Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God

No, You Are Normal

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2020-10-25

Synopsis: John Weaver teaches from Galatians 5:17 that the internal war between the flesh and the Spirit is the normal Christian experience. He explains that believers are not yet perfect and will struggle with sin until death, but they are no longer under sin's dominion. Through union with Christ, they can reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, walking in the Spirit to resist the flesh.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bible's day to the book of Galatians chapter 5, and we're going to be reading verse 17. Galatians 5 and verse 17. And of course, we will come back and look at the context a little bit later, but this is just simply one verse today. The title of the message is, Know You Are Normal. So you'll not watch it in Galatians 5 verse 17. The Bible says for the flesh lest it against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. When you hear the word normal, most people would think who wants to be normal.

[John Weaver] I want to be different. I want to be the exception. It was Vance Havner. Years ago, who said that Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's just about the truth. But in one sense of the word, we are all normal. And that is we are sinners and we are sinful. As Christians, we do indeed struggle against the flesh. We have wicked thoughts. We have evil desires. We have lust of the flesh, pride, unbiblical yearnings, and a propensity to sin. We struggle with anger, with bitterness, resentment, and unbelief.

[John Weaver] So we need to learn a very important lesson and learn it right now, and that is this. The flesh has not been redeemed. The Lord said through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51, Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." And you will remember that when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples, they thought He was a spirit.

[John Weaver] And then the Bible says in Luke 24, v. 39, our Lord speaking to them said, Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see Me have. So His new body was not flesh and blood, but it was flesh and bone. So in the truest sense of the word, our flesh must perish. We will leave this mortal body behind because it will not enter into the Kingdom of God. We must have a new glorified body there.

[John Weaver] And until then, we have to learn a certain biblical truth. And here it is. There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect pastors. There are no perfect husbands. Don't tell her. There are no perfect wives. And there are no perfect friends. In fact, there is no one that is perfect on this earth at this particular time. Do you understand that even our most fervent faith is mixed with unbelief. Our most selfless sacrifices are mixed with selfishness.

[John Weaver] Our most ardent prayers and supplications are marred by our sins and our infirmities. Our most spiritual moments are contaminated by our carnality. And our meekest submission and dependence upon God are corrupted by our self-will and pride. Our clearest views of Christ are darkened by error, misconception, and preconceived ideas. And when we are at our best, the worst is still in us. When we contemplate eternity, we still have the world in our hearts because we are mortal. And oftentimes, when we are longing to be holy, wicked thoughts, desires, and pride flood our minds.

[John Weaver] I'm sure that you have prayed often And you've discovered something as you pray. Many times, your mind wanders. You can't concentrate. You can't focus. And sometimes, when you're really praying, all of a sudden, a wicked, vain, vile thought will enter your mind. You think, where in the world did that come from? That has not been, where did it come from? Here I am trying to pray and honor God and all of a sudden here's this dishonoring and deceitful and wicked thought entering my mind even while I am praying. Well, the truth of the matter is, we think oftentimes something is wrong with me.

[John Weaver] I mean, this doesn't happen to anybody else. Nobody else goes through what I'm going through. No one is struggling with what I'm going through and what I'm struggling with. No, no, no. But the truth of the matter is everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh because the flesh is indeed contrary to God.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true that we should never be complacent or satisfied with our faults, our failings, and our sins, but we have not yet been glorified, so therefore we are not yet perfect. So how in the world do we deal with these sins? Well, there are some people who try just simply to deny the reality of sin, and others try to deny the actuality of sin. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold Galatians 5, but turn in your Bibles if you would, to 1 John 1, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 8. 1 John 1, and verse 8. John is writing and he says this. 1 John 1, verse 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. For anyone who denies the reality of sin and the actuality of sin, God calls them liars. If you look in verse 8, he said, if we say that we have no sin, that is a denial of the principle of sin. It is a denial of original sin. It is a denial of total depravity. It is a denial of our corrupt and vicious defilement. So if we say that we have no sin nature, if the principle of sin is not in us, God said that we are not only deceiving ourselves, but the truth is not in us. In other words, we're liars. Then when you look at verse 10, If we say that we have not sinned, that would refer to actual sin, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So it's not just that we're lying. Now we call God a liar because God tells us that we are indeed sinners. So when anyone then denies the sin nature and original sin or the total depravity, the next step is to deny actual sin.

[John Weaver] So when we say that we are not sinners or that we have not sinned, We're calling God a liar and we're lying at the same time because we violate the law of God. Now, if you look back in your Bibles at Galatians 5 and verse 17, this passage reveals a very important truth. It is a truth that is repeated a number of times in Scripture. Look at it. Galatians 5 verse 17, for the flesh lusted against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh.

[John Weaver] And these are contrary to one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. So let me be very blunt. What we're being taught is very plain. Our flesh hates God. Our flesh hates truth, righteousness and holiness. Our flesh loves itself. its satisfaction, its fulfillments, its desires, and its enjoyment. It cares absolutely nothing for the things of God, for holiness, righteousness, or obedience.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 17, for the flesh lusted against the spirit. Now the interesting thing is the word lusteth here, sepithumeo in the Greek, and it literally means to lust upon, to set one's sights upon, to seek those things which are forbidden by God and forbidden by the Holy Spirit in this context. He says, or the flesh lusteth against the Spirit. In other words, the flesh is seeking to dominate the Holy Spirit, to control him, In order that the flesh may fulfill itself. Now I want you to look carefully at verse 17. He says for the flesh lusted against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and then he makes this statement and these are contrary the one to the other. Now the word contrary is the Greek word anti came I and it literally means to be an adversary. To be contrary to.

[John Weaver] to oppose, to fight against. to withstand. So look at verse 17 for the flesh left against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries. These are fighting one against the other. These are trying to withstand, withstand and oppose the other. In other words, he's just simply saying very clearly that your flesh and the Holy Spirit are enemies. So there is a war that is being raged in our bodies. There's a war that is waging as well in our minds. It's raging and waging. And it's a war between the flesh and the spirit. And the war is real.

[John Weaver] And that which really, truly irritates a true believer and causes acute consternation is the fact that he knows that his flesh is still active and demanding, even though the old man has been crucified. Here's a principle. You will remember that Abraham took his son Isaac and was going to offer him upon the altar. And Isaac lay upon that altar quietly, silently, obediently. Our flesh will not do that. Our flesh will not be sacrificed so easily.

[John Weaver] It will cry and scream and yell and demand satisfaction and demand to be fulfilled. Now look at verse 17 again. He says for the flesh lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary their enemies, their adversaries, the one to the other. Here it is now watch so that you cannot do the things that you would. So doing the things that you would. Doing the things that you will, I'll explain in just a moment. Doing the things that are natural and fleshly and carnal are nothing but sin.

[John Weaver] Now the Greek word for would is the word fellow, which means to will to have in mind to intend, to love, to delight in, to have pleasure in, and a purpose. So watch it in verse 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you wish to do to fulfill the lust of your flesh. In other words, that you intend to do.

[John Weaver] So anything that is fleshly, carnal and natural, It's simple. Now look in verse 18. He said, if you be led of the spirit. You're not under the law, so the question that must we must ask right at this point is. Which law? Whose law? What law?

[John Weaver] Now someone tried to say that this law then refers to the law of God. Well, if it does refer to the law of God, it would have to refer to the aspect of death and condemnation because of being contrary to God. But you have to remember this. The Holy Spirit of God does never nullify or negate the law of God. He leads us into obedience to that law.

[John Weaver] He doesn't seek to overthrow it. He doesn't seek to abrogate it.

[John Weaver] Now, the Greek word for law is the word nomos. If you look up nomos, you will find that nomos refers to God's law. It refers to man's law. It refers to any rule or any principle.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make a suggestion here, and I think in the context when he says, if you be led of the Spirit, you're not under the law, and I'll show you why. I think the word law here refers to the law of sin and death. Now you ask, well, is there such a law as that? And obviously there is because the Apostle Paul talked about it so often.

[John Weaver] So if you will hold Galatians 5 and just turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans, let's begin in Romans chapter 7. We'll come back to this passage later. We'll look in Romans chapter 7 right now and verse 21. Romans 7 verse 21. Paul said, I find in a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. So here's a law that deals with evil. Skip down, if you would, to verse 23. But 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. So there's the law of sin that he's spoken of. Skip down to verse 25.

[John Weaver] He says, 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.

[John Weaver] Now look in Romans 8 verses one and two. There is therefore now no condemnation of them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. hath made me free from the law of sin and death." So there is a law of sin. There's a law of sin and death. So let's go back to Galatians chapter 5 and I want to ask you a question and look at it in this light. He said in verse 17, for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you're not under the law. Well, let's ask a question. What does the law of sin and death produce? In what does the flesh desire and delight? What does it mean to walk in the flesh? And what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

[John Weaver] You must remember now, according to verse 17, the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one to the other. They're adversaries. They fight against each other. So here's what God is showing us now. Listen carefully. He's going to show us the strengths of the flesh. And the strengths of the Spirit. So if you're going to fulfill the flesh, then here are certain things that's going to be apparent. If you're going to walk in the Spirit, there are certain things that's going to be apparent.

[John Weaver] So watch it in the context. He said in verse 17, for the flesh lesseth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. These are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you're not under the law. That is the law of sin and death. What is the law of sin and death? What does the law of the flesh produce? Verse 19.

[John Weaver] Now the works of the flesh are these, or manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I've also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. That's the flesh. Now watch the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

[John Weaver] Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

[John Weaver] Now, so what he's telling us is this. Anytime that you pamper and fulfill the desires of your flesh, it's going to manifest itself in verses 19 through 21. And any time that you're walking in the Spirit, or being led of the Spirit, it's going to manifest itself in verses 22 through 23. So if you're a child of God then, you want to be led of the Spirit and you want to deny your flesh.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point out the fact that the flesh must be killed, it must be crucified, and it must continue to be crucified. So I want you to hold Galatians and turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. In fact, we're going to come back to Romans 6 just momentarily. So look in Romans 6 and verse 6. Look at this statement. Watch it very carefully. Romans 6, verse 6.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul says this. Knowing this, here's something you should know, that our old man is crucified with him. So the old man was crucified in Jesus Christ. That the body of sin might be destroyed. that his work we should not serve sin. Now our old man was crucified with him. What we were in Adam is crucified in Jesus Christ. Now he said the reason it was that the body of sin might be destroyed that his fourth we should not serve sin.

