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Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001828A
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00:03 It has been called the greatest document
00:05 in the history of humanity. 00:06 Whenever and wherever people have studied 00:09 and accepted its teachings 00:10 they have discovered hope, 00:13 life, peace, 00:19 prosperity and deliverance from tyranny. 00:25 Welcome to Romans. 00:31 Today we're studying the Book of Romans, 00:34 the greatest masterpiece 00:36 that the human mind has ever conceived or realized. 00:39 Let me say this. 00:41 It's impossible to understand this book 00:47 without an enlightenment by the Holy Spirit. 00:51 Now that's sort of a throwaway phrase and you say, 00:54 "Well, you know, is that really true?" 00:56 More than a thousand million people 01:01 in the greatest church in the world 01:04 have got it wrong. 01:06 The greatest brains in the religious world, 01:08 some of the greatest brains 01:11 from the Council of Trent, they got it wrong. 01:15 And millions and millions of people 01:18 get it wrong. 01:22 Now this is pretty, pretty scary stuff 01:24 because you've got to, 01:26 you've got to have a revelation from God. 01:30 People say well, "Hasn't happened to me." 01:32 Well, it can happen to you, it can happen to you, 01:35 it happened to me. 01:36 I've seen it happen to large numbers of people 01:39 and I've seen lots and lots of people, 01:41 super religious people sit there 01:43 as hardened as they could be, they don't get it. 01:49 But the gospel is not about my performance. 01:54 It's not about my attainment, it's not about my works, 02:00 it is about God, what God has done for me. 02:04 Now in the first section we discovered that 02:07 it's all by grace. 02:09 And the justification is a declaration 02:11 that I'm a sinner, 02:15 I'm declared righteous, I come into a new standing with God. 02:20 Not because of my personal piety on my works 02:23 but because of the grace of God. 02:26 Now we pick up with Romans 6. 02:30 And this answers the question 02:31 because I'm saved by the grace of God 02:34 purely through faith 02:36 shall we continue the rebellion. 02:40 Roman 6:1, 2, "What shall we say then?" 02:43 Because we are saved without our works, 02:46 because we are saved by grace. 02:49 "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 02:52 Certainly not! 02:54 How shall we who died to sin 02:57 live any longer in it?" 03:01 Paul now deals with this great theological problem. 03:05 I'm saved without my works, 03:10 I'm saved without any human merit. 03:13 Then can I just go on 03:15 and continue to break the law of God 03:18 and who fornicates and adulterate. 03:22 That's the question. 03:24 This book is put together like a lawyer's brief. 03:27 The greatest masterpiece. 03:30 Now this is an amazing truth 03:32 and not one in my humble opinion, 03:34 in my experience, 03:36 not one in a thousand understands. 03:39 Here it is. 03:41 Legally when Christ died, I died. 03:47 Now look at Romans 6:5, 6, 03:50 "For if we have been united together 03:53 in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be 03:58 in the likeness of His resurrection, 04:00 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, 04:05 that the body of sin might be done away with, 04:08 that we should no longer be slaves of sin." 04:12 It says, I was crucified with Christ. 04:16 What does it mean? 04:18 Many of us don't get this. 04:19 2 Corinthians 5:14 04:22 helps us to understand it. 04:24 "For the love of Christ compels us, 04:27 because we judge thus, 04:30 that if One died for all," what does it say? 04:35 "All died." 04:37 Hey. 04:39 Have you thought about this? 04:40 If one died for all, 04:44 then all died in Christ. 04:49 In Christ, I hung on the cross. 04:53 I paid in Christ the penalty for my sin. 05:01 And people say no, no, no, that's, you can't say that. 05:04 Well, that's exactly what the Bible is saying. 05:08 If one died for all, then all died. 05:13 In Christ, my old self is legally dead. 05:19 Romans 6:11, 12, Romans 6:11, 12. 05:23 "Likewise you also, reckon," look at this word, 05:26 "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, 05:29 but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 05:33 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, 05:37 that you should obey it in its lusts." 