That's how he is currently in his writing. That's where he's at. I'm waiting for that thing. I can't wait. We say we can't wait for it. He is waiting for it. He says in Titus chapter 2, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
[4:41] He also says in Philippians chapter 1, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. He had a desire to go, a desire for that departure, to that deliverance, as he calls it in chapter 7.
[4:55] He looks to say goodbye. And I want to say three things this morning, and study it out in this Bible, that the day that I say goodbye to this body, to Toby Wolski, as you see him, number one, it'll be a day that I say goodbye to the bondage of the body of this death.
[5:14] You say, why do you say it like that? Well, look at chapter 8 and verse 21. These are words I pulled out of the Bible. In chapter 8, verse 21, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption.
[5:27] He's talking about his body, our body, and it'll be delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God. And I'm not going to read the whole passage and study it out, but every verse, he's comparing this body to the new one, the manifestation of the sons of God, and the redemption of our body.
[5:47] That'll be the day that I say goodbye to the bondage. Look back at chapter 7, the bondage of the body of this death. In verse 23, he uses another word, and he uses the word captivity.
[6:00] In verse 23 of chapter 7, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man that I am.
[6:12] So the day that I say goodbye to Toby Wolski, as you know and see him, will be the day that I say goodbye to the bondage of the body of this death. Paul, we're going to study this now, and look back at chapter 6.
[6:26] Paul declares that in Christ, we can have victory over our flesh. He declares that just like Jesus Christ died and was buried and came up. We too can die and be put to death in our flesh, but come up a new creature.
[6:41] He says in verse 4, we can walk in newness of life. We can yield our members as instruments of righteousness. And he says we can have victory over our old nature. It's destroyed, and we don't have to serve sin anymore.
[6:55] And while he talks about this in chapter 6, let me read it. Look at verses 12 and 13. Here he's commanding us, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
[7:06] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[7:18] Verse 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as ye have yielded your members' servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now, yield yourselves members' servants to righteousness unto holiness.
[7:34] Now that's the goal, and that's a possibility if we will submit to the Spirit of God within us and resist the flesh and the devil and flee from them, and we can walk in righteousness, and we can have our fruit unto holiness.
[7:50] However, Paul then, in chapter 7, admits it's not as easy as saying it. And he admits through this, we'll read this passage, that he has a horrible time doing what he just said we can do.
[8:06] Look at Romans 7, and let's read this passage. It's the one with all the tricky wording. Verse 15. For that which I do, I allow not.
[8:19] He's acknowledging right away, I don't allow, I don't want, I don't desire to do these things, to fulfill the lust of the flesh, but I do it. For what I would, that I do not, but what I hate, that do I.
[8:35] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good, now then it is no more I that do it, but sin, that dwelleth in me, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.
[8:48] For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, the apostle Paul, I find not. You're having trouble doing what's right, Paul.
[9:00] You're struggling with your flesh. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[9:15] I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. If I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity, the law of sin, which is in my members.
[9:34] And it's in mine too, as I stand before you. And so I don't have any problem saying these things. The apostle Paul admits them just as plainly as he can to the church, saying, I want to do what's right and there's those times or that I just find myself, I find inside of me is a wicked person who doesn't want to do right at all.
[9:55] Evil is present with me right here and right now in front of you. Oh, wretched man that I am. Well, one day I'll get to say goodbye to the body, the bondage of the body of this death.
[10:12] Paul says, it's bringing me into captivity. I'm trying to do right. The will is present with me to do what God wants. Yet this filthy, wicked flesh is just holding me back.
[10:25] It's tying me up and it's dwelling inside of me. The law of sin, which is in my members, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
[10:36] It's in my members, he said. I admit it's in mine too. These eyes, these eyes that I have, when the new man is not in control, will look with envy upon the success of others.
[10:51] These eyes will glare with dissatisfaction upon those things which God has graciously provided for me in this life. The Bible says, the eyes of a man are never satisfied.