[John Weaver] Now let me mention two quotes. The first one is by John Tramp. He said this to crucify It's not absolutely to outright kill. Crucifixion is a lingering death, no member being free from pain. If then we so repent of sin as that which crucified Christ, we so pierce the old man that we are sure he will die of it, though he be not presently dead. This is mortification. So he's saying, just because we have been crucified, that does not mean that everything in us, the body of sin, has been killed. It is dead, but it is a lingering death.

[John Weaver] Now, Jameson Fawcett Brown made this statement. Man, by faith, is dead to the former standing point of a sinful life and rises to a new life of communion with Christ. The act by which they have crucified the flesh with its lust is already accomplished, ideally in principle, but in practice or outward confirmation of the life must harmonize with the tendency given to the inward life.

[John Weaver] Now, listen to what he says. We are to be executioners dealing cruelly with the body of sin, which has caused the acting of all cruelties on Christ's body.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible talks about mortification. We're to mortify the deeds of the body. We're to mortify our members which are upon earth. How do we mortify and what does that mean? Well, the word mortify actually means to make dead. You hear people say all the time when something embarrassing happens, I was mortified. Well, you were really embarrassed, but you weren't mortified. Because if you were mortified, you'd be dead.

[John Weaver] You understand what I'm saying? It almost killed me is what they're saying, really. But we get our English word mortician. And by the way, there's another word that most of us know. Mortgage. You know what the word mortgage mean? It means dead pledge. It does. That's what it means. A dead pledge. So mortgage. Mortician, mortified, all of these things have to deal with death.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true that our old man has been crucified, yet the principle of sin has some lingering elements in our lives which must be destroyed. So let me show you. Look in Romans chapter 8 and verse 13. Romans 8 and verse 13. The Word of God says, for if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. Now the word mortified in this verse is from the Greek word than a top than a toss is the Greek word.

[John Weaver] The noun for death than a tall means to kill, to make dead, to put the dead, to destroy, to render extinct. So he says in verse 13, if you through, if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you through the spirit do kill, make extinct. Destroy. the deeds of the body, you shall live. Moreover, it is a present active indicative, which means it is a truth.

[John Weaver] It is something that it should be done now and continue to be done. And you're actively engaged in it. So he says, as many then. Through the spirit, do mortify to make dead the deeds of the body, they shall live.

[John Weaver] Now look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians. Chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians chapter 3 and look if you would please at verse 5. Colossians 3 and verse 5. He says, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry. for which things take the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

[John Weaver] Now, the Greek word here is the word nekro. The noun is nekros, which means dead. Nekro literally means to make dead, to put to death, to slay, to deprive of power or strength. So, if I went to Gary and I said, look, here's an old cut right here. I need you to clean it up and and doctorate for me. And he'd look at it and said, well, the first thing I need to do is cut away all the necrotic tissue. All that means is the dead tissue up front. And so the word necross literally means to make dead. We have the English word necrophilia, someone who's in love with dead people.

[John Weaver] Yeah, so that's basically what it is. But here is the word Necro and he says that we are to make dead our members which upon the earth.

[John Weaver] Now notice if you would, is the members here is the deeds of the body back in Romans 8 and verse 13. So the deeds of the body and the members here would be identical. They'd be one and the same now. So the question would have to be asked, how do I mortify? How do I make dead the deeds of the body? How to mortify? my members which are upon the earth."

[John Weaver] Well, before I answer that, I want to show you another passage. And then, Lord willing, I want to connect these two principles with mortification. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of 1 John, 1 John, chapter 2, and look, if you would please, at verse 1. 1 John, chapter 2, verse 1. John writes, and he says, My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now, John is writing to believers. And the purpose for his writing is that they sin not. That's what he said. My little children, these things write unto you that you sin not. I'm writing this to keep you from sinning. I'm writing this to say you don't need to sin. Wow. Here's a principle. I want you to think about this. We are not required to sin. We're not compelled to sin. We do not need to sin. We do not have to sin.

[John Weaver] It is true that we are sinners. But just because you are a sinner does not mean that you sin all of the time. And unless your minds are engaged in something wicked right now, for the last few minutes you have not been sinning. Everyone in this room has known a drunkard. Let me ask you a question about a drunkard. Is a drunkard a drunkard 24 hours a day, seven days a week? No. He can't. If a man stayed drunk all the time like that, 24 hours a day, day after day, he'd soon be dead. Now, I have a friend who used to be a drunkard. He would only pitch a drunk about once a month. But every month, he was going to pitch a drunk until God saved him. So just because a man is a drunkard does not mean that he's always drunk.

[John Weaver] OK, how about a thief? A thief does not steal incessantly. A man could walk into a store with the intent of stealing and see 40 policemen standing around and think, hmm, it might not be wise for me to steal in this store. Well, just because he didn't steal doesn't mean he's not a thief. So just because a man is a thief does not mean that he's always stealing. He's still a thief, but he's not stealing. You get the idea. Just because we're sinners does not mean that we have to sin and we must sin and that we're always sinning.

[John Weaver] OK, now, so he wrote this. He said that you might not sin. So you need to set this in your mind. I do not have to sin. I'm going to show you why. Here's the second principle. He said in verse one, my little children, these things right on to you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. We have our attorney. We have our lawyer, we have the one that pleads our case, we have the one that pleads our cause. So he says, I'm writing this, number one, that you do not sin. But number two, since you are sinners and you will probably slip up and sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. So John is writing them, number one, that none would presume to sin. And number two, that if they did sin, they need not despair because they have the Advocate Jesus Christ, the Righteous.

[John Weaver] Now, you ask, what do these truths have to do with mortification? Well, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6. I want to take the time to read this entire chapter And then I'm going to come back and point out several truths that apply to what I'm talking about today. But I want you to watch this and try to follow the reasoning of the apostle. Romans 6, verse one, what shall we say then?

[John Weaver] Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid that is perished, the thought don't even let that enter in your mind. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him.

[John Weaver] For in that He died, He died unto sin once. But in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. What then, shall we sin because we're not under the law, but under grace, God forbid. Know you not that to whom you yield yourself service to obey, his service you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. But God be thanked that you were the service of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

[John Weaver] Being made free from sin, you became the service of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members' servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members' servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit had you then in those things whereupon you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just make a statement. Romans chapter 6, I believe, is one of the most important chapters in the book of Romans. Yes, I love Romans chapter 8. I love Romans chapter 5. I love Romans 9, 10, 11, and 12. I love them all. But I'm just saying, if you understand what the Apostle Paul is stating, in Romans chapter 6, it should change your life. Why? Because in this passage, the Apostle Paul is showing us that we are no longer under the lordship of sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Sin no longer has control over us. We are now under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Before we were converted, before we were saved, when sin hollered, we jumped. When sin demanded that we do something, we did it. Because we obeyed it, it ruled our life. It ruined our life. But now, since our conversion, We have a new master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] So let's look in verses six through eight right now. Romans six, look in verse six. Knowing this, you need to know this, that our old man, what we were in Adam, is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. That is, whatever remains. That henceforth we should not serve sin. Sin is not our master, we do not owe it anything. Verse seven, for he that is dead is freed from sin. I'll explain that later.

[John Weaver] Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we also shall live with him. So if we're dead to sin, we are alive to Jesus Christ. We died in Jesus Christ. We were resurrected in Jesus Christ. We're no longer obligated to serve sin because we're dead to sin. And our life now is found in Jesus Christ. So we have a new Lord. We have a new master.

[John Weaver] Now, how do we apply this truth? We'll look down to verse 11 and 12. He says, Likewise, reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Now, He said, likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. And He also says, likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how do you reckon yourself dead? The Greek word for reckon here is the word logizomai. And it literally means to think, to impute, to reckon, to count, to deem, to judge, to purpose, and determine. So when He says reckon yourselves also to be dead in the sin, you're counting yourself dead. You're judging yourself dead. You're deeming yourself dead. When you're reckoning yourself alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ, you're judging yourself alive. You are simply saying that yes, I'm deeming myself alive. I'm counting myself alive.

[John Weaver] I'm imputing myself alive. So, here's the important thing about the Greek word logizomai. Logizomai is a word that deals with reality. It does not deal with suppositions. Let me say it another way. It's not a play word. It is not a pretend word. When we were kids, we would say, let's pretend we're cowboys and Indians. Let's pretend We're Confederates and Yankees, but nobody ever wanted to be the Yankees.

[John Weaver] But we were just pretending. You see what I'm saying? But when you get to the word logizomai, it's not a word that pretends. It's not a word that plays. It is a word that deals with reality. Here's a good illustration. If I reckon, using the word logizomai, if I reckon or if I logizomai that I have 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account, I've got 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account. It's not a pretend thing. It's not a wishful thing. It's not a hopeful thing. It is a thing of reality. It is a thing of truth. So when he says, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God, it's something that is real. It's a principle of truth. You count yourself, you impute yourself, you judge yourself, you deem yourself, you determine yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, look at verse 12. He says, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Hmm. Wow. You see, what he's just gotten through saying, let me try to tie it together. We don't owe sin anything. The reason we don't owe sin anything is because we have a new Lord, we have a new master, Lord Jesus Christ. The only thing sin ever did for us was condemn us and make us dead to God. We owe nothing to sin. We owe everything now to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says in verse 12, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Notice if you would carefully, he did not say let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies. It's in our bodies because we've got flesh. But He said, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.