05:39 Because legally you died with Christ on the cross 05:44 because this happened to you legally. 05:48 Now experience it. 05:53 Reckon yourself to be dead under sin, 05:57 what Christ, 05:58 what happened to you on Christ's cross 06:00 now translate that into your experience. 06:07 What happens when I accept Christ 06:09 and the true gospel? 06:13 The Holy Spirit comes into my life. 06:16 At the same time as justification 06:18 regeneration occurs, 06:20 I become dead to the old way of sin. 06:25 I become dead to hate, envy, lying, stealing, fornicating, 06:31 selfish ambition, pride which is the worst of sins, 06:35 the sin of the church, the sin of Christians, 06:38 pride, greed, lust, anger, drunkardness. 06:44 And if a person comes fully to Christ, 06:48 he comes as a penitent 06:51 and the Spirit of God comes into his life. 06:55 And there comes a death to sin. 07:05 And so sour people become sweet. 07:09 Pharisees, this is the greatest of all miracles. 07:13 Pharisees become nice. 07:20 Sergi came to my meetings in Russia, 07:24 he was a mafia man, 07:26 one of the leaders of the mafia, 07:28 he came to me, he heard the gospel. 07:32 He discovered that Christ had died for him 07:34 and legally he died on the cross. 07:37 Listen, the law cannot judge and condemn a dead man. 07:43 Go away and think about that. 07:44 The law cannot condemn me if I'm dead, 07:49 through Christ I'm a dead man, you see. 07:54 They threatened his life. 07:57 Sergi said you can take my life but you can't take Christ. 08:01 This Ilder, close friend of mine, 08:04 he was the head of the Russian mafia, 08:08 this guy, we blocked out his face, 08:11 can't let it be seen on television. 08:14 Had an army of 400 mafia soldiers 08:18 armed to the teeth with machine gun, everything. 08:24 People tell me, oh, you're just an old guy now 08:28 and you really haven't kept up with them, 08:30 what do you... 08:31 Well, listen, I've seen a lot of things, I still do. 08:34 That's why I believe in evangelism. 08:36 The reason we don't do evangelism 08:38 is because we're not keeping the faith, 08:41 that's the reason. 08:43 Why don't you do public? 08:44 Oh, public evangelism doesn't work 08:45 'cause it doesn't work, if you don't do it, 08:47 of course it doesn't work. 08:49 Of course, it doesn't. 08:50 God has never blessed an evangelistic campaign 08:54 that was never run. 08:56 And I hear these people say, "Oh, but it doesn't work." 08:58 "Oh, don't cry on my shoulder, grow up. 09:03 Get the Spirit of God inside you." 09:05 Become a soldier, not a wimp. 09:10 So this man came, 09:12 every time I go to Russia he comes to see me, 09:15 I wouldn't mess with him. 09:17 But he is now a born again Christian. 09:22 We become new, listen to this word, 09:25 we become new and nice. 09:29 Gone is the bitter fault finding tongue. 09:33 You go to churches where people are full of gore. 09:37 Have you been to churches like that, 09:39 full of gore, they're bitter, 09:41 carrying grudges, 09:43 a poison of asp is under their tongues, 09:48 the Bible says. 09:50 They fill up with religion but they are not Christians. 09:54 It's a bit hard, don't get me stirred up. 10:00 When I come to Christ is a big change. 10:06 Gone is a self righteous attitude. 10:08 Gone is the will for breaking of God's law. 10:14 In our first year in the ministry, 10:16 Beverley and I, many years ago 10:17 were sent to the outback of Australia 10:19 to a town by the name of Broken Hill. 10:22 We all ran with the senior pastor, 10:24 Pastor Todnuf, we ran an evangelistic campaign. 10:27 Oh, Mr. Pride came to the meetings, 10:29 pride by name, pride by nature, 10:34 hated Christianity, hated the church. 10:38 He was 83 and planning to get a divorce. 10:41 I told him, brother, forget it. 10:46 When he heard this truth, 10:51 he became the most loving and the most lovable Christian. 10:55 Transformed by grace, divine. 11:02 Then you come to Romans 7. 11:05 And Romans 7 could be summed up in these words, 11:09 perfect and imperfect. 11:11 Pray that God will help you to understand this. 11:14 I know people will listen to this 11:15 and they will say, "I can't believe this." 11:17 This is because you're not reading the Bible. 11:20 That's because you're so blinded by churchliness 11:22 and tradition, read the texts. 