It Is Written

The Dilemma

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Bradshaw

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW001209


00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book.
00:13 The Bible.
00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world.
00:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe.
00:37 Thanks for joining me today.
00:38 A true story.
00:40 A certain pilot - who we will call him Dave - had been flying
00:44 commercial airliners in the United States for almost
00:47 20 years.
00:48 In that time he had seen just about everything.
00:50 And that was just as well.
00:52 To start with, the plane he was piloting this night was delayed,
00:56 the weather was bad, and although the crew were all
00:59 experienced they'd never worked together before, and that slowed
01:01 things down a little bit more.
01:04 And then Dave was given word that a passenger on his plane
01:07 was gravely ill - he'd had a severe heart attack, and
01:11 although a doctor on board was helping, it was obvious the man
01:14 needed urgent medical care.
01:17 The pilot radioed the tower at a nearby airport seeking
01:20 permission to land, but due to the bad weather,
01:24 permission was denied.
01:25 So what should he do?
01:27 If they stayed flying, the passenger would almost
01:29 certainly die.
01:31 It was true the weather was a problem, but Dave was confident
01:34 he could land the plane safely.
01:36 He'd been flying for years, not just for the airlines but in the
01:39 military as well.
01:41 But he didn't feel like he should risk the lives of his
01:43 crew and passengers by trying to land.
01:46 News came again - the passenger was failing.
01:49 And although not everybody on board the plane knew what was
01:52 happening, those who did were unanimous: land the plane and
01:56 try to save the man's life.
01:59 Now Dave had a choice - defy the control tower, risk everyone's
02:04 safety and likely save a man's life, or follow instructions,
02:11 and let the man die.
02:13 A dilemma.
02:15 What would you do?
02:17 I'm going to tell you today that every Christian, every person in
02:21 the world faces a very real dilemma - and far more serious
02:26 than that faced by our pilot.
02:28 Let me tell you what a dilemma is and is not.
02:34 Having to choose between vanilla and strawberry isn't a dilemma,
02:37 that's a choice.
02:39 Running out of gas isn't a dilemma, its a problem (although
02:43 it could introduce a dilemma).
02:46 A dilemma is this: "a problem offering two solutions or
02:49 possibilities, of which neither is acceptable.
02:54 The two options are often described as the HORNS OF A
02:57 DILEMMA, neither of which is comfortable."
03:00 You've got two options, neither of them is really very good.
03:04 You're choosing between bad and bad.
03:06 Or maybe between bad and worse.
03:09 Which brings us to our subject today.
03:11 The Bible begins with these famous words, "In the beginning
03:14 God."
03:17 (Genesis 1:1) And when God created, he crowned creation by
03:20 making the human family.
03:22 A small family to begin with, just Adam and Eve, and God
03:26 intended this family to grow.
03:28 But both family members ate the forbidden fruit.
03:33 That failure to trust God and obey His will was SIN - and Adam
03:36 and Eve discovered that sin, as Isaiah said, separates from God.
03:40 They lost their perfection, and they became subject to death.
03:47 Now, as a result, the image of God in them was marred, and now
03:52 if they were to have children those children would not be born
03:55 with the perfect nature their parents were created with.
03:59 Instead, their any of Adam and Eve's children would be born
04:02 with a FALLEN nature - they'd be bent towards sin, they'd have
04:07 tendencies to sin their parents didn't originally have.
04:10 They would naturally lean in the direction of wrong.
04:14 That's the nature Adam and Eve's descendants have.
04:19 That's us.
04:21 We are born leaning towards doing wrong.
04:26 Naturally selfish.
04:27 Inclined not to want to do God's will, but our own will.
04:32 And that explains a lot, very possibly about things that might
04:35 happen in YOUR life, when you want to live a certain way, but
04:39 find yourself falling into the same old traps.
04:42 There's a reason.
04:44 It's due to the way you were born - fallen.
04:50 This is what is behind the high-profile scandals that rock
04:52 churches and lead many people to be highly critical of Christians
04:56 and Christianity.
04:56 A prominent minister, a promoter of family values, caught in the
04:59 middle of a disgraceful scandal.
05:02 A televangelist jailed for this or that misdeed.