[John Weaver] It is not to hold mastery. It is not to dominate. It is not to rule over us. In other words, sin is not our master. Let me translate that. We don't owe it anything. We don't have to obey sin. We don't have to jump when sin tempts us. We do not need sin. So, he says sin has been killed as far as its lordship.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. Look in verse 18. We're going to come back. But look in verse 18. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. Really? Are you totally free from sin? Well, how about this one in verse 22? But now being made free from sin. Has sin totally been eradicated from your life? No. Well, what is he talking about? Being then made free from sin. Being then made free from the dominion of sin. From the mastery of sin. That's what he's talking about. Because he's just gotten through saying, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.

[John Weaver] So, how does this apply? Well, I want you to look in verse 16. Watch carefully. He says, no, you not that to whom you yield yourself servants to obey his servants, you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. To show you how practical this is. Here's a good illustration. Suppose I went to Francis and I said, Francis. I'm going to be your servant. I'm going to be your slave.

[John Weaver] You just tell me what to do, I'll do it. And everything Francis told me to do, I did. He would tell me when to go to bed, when to get up, when to dress, when not to dress, when to go to work, when not to work, what to do. Would I be his servant? Of course I'd be his servant, because I'm rendering to him a practical obedience.

[John Weaver] OK, now watch what he said. No, you not that to whom you yield yourself servants to obey. His servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death. In other words, if you jump at sins command. You're his servant or of obedience and righteousness. If you jump at our Lord's command, you're his servant now. Let me show you how practical this is. What Paul is telling us is we're either going to obey the flesh, or we're going to obey Jesus Christ. You cannot obey both at the same time. It is impossible.

[John Weaver] So, here it is very practically explained. Skip down to verse 19. He says, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. Yeah, we've got infirmities alright. For, he said, let me explain it again. For, as you have yielded your members' servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members' servants to righteousness unto holiness."

[John Weaver] Now, watch what he's saying. He said, I'm going to break this down so that you can understand it. He said,"...for as you have..."

[John Weaver] Now stop and think about when you were unsaved. Stop and think about before your conversion. When you sinned, you did so willingly, gladly, eagerly, delightfully. You wanted to do it. And your heart was engaged in it. And you gave yourself to it.

[John Weaver] Now, he said, look, you're no longer the servant of sin. You're now the servant of Jesus Christ. So you render to Jesus Christ the same that you rendered unto sin. You now serve Jesus Christ willingly, eagerly, readily, delightfully. In other words, to whom you yield yourself servants, His servant you are. Whether it's sin unto death or whether it is righteousness unto life.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Galatians Chapter 5. I want to try to tie all this together for you. So I want you to watch it. Galatians 5, look in verse 16. Galatians 5, verse 16. He says, This I say therefore, or this I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Now skip down to verse 25. We're going to come back to verse 16. Verse 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Now, going back to verse 16, he said, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

[John Weaver] I did not write down the Greek word. I think it's peripateo, but it literally means to regulate or to conduct one's life. So in verse 16, this I say, regulate or conduct your life in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So it would be the Holy Spirit's power and enabling of us to regulate our lives and conduct our lives so as to walk in the Spirit. Now, look down to verse 25. He said, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. And here the word walk is stoke.

[John Weaver] Oh, and what is different about that? It means to walk orderly. Listen carefully to march as a soldier to direct one's life with order and discipline. So he says, if we live in the spirit, let us live a not just a regulated life, but a disciplined life. The life of a soldier strictly walking in the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] Now, the same truth is given to us in Romans 8 and verse 14. You don't have to turn there, let me just quote it. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. So walking in the Spirit and being led of the Spirit happens to be one and the same thing. Because the Holy Spirit leads us to walk in obedience to God. He leads us to walk in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. He leads us to walk in obedience to the written Word of God. He leads us to walk holily and righteously before God. That is why in Colossians 1 and verse 10, he says that we are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. In other words, it is the Holy Spirit who enables us, who leads us, to walk pleasing unto Him. I've had so many Christians tell me, I'm not normal. I say, you're not normal?

[John Weaver] What are you talking about? Well, I have these bad thoughts. I have these evil desires. I have these wicked propensities. I think of things I should never think of. I can't pray as I ought to pray. I can't study the way I ought to study. I can't live the way I want to live. Let me tell you something. You're normal. Because every Christian has to fight. Would it surprise you if I told you that the Apostle Paul went through the same exact thing that we go through? Look at it. Look in Romans 7. Go back to Romans 7. The Apostle Paul had to fight as well. Look in Romans 7, and let's just begin reading there with verse 14. I wish I could spend an hour on this one little passage, but look, Romans 7, verse 14.

[John Weaver] He says, we know that the law is spiritual, but I'm carnal soul under sin. For that which I do, I allow not for what I would that I do not. And what I hate that I do, I don't want to do these things, but I end up doing them. I must be stupid. I must not be normal. That's what he's saying. If then I do that which I would not, I consider the law and that is good.

[John Weaver] That is when I deny my flesh. Now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. He said, for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil that I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. That's that principle of sin. I find it a law. that when I would do good, evil is present with me, the law of sin and death.

[John Weaver] For 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 and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. And then he says this, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And then he says, 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." Now, note if he would, he said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

[John Weaver] I've told you this before. In ancient times, if a man murdered another man and they caught the murderer right away, they would take the murdered man and tie him face to face with the living murderer, chest to chest, arm to arm, leg to leg, stomach to stomach, until the worms and the dead man ate the living and alive." It was a body of death that was carrying around.

[John Weaver] That's the picture Paul is talking about with this remaining sin that is in his flesh. He said, Oh, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? And then he says, I think. My God, it is through Jesus Christ. And the answer is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. So, the Apostle Paul had a struggle just like we have a struggle.

[John Weaver] Now, listen carefully to me. What we must learn to do is what Paul said. We must reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We must learn that sin is not to dominate us. It is not to master us. It is not to control us. We are no longer under the dominion of sin. We are under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must learn to bring our lives into conformity to His Word.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you a couple of applications. And I want you to think about this as I try to tie this together. First of all, with all of the evil and lust and fighting our fleshly body has produced and put us through while we're on this earth, it should be a relief and a joy to drop it off and to leave it to rot in the grave. Just stop and think about this. If we viewed death as did the Apostle Paul, we would understand this because Paul thought to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. In other words, when we die, this body of sin drops off. That's it.

[John Weaver] We will no longer have to fight. We will be free from the body of this death. The second application of this practically and theologically. We must learn to count ourselves dead indeed unto sin. When sin tempts us, when our flesh entices us, when our desires arise and they're contrary to God, we need to respond like this. I'm sorry. I'm dead. Let me ask you, what can sin do with a dead man? Here's a man that died a drunkard. He's been dead for 30 minutes or 30 years. It doesn't matter.

[John Weaver] Go to his grave, hold a fifth of liquor over the grave and say, come on out and I'll let you have it. It doesn't bother him. He's dead. Sin Cannot tempt the dead man. That's what he's talking about in Romans chapter 6. He that is dead is free from sin. We died in Christ. If we count ourselves dead, sin can't do one thing with us. So we have to learn that we are dead men when it comes to sin. We also have to learn that we are alive unto God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who gives us the power and the grace and the mercy to say, I'm dead to sin. I'm dead to sin. Now. We are alive unto God.

[John Weaver] And we're to respond only to Him because He is our Master. He is our Lord. So we have to learn to walk in the Spirit. And as we're walking in the Spirit, we're being led by the Holy Spirit of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I will tell you this. Two of the greatest truths. That I have ever learned in my entire ministry. Or number one, the sovereignty of God. When I found out that God was really and truly God, it changed my life. It changed my ministry. Most people serve a God of their imagination and not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is absolutely Totally, completely sovereign.

[John Weaver] Our Lord is in the heavens. He's done whatsoever He's pleased. Psalm 115 verse 3. He is sovereign. The second truth that really changed my life was when I found out that I had been set free from the dominion of sin. That doesn't mean that I do not sin. That does not mean that I am not a sinner. What it does mean is that sin has no right to tyrannize me. It has no right to dominate me. It has no right to be my master. And as long as I recognize that truth, I do not have to serve sin. I have to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. So when a wicked thought comes in my mind, I can repel it and I can say, but God says, And I come back with a Scriptural truth. With a Biblical truth. With a truth from God. Because I'm to be dead to that sin. And I'm to be alive unto the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I do not need to obey sin. I need to obey the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, someone says, but you don't understand. I still have evil thoughts. I still have evil desires. I still have wrong motives. I know. You're normal. Because the flesh is fighting against the Spirit, and the Spirit is fighting against the flesh. And they are contrary, the one to the other. And may I tell you this, you will have to fight until the day that you die. And what did the Apostle Paul say? I die how often? Daily.

[John Weaver] For some of us, it might be hourly. Some of us, it might be minute by minute. But he said, I die daily. I have to fight. I have to fight. I have to fight. And the struggle will never be over until we die. Until then, we have to keep saying, sin is not my master. My flesh is not my master. Jesus Christ is my master. I must obey Him. Likewise, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. If sin reigns in you, you're not converted. If Jesus Christ reigns in you, you are converted. Sin may be in our bodies, But it does not and should not control us because Jesus Christ is our Lord.

[John Weaver] And the struggles we have just proves that we're normal. We're not abnormal because we'll have to fight with our flesh till the day that we die. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, that we are indeed free from the tyranny and domination of sin and that we're under the sovereignty and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Help us, Lord, to recognize Him as our Lord and as our Master and obey Him in all things. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.

No, You Are Normal

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1026202225596210
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2020-10-25
Dictation Name
Book	Book 132: Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit — Chapter 9
Source Timed Segments	90

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Normal Christian Struggle

Weaver introduces the topic by stating that Christians are normal in the sense that they all struggle with sin and the flesh, contrary to the idea that they should be perfect.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Galatians chapter 5, and we're going to be reading verse 17. Galatians 5 and verse 17. And of course, we will come back and look at the context a little bit later, but this is just simply one verse today. The title of the message is, "No, You Are Normal." So you'll note it in Galatians 5 verse 17. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:17

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that

you would." When you hear the word normal, most people would think, who wants to be normal? I want to be different. I want to be the exception. It was Vance Havner years ago who said that Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's just about the truth. But in one sense of the word, we are all normal. And that is we are sinners and we are sinful. As Christians, we do indeed struggle against the flesh. We have wicked thoughts. We have evil desires. We have lust of the flesh, pride, unbiblical yearnings, and a propensity to sin. We struggle with anger, with bitterness, resentment, and unbelief.