11:27 Romans 7, perfect and imperfect. 11:29 Romans 7:4. 11:32 Romans 7, "Therefore, my brethren, 11:34 you also have become dead to the law." 11:37 The law doesn't die. 11:38 "Through the body of Christ, 11:40 that you may be married to one another, 11:42 to Him who was raised from the dead, 11:44 then we should bear fruit to God." 11:46 The law doesn't die. 11:50 The sinner dies in Christ, on the cross, 11:55 and the law cannot condemn a dead man. 12:02 I'm no longer married to sin but to Christ. 12:07 And this is going to tell you something 12:08 that many folks don't get 12:11 because their religion is just a lot of hype and emotion, 12:15 not based on good Bible study. 12:19 There is a conflict between two natures 12:24 in the born again believer who's justified. 12:26 Romans 7:12, 13. 12:29 Romans 7, "Therefore the law is holy..." 12:33 This is a Christian talking, this is not a nonbeliever. 12:37 "And the commandment: holy and just and good." 12:39 People say, "No, this person got to be a bad person." 12:43 "Has then what is good become death to me? 12:46 Certainly not! 12:47 But sin, that it might appear sin, 12:50 was producing death in me through what is good, 12:53 so that sins through the commandment 12:55 might become exceedingly sinful." 12:59 Here is a man who gets very, very close to God 13:04 and he says, 13:06 "We know that the law is holy but I'm not a good person. 13:12 I'm slipping, I'm falling. 13:16 And those of you who still read your Bibles 13:18 and still think, 13:19 let me give you a little insight. 13:22 This chapter is in the context of sanctification. 13:26 Number one, little bit of Bible scholarship 13:30 doesn't hurt. 13:31 It's in the context to sanctification. 13:34 It's not talking about Paul before he was born again 13:37 but Paul after he's born again. 13:40 Who disagrees with me? 13:43 The Jesuits. 13:45 Because the Jesuit said, 13:47 "This could not be a born again man" 13:50 because we've got to become sinless 13:53 before which we're saved. 13:56 And most people don't know this stuff 13:57 that you're hearing today. 13:59 And that's why they're struggling and falling, 14:02 and they're bitter and they're critical, 14:05 and not very nice. 14:08 But the closer Paul comes to Christ, 14:10 the more sinful he appears in his own eyes, 14:14 and I say to the Adventists watching, 14:16 go on and read Acts of the Apostles, 14:18 that's what Ellen White taught. 14:21 She said this was the experience of Paul 14:24 who was born again, 14:25 who was coming closer to Christ. 14:27 When you get closer to Christ, 14:28 you won't start to think you're better, 14:30 you'll start to think you're worse. 14:33 Now I'm going to give you a statement 14:35 from Martin Luther. 14:37 Luther said, "A Christian is always a sinner, 14:42 always a penitent, 14:44 always right with God." 14:46 There are many of my friends who say I can't believe that, 14:50 this is another terrible heresy Luther, 14:54 "A Christian is always a sinner, 14:55 always a penitent, always right with the God." 14:58 No. Don't believe that. 15:01 This is condoning evil. 15:04 Now this is confronting reality. 15:07 Because every sinner, every Christian I know 15:11 is a sinner, 15:13 you don't know that, ask your spouse, 15:16 ask your children, ask your friends. 15:21 We are continually, it says in Romans 3, 15:25 we continue to fall short of the glory of God. 15:28 Now Luther and Paul are not talking 15:34 about people going out and committing adultery, 15:36 and fornicating, and lying, and Sabbath breaking. 15:42 But what Luther is talking about is this. 15:46 As we come closer to God, 15:48 we know that we're wretched sinners. 15:54 I'm not, you say, well that's because you don't see yourself 15:58 as God does. 16:00 A Christian is always a sinner, always a penitent. 16:03 What's a penitent? 16:05 Lord, I'm sorry, I did this, I shouldn't have done this. 16:08 I was critical of so and so. What a big mouth I am. 16:12 Lord, save me from my mouth. 16:15 He's a penitent. 16:17 He's always sorry 16:21 and he's always right with God. 16:23 Listen to this. 16:26 Happy the home 16:30 where the parents are penitents, 16:34 happy the church 16:35 where the church members are penitents. 16:37 I would not want to belong to a church 16:41 where the people think they are perfect, 16:45 and they're sinless. 