05:05 A ministry leader loses his ministry owing to very
05:08 unministerial behaviour.
05:11 Someone high-profile goes off the deep end and you say, "I
05:14 never imagined that he/she was capable of that."
05:18 Well, he or she IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE of that.
05:22 As a matter of fact, that's about all they are capable of!
05:25 Because at a person's core, there isn't much that's any good
05:29 at all.
05:31 Christians often look like hypocrites, because that's all
05:34 they are capable of being.
05:36 Without some serious help.
05:38 Thankfully, there is help available.
05:43 But that's where we begin to understand our dilemma.
05:45 We'll come to grips with our dilemma, and find out what our
05:48 solution is, in just a moment.
06:07 Here's today's Bible question: I've often wondered, How come
06:11 there are four gospels?
06:13 That's right.
06:14 The word 'gospel' means 'good news', but when we talk about
06:17 the ágospelsá we're talking about the books of Matthew,
06:20 Mark, Luke and John - they're accounts of the life of Christ,
06:23 almost like a biography if you like.
06:25 If there was only one gospel, just one account of Jesus' life
06:29 and ministry, that would probably be a very narrow look
06:32 at the life of the Son of God.
06:34 But four gospels give us a more complete, a more rounded view of
06:38 who Jesus was and what His life and ministry were all about.
06:42 And if Jesus really did come to the earth to show us the Father,
06:46 as He said He did, then 4 gospels instead of just one or
06:48 two or three give us a more complete picture of the Father.
06:51 The different gospels are written to different audiences,
06:55 appealing more to Jews in one case and more to Gentiles in
06:58 another.
06:59 You know, God could have just created tulips and not roses,
07:02 but He knew I'm sure that not everybody would be too fired up
07:05 by simply tulips.
07:08 Hence variety, and a greater chance that more people would be
07:10 blessed.
07:12 A similar principle with the Gospels.
07:14 Four different historical perspectives offer us a fuller
07:16 understanding of Jesus.
07:18 Now - are there other gospels we should consider to be important
07:21 for us today?
07:22 You know, I've heard of the gospel of Judas and the gospel
07:26 of Thomas, and every now and then someone will make some
07:31 noise about how important these writings are.
07:33 But neither of them are trustworthy, and they don't
07:34 offer us anything, really, of any value - except evidence that
07:35 they're not to be trusted.
07:37 We're blessed to have four slightly different perspectives
07:43 on the life and ministry of Jesus.
07:45 One from Matthew, one from Mark, one from Dr Luke and one from
07:48 the beloved disciple John.
07:49 If you read them, read them carefully, you'll be greatly
07:52 blessed.
07:54 If you have a Bible question for pastor John Bradshaw, please
07:56 write to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359
08:03 or visit our website itiswritten.com and send us your
08:07 questions on-line.
08:08 We have a dilemma.
08:13 Let's look at Romans 7:14.
08:14 Paul caught in the vice-like grip of something Adam and Eve
08:17 never knew anything about.
08:18 And as he explains his situation, it might resonate
08:25 with you.
08:25 You might find yourself groaning a weary 'Amen' to what Paul is
08:27 saying.
08:30 Rom 7, v 14.
08:31 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold
08:36 under sin.
08:38 The law of God is spiritual in nature.
08:41 It is not a mere letter.
08:42 It is given by God, who is Spirit.
08:45 But Paul says that he is carnal, that means fleshly, and not
08:48 spiritual.
08:50 And he says he is 'sold under sin'.
08:57 That is, he's a slave to sin.
08:58 He is under its power.
08:58 Paul said that the carnal mind is enmity with God, because it
09:02 is not subject to the law of God, and it can not be.
09:05 [That's Rom 8: and - I'm paraphrasing that.] Paul is
09:10 describing a real bind here.
09:10 How can a fallen person obey a spiritual law?
09:15 You can't do it with a fallen nature.
09:18 (Now this is not a dilemma, simply a major problem.) Now
09:22 let's look at Verse 15.
09:24 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not;
09:29 but what I hate that do I.
09:34 (The RSV translates this passage, "I don't understand my
09:37 own actions.)" The things I want to do I'm powerless to do, but
09:42 the things I don't want to do I find myself doing.