The Flesh Has Not Been Redeemed

Weaver explains that our physical flesh is not redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom, citing 1 Corinthians 15:51 and Luke 24:39 to show that our current bodies must perish.

So we need to learn a very important lesson and learn it right now, and that is this. The flesh has not been redeemed. The Lord said through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51, "Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." And you will remember that when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples, they thought He was a spirit. And then the Bible says in Luke 24, verse 39, our Lord speaking to them said,

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:39

"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see Me have."

So His new body was not flesh and blood, but it was flesh and bone. So in the truest sense of the word, our flesh must perish. We will leave this mortal body behind because it will not enter into the Kingdom of God. We must have a new glorified body there.

And until then, we have to learn a certain biblical truth. And here it is. There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect pastors. There are no perfect husbands. Don't tell her. There are no perfect wives. And there are no perfect friends. In fact, there is no one that is perfect on this earth at this particular time. Do you understand that even our most fervent faith is mixed with unbelief? Our most selfless sacrifices are mixed with selfishness.

No Perfect Christians

Weaver asserts that there are no perfect Christians, pastors, or people; even our best acts are tainted by sin, and we all experience wandering thoughts and wicked intrusions during prayer.

Our most ardent prayers and supplications are marred by our sins and our infirmities. Our most spiritual moments are contaminated by our carnality. And our meekest submission and dependence upon God are corrupted by our self-will and pride. Our clearest views of Christ are darkened by error, misconception, and preconceived ideas. And when we are at our best, the worst is still in us. When we contemplate eternity, we still have the world in our hearts because we are mortal. And oftentimes, when we are longing to be holy, wicked thoughts, desires, and pride flood our minds.

I'm sure that you have prayed often and you've discovered something as you pray. Many times, your mind wanders. You can't concentrate. You can't focus. And sometimes, when you're really praying, all of a sudden, a wicked, vain, vile thought will enter your mind. You think, "Where in the world did that come from?" That has not been—where did it come from? Here I am trying to pray and honor God and all of a sudden here's this dishonoring and deceitful and wicked thought entering my mind even while I am praying. Well, the truth of the matter is, we think oftentimes something is wrong with me.

I mean, this doesn't happen to anybody else. Nobody else goes through what I'm going through. No one is struggling with what I'm going through and what I'm struggling with. No, no, no. But the truth of the matter is everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh because the flesh is indeed contrary to God.

Denying Sin Makes Us Liars

From 1 John 1:8-10, Weaver argues that denying the principle of sin (sin nature) or actual sin makes us liars and calls God a liar, emphasizing the reality of indwelling sin.

Now, it is true that we should never be complacent or satisfied with our faults, our failings, and our sins, but we have not yet been glorified, so therefore we are not yet perfect. So how in the world do we deal with these sins? Well, there are some people who try just simply to deny the reality of sin, and others try to deny the actuality of sin. Let me show you what I'm talking about. I want you to hold Galatians 5, but turn in your Bibles if you would, to 1 John 1, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 8. 1 John 1, and verse 8. John is writing and he says this. 1 John 1, verse 8:

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:8-10

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."

Now, the interesting thing is this. For anyone who denies the reality of sin and the actuality of sin, God calls them liars. If you look in verse 8, he said, "If we say that we have no sin," that is a denial of the principle of sin. It is a denial of original sin. It is a denial of total depravity. It is a denial of our corrupt and vicious defilement. So if we say that we have no sin nature, if the principle of sin is not in us, God said that we are not only deceiving ourselves, but the truth is not in us. In other words, we're liars. Then when you look at verse 10, "If we say that we have not sinned," that would refer to actual sin, "we make him a liar and his word is not in us." So it's not just that we're lying. Now we call God a liar because God tells us that we are indeed sinners. So when anyone then denies the sin nature and original sin or the total depravity, the next step is to deny actual sin.

So when we say that we are not sinners or that we have not sinned, we're calling God a liar and we're lying at the same time because we violate the law of God. Now, if you look back in your Bibles at Galatians 5 and verse 17, this passage reveals a very important truth. It is a truth that is repeated a number of times in Scripture. Look at it. Galatians 5 verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh."

The War Between Flesh and Spirit

Weaver expounds Galatians 5:17, explaining that the flesh and Spirit are adversaries in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want, and that the flesh hates God.

And these are contrary to one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. So let me be very blunt. What we're being taught is very plain. Our flesh hates God. Our flesh hates truth, righteousness and holiness. Our flesh loves itself, its satisfaction, its fulfillments, its desires, and its enjoyment. It cares absolutely nothing for the things of God, for holiness, righteousness, or obedience.

Now, I want you to note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." Now the interesting thing is the word "lusteth" here, epithumeo in the Greek, and it literally means to lust upon, to set one's sights upon, to seek those things which are forbidden by God and forbidden by the Holy Spirit in this context. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." In other words, the flesh is seeking to dominate the Holy Spirit, to control Him, in order that the flesh may fulfill itself. Now I want you to look carefully at verse 17. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh," and then he makes this statement, "and these are contrary the one to the other." Now the word "contrary" is the Greek word antikeimai and it literally means to be an adversary, to be contrary to,

to oppose, to fight against, to withstand. So look at verse 17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries. These are fighting one against the other. These are trying to withstand and oppose the other." In other words, he's just simply saying very clearly that your flesh and the Holy Spirit are enemies. So there is a war that is being raged in our bodies. There's a war that is waging as well in our minds. It's raging and waging. And it's a war between the flesh and the Spirit. And the war is real.

And that which really, truly irritates a true believer and causes acute consternation is the fact that he knows that his flesh is still active and demanding, even though the old man has been crucified. Here's a principle. You will remember that Abraham took his son Isaac and was going to offer him upon the altar. And Isaac lay upon that altar quietly, silently, obediently. Our flesh will not do that. Our flesh will not be sacrificed so easily. It will cry and scream and yell and demand satisfaction and demand to be fulfilled. Now look at verse 17 again. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary"—their enemies, their adversaries—"the one to the other." Here it is now, watch: "so that you cannot do the things that you would." So doing the things that you would—doing the things that you will, I'll explain in just a moment—doing the things that are natural and fleshly and carnal are nothing but sin.

The Law of Sin and Death vs. the Spirit

Weaver suggests that 'the law' in Galatians 5:18 refers to the law of sin and death, and contrasts the works of the flesh (vv. 19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-23).

Now the Greek word for "would" is the word thelo, which means to will, to have in mind, to intend, to love, to delight in, to have pleasure in, and a purpose. So watch it in verse 17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you wish to do to fulfill the lust of your flesh." In other words, that you intend to do. So anything that is fleshly, carnal and natural, it's simple. Now look in verse 18. He said, "If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." So the question that we must ask right at this point is: Which law? Whose law? What law?

Now someone tried to say that this law then refers to the law of God. Well, if it does refer to the law of God, it would have to refer to the aspect of death and condemnation because of being contrary to God. But you have to remember this. The Holy Spirit of God does never nullify or negate the law of God. He leads us into obedience to that law. He doesn't seek to overthrow it. He doesn't seek to abrogate it.

Now, the Greek word for law is the word nomos. If you look up nomos, you will find that nomos refers to God's law. It refers to man's law. It refers to any rule or any principle.

Now, let me make a suggestion here, and I think in the context when he says, "If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law," and I'll show you why. I think the word law here refers to the law of sin and death. Now you ask, "Well, is there such a law as that?" And obviously there is because the Apostle Paul talked about it so often. So if you will hold Galatians 5 and just turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans, let's begin in Romans chapter 7. We'll come back to this passage later. We'll look in Romans chapter 7 right now and verse 21. Romans 7 verse 21. Paul said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:21-25

"I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me."

So here's a law that deals with evil. Skip down, if you would, to verse 23:

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:21-25

"But 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."

So there's the law of sin that he's spoken of. Skip down to verse 25.

He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1-2

"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."

Now look in Romans 8 verses 1 and 2:

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1-2

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

So there is a law of sin. There's a law of sin and death. So let's go back to Galatians chapter 5 and I want to ask you a question and look at it in this light. He said in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Well, let's ask a question. What does the law of sin and death produce? And what does the flesh desire and delight? What does it mean to walk in the flesh? And what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

You must remember now, according to verse 17, the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one to the other. They're adversaries. They fight against each other. So here's what God is showing us now. Listen carefully. He's going to show us the strengths of the flesh and the strengths of the Spirit. So if you're going to fulfill the flesh, then here are certain things that's going to be apparent. If you're going to walk in the Spirit, there are certain things that's going to be apparent.

So watch it in the context. He said in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. These are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." That is the law of sin and death. What is the law of sin and death? What does the law of the flesh produce? Verse 19.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." That's the flesh. Now watch the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." "Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."

Now, so what he's telling us is this. Anytime that you pamper and fulfill the desires of your flesh, it's going to manifest itself in verses 19 through 21. And any time that you're walking in the Spirit, or being led of the Spirit, it's going to manifest itself in verses 22 through 23. So if you're a child of God then, you want to be led of the Spirit and you want to deny your flesh.

Now, let me point out the fact that the flesh must be killed, it must be crucified, and it must continue to be crucified. So I want you to hold Galatians and turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. In fact, we're going to come back to Romans 6 just momentarily. So look in Romans 6 and verse 6. Look at this statement. Watch it very carefully. Romans 6, verse 6.

Crucifixion and Mortification of the Flesh

Weaver teaches that the old man was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6), but believers must actively mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body through the Spirit (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).