[11:04] The body of this death, it has eyes and they're not clean. These eyes will take a second look. These eyes will fuel lusts in my old nature that will, just like Samson and King David were guilty of and so many in the history, men have fallen because of sins of their lusts.
[11:26] These eyes are a problem. These hands, right here, these two hands, if I allow them to be governed by sinful flesh, these hands will reach right past the word of God and grab the remote.
[11:40] They'll grab the cell phone. They'll just push aside anything spiritual and look for something carnal. Your hands may be just the same. We'll look for a tool.
[11:51] We'll look for a ball. We'll look for a club. They'll look for housework. They'll look for paperwork. They'll look for anything to occupy themselves rather than being used and fitted for God.
[12:05] These hands are a problem. You know what else is a problem? This mouth and this tongue. This mouth, when it's given the liberty, will spew out gossips, backbitings, whisperings.
[12:21] This mouth will rage in harmful rhetoric when it's allowed to. This mouth will cast out the bitter waters of envy and strife that James writes about in chapter 3.
[12:32] He says that the tongue is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. This one. And one day, by the grace of God, I'll be able to say goodbye to the bondage of the body of this flesh.
[12:48] You know, addictions have become a constant in our culture. They've become normal. Everybody's got them. The craving for nicotine or alcohol or marijuana or painkillers or just a plethora of street drugs and things that are illegal or even a compulsion for gambling or for pornography or for gaming or for the internet or an app or your phone.
[13:18] There's so many different forms of addictions and they're all evidence. They're all a sign that the flesh is in control. That this body has brought you into bondage.
[13:32] And it's very demanding. And it never backs off and it never will back off until until the day I say goodbye. And how sweet it will be to say goodbye to the body of this death.
[13:47] It's never done one good thing for me. It's never helped me to God. It's never assisted me in serving God. It's always held me back. The sin that dwells in its members.
[14:00] But by the grace of God I'll say goodbye to the bondage of the body of this death. Look at chapter 8 with me now. There's something else I'll get to say goodbye to. The day that I'm taken away and I say goodbye to the Toby Walski that you can see is the day that I'll get to say goodbye to the corruption of this carnal mind.
[14:26] Look at verse number 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. But they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit.
[14:37] For to be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. because the carnal mind is enmity against God.
[14:48] For it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Look at chapter 12.
[14:58] Keep your place. We'll come back. But look at chapter 12. I'll be able to say goodbye to the corruption of this carnal mind. In Romans chapter 12 and I'll just read verse number 2.
[15:11] Paul commands us to be not conformed to this world. But here's what he commands. But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may be able to prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
[15:28] This mind that controls this body this mind must constantly be reprogrammed to think a different way.
[15:39] to respond a different way to operate differently to become spiritually minded. It needs to have something input into it that will change it.
[15:54] It needs something spiritual like hallelujah the King James Bible. It needs a book. It needs the words of God the words of life the words that are spirit and life that can renew the mind.
[16:09] A major transformation a major overhaul needs to be taking place within my mind. And if I here's what and this is true this thing takes time.
[16:21] You don't just get saved and boom I'm a new man I'm a new creature and now old things are passed away and all things are become new and now I'm spiritually minded. Because the truth is you have to grow.
[16:34] You get saved and there's still things you don't understand are wrong or are not helping or harmful to you. You still walk in the flesh and don't even know it. And as you grow and as the word of God gets placed inside and inside and inside and inside it begins to twist and conform and transform and renew your mind to seeing things differently.
[16:57] To seeing things according to God according to truth and the spirit of God changes you. And it takes time. It takes years. And here's the thing I want to point out is the moment that I stop putting effort into it I will automatically quickly default back to the carnal mind.
[17:19] When I put my Bible down I won't even know it I'll think I'm God control. I'll deceive myself because my heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and it'll lead me right back to the carnal mind and I'll think yeah I'm good I'm saved I know the Bible I know I know and I'll just be as deceived and deceived in my own mind deceiving themselves as the Bible says I'll default back to the carnal mind I need I need a transformation.