16:48 Oh, what a miserable bunch of Pharisees. 16:53 But where people are saying, brother, I'm not doing so good, 16:59 please forgive me. 17:02 That's getting close to paradise. 17:04 You know who disagreed with this? 17:08 The Council of Trent that was run by the Jesuits. 17:14 Luther was greatly opposed by the Jesuits 17:17 and the Council of Trent who were perfectionists. 17:21 And that is why our Roman Catholic friends 17:26 have purgatory. 17:30 It's not just a tool to collect money, 17:34 it is a redemptive act of God, you know why? 17:41 No one is perfect when he dies in himself. 17:44 Therefore the Catholic Church 17:46 came up with this theological necessity 17:49 that you've got to go to purgatory 17:51 for millions of years, you know why? 17:54 So the sin is burned out of you 17:56 because justification is a process 18:00 and in purgatory justification continues 18:04 until the person is good enough to see the face of God. 18:09 That's why Mother Teresa was suicidal. 18:13 And that's why that young man took his life 18:17 'cause he's been taught this garbage. 18:21 This is the sword that slays the dragon 18:23 of self righteousness. 18:26 People become new 18:30 and nice. 18:32 Oh. 18:34 Easy to live with. 18:37 Good to belong to such a church. 18:40 There's no greater vice than self righteousness, 18:43 the Pharisees murdered Christ. 18:46 You want to be like them? 18:49 Romans 7 says, 18:51 "We are imperfect in ourselves but we are perfect in Christ, 18:55 and the law cannot condemn a dead man." 18:59 Hallelujah. You see. 19:04 So read it and think about it, don't be lazy. 19:09 I've had so many people say to me, oh, I believe... 19:11 Look, I really don't care what you believe. 19:13 People say, but I think, I don't care what you think. 19:16 I don't. I want to go by the Bible. 19:21 I don't want people coming in and say, 19:22 "But I have a feeling." 19:27 No, I don't go by my feelings, I go by it is written. 19:31 Amen. You see. 19:32 And so should you. 19:34 We're not saved by our feelings, 19:36 then you come to Romans 8. 19:39 And Romans 8 says, in spite of everything, 19:42 we are not condemned. 19:44 Goodness me, talk about grace. 19:48 There is therefore now no condemnation 19:51 to those who are in Christ Jesus. 19:55 Then it describes them. 19:57 "Who do not walk according to the flesh 19:59 but according to the spirit. 20:01 Even though I am imperfect in Christ, 20:04 I'm not condemned." 20:06 You can condemn me but God doesn't. 20:09 Then Romans 8:7-9. 20:12 These are tremendous chapters 20:15 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, 20:19 for it is not subject to the law of God." 20:21 So the law of God is not abolished, is it? 20:23 "Nor indeed can be. 20:25 So then, those are in the flesh cannot please God." 20:30 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, 20:32 if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. 20:37 "Now if anyone," oh, this is a terrible text, 20:39 "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, 20:43 he is none of His." 20:45 You can talk religion until the cows come home. 20:49 But if you don't have the Spirit of Christ, 20:52 you don't belong to Him. 20:55 This talks about the carnal nature 21:02 that must be put to death. 21:05 We should ask the question, what do we feed on. 21:09 What sort of television, the movies, the video games, 21:12 the porn that feeds the carnal nature. 21:17 This is why America that was raised up by God 21:19 is going down 21:23 because America today and the churches 21:25 are feeding on filth and they can't think straight, 21:30 can't think straight. 21:31 You think they're reading their Bibles? 21:33 No. Don't think so. 21:34 Remember whatever gets your attention gets you. 21:39 If porn gets your attention, it will get you. 21:42 If Christ gets your attention, Christ will get you. 21:46 Whatever gets your attention gets you. 21:49 But here is the consummation, 21:52 I think the high point of all scripture. 21:56 "In spite of persecution, sufferings, inner conflicts, 22:00 down days," which I have "up days," which I have 22:04 "and every distress, nothing can defeat us." 22:10 This is the high point of scripture. 22:11 Romans 8:3. 22:15 "What then shall we say to these things? 