The Apostle Paul says this: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him." So the old man was crucified in Jesus Christ, "that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Now our old man was crucified with him. What we were in Adam is crucified in Jesus Christ. Now he said the reason it was "that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Now let me mention two quotes. The first one is by John Trapp. He said this: "To crucify is not absolutely to outright kill. Crucifixion is a lingering death, no member being free from pain. If then we so repent of sin as that which crucified Christ, we so pierce the old man that we are sure he will die of it, though he be not presently dead. This is mortification." So he's saying, just because we have been crucified, that does not mean that everything in us, the body of sin, has been killed. It is dead, but it is a lingering death.

Now, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown made this statement: "Man, by faith, is dead to the former standing point of a sinful life and rises to a new life of communion with Christ. The act by which they have crucified the flesh with its lust is already accomplished, ideally in principle, but in practice or outward confirmation of the life must harmonize with the tendency given to the inward life." Now, listen to what he says: "We are to be executioners dealing cruelly with the body of sin, which has caused the acting of all cruelties on Christ's body." Now, the Bible talks about mortification. We're to mortify the deeds of the body. We're to mortify our members which are upon earth. How do we mortify and what does that mean? Well, the word mortify actually means to make dead. You hear people say all the time when something embarrassing happens, "I was mortified." Well, you were really embarrassed, but you weren't mortified. Because if you were mortified, you'd be dead.

You understand what I'm saying? "It almost killed me" is what they're saying, really. But we get our English word mortician. And by the way, there's another word that most of us know: mortgage. You know what the word mortgage means? It means dead pledge. It does. That's what it means. A dead pledge. So mortgage, mortician, mortified—all of these things have to deal with death.

Now, it is true that our old man has been crucified, yet the principle of sin has some lingering elements in our lives which must be destroyed. So let me show you. Look in Romans chapter 8 and verse 13. Romans 8 and verse 13. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:13

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Now the word "mortify" in this verse is from the Greek word thanatoo. Thanatoo is the Greek word. The noun for death is thanatos. Thanatoo means to kill, to make dead, to put to death, to destroy, to render extinct. So he says in verse 13, "If ye through—if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do kill, make extinct, destroy the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Moreover, it is a present active indicative, which means it is a truth.

It is something that should be done now and continue to be done. And you're actively engaged in it. So he says, "As many then as through the Spirit do mortify"—to make dead—"the deeds of the body, they shall live." Now look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians chapter 3 and look if you would please at verse 5. Colossians 3 and verse 5. He says,

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:5

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

Now, the Greek word here is the word nekroo. The noun is nekros, which means dead. Nekroo literally means to make dead, to put to death, to slay, to deprive of power or strength. So, if I went to Gary and I said, "Look, here's an old cut right here. I need you to clean it up and doctor it for me." And he'd look at it and said, "Well, the first thing I need to do is cut away all the necrotic tissue." All that means is the dead tissue upfront. And so the word nekros literally means to make dead. We have the English word necrophilia, someone who's in love with dead people.

Yeah, so that's basically what it is. But here is the word nekroo and he says that we are to make dead our members which are upon the earth. Now notice if you would, the members here is the deeds of the body back in Romans 8 and verse 13. So the deeds of the body and the members here would be identical. They'd be one and the same now. So the question would have to be asked, how do I mortify? How do I make dead the deeds of the body? How to mortify my members which are upon the earth?

We Do Not Have to Sin

From 1 John 2:1, Weaver emphasizes that believers are not compelled to sin; they have an Advocate in Christ, and just as a thief is not always stealing, a sinner is not always sinning.

Well, before I answer that, I want to show you another passage. And then, Lord willing, I want to connect these two principles with mortification. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of 1 John, 1 John, chapter 2, and look, if you would please, at verse 1. 1 John, chapter 2, verse 1. John writes, and he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Now, John is writing to believers. And the purpose for his writing is that they sin not. That's what he said.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not."

I'm writing this to keep you from sinning. I'm writing this to say you don't need to sin. Wow. Here's a principle. I want you to think about this. We are not required to sin. We're not compelled to sin. We do not need to sin. We do not have to sin.

It is true that we are sinners. But just because you are a sinner does not mean that you sin all of the time. And unless your minds are engaged in something wicked right now, for the last few minutes you have not been sinning. Everyone in this room has known a drunkard. Let me ask you a question about a drunkard. Is a drunkard a drunkard 24 hours a day, seven days a week? No. He can't. If a man stayed drunk all the time like that, 24 hours a day, day after day, he'd soon be dead. Now, I have a friend who used to be a drunkard. He would only pitch a drunk about once a month. But every month, he was going to pitch a drunk until God saved him. So just because a man is a drunkard does not mean that he's always drunk.

OK, how about a thief? A thief does not steal incessantly. A man could walk into a store with the intent of stealing and see 40 policemen standing around and think, "Hmm, it might not be wise for me to steal in this store." Well, just because he didn't steal doesn't mean he's not a thief. So just because a man is a thief does not mean that he's always stealing. He's still a thief, but he's not stealing. You get the idea. Just because we're sinners does not mean that we have to sin and we must sin and that we're always sinning.

OK, now, so he wrote this. He said that you might not sin. So you need to set this in your mind: I do not have to sin. I'm going to show you why. Here's the second principle. He said in verse 1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We have our attorney. We have our lawyer, we have the one that pleads our case, we have the one that pleads our cause. So he says, I'm writing this, number one, that you do not sin. But number two, since you are sinners and you will probably slip up and sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So John is writing them, number one, that none would presume to sin. And number two, that if they did sin, they need not despair because they have the Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

Now, you ask, what do these truths have to do with mortification? Well, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6. I want to take the time to read this entire chapter and then I'm going to come back and point out several truths that apply to what I'm talking about today. But I want you to watch this and try to follow the reasoning of the apostle. Romans 6, verse 1, "What shall we say then?"

Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Romans 6)

Weaver reads Romans 6 and explains that believers are freed from sin's dominion; they must reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, not letting sin reign in their mortal bodies.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:1-23

"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid."

That is, perish the thought, don't even let that enter in your mind.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:1-23

"How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 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 your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now, let me just make a statement. Romans chapter 6, I believe, is one of the most important chapters in the book of Romans. Yes, I love Romans chapter 8. I love Romans chapter 5. I love Romans 9, 10, 11, and 12. I love them all. But I'm just saying, if you understand what the Apostle Paul is stating in Romans chapter 6, it should change your life. Why? Because in this passage, the Apostle Paul is showing us that we are no longer under the lordship of sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Sin no longer has control over us. We are now under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Before we were converted, before we were saved, when sin hollered, we jumped. When sin demanded that we do something, we did it. Because we obeyed it, it ruled our life. It ruined our life. But now, since our conversion, we have a new master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let's look in verses 6 through 8 right now. Romans 6, look in verse 6: "Knowing this, that our old man"—what we were in Adam—"is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed"—that is, whatever remains—"that henceforth we should not serve sin." Sin is not our master, we do not owe it anything. Verse 7: "For he that is dead is freed from sin." I'll explain that later. "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." So if we're dead to sin, we are alive to Jesus Christ. We died in Jesus Christ. We were resurrected in Jesus Christ. We're no longer obligated to serve sin because we're dead to sin. And our life now is found in Jesus Christ. So we have a new Lord. We have a new master.

Now, how do we apply this truth? We'll look down to verses 11 and 12. He says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Now, He said, "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." And He also says, "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, how do you reckon yourself dead? The Greek word for "reckon" here is the word logizomai. And it literally means to think, to impute, to reckon, to count, to deem, to judge, to purpose, and determine. So when He says "reckon yourselves also to be dead indeed unto sin," you're counting yourself dead. You're judging yourself dead. You're deeming yourself dead. When you're reckoning yourself alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ, you're judging yourself alive. You are simply saying that yes, I'm deeming myself alive. I'm counting myself alive.

I'm imputing myself alive. So, here's the important thing about the Greek word logizomai. Logizomai is a word that deals with reality. It does not deal with suppositions. Let me say it another way. It's not a play word. It is not a pretend word. When we were kids, we would say, "Let's pretend we're cowboys and Indians. Let's pretend we're Confederates and Yankees," but nobody ever wanted to be the Yankees.

Practical Obedience: Yielding to Christ

Weaver illustrates that believers are servants to whom they obey; they must yield their members to righteousness just as they once yielded to sin, serving Christ willingly.

But we were just pretending. You see what I'm saying? But when you get to the word logizomai, it's not a word that pretends. It's not a word that plays. It is a word that deals with reality. Here's a good illustration. If I reckon, using the word logizomai, if I reckon or if I logizomai that I have 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account, I've got 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account. It's not a pretend thing. It's not a wishful thing. It's not a hopeful thing. It is a thing of reality. It is a thing of truth. So when he says, "Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God," it's something that is real. It's a principle of truth. You count yourself, you impute yourself, you judge yourself, you deem yourself, you determine yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.

Now, look at verse 12. He says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Hmm. Wow. You see, what he's just gotten through saying, let me try to tie it together. We don't owe sin anything. The reason we don't owe sin anything is because we have a new Lord, we have a new master, Lord Jesus Christ. The only thing sin ever did for us was condemn us and make us dead to God. We owe nothing to sin. We owe everything now to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says in verse 12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Notice if you would carefully, he did not say "let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies." It's in our bodies because we've got flesh. But He said, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

It is not to hold mastery. It is not to dominate. It is not to rule over us. In other words, sin is not our master. Let me translate that. We don't owe it anything. We don't have to obey sin. We don't have to jump when sin tempts us. We do not need sin. So, he says sin has been killed as far as its lordship.

Now, let me show you. Look in verse 18. We're going to come back. But look in verse 18: "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Really? Are you totally free from sin? Well, how about this one in verse 22: "But now being made free from sin." Has sin totally been eradicated from your life? No. Well, what is he talking about? "Being then made free from sin." Being then made free from the dominion of sin. From the mastery of sin. That's what he's talking about. Because he's just gotten through saying, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

So, how does this apply? Well, I want you to look in verse 16. Watch carefully. He says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" To show you how practical this is. Here's a good illustration. Suppose I went to Francis and I said, "Francis, I'm going to be your servant. I'm going to be your slave."

