Our Web Site: cbcbedford.com
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" Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Romans 7:14-17
Romans 7:14 The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. 15 I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things. {The New Living Translation)
Most of us are well familiar with the work book and made into several movies "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", by Robert Louis Stevenson, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is a classic novel about "Right and Wrong" "Joy and Despair" "The struggle of Good and Evil" or struggle of the natural mans vs. the Spiritual man.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Mr. Stevenson was once asked, "Where did you find the model for your character of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." He said, "I found it in my nature. He was a Christian and had learned that there is indeed inside of every child of God a BEAST. Every saved person has a New Nature and an Old Nature.
I find that there is always a struggle with the "BEAST THAT LIVE WITHIN ME."
Dr. McGhee would say of the Old Flesh nature of man, "It’s never removed and it’s never improved."
If you have ever studied the 7th chapter of Romans – You know that the Apostle Paul had the same fight that you and I have. He had to fight the BEAST THAT LIVE WITHIN.
When I was a young preacher in the Seminary, I heard a lot of preacher that came and lectured to our student body. I heard one pastor that said, "We should never let our people get into the seventh chapter of Romans – we should just encourage them to jump over the seventh chapter and right into the eighth chapter.
That sounded good to me until I found that you can’t jump over the seventh chapter. The man that fought the battle in the seventh chapter is the one that won the victory in chapter eight.
If you have lived the Christian life for very one you can identify with the Apostle Paul when he said, " I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate."
T/S So all this being true – How can we control the beast that lives within us.
I Think that most people would agree that Paul probably was about as successful a Christian as you could find in the art of living the New Life in Christ Jesus. So . . . How did Paul handle this BEAST that lived inside of him. That would be our message.
I. HE THANKED GOD FOR BEING PATIENT WITH HIM IN SPITE OF WHAT HE WAS. Verse 25.
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
1. Just say, "Lord, I want to thank you that even though I’m a mess that you still love me and you are still striving with me and you want to make me something more today that I was yesterday.
2. I’m not what I ought to be, I’m not what I want to be but thank God - I’m not what I use to be.
3. Don’t thank God for what you are but that He is willing to take you "Just as you are and work with you to make you like Jesus." It may take a lifetime but God is patient and will not give up on you.
II. WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES OF THE EXTENT OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS. Rom 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, . . . . . . Rom. 8:1
1. Some will ask, If a person has done all these thing, how can they ever feel good about themselves. This is what most Physiology is all about. Making people feel good about themselves. I don’t need to feel good about myself. I need to feel good about Jesus.
2. Some people are so miserable about themselves that they want everyone else to feel miserable also. BUT NO CONDEMNATION FOR ME. I AM IN CHRIST JESUS.
3 We sing, Saved by the blood of the crucified one - Now ransomed from sin and a new life begun. - My sins are all pardoned and my guilt is all gone.
III. PAUL LEARNED TO FORGIVE HIMSELF. 8:2, 3
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
THE LAW OF LIFE:
Is it wrong to take a gun and shoot someone? Is there a law against taking a gun and shooting someone?
If sick pervert broke into you house and was about to rape and murder one of your loved ones – if you took a gun and shot him – would that be against the law?
No, of course not. The law of the Spirit of life is a greater law than the lesser law.
The law of God Grace and mercy that flows from the blood of the Savior is a higher law that the law of sin and death.
1. Why have I done the things that I have done? It has been that law of sin and death working in my members.
2. You see, Today I still do things that I don’t want to do. The devil is there to tell me, "You sure are a fine example. I told you that you couldn’t live the Christian life. You must not even be saved. A Saved person wouldn’t do a thing like that. If you had Brother So-In-So’s Experience you would not act like that.
3. Listen folks: I could not stand and minister the Word of God this morning if I had not learn to forgive myself. If God has forgiven you. How dare you not to forgive yourself. Who do you think you are holding something over your head that God has wiped away clean?
4. We say to ourselves, "I know what I’ve done and I deserve to be miserable and I am just going to go over here and sit down and eat worms." Don’t do that if you have found life, grace, mercy and the love of the lovely Lord Jesus.
IV. WE CAN MAKE A CONSCIENCE DECISION TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT NOT IN THE FLESH. 8:3,4
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
How did you learn to walk? Have you ever seen a little one learning to walk. They don’t get up and just start walking the first time they try. They crawl for awhile. They pull themselves up and take one step and fall back – up again and fall forward. Soon they are taking a couple of steps before they fall.
Whey do we expect new Christians to walk perfect before the Lord? Did God give us the example of walking so that we would understand that it take practice? I think so.
The next time one of God’s new born fall – help them up and get them going again. I have been walking for the Lord for many years now. I still stumble and fall. Don’t you? How blessed are we that there was a loving Child of God there to help us back on our feet?
CONCLUSION:
There is only one sin that is greater than falling down – that is not getting back up and going again.
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Central Baptist Church
Pastor: Larry Jacobs
email: LarryJ713@aol.com
Web Site: cbcbedford.com