22:18 If God is for us, who can be against us?" 22:23 Thirty five. 22:25 Verse 35, "Who shall separate us 22:27 from the love of Christ? 22:30 Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, 22:34 or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" 22:37 Nothing. Because Christ died for me. 22:41 Then the next verse, I think it's 37. 22:44 "Yet in all these things," 22:48 the good things and the bad things, 22:51 the ups and the downs, 22:55 the vicissitudes of life that disloyalty of friends. 23:01 "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors 23:04 through Him who loved us." 23:07 Can't get beaten. 23:08 Verse 38, and then 39. 23:12 This is the high point of all scripture now. 23:15 "For I am persuaded 23:18 that neither death nor life, 23:23 nor angels, nor principalities 23:27 nor powers, nor things present 23:32 nor things to come, nor height nor depth, 23:38 nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us 23:43 from the love of God 23:44 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 23:48 Hallelujah. 23:53 And so these chapters some would say 24:00 are the greatest writings in the history of humanity, 24:04 that's why most people 24:05 because they're so brain destroyed, 24:10 no longer read them. 24:12 They are good at telling you what to do... 24:18 But this book shows the sinful state of man. 24:25 Romans 1, the Gentiles lost. 24:29 Romans 2, the religious world lost. 24:31 Romans 3, all lost. 24:34 No hope, except God in Christ becomes the... 24:41 Not just the expiation, the propitiation. 24:44 The wrath of God that is described in Romans 1. 24:49 And in Romans 2, it's laid upon Him 24:51 as He hangs on the cross. 24:55 It's almost too hard to believe. 25:00 And what must I do? 25:02 Come as a penitent, nothing in my hand 25:06 I bring simply to Thy cross I cling. 25:11 You've got to have a revelation 25:14 going to church for a million years 25:15 for most people will not give them the revelation, 25:19 you can get here today. 25:20 People watching this on television, 25:22 by the grace of God you can get it, 25:24 but it's going to take 25:25 a supernatural endowment of grace. 25:29 And we see it, and we see ourselves. 25:32 I'm a stinking sinner. 25:36 I'm a great sinner. 25:38 As John Newton said two great truths, 25:40 he said, said I'm an old man, I remembered only two truths. 25:45 I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great savior. 25:52 Amen. 25:53 Therefore nothing in all creation 25:58 can separate us from the love of God. 26:02 In the name of the Father and of the Son 26:05 and of the Holy Spirit. 26:08 Amen. 26:10 Amen. And amen. 26:12 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 26:20 Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me 26:23 in heaven and on earth. 26:26 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 26:30 baptizing them in the name of the Father 26:32 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 26:38 John Carter reports, we have seen God's power 26:41 as the Gospel of Christ has been proclaimed in Africa, 26:47 India, 26:49 Russia, 26:52 Ukraine, 26:55 Cuba, 26:58 El Salvador and many other places. 27:01 We invite you to partner with us 27:04 in proclaiming Jesus Christ. 27:10 To God be the glory. 27:13 Great things He has done. 27:18 Write today to the Carter Report. 27:21 P.O. Box 1900, 27:23 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 27:28 That's the Carter Report, P.O. Box 1900, 27:33 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 27:37 In Australia write to the Carter Report, 27:41 P.O. Box 861, 27:43 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 27:48 That's the Carter Report, P.O. Box 861, 27:52 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 27:57 Thank you for your generous support. 28:00 We look forward to hearing from you soon. 28:02 May God richly bless you. 28:21 For a copy of today's program, 28:23 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 28:26 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 28:31 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 28:36 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 28:40 This program is made possible 28:42 through the generous support of viewers like you. 28:45 We thank you for your continued support. 28:48 May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2018-11-05