"You just tell me what to do, I'll do it." And everything Francis told me to do, I did. He would tell me when to go to bed, when to get up, when to dress, when not to dress, when to go to work, when not to work, what to do. Would I be his servant? Of course I'd be his servant, because I'm rendering to him a practical obedience. OK, now watch what he said. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death." In other words, if you jump at sin's command, you're his servant. "Or of obedience unto righteousness." If you jump at our Lord's command, you're his servant now. Let me show you how practical this is. What Paul is telling us is we're either going to obey the flesh, or we're going to obey Jesus Christ. You cannot obey both at the same time. It is impossible.

So, here it is very practically explained. Skip down to verse 19. He says, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh." Yeah, we've got infirmities alright. "For," he said, let me explain it again. "For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

Now, watch what he's saying. He said, "I'm going to break this down so that you can understand it." He said, "For as ye have..." Now stop and think about when you were unsaved. Stop and think about before your conversion. When you sinned, you did so willingly, gladly, eagerly, delightfully. You wanted to do it. And your heart was engaged in it. And you gave yourself to it.

Now, he said, look, you're no longer the servant of sin. You're now the servant of Jesus Christ. So you render to Jesus Christ the same that you rendered unto sin. You now serve Jesus Christ willingly, eagerly, readily, delightfully. In other words, to whom you yield yourselves servants, His servant you are. Whether it's sin unto death or whether it is righteousness unto life.

Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. I want to try to tie all this together for you. So I want you to watch it. Galatians 5, look in verse 16. Galatians 5, verse 16. He says, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Now skip down to verse 25. We're going to come back to verse 16. Verse 25: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Now, going back to verse 16, he said, "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

Walking in the Spirit

Weaver explains that walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25) means regulating life by the Spirit and marching in disciplined obedience, which is the same as being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).

I did not write down the Greek word. I think it's peripateo, but it literally means to regulate or to conduct one's life. So in verse 16, "This I say, regulate or conduct your life in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." So it would be the Holy Spirit's power and enabling of us to regulate our lives and conduct our lives so as to walk in the Spirit. Now, look down to verse 25. He said, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." And here the word "walk" is stoicheo. Oh, and what is different about that? It means to walk orderly. Listen carefully: to march as a soldier, to direct one's life with order and discipline. So he says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us live a not just a regulated life, but a disciplined life. The life of a soldier strictly walking in the Holy Spirit."

Now, the same truth is given to us in Romans 8 and verse 14. You don't have to turn there, let me just quote it:

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:14

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

So walking in the Spirit and being led of the Spirit happens to be one and the same thing. Because the Holy Spirit leads us to walk in obedience to God. He leads us to walk in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. He leads us to walk in obedience to the written Word of God. He leads us to walk holily and righteously before God. That is why in Colossians 1 and verse 10, he says that we are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. In other words, it is the Holy Spirit who enables us, who leads us, to walk pleasing unto Him. I've had so many Christians tell me, "I'm not normal." I say, "You're not normal?"

"What are you talking about?" "Well, I have these bad thoughts. I have these evil desires. I have these wicked propensities. I think of things I should never think of. I can't pray as I ought to pray. I can't study the way I ought to study. I can't live the way I want to live." Let me tell you something. You're normal. Because every Christian has to fight. Would it surprise you if I told you that the Apostle Paul went through the same exact thing that we go through? Look at it. Look in Romans 7. Go back to Romans 7. The Apostle Paul had to fight as well. Look in Romans 7, and let's just begin reading there with verse 14. I wish I could spend an hour on this one little passage, but look, Romans 7, verse 14.

Paul's Struggle and Our Hope

Weaver shows from Romans 7 that Paul experienced the same internal conflict, crying out for deliverance from the body of death, and that our hope is in Christ alone.

He says, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." I don't want to do these things, but I end up doing them. I must be stupid. I must not be normal. That's what he's saying. "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good." That is when I deny my flesh. "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: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 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 is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." That's that principle of sin. "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." The law of sin and death.

"For 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, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." And then he says this, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And then he says, "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." Now, note if you would, he said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" I've told you this before. In ancient times, if a man murdered another man and they caught the murderer right away, they would take the murdered man and tie him face to face with the living murderer, chest to chest, arm to arm, leg to leg, stomach to stomach, until the worms in the dead man ate the living man alive. It was a body of death that he was carrying around.

That's the picture Paul is talking about with this remaining sin that is in his flesh. He said, "O wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death?" And then he says, "I thank God, it is through Jesus Christ." And the answer is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. So, the Apostle Paul had a struggle just like we have a struggle. Now, listen carefully to me. What we must learn to do is what Paul said. We must reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We must learn that sin is not to dominate us. It is not to master us. It is not to control us. We are no longer under the dominion of sin. We are under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must learn to bring our lives into conformity to His Word.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Normalcy of the Christian Struggle with Sin

Summary: All believers experience an internal war between the flesh and the Spirit; having evil thoughts and desires is normal, not abnormal.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh because the flesh is indeed contrary to God' and 'the struggles we have just proves that we're normal.'

The Unredeemed Flesh

Summary: The physical body is not redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom; believers must await a glorified body.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 15:51 and Luke 24:39, saying 'our flesh must perish' and 'we must have a new glorified body.'

The Adversarial Relationship Between Flesh and Spirit

Summary: The flesh and the Spirit are enemies in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want.

Evidence: Weaver explains the Greek words for 'lusteth' and 'contrary,' emphasizing that 'your flesh and the Holy Spirit are enemies.'

Freedom from Sin's Dominion

Summary: Believers are no longer under the mastery of sin; they have been set free to serve Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'sin has no right to tyrannize me... I do not have to serve sin' and references Romans 6:18, 22.

Reckoning Ourselves Dead to Sin

Summary: Believers must count themselves dead to sin and alive to God, a reality based on union with Christ, not pretense.

Evidence: Weaver explains the Greek word logizomai as dealing with reality, not supposition, and applies it to resisting temptation.

Walking in the Spirit

Summary: Believers are to regulate their lives by the Spirit and march in disciplined obedience, which is the same as being led by the Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts peripateo and stoicheo in Galatians 5:16, 25, and connects it to Romans 8:14.

The Necessity of Mortification

Summary: Though the old man is crucified, believers must actively put to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5, explaining the Greek words thanatoo and nekroo.

The Sovereignty of God and Freedom from Sin as Transformative Truths

Summary: Weaver shares that understanding God's sovereignty and freedom from sin's dominion were two truths that changed his life and ministry.

Evidence: He states, 'Two of the greatest truths that I have ever learned... are number one, the sovereignty of God... The second truth... I had been set free from the dominion of sin.'

Key Arguments

Christians are normal in their struggle with sin

Summary: The presence of evil thoughts and desires does not indicate abnormality but the common experience of all believers due to the flesh.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh' and 'the struggles we have just proves that we're normal.'

The flesh is not redeemed and must be mortified

Summary: Our current bodies are not fit for God's kingdom; believers must actively put to death sinful deeds through the Spirit.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 15:51 and explains mortification from Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5.

Denying sin makes one a liar

Summary: To claim we have no sin nature or have not sinned is to deceive ourselves and call God a liar, according to 1 John 1:8-10.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If we say that we have no sin... we deceive ourselves... If we say that we have not sinned... we make him a liar.'

The flesh and Spirit are adversaries

Summary: Galatians 5:17 teaches that the flesh and Spirit are in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want.

Evidence: Weaver explains the Greek words epithumeo and antikeimai, emphasizing the war between flesh and Spirit.

Believers are freed from sin's dominion

Summary: Through union with Christ, sin no longer has mastery over believers; they are servants of righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Romans 6, saying 'sin has no right to tyrannize me... I do not have to serve sin.'

Reckoning is based on reality, not pretense

Summary: The Greek word logizomai means to count something as true based on reality; believers are truly dead to sin and alive to God.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with a bank account: 'If I reckon... I have 5,000 Federal Reserve notes... it's a thing of reality.'

Obedience determines one's master

Summary: To whom you yield yourself as a servant to obey, that is your master; believers must yield to Christ, not sin.

Evidence: Weaver explains Romans 6:16, 'if you jump at sin's command, you're his servant... if you jump at our Lord's command, you're his servant.'

Walking in the Spirit is a disciplined life

Summary: Believers are to regulate their lives by the Spirit and march as soldiers in orderly obedience.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts peripateo and stoicheo in Galatians 5:16, 25, emphasizing discipline.

Scripture References

Galatians 5:17

Context: The central text of the sermon, describing the conflict between flesh and Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:51

Context: Cited to show that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Luke 24:39

Context: Used to demonstrate that Christ's resurrected body was flesh and bone, not flesh and blood.

1 John 1:8-10

Context: Quoted to show that denying sin makes one a liar and calls God a liar.

Galatians 5:18

Context: Discussed in relation to being led by the Spirit and not under the law (of sin and death).

Romans 7:21-25

Context: Read to show the law of sin in Paul's members and his struggle.

Romans 8:1-2

Context: Cited to show the law of the Spirit of life sets free from the law of sin and death.

Galatians 5:19-23

Context: Contrasted the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

Romans 6:6

Context: Quoted to show the old man was crucified with Christ to destroy the body of sin.

Romans 8:13

Context: Cited to teach mortification of the deeds of the body through the Spirit.

Colossians 3:5

Context: Quoted to command mortifying members which are upon the earth.

1 John 2:1

Context: Used to show believers are not to sin, but have an Advocate if they do.

Romans 6:1-23

Context: Read in full to expound freedom from sin's dominion and reckoning oneself dead to sin.

Galatians 5:16

Context: Quoted to command walking in the Spirit to not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25

Context: Quoted to command walking in the Spirit with discipline.

Romans 8:14

Context: Cited to equate being led by the Spirit with walking in the Spirit.

Colossians 1:10

Context: Referenced to show walking worthy of the Lord.

Romans 7:14-25

Context: Read to show Paul's personal struggle with sin.

Psalm 115:3

Context: Quoted to affirm God's sovereignty.

Historical References

Vance Havner

Context: Quoted: 'Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.'