[17:50] Now come back to Romans 8 let's point out a few things about the carnal mind that I'll be able to say goodbye to and allow these scriptures to help you and illuminate you to your carnal mind.
[18:03] Verse number 5 we learned this they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. This carnal mind minds the things of the flesh.
[18:15] It looks out for itself. It looks for self gratification and self preservation. It loves pleasure. The carnal mind loves pleasures.
[18:28] It loves to satisfy the flesh. The carnal mind chooses entertainment over work. The carnal mind seeks instant fulfillment with little to no effort just give me what I want when I want it and I'll be fine.
[18:44] The mark of a carnal mind and someone living carnally is a lack of structure and inconsistency in their life. Or a mark I said it wrong a mark of lack of consistency.
[19:00] Some folks I've known some that they get something that they like and they go after it and in three weeks four weeks they're done and they're off to something else and they're off to something else and they're never satisfied and their carnal mind is evidence that they're minding the things of the flesh they're chasing always the next thing.
[19:23] Their carnal mind they're always obeying their carnal mind and seeking to fulfill its pleasures its lusts and its desires. The carnal mind loves pleasure it also loves comfort.
[19:36] The carnal mind refuses to be forced into an uneasy position into a place where it's not in control. It won't be made a public spectacle.
[19:47] It's you know your carnal mind just like my carnal mind it has gotten its way so often and so many times that the way I think is like what's the big deal?
[19:59] I fell before I'll fall again I'll just tell God I'm sorry. The carnal mind is a deceiver and it loves comfort and it even makes so many excuses so quickly just to give in once again.
[20:16] I'm reading a book from a street preacher that wrote about some of his endeavors and he writes about a time when he was on the road going from a town to town and he pulled into this he describes it as a manly store meaning like a hunting and fishing outdoors kind of store and he pulls in and went around back to where he could park his home motor home and he came up to get a few items and he said he was in the store typically he's got stickers and signs on his vehicle he's got shirts and things of Christ or Bible verse shirts and hats and things and he said he realized as he's walking through this manly store that he doesn't have anything on he parked around back there was a group of guys kind of huddled hanging around this cash register talking some good old boys and he realized I fit in they don't know me I don't know them I don't stand out for Christ and he felt like his carnal mind was telling him just play it cool don't make a scene don't do anything you don't need to do anything just get your stuff and go and he said on the inside he felt this tugging this voice saying are you going to let the devil win or are you going to let God win and he said he went to the register and he just felt like nobody even knows
[21:39] I'm a Christian nobody knows I'm a street preacher nobody knows that I do this every day of my life out there witnessing and he said I couldn't take it the carnal mind was holding him back but he got out gospel tracks and went and talked to every one of them and handed him a track and left there saying at the very least the devil didn't win today the carnal mind lost but the carnal mind minds the things of the flesh it looks out for itself it wants to be comfortable is there something else let's look in verse number 7 the Bible says because the carnal mind is notice this is enmity against God you see those two words it's against God you think and I think this too it's because we're deceived to give in to your carnality to give in to your flesh and just think I'm sorry Lord I did it again no you're not just oops he'll forgive me no actually you need to understand according to scripture what you did and giving in you're against
[22:44] God right there you're at enmity with God in that thing you're standing against his working inside of you and you dismiss it so quickly and so do I there's two enemies inside of your heart battling for every inch of your heart it's a constant fight look at chapter 7 we read it before verse number 22 Paul said I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring warring against the law of my mind and winning bringing me into captivity to the law of sin in Galatians chapter 5 he tells us that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would just like the apostle Paul the good that I would I do not why because there's a flesh there's a carnal mind that's enmity against God when God commands you to witness or to hand out a track or to invite somebody to church or do something for Christ the carnal mind says no it avoids every endeavor in that way the new man moves you to prayer the new man moves you to get ready for church to get up to go the new man inside the Lord
[24:14] Jesus Christ tells you to respond to preaching to something that he deals with your heart about to get it right to testify to sing to do something publicly for Christ but it's uncomfortable being a fool for Christ it feels and the carnal mind says oh no I'm against it I'm against it all the spiritual mind moves you to trust God and the carnal mind quickly counters how it doesn't make sense how it's not logical how it's not wise or prudent the carnal mind the Bible says is enmity against God it fights every move that God makes inside of your heart consider it an internal warning system that flares and sounds off the minute the Holy Spirit begins to work on your heart the minute God seeks to move and deal with you on the inside the carnal man says no he comes alive he's awakened and does everything he can against God how do you counter this come to 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 here's a verse that we ought to read here 2nd Corinthians 10 how can you counter this carnal mind that's at enmity with God that fights every move
[25:44] God makes 2nd Corinthians 10 and verse number 5 the Bible says casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ you see there's things against the carnal mind's against God it's enmity against God and that carnal mind brings you into captivity to the law of sin that's in your members but the apostle Paul says no you need to step up and cast it down and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and you need to bring it into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ what I'll say to you is you recognize it number one that it's your carnal mind your flesh fighting against God's working you recognize it you rebuke it and you resist it by obeying
[26:50] God immediately the minute you stand and think about it you're going to give in when you weigh it out or you allow the carnal mind to put forth excuses you'll find one you like the best thing to do is cast it down just like a rock in your hand just toss it and submit to Christ immediately everything to the obedience of Christ the carnal mind's enmity against God there's one more thing back in Romans chapter 8 let's understand about your carnal mind the carnal mind in verse number 7 the carnal mind's enmity against God and then the verse continues by saying for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be that's no surprise really because it's a dead man the carnal mind's a lost man it's a wild man that cannot be tamed the Bible says in
[27:56] Jeremiah can the Ethiopian change his skin the answer is no can the leopard change his spots no then God says then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil no and the carnal mind can't be transformed in itself it can't be fixed to serve God and obey God to be subject to the law of God it has to be crucified it has to be put to death and that's something you can read on in Romans chapter 6 and a little bit more thoroughly you can't tame the wild beast that lusts within you he has to be killed you cannot submit to the word of God or the will of God until the carnal man is crucified he's not going to be allowed to give his input he's got to be cast down immediately so the day that I say goodbye to the Toby Woskey that you see before you is the day that I'll say goodbye to the corruption of this carnal mind
[28:57] I won't have to deal anymore by the grace of God with his fightings with his lusts with his lies with his excuses with his deceitfulness he'll be gone one more thing I want us to see in Romans chapter 8 we'll be able to say goodbye to the pain of this present time in verse number 18 Paul says I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us he said in verse 22 we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now yes when that day comes where either I drop dead or God calls me up in the rapture he calls us up I should say in the rapture I'll be able to say goodbye to the pains or the sufferings for Christ in this present time now these sufferings show up in a variety for different people for some as we saw in Sunday school in Peter they're suffering reproach or they're mockeries or they're feeling alone at work or like you're the black sheep in your family because you're a Christian or you go to church and you're faithful people talk behind your back people make jokes about you that may not be a huge deal but some get accused of being in a cult some get accused of being crazy but for others they've been imprisoned for
[30:24] Jesus Christ they've taken beatings for Jesus Christ a displacement from their homes from their communities some have been whipped and tortured and for others it's just rejection or it's ridicule and so there's many forms of suffering and of pain of this present time and different degrees to it but one day by the grace of God the body of Christ will be risen and lifted above forever to say goodbye to the pains of this present time it'll just become the pains of the past time because we won't have to experience it anymore Paul said in Romans 8 in verse 22 that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together he says it again in verse 23 that we ourselves groan within ourselves so we're not satisfied we have a desire within ourselves to depart this body and to say goodbye to all of its flaws to depart this world and say goodbye to all of its corruption and sin to be released from the bondage of corruption to say goodbye so long not looking forward to seeing you again in verse 26
[31:43] Paul describes that we have infirmities that the spirit helpeth with he helps our infirmities those are weaknesses that we have and one day we'll be able to say goodbye no more weaknesses as a believer nothing that God's going to have to be helping me through that'll be done with no more bills no more groanings within ourselves no more pains no more being at odds no more just frustrated with the way the world is with the way the people your family and your friends or your neighbors are just their mindset what they believe that you just want to shake them that frustration is gone in verse number 27 and even down in verse 34 describes Jesus Christ making intercession for us and that won't be necessary when all of our insufficiencies and frailties and inconsistencies in our Christian life are behind us our imperfections will be swallowed up of life will be eternally conformed to the image of his son and I'm like the apostle Paul this morning
[32:53] I long for this deliverance for the day when I can say goodbye forever to the Toby Walski that you see I'll be able to say goodbye to the bondage of this body and to how much it wants to bring me into sin and all the sin that's in my members I'll be able to say goodbye to the corruption of this carnal mind how ungodly my mind wants to be how quickly I can think the wrong thought or say the wrong words or be consumed with flesh and seek the easy way out and pleasures and satisfying myself and I'll be able to say goodbye to any pains of this present time any ridicules or mockeries any of that fear of living for Jesus Christ all of that's gone if you love the Lord this morning I think if you're attempting to walk in the spirit and if you are trying to fight sin you want to be found faithful I think these thoughts and these things I'm drawing out here that they resonate within you that they ring true but if you can't get behind this kind of talk or it seems weird to you or maybe pastor's just a little overboard he's a little different maybe this is just church talk to you and not real talk then there's something wrong because I'm just giving you a bible this morning
[34:18] I'm just aligning myself with the apostle Paul my example that I'm to follow and if this doesn't ring true to you I can tell you what the problem is it's either one you're not saved and you don't have the spiritual mind and the new man and the only thing that makes sense to you is just do good or don't do bad and that's you know that's pretty normal but it's a whole lot more to it and if that's not your case if you're born again but it still sounds weird to you to want to depart this body and have this desire to be delivered from this flesh and this carnal mind if that's not your goal this morning then you're too influenced by your carnal mind and you've been giving in to your flesh for way too long and allowing it to dictate what's okay and what's acceptable or you're allowing it to make excuses for you for way too long it's way too strong you can't please God if you're in the carnal mind and you'll stand before Jesus Christ at the judgment seat and you'll watch your whole life everything you've done for him just burn up with nothing left that's real talk but if you're saved this morning you should be groaning within yourself to get out of here attached to nothing the church in my lifetime the church
[35:45] I've seen it I'm part of it it's absolutely waxed colder it's absolutely taken us a backward step away from this longing to depart and to be with Christ it is no question the church has found its roots a little bit more down here and a little less up there it's getting cold it's finding pleasures in this life acceptable it's joining hands with the world and saying it's not so bad and it's completely oblivious to the soldiers of the past who have given their lives to stand out from this world why the apostle Paul would even say that Christ died so that he could deliver us from this present evil world and the church today says it's not so bad it's not so bad they're good people the church is so deceived they're so in love with pleasures and comfort and obedience to the carnal mind that some of this talk doesn't even make sense it's not ringing true and if that's the case with you this morning you're too influenced by your carnal mind
[37:04] I know an individual that made a comment I think it was my wife at the time said something about the rapture or something like everything being better like that happening that day and this person said oh I don't agree with you and they said I want to see my kids grow up I want to experience you know they had these worldly plans that sounds nice but their mind is warped away from the Lord Jesus Christ somebody that's not walking with Christ will think that way I want to see this happen in my life but if you can get your focus on Jesus Christ and you're striving together with him boy that stuff will just you know in your heart why would I want to stick around for that when I could be with Christ which is far better are you ready to say goodbye this morning I don't know when it's going to be
[38:05] I don't know I don't know when the day is coming but here's one good thing I can tell you today we're one day closer to saying goodbye to all of these things let's bow our heads together in a moment I want to pray and as I do I want to invite you if the Lord's been pointing things out