09:46 It is like the man who says to his wife, "I'm sorry, I don't
09:49 want to speak to you that way, but sometimes I just lose it
09:52 even though I'm trying not to."
10:00 It's like the drinker saying, "I don't want it, but before I know
10:03 what's going on I'm drinking again."
10:09 You're not wanting to fall, but your best efforts are no match
10:13 for the power of sin.
10:15 Romans 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent
10:21 unto the law that it is good.
10:24 I'm recognizing that sin is wrong, and I'm recognizing God's
10:29 law is right.
10:30 Now verse 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that
10:34 dwelleth in me.
10:38 No, Paul isn't saying he's not responsible, simply that the
10:41 power of sin in his life is greater than the power of his
10:45 best efforts to defeat it.
10:47 Have you ever felt that way?
10:49 Verse 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth
10:54 no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to
10:58 perform that which is good I find not.
11:02 The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
11:05 There's no good thing in me.
11:07 Paul says that - of oneself - it is impossible for a person to
11:11 live like a Christian should.
11:13 It's impossible for a person to resist evil of himself or
11:17 herself, even if one wants to.
11:20 What's going to come clear is that Paul is describing the
11:24 experience of someone who is under conviction, who wants to
11:28 do what is right, but hasn't fully yielded or surrendered to
11:31 Jesus.
11:33 This is someone who may even be trying hard, BUT IS RELYING ON
11:37 HIS OWN EFFORTS and hasn't yet found the key to spiritual
11:42 success and victory.
11:43 I'm glad he's about to reveal to us what that key is!
11:47 Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil
11:54 which I would not, that I do.
11:58 That's verse 15 again - my will is no match for the power of
12:02 sin.
12:04 This is the nature I inherited from Adam and Eve.
12:07 Verse 20 is essentially a repeat from earlier, so we'll go to
12:10 verse 21.
12:11 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present
12:16 with me.
12:18 What he's saying is there's a principle that this fallen
12:21 nature I have overpowers even my strongest desires to do right.
12:26 Why is it that the research tells us that a person's
12:29 Christianity often has little bearing on his moral thoughts
12:33 and behaviours?
12:35 That's the reality - even professed Christians often live
12:39 lives that are not discernibly different to people of no faith.
12:44 Fundamentally decent people live fundamentally indecent lives.
12:49 And this is why.
12:50 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
12:57 Really, I want to serve God.
12:59 The problem is...
13:00 Verse 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against
13:06 the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of
13:12 sin which is in my members.
13:14 In my mind I agree that God's law is good.
13:18 But I'm stuck like a fly on one of those sticky fly traps.
13:21 I'm desperate now.
13:23 I want to be free, but this sin thing is more powerful
13:26 than I am.
13:28 So many people are affected by this today.
13:31 They say, Christianity doesn't work.
13:34 They're slaves to bad habits and pet sins.
13:37 And they're tired of it.
13:38 Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am!
13:43 who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
13:48 There's the question we've all asked.
13:50 And here's the answer!
13:52 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
13:58 So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with
14:02 the flesh the law of sin.
14:06 Now Paul brings us around.
14:08 Jesus Christ can deliver us from this body of death.
14:13 There is power in Christ, power in Jesus, to deliver us from the
14:17 penalty of sin, and from the power of sin, and then from the
14:22 presence of sin.
14:24 God is so good!
14:27 But where's the dilemma in that?
14:30 Romans 8:1 says this, "There is therefore now no condemnation to
14:36 them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
14:42 but after the Spirit."
14:45 (Romans 8:1) Wouldn't a person want that?
14:47 But I'd like you to think about how this actually works.
14:50 In Romans 6 Paul speaks of the person who walked in newness of
14:54 life as having "died", as having been crucified.
14:58 That person has died.
15:00 The Bible refers to the old man and the new man.
15:04 Jesus talked to Nicodemus and said people ought to be born
15:06 again.
15:08 And here's the dilemma.
15:11 Remember what a dilemma is.
15:12 It is a situation where the problem offers two solutions,
15:17 and neither of them is comfortable.
15:20 Paul is faced with two options.