John Trapp

Context: Quoted on crucifixion as a lingering death and mortification.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Context: Quoted on the believer's death to sin and execution of the body of sin.

Important Quotes

Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.

Significance: Introduces the theme that the normal Christian life includes struggle, contrary to expectations of perfection.

The flesh has not been redeemed.

Significance: Key doctrinal point that our physical bodies are not yet redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom.

There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect pastors. There are no perfect husbands.

Significance: Emphasizes the universality of imperfection and sin among believers.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Significance: Direct quote of 1 John 1:8 used to confront denial of the sin nature.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.

Significance: The central verse of the sermon, highlighting the adversarial conflict within believers.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Significance: Paul's cry in Romans 7:24, illustrating the intense struggle with indwelling sin.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Significance: Key application from Romans 6:11 on how believers should view themselves in relation to sin.

I die daily.

Significance: Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:31, used to emphasize the ongoing nature of mortification.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do you find yourself thinking that your struggles with sin are abnormal? How does this sermon challenge that view?

Context: Weaver argues that all Christians experience the war between flesh and Spirit, and that such struggles are normal.

How does understanding that 'the flesh has not been redeemed' affect your expectations for personal holiness in this life?

Context: Weaver explains that our physical bodies are not yet redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom.

What does it mean practically to 'reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin'? How is this different from pretending?

Context: Weaver explains the Greek word logizomai as dealing with reality, not supposition.

How can we actively 'mortify the deeds of the body' through the Spirit in daily life?

Context: Weaver discusses the commands in Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5 to put to death sinful deeds.

In what ways do you see the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) manifesting in your own life, and how can you cultivate the fruit of the Spirit instead?

Context: Weaver contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of who is leading.

How does the truth that 'sin shall not have dominion over you' change the way you respond to temptation?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that believers are freed from sin's mastery and do not have to obey it.

What does it look like to 'walk in the Spirit' as a disciplined soldier, and how can we grow in that discipline?

Context: Weaver explains the Greek word stoicheo in Galatians 5:25 as marching in orderly fashion.

How can Paul's cry in Romans 7:24 ('O wretched man that I am!') encourage us when we feel defeated by sin?

Context: Weaver uses Paul's struggle to show that even the apostle experienced the same internal conflict.

Applications

Accept the normalcy of the Christian struggle

Summary: Recognize that having evil thoughts and desires is part of the normal Christian experience due to the flesh, and do not despair as if you are abnormal.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the struggles we have just proves that we're normal' and 'everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh.'

Reckon yourself dead to sin

Summary: When tempted, respond by counting yourself dead to sin based on your union with Christ, not by pretending but by embracing the reality of your position.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'When sin tempts us... we need to respond like this: "I'm sorry. I'm dead."'

Do not let sin reign in your mortal body

Summary: Actively resist sin's attempts to dominate you, knowing that you are under Christ's lordship and do not have to obey sin.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body... sin is not our master.'

Yield your members to righteousness

Summary: Just as you once eagerly served sin, now willingly and delightfully serve Christ with your body and mind.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'you now serve Jesus Christ willingly, eagerly, readily, delightfully.'

Walk in the Spirit with discipline

Summary: Regulate your life by the Spirit and cultivate a disciplined, soldier-like obedience to God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver explains stoicheo as 'to march as a soldier, to direct one's life with order and discipline.'

Mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit

Summary: Actively put to death sinful actions and desires by relying on the Holy Spirit's power, not your own strength.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.'

Find joy in the hope of future deliverance

Summary: Look forward to the day when you will drop off this body of sin and be free from the struggle, as Paul did.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'it should be a relief and a joy to drop it off and to leave it to rot in the grave.'

Respond to temptation with Scripture

Summary: When wicked thoughts arise, repel them by countering with biblical truth, saying 'But God says...'

Evidence: Weaver says, 'when a wicked thought comes in my mind, I can repel it and I can say, "But God says..."'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:37:59Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:04:58Z

