Romans Ch 6

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This is Rodney from the masculine journey podcast. We explored manhood within Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast starting in just a few seconds.

Sit back and enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network we will pause a moment here to think one of our program supporters and that's High Point financial design over in High Point, North Carolina just like to say thank you to our friend Ronnie Kleinwort and his son Brad, Kleiner, and all of the folks at High Point financial design for their positive feedback and encouragement of our ministry. We appreciate High Point financial design in their special focus on intentional planning abundant living continued blessings both from into the High Point financial design and if not for God with Mike Swick welcome to If Not for God stories of hopelessness that turn to hope. Your host Mike Swick not forgotten today with Mike and Mike, you got a heart for Romans six to I do look at the CSV version and it says what should we say then should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply, absolutely not. How can we who died to sin still live in it or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin. Since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we also will live with him because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead will not die again death no longer rules over him for the death he died, he died to sin once for all time, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you to consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. I've actually been reading a book by Charles Spurgeon can't be a Baptist without knowing who Charles Spurgeon is. I mean this guy my fiancé, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the Baptist's actually the first chapter of his book called being God's friend.

He says that the obedience of faith, he says, and it's in Hebrews 11 eight. He talks about by faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went and he says that obedience.

What a blessing it would be if we were all trained to it by the Holy Spirit if we were perfected, obedient, we would be fully restored if the whole world would obey the Lord. It would be heaven on earth. Perfect obedience to God, would mean love among men justice to all classes and peace in every land.

Our wills bring envy, malice war, but if we would only obey the Lord's will, we would receive Lovejoy rest Bliss obedience. Let us pray for ourselves and for all and what I'm kind of reminded of is that you know we've always talked about.

I think it's Ephesians 2839 where it says that were saved through grace by grace through faith is not of ourselves, so that no one may boast, but in this book that I'm reading by Charles Spurgeon.

He said that you know were good Protestants so we say were saved by grace through faith in him and a lot of times we think that's it. But for me, one of the examples that I thought of is that my dad is now passed away, but I love my dad and I always wanted to please my dad, this is my earthly father and so that I would do things in a way to to try to please my daughter try to make my dad proud was afraid that my dad was thrown into hell. As a matter fact I knew I knew he didn't have the power to do that but I wanted to please him.

And so I think how much more in my life you want to please my heavenly father and and we've talked about this not when I'm not trying to please God, because I was in. Oh gosh, if I don't do something today than he's gotta throw me into hell. But I would leave a living pleasing.

I want to live a pleasing life to God because I know how much he loves me. I know how much he cares for me and that Jesus died on the cross for for my sins for your sins, Robbie, and for everybody who's listening and it said that he he died not because we were great but but he died for the ungodly. And because he did that because he he died for our sins and because he loved us, then we love then we love him.

It says in Scripture that we love him because he first looked love Dustin was talking a little bit about before Robbie that you actually do something you work with our children who have autism and in when you go when you do that it is it because you're afraid, if you don't go in there that day and do it that God can throw you in the hell is is that what is that what kinda pushes you to do that are actually fire completely transparent. Was audibly those people are real I mean I love you I they both have some autistic and some down syndrome. But if you want unconditional love sometime to people that you know they don't they look at you.

They hug you, babe. They they love on you in ways that only they can, and when they worship. It's not often think God put me with a class to teach me, not the other way around. It was in my version. At first when I first went there but no doubt that where he went with Abraham idea right because you think of all the ways that Abraham ended up obeying God right up to the point of taking my two sons wrote to give us a picture of what that would be actually for God to do that. That's so classic.

Abraham believed God, and it was counted on to him as righteousness. In other words, because Abraham listened and because he obeyed. It's a critical thing and you may know, I love the hundred 19 Psalm much. The foundation of that Psalm King David recites back because he realizes that it was it was Abraham first. That said, several words and phrases that are repeated numerous times in the hundred 19 Psalm it may seem like it's repetitive but it's not. So you hear a bunch of times where he talks about statute and ordinances right and what they call commandments. The reason why Abraham got what he God and it says because he kept my commandments, my ordinances and my judgments. That passage right there is the basis from which King David did so much of this Solomon all had to do would just simply what you talk about Abraham love God.

He listened any obeyed. What a beautiful thing about the report that when we love our wives will widen organ to do what they want because we want them to be pleased. You know we want them to live a happy life.

If we can possibly break my wife. This is big on washing your hands, you know, and I'll be honest, it's a little annoying right and on a first time I walk in the kitchen. I got home wash her hands. Yeah yeah yeah yeah if anybody even people who are not Christians probably know, when you're in the known right now it Psalm 119 in starting in verse 105.

It even people who are not Christians, many of them know this first final start in this verse it says your your word is a lamp for my feet and a light unto my path. I've taken an oath and confirmed it that I will follow your righteous laws I have suffered much preserve my life, Lord, according to your word except Lord, the willing praise of my mouth and teach me your laws though I constantly take my life in my hands. I will not forget your law. The wicked have set a sneer for me but I have not strayed from your preceptor statues your statutes are my heritage forever. There, the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end when one of the stories that I think about is is the beginning of the Bible when it when you look at Adam and Eve in God's God told Adam NEP said you can eat from any any part of this garden that you want to but you are not to eat from the tree of knowledge and evil you are not to eat from the tree of good and evil. Depending on which version your reading and so they were can eat from all the other trees and they knew not to eat from that tree on and in and the serpent takes it says came up to them and the serpent said all God. God knows that once you eat from that tree. Then you'll be able to know the difference between good and evil. And that's why God doesn't want you to eat from that tree he says go ahead and have a bite and so it's interesting that so many times in our lives that we think God is setting up these rules for us because he doesn't want us to have any fun. All he's telling us that you know were not supposed to have sex before were married or were not supposed to commit adultery or were not supposed to lost in our heart. After another woman or after another manner were not supposed to be in a relationship of any sort of with somebody of the same sex or were not supposed to do this and were not supposed to do that or whatever it is we think will cost me and he's just a Jew, or were not supposed to get drunk anywhere you know that God is just a killjoy but then when I look at the second part of what happens to them after they do what they're not supposed to do now. They're able to see between good and evil. And now they know that there naked, and God didn't want them to think or to know that they were naked. He thought that they were beautiful just just the way that they were but when they were able to when they did what they weren't supposed to do.

There were consequences negative consequences from nursing. Now Eve and everybody since then has been able to has has had to have pain through childbirth on the next part of the sin by the way we have. I have some friends who are saying that they are that when their child. Next childbirth comes there not to have any pain because I was part of the old cars and so hey if if if that works out for them and am praying that it will be a great story, okay I get it, but what I'm saying is this, for the most part people have child a lot of pain during their childbirth my wife when she recently went through childbirth.

The doctors kinda messed up. They messed up because of the test and she ended up having to give birth without any epidural so she felt the whole thing and so it was rough but you know they there were, and then the Adam and Eve ended up dying. I mean, it is far as I know, before before the eight from that tree. They never would've died and so there were all of these other problems that that the Adam had to work by the sweat of his brow.

When you think about it.

I mean you know when when alcohol if you read Proverbs 31 Proverbs versus 31 it says it looks so good and if you can use alcohol in moderation, which we talked about medicine but if you are somebody who struggles with alcohol and I'm talking about addiction getting drunk so many times you when you first started to do it. It was something that was fun but now you got to the point where it's no longer fun.

It's an addiction it's causing liver problems.

It's causing product you may have lost your job, you may have lost your family on and it it's your your health has been deteriorated and you see all of the negative effects of this if you're somebody who said hey I want to sleep around and it could be homosexual, heterosexual, whatever it is, but I'm somebody who wanted to sleep around and now you've got maybe sexually transmitted disease and it's something that you have to deal with your seeing the consequences of that sin but in Rob you know this all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But there is some good news to write Robbie renewed gone to the point of Romans six, which I think of 16 Psalm and so forth versus the sorrows of those who chase after other gods will be multiplied in an there being in other words, if you chase after whatever other God you want to chase after your sorrows will be multiplied.

But the good news is that is driving you to where the bottom of the foot of the cross exit right because once you know you say okay this is led to death. It's led to death. It's like the death of the death that's the idea of repentance. Right.

That's the idea of all man I get to turn back towards God.

I'm on my way to the steak dinner right yet the prodigal son like here we go, and that all that sin and death leads to write this place where you see that there is a reason that Jesus had to die and it was for me. Yeah, it was a, you know, I I recently heard this and you could probably expound on this little bit more but I heard some he say they setting in order for there to be a solution of their problems out of your problem and so one of the problems that we've seen and in maybe you're not a Christian today and you're listening to the radio station you don't know why you to dinner.

You you're listening to the podcast you don't know why you tuned in. We believe that God has you listening for a very specific reason you hear so many people say I'm a good person, and as long as I do more good deeds than I do bad deeds or as long as I'm not really bad then I'm okay and I can make it into heaven, but that's not what the Bible says write Robbie at work there. There is the eternal heaven but then there's also you know how on earth. Ryan, because as we chase after whatever God that may be other than the one that we can obey your sorrows will be multiplied and it was designed that way that it that we we get an opportunity to digest what it is said in Romans, in order to in order to be buried in the likeness of his death.

Well, we have to die to self and that and that sell for all those lessons are small and stuff them and put them there and actually we get to do that daily and and continually yeah yeah I mean is matter fact when were talking about this. One of the things that I think it's a quote by CS Lewis and it says that God whispers to us in our pleasures. He speaks in our conscience, but he shouts in her pains and so maybe you're listening to this today and you're dealing with an addiction got a friend of mine good friend of mine down in South Carolina have known the guy for years and he is a Christian. He said Mike he said I've been dealing with an addiction. I struggled with this and one of the things that that I can tell you is that if you're struggling with this. If you're struggling with something or if you're dealing with maybe a fall out of of the problem that you that you had. Maybe you've committed adultery in your marriage has deteriorated and you say will. Gosh, why did all of this happened to me will usually so many times from that quote in CS Lewis, also from the Bible that many times when things are good for us when when we see things are fine. We see things in a there's not a problem were not really looking up many times, not always. Many times were not looking out but maybe if you maybe if you fallen into sin or you decided to go your own way you can go your own way and you can mean but if you've done that then and you're dealing with some of the consequences. Maybe God has you listening today for a reason and maybe are exactly where you need to be. It says and thought Psalm 3416 that God is close to the brokenhearted, what you think. Absolutely and another seminar I love Psalm 13 what it says write bid actually starts out with you know how long Lord you forget me forever. How long will you hide your face from me. Well, if you been there in addiction. If you've been in there in some sin. That's exactly how you feel and the Ms. you know how long will I seek counsel in my soul. Having sorrows in my heart daily will think about it back to the noon section that you described the hundred 19 Psalm in my soul where my get my counsel if it's me. What's the result to be having sorrows right and then you know what he says it is says hello my enemy be exalted over me and then he says consider Lord and hear my prayer, listen light in my eyes list. I sleep the sleep of death. In other words, light my candle got light in my eyes list. I sleep the sleep of death in my enemy stage prevailed against the subject. Go back to the hundred on to someone just rip the beginning of the nun and the none in its own way is a candle okay and so in your your soul is considered in Hebrew and affectionate. You've heard that word and that manifest begins with that letter none for a reason, because your candle right and so when you get your candlelit. This is the opportunity that that were talked about right here. How long will I seek counsel in this dark place.

My counsel says light. My eyes give me the light. Once you light the candle of the candle is it reflects the light is the light is like Jesus is the light we just get a chance to reflect the light.

So once we got our candlelit then all of a sudden we can begin to see things that will make sense of all the struggles of the eviction. God didn't allow that stuff in your life for no reason. He allowed it in your life, because he wants you to get the real deal, because I heard this today.

It is a beautiful quote says if we can be ourselves.

Then God can be himself with us. But if we can't be ourselves. We don't limit our true identity that God can't be himself about SSL.

He's dying to be himself with you. But in order to do that we can overcome that God that is taken control of her life, whatever that addiction is. And he's made a way for that to happen but you gotta go to the cross. You gotta go to the cross and the and that's a great point.

What one of the things that I was thinking about with this is you.that a friend of mine when I was kind of having a tough time with myself and I was set on struggled with this and deal with this, that whatever and a friend of mine named Laurent. He said that he said Mike don't beat yourself up.

Don't beat yourself up and you I'm reminded of the story of theirs getting Father Damien. Have you ever heard of him. Robbie, etc. okay is getting Father Damien. He and you can you can look this up, but he actually went down to Hawaii and he was Catholic, but he taught the Catholic faith to the people of Hawaii and he actually worked with lepers.

He actually preached to the lepers of Hawaii, but after 11 years of helping and working with lepers.

He actually became a leper himself, and he ended up dying, but you know, I can imagine him down there where he was always working with the lepers and and I'm sure they appreciated it they loved it nice to me and I appreciate this guy doing it but there was one day where he actually went among the lepers and he took his shirt off. He said see one of you unlike you, I'm a leper just like you are and what I'm reminded of is there's a verse, and it's in Hebrews 4, verse 15 it says for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin.

So if you're struggling with drug addiction.

Remember, the Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way went when Jesus went out to the wilderness and Satan came to tempt him says that Jesus was hungry and Satan said turn this rock into a piece of bread into interbred and then heat it and so what that tells me as if he was tempted wanted to do it.

It said he was hungry as a matter fact you know when when when the Satan came up and he said to Jesus, he says, throw yourself off the top top the tallest building and he used Scripture to to to justify saying that the Lord will send his angels to get your whatever. But that's not what Jesus was supposed to do because they may have been a pride thing and and then Satan said bow down to me and I'll give you the whole world will mean can you imagine that many of us today. We have many of those temptations as well. We have the temptation to eat or to over eat. We have that we have the temptation of pride we have the temptation of lost and so the good news is, is the Savior of the world, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says he was tempted in every way like we are, so why don't you and this is just something I'm thinking cry out to Jesus cry out to him and ask him to help you with this because he understands how you feel on. There was a song that was that was recorded it was by third day and in the song is I need a miracle in it and what it tells the story of a guy who had lost his job. He felt like he had nothing to live for, took his truck when out of the woods. He stuck his. He stuck his gun up to his head was about to blow his brains out and he says I want to hear one last song he turned on the radio and guess what song was on the radio cry out to Jesus by third day in heard that song. He decided not to do with. But just like that guy who's out in the woods.

Maybe that's you in a different way maybe your listening right now you say I feel like I have nothing to live for. I feel like nothing is going right that you have somebody in his name is Jesus Christ and he can understand how you feel. Yeah, I was quoting all those verses from 13 Psalm but the best is the last right when you the last couple verses that blows my mind to see them in Hebrew, because what he actually says after right is been tempted in is asking God, the light in his eyes and he says that my entry will prevail against me, and that those who troubled me won't rejoice mostly pieces but I have trusted in the Lord's loving kindness toward us has said that he is so that's a big problem.

Most people don't trust Jesus and God are actually loving and kind but believe me that's that's the definition of what they are but I have trusted in the Lord's loving kindness and he said, and in my heart I will rejoice in your salvation is the word in English, but if you were to read the word salvation in Hebrew, it says the issue okay okay which issue may sound familiar to some of you that would be Jesus.

Okay so enabled, so in my heart I will rejoice in your Yeshua will who was usually the King David right Amanda and in and that was his posterity.

In other words, he knew that all generations would be blessed through his you know and so just think how cool it is that in my heart. I'm going to rejoice in your Yeshua evidence. Then he says I'll sing to the Lord was dealt bountifully with me.

And of course who sang the Lord more than King David coming. It's an absolutely beautiful thing and if you take a guy. I mean, you can't miss it.

Did he struggle struggle that everybody in the world come after him did did he not have his own issues with his own family, his own son, you know, the whole you know all these things are and in King David's life shows that there was somebody completely relate to a lot of the shenanigans that I've enjoyed my own life, including within my own family.

Yet he completely trusted and then again if you spend a lot of time hundred 19 Psalm you'll see that time and again where he goes when he doesn't have an answer. He goes to prayers like I can't.

This is over my pay grade.

I'm going you God guide your NAFTA handle discard your NAFTA fixes God you can't count on you because I got nothing right and in the end of the day it couldn't be more true right yeah I mean is matter fact you know what I'm reminded of the story is that if you realize there's a problem and you realize that you're looking you, you realize there's a problem you're looking for a solution. You're halfway there. Mean we we told the story before but it's like the group of students from class they go for a hike. One day they're going up the mountains and teacher finds out who did their homework and who didn't. And so the kids to did not do their homework.

The kids who did their homework ended up carrying the bags of their own bags. Plus, they carried the bags of the kids to did not do their homework and at first she said let doesn't that didn't make any sense, but as they were walking up the hill. The kids who did not do their homework hated because they hated to have somebody else have to carry their burden in so many times with us.

The problem may be pride's that were not willing to just reach out and ask Jesus. I do this on myself. I need you to save me. I need you to help me and then once we do that, and we've taken the burden off of ourselves and we put the burden on Jesus and he says come to me all you who are weary and laden, and I will give you rest for my burden is light and we hope that you brown hey I just want to thank one of our sponsors. Greater love world outreach Center over in Burlington North Carolina at 537 S. Ireland St. they have services Sunday at 1030 in the morning and they have a Wednesday night service at seven. Pastor Ron Harris. He's been on the station before we love to have him on if you want to feel welcomed, made to feel like you're at home, go visit greater love world outreach Center over in Burlington. This is the Truth Network