15:21 No. 1, he yields to his fallen
15:24 nature and simply allows it to govern his life, and he'll be
15:27 lost.
15:29 We would agree that would not be good.
15:31 So what is option two?
15:33 Option 2 is to accept Jesus and let
15:37 Jesus be the Lord of your life.
15:40 Therein lies the dilemma: to surrender fully to Jesus is to
15:45 DIE: it's to DIE THE DEATH TO SELF and let Jesus govern our
15:51 lives just like we died and we were reborn.
15:56 So why is that an uncomfortable choice?
15:59 Listen: JESUS compares it to crucifixion.
16:03 And that's not pretty.
16:04 You can tell it isn't pretty because so few experience it and
16:09 so many people resist it - but that's what
16:12 God is calling us to.
16:14 So often people find themselves in that Romans 7 situation -
16:17 they know what is right, they want to do right, but before
16:20 they know it they're back into that sin.
16:24 And they don't want to die the death because they've grown to
16:27 love the sin more than they like the thought of Jesus removing it
16:32 from the life.
16:34 So here's the dilemma.
16:35 It's death, or death.
16:39 Find out how to make the right choice straight ahead.
16:47 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man shall
16:52 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of
16:55 the mouth of God'."
16:57 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional
17:00 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially
17:03 for busy people like you.
17:05 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line
17:08 everyday on our website itiswritten.com.
17:12 Receive a daily spiritual boost.
17:14 Watch Every Word.
17:16 You'll be glad you did.
17:21 Two choices - carry on in the old life, or let Jesus make the
17:26 old life new.
17:28 The old life leads to death, because the wages of sin is
17:31 death.
17:33 To get to the new life means death also.
17:36 And that option is so unattractive that most people
17:39 choose against it.
17:41 Only one thing can free a person to live a true Christian
17:45 experience: choosing Jesus as the Lord of one's whole life.
17:50 If self lives we must die.
17:52 If self dies, then we can live - forever.
17:58 What we are by nature ensures that we are lost without a daily
18:01 connection with Jesus.
18:03 Once you're Christ's there'll still be hard, stern battles
18:07 with self to fight.
18:08 The sinful nature needs to be kept subject to the spiritual
18:11 nature guided by Jesus.
18:13 If you're wanting the spiritual nature to remain in the
18:17 ascendancy, you need to feed that and not feed the old
18:20 nature.
18:22 What are you doing to yourself if you're encouraging and
18:25 feeding the old nature?
18:27 Starve it and it will die.
18:29 Feed it and it will get strong and rule your life.
18:34 Paul asked the question, Who shall deliver me from this body
18:37 of death?
18:38 He gave the answer in a different way in 2 Corinthians
18:42 5:17: "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.
18:49 Old things are passed away, behold all things are become
18:52 new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) Before Jesus,
18:55 the Bible says we are, "By nature, the children of
18:58 wrath."
18:59 That's Ephesians 2:3, KVJ.
19:01 We inherited that sinful nature from Adam and Eve.
19:05 When youind yourself full of hate, remember you are just
19:09 doing what comes naturally.
19:10 That's who and what you are, by nature.
19:13 People say, "Oh Mac, he's a good-natured sort of a guy."
19:17 I know what they're getting at, but No he's not!
19:20 Mac, by nature, is a child of wrath.
19:23 When you're yelling at somebody, you're doing what comes
19:25 naturally.
19:27 That's who you are, by nature.
19:28 When you're looking for a way to rip someone off, when you're
19:33 shaking your fist at someone in traffic, when you're seeking
19:35 everyone's attention, when you're flirting or arguing or
19:39 leaving the house without praying in the morning, you're
19:43 just letting nature take its course!
19:46 It surprised me to learn that in this country it is quite easy
19:49 and really rather inexpensive to buy yourself a pet lion or
19:52 tiger.
19:54 People buy them as babies - not terribly cheap.
19:57 But those babies get big, and they're man-eaters!
20:01 So folks sell them, cheap.
20:03 For a reason!
20:04 By nature they want to eat you.
20:07 But you can't blame them, can you?
20:10 That's just how they are, by nature.
20:14 But you don't have to have the lion nature.
20:17 Instead, you can have the Lamb nature.
20:21 Through the power of Jesus, God promises to give us a new
20:24 nature.
20:27 If you surrender to Him, God will bring you to the place that
20:32 when you're obeying Him you'll be just carrying out your own
20:36 impulses.
20:37 You see, when God really gets hold of you, your highest
20:40 delight will be doing God's will.
20:44 When we know God as it is our privilege to know God, our lives
20:48 will be lives of obedience, and sin will become hateful to us.
20:53 That's the new nature God has given us.
20:56 It says this in Galations 2:20, Galations 2:20, and Paul says
21:05 the same thing when it says, "I am crucified with Christ,
21:07 nevertheless I live.
21:09 Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
21:12 Some people are ready to give up.
21:14 They can't keep their mind clean, can't keep certain things
21:17 out of their lives, can't stop saying certain things.
21:21 It's a battle they're tired of fighting.
21:23 Slaves to addictions, servants of sin.
21:26 Ready to quit.
21:28 "I'm just a bad mother".
21:29 "I guess I'll always be this way.
21:31 I'll never be good enough."
21:32 But you forget something.
21:35 God doesn't fault anyone for being bad or bent!
21:40 You're forgetting what the Bible says!
21:42 Back in the Psalms, Psalms 103.
21:46 Here is what God said: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow
21:52 to anger and plenteous in mercy."
21:58 (Psalm 103:8) And a few verses later, we read this: "For He
22:01 knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust."
22:05 (Ps 103:14).
22:06 God knows exactly what you are, and what you're made of.
22:11 And He doesn't expect the impossible from you.
22:17 No way, instead, He'll do the impossible in you.
22:22 He doesn't fault you for being dirty.
22:24 Grandpa Adam was made from dirt.
22:26 But God says, You come to me and I'll make you clean.
22:31 Come to me and I'll give you a new heart.
22:34 If you give it all to me, I'll make it all new.
22:39 You see, the Christian's life is not a modification or an
22:43 improvement of the old, but a complete transformation of
22:45 nature.
22:47 There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether.
22:52 Instead of feeling hopeless about what you are, it is time
22:55 to feel hopeful about what Jesus wants to do in your life.
23:01 Remember He died for people with a fallen nature.
23:04 Remember when Jesus was about to die?
23:06 He died, and someone went free.
23:08 Remember that man's name?
23:11 Barabbas.
23:14 "Bar" means "son".
23:16 "Abba" means "father".
23:19 It is likely his name means "Son of the Father."
23:23 Son of the Father?
23:25 That would be all of us, wouldn't it?
23:27 We're all someone's son or daughter - Barabbas represents
23:31 all of us.
23:33 Jesus died, Barrabas went free.
23:36 Jesus died for us, so we can go free.
23:40 So we can be free, free from sin and its power, and free from
23:45 that old nature that embarrasses us and causes us pain...
23:50 Would you like to be fretoday?
23:51 Free from slavery to an old nature that doesn't want to
23:58 follow God?
24:00 Would you like a new nature today - and deliverance from
24:02 that old person who can't keep things straight?
24:04 God can give you that.
24:07 And he will give you that and you'll be free and you'll
24:11 experience power and you'll be new and you won't feel terrible
24:15 about who you are when you put your pillow at night.
24:17 You'll be able to put your head on the pillow and say "I am the
24:20 child of God and he has given me a new nature".
24:30 Let's pray and ask for that right now.
24:32 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you would give us a new
24:35 nature and free us from the grip of slavery to an old nature
24:41 determined to go against you.
24:44 Free us Lord by coming into our lives and living in us.
24:49 Free us, Lord, by giving us a new heart, a new nature and new
24:52 desires.
24:55 We have tried to beat our sins on our own, we have tried to get
25:01 the victory on our own and we keep on falling flat.
25:03 Lord, give us a new nature.
25:07 Implant in us a desire that your will be done and then come and
25:13 live your life in us.
25:15 Thank you for doing that.
25:16 We pray this by faith, we pray in Jesus' name and we say Amen.
25:49 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and impressed
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27:43 I hope you'll join me again next time and until then, remember
27:48 the Bible says: "It Is Written: man shall not live by bread
27:52 alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."


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Revised 2015-02-06