Clean Transcript

No, You Are Normal

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Galatians chapter 5, and we're going to be reading verse 17. Galatians 5 and verse 17. And of course, we will come back and look at the context a little bit later, but this is just simply one verse today. The title of the message is, "No, You Are Normal." So you'll note it in Galatians 5 verse 17. The Bible says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would." When you hear the word normal, most people would think, who wants to be normal?
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I want to be different. I want to be the exception. It was Vance Havner years ago who said that Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's just about the truth. But in one sense of the word, we are all normal. And that is we are sinners and we are sinful. As Christians, we do indeed struggle against the flesh. We have wicked thoughts. We have evil desires. We have lust of the flesh, pride, unbiblical yearnings, and a propensity to sin. We struggle with anger, with bitterness, resentment, and unbelief.
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So we need to learn a very important lesson and learn it right now, and that is this. The flesh has not been redeemed. The Lord said through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51, "Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." And you will remember that when our Lord revealed Himself to His disciples, they thought He was a spirit.
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And then the Bible says in Luke 24, verse 39, our Lord speaking to them said, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see Me have." So His new body was not flesh and blood, but it was flesh and bone. So in the truest sense of the word, our flesh must perish. We will leave this mortal body behind because it will not enter into the Kingdom of God. We must have a new glorified body there.
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And until then, we have to learn a certain biblical truth. And here it is. There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect pastors. There are no perfect husbands. Don't tell her. There are no perfect wives. And there are no perfect friends. In fact, there is no one that is perfect on this earth at this particular time. Do you understand that even our most fervent faith is mixed with unbelief? Our most selfless sacrifices are mixed with selfishness.
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Our most ardent prayers and supplications are marred by our sins and our infirmities. Our most spiritual moments are contaminated by our carnality. And our meekest submission and dependence upon God are corrupted by our self-will and pride. Our clearest views of Christ are darkened by error, misconception, and preconceived ideas. And when we are at our best, the worst is still in us. When we contemplate eternity, we still have the world in our hearts because we are mortal. And oftentimes, when we are longing to be holy, wicked thoughts, desires, and pride flood our minds.
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I'm sure that you have prayed often and you've discovered something as you pray. Many times, your mind wanders. You can't concentrate. You can't focus. And sometimes, when you're really praying, all of a sudden, a wicked, vain, vile thought will enter your mind. You think, "Where in the world did that come from?" That has not been—where did it come from? Here I am trying to pray and honor God and all of a sudden here's this dishonoring and deceitful and wicked thought entering my mind even while I am praying. Well, the truth of the matter is, we think oftentimes something is wrong with me.
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I mean, this doesn't happen to anybody else. Nobody else goes through what I'm going through. No one is struggling with what I'm going through and what I'm struggling with. No, no, no. But the truth of the matter is everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh because the flesh is indeed contrary to God.
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Now, it is true that we should never be complacent or satisfied with our faults, our failings, and our sins, but we have not yet been glorified, so therefore we are not yet perfect. So how in the world do we deal with these sins? Well, there are some people who try just simply to deny the reality of sin, and others try to deny the actuality of sin. Let me show you what I'm talking about.
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I want you to hold Galatians 5, but turn in your Bibles if you would, to 1 John 1, and look if you would, beginning there with verse 8. 1 John 1, and verse 8. John is writing and he says this. 1 John 1, verse 8: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."
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Now, the interesting thing is this. For anyone who denies the reality of sin and the actuality of sin, God calls them liars. If you look in verse 8, he said, "If we say that we have no sin," that is a denial of the principle of sin. It is a denial of original sin. It is a denial of total depravity. It is a denial of our corrupt and vicious defilement. So if we say that we have no sin nature, if the principle of sin is not in us, God said that we are not only deceiving ourselves, but the truth is not in us. In other words, we're liars. Then when you look at verse 10, "If we say that we have not sinned," that would refer to actual sin, "we make him a liar and his word is not in us." So it's not just that we're lying. Now we call God a liar because God tells us that we are indeed sinners. So when anyone then denies the sin nature and original sin or the total depravity, the next step is to deny actual sin.
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So when we say that we are not sinners or that we have not sinned, we're calling God a liar and we're lying at the same time because we violate the law of God. Now, if you look back in your Bibles at Galatians 5 and verse 17, this passage reveals a very important truth. It is a truth that is repeated a number of times in Scripture. Look at it. Galatians 5 verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh."
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And these are contrary to one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. So let me be very blunt. What we're being taught is very plain. Our flesh hates God. Our flesh hates truth, righteousness and holiness. Our flesh loves itself, its satisfaction, its fulfillments, its desires, and its enjoyment. It cares absolutely nothing for the things of God, for holiness, righteousness, or obedience.
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Now, I want you to note, if you would please, the Bible says in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." Now the interesting thing is the word "lusteth" here, epithumeo in the Greek, and it literally means to lust upon, to set one's sights upon, to seek those things which are forbidden by God and forbidden by the Holy Spirit in this context. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit." In other words, the flesh is seeking to dominate the Holy Spirit, to control Him, in order that the flesh may fulfill itself. Now I want you to look carefully at verse 17. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh," and then he makes this statement, "and these are contrary the one to the other." Now the word "contrary" is the Greek word antikeimai and it literally means to be an adversary, to be contrary to,
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to oppose, to fight against, to withstand. So look at verse 17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries. These are fighting one against the other. These are trying to withstand and oppose the other." In other words, he's just simply saying very clearly that your flesh and the Holy Spirit are enemies. So there is a war that is being raged in our bodies. There's a war that is waging as well in our minds. It's raging and waging. And it's a war between the flesh and the Spirit. And the war is real.
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And that which really, truly irritates a true believer and causes acute consternation is the fact that he knows that his flesh is still active and demanding, even though the old man has been crucified. Here's a principle. You will remember that Abraham took his son Isaac and was going to offer him upon the altar. And Isaac lay upon that altar quietly, silently, obediently. Our flesh will not do that. Our flesh will not be sacrificed so easily.
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It will cry and scream and yell and demand satisfaction and demand to be fulfilled. Now look at verse 17 again. He says, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary"—their enemies, their adversaries—"the one to the other." Here it is now, watch: "so that you cannot do the things that you would." So doing the things that you would—doing the things that you will, I'll explain in just a moment—doing the things that are natural and fleshly and carnal are nothing but sin.
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Now the Greek word for "would" is the word thelo, which means to will, to have in mind, to intend, to love, to delight in, to have pleasure in, and a purpose. So watch it in verse 17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are adversaries, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you wish to do to fulfill the lust of your flesh." In other words, that you intend to do.
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So anything that is fleshly, carnal and natural, it's simple. Now look in verse 18. He said, "If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." So the question that we must ask right at this point is: Which law? Whose law? What law?
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Now someone tried to say that this law then refers to the law of God. Well, if it does refer to the law of God, it would have to refer to the aspect of death and condemnation because of being contrary to God. But you have to remember this. The Holy Spirit of God does never nullify or negate the law of God. He leads us into obedience to that law.
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He doesn't seek to overthrow it. He doesn't seek to abrogate it.
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Now, the Greek word for law is the word nomos. If you look up nomos, you will find that nomos refers to God's law. It refers to man's law. It refers to any rule or any principle.
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Now, let me make a suggestion here, and I think in the context when he says, "If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law," and I'll show you why. I think the word law here refers to the law of sin and death. Now you ask, "Well, is there such a law as that?" And obviously there is because the Apostle Paul talked about it so often.
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So if you will hold Galatians 5 and just turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans, let's begin in Romans chapter 7. We'll come back to this passage later. We'll look in Romans chapter 7 right now and verse 21. Romans 7 verse 21. Paul said, "I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me." So here's a law that deals with evil. Skip down, if you would, to verse 23: "But 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." So there's the law of sin that he's spoken of. Skip down to verse 25.
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He says, "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."
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Now look in Romans 8 verses 1 and 2: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." So there is a law of sin. There's a law of sin and death. So let's go back to Galatians chapter 5 and I want to ask you a question and look at it in this light. He said in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Well, let's ask a question. What does the law of sin and death produce? And what does the flesh desire and delight? What does it mean to walk in the flesh? And what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
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You must remember now, according to verse 17, the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one to the other. They're adversaries. They fight against each other. So here's what God is showing us now. Listen carefully. He's going to show us the strengths of the flesh and the strengths of the Spirit. So if you're going to fulfill the flesh, then here are certain things that's going to be apparent. If you're going to walk in the Spirit, there are certain things that's going to be apparent.
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So watch it in the context. He said in verse 17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh. These are contrary, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." That is the law of sin and death. What is the law of sin and death? What does the law of the flesh produce? Verse 19.
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"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." That's the flesh. Now watch the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."
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"Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
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Now, so what he's telling us is this. Anytime that you pamper and fulfill the desires of your flesh, it's going to manifest itself in verses 19 through 21. And any time that you're walking in the Spirit, or being led of the Spirit, it's going to manifest itself in verses 22 through 23. So if you're a child of God then, you want to be led of the Spirit and you want to deny your flesh.
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Now, let me point out the fact that the flesh must be killed, it must be crucified, and it must continue to be crucified. So I want you to hold Galatians and turn in your Bibles to Romans 6. In fact, we're going to come back to Romans 6 just momentarily. So look in Romans 6 and verse 6. Look at this statement. Watch it very carefully. Romans 6, verse 6.
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The Apostle Paul says this: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him." So the old man was crucified in Jesus Christ, "that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Now our old man was crucified with him. What we were in Adam is crucified in Jesus Christ. Now he said the reason it was "that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
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Now let me mention two quotes. The first one is by John Trapp. He said this: "To crucify is not absolutely to outright kill. Crucifixion is a lingering death, no member being free from pain. If then we so repent of sin as that which crucified Christ, we so pierce the old man that we are sure he will die of it, though he be not presently dead. This is mortification." So he's saying, just because we have been crucified, that does not mean that everything in us, the body of sin, has been killed. It is dead, but it is a lingering death.
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Now, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown made this statement: "Man, by faith, is dead to the former standing point of a sinful life and rises to a new life of communion with Christ. The act by which they have crucified the flesh with its lust is already accomplished, ideally in principle, but in practice or outward confirmation of the life must harmonize with the tendency given to the inward life."
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Now, listen to what he says: "We are to be executioners dealing cruelly with the body of sin, which has caused the acting of all cruelties on Christ's body."
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Now, the Bible talks about mortification. We're to mortify the deeds of the body. We're to mortify our members which are upon earth. How do we mortify and what does that mean? Well, the word mortify actually means to make dead. You hear people say all the time when something embarrassing happens, "I was mortified." Well, you were really embarrassed, but you weren't mortified. Because if you were mortified, you'd be dead.
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You understand what I'm saying? "It almost killed me" is what they're saying, really. But we get our English word mortician. And by the way, there's another word that most of us know: mortgage. You know what the word mortgage means? It means dead pledge. It does. That's what it means. A dead pledge. So mortgage, mortician, mortified—all of these things have to deal with death.
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Now, it is true that our old man has been crucified, yet the principle of sin has some lingering elements in our lives which must be destroyed. So let me show you. Look in Romans chapter 8 and verse 13. Romans 8 and verse 13. The Word of God says, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Now the word "mortify" in this verse is from the Greek word thanatoo. Thanatoo is the Greek word.
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The noun for death is thanatos. Thanatoo means to kill, to make dead, to put to death, to destroy, to render extinct. So he says in verse 13, "If ye through—if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do kill, make extinct, destroy the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Moreover, it is a present active indicative, which means it is a truth.
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It is something that should be done now and continue to be done. And you're actively engaged in it. So he says, "As many then as through the Spirit do mortify"—to make dead—"the deeds of the body, they shall live."
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Now look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians chapter 3 and look if you would please at verse 5. Colossians 3 and verse 5. He says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."
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Now, the Greek word here is the word nekroo. The noun is nekros, which means dead. Nekroo literally means to make dead, to put to death, to slay, to deprive of power or strength. So, if I went to Gary and I said, "Look, here's an old cut right here. I need you to clean it up and doctor it for me." And he'd look at it and said, "Well, the first thing I need to do is cut away all the necrotic tissue." All that means is the dead tissue upfront. And so the word nekros literally means to make dead. We have the English word necrophilia, someone who's in love with dead people.
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Yeah, so that's basically what it is. But here is the word nekroo and he says that we are to make dead our members which are upon the earth.
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Now notice if you would, the members here is the deeds of the body back in Romans 8 and verse 13. So the deeds of the body and the members here would be identical. They'd be one and the same now. So the question would have to be asked, how do I mortify? How do I make dead the deeds of the body? How to mortify my members which are upon the earth?
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Well, before I answer that, I want to show you another passage. And then, Lord willing, I want to connect these two principles with mortification. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of 1 John, 1 John, chapter 2, and look, if you would please, at verse 1. 1 John, chapter 2, verse 1. John writes, and he says, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Now, John is writing to believers. And the purpose for his writing is that they sin not. That's what he said. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not." I'm writing this to keep you from sinning. I'm writing this to say you don't need to sin. Wow. Here's a principle. I want you to think about this. We are not required to sin. We're not compelled to sin. We do not need to sin. We do not have to sin.
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It is true that we are sinners. But just because you are a sinner does not mean that you sin all of the time. And unless your minds are engaged in something wicked right now, for the last few minutes you have not been sinning. Everyone in this room has known a drunkard. Let me ask you a question about a drunkard. Is a drunkard a drunkard 24 hours a day, seven days a week? No. He can't. If a man stayed drunk all the time like that, 24 hours a day, day after day, he'd soon be dead. Now, I have a friend who used to be a drunkard. He would only pitch a drunk about once a month. But every month, he was going to pitch a drunk until God saved him. So just because a man is a drunkard does not mean that he's always drunk.
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OK, how about a thief? A thief does not steal incessantly. A man could walk into a store with the intent of stealing and see 40 policemen standing around and think, "Hmm, it might not be wise for me to steal in this store." Well, just because he didn't steal doesn't mean he's not a thief. So just because a man is a thief does not mean that he's always stealing. He's still a thief, but he's not stealing. You get the idea. Just because we're sinners does not mean that we have to sin and we must sin and that we're always sinning.
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OK, now, so he wrote this. He said that you might not sin. So you need to set this in your mind: I do not have to sin. I'm going to show you why. Here's the second principle. He said in verse 1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We have our attorney. We have our lawyer, we have the one that pleads our case, we have the one that pleads our cause. So he says, I'm writing this, number one, that you do not sin. But number two, since you are sinners and you will probably slip up and sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So John is writing them, number one, that none would presume to sin. And number two, that if they did sin, they need not despair because they have the Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
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Now, you ask, what do these truths have to do with mortification? Well, I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 6. I want to take the time to read this entire chapter and then I'm going to come back and point out several truths that apply to what I'm talking about today. But I want you to watch this and try to follow the reasoning of the apostle. Romans 6, verse 1, "What shall we say then?"
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"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." That is, perish the thought, don't even let that enter in your mind. "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him."
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"For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."
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"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 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 your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
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Now, let me just make a statement. Romans chapter 6, I believe, is one of the most important chapters in the book of Romans. Yes, I love Romans chapter 8. I love Romans chapter 5. I love Romans 9, 10, 11, and 12. I love them all. But I'm just saying, if you understand what the Apostle Paul is stating in Romans chapter 6, it should change your life. Why? Because in this passage, the Apostle Paul is showing us that we are no longer under the lordship of sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Sin no longer has control over us. We are now under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Before we were converted, before we were saved, when sin hollered, we jumped. When sin demanded that we do something, we did it. Because we obeyed it, it ruled our life. It ruined our life. But now, since our conversion, we have a new master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So let's look in verses 6 through 8 right now. Romans 6, look in verse 6: "Knowing this, that our old man"—what we were in Adam—"is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed"—that is, whatever remains—"that henceforth we should not serve sin." Sin is not our master, we do not owe it anything. Verse 7: "For he that is dead is freed from sin." I'll explain that later.
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"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." So if we're dead to sin, we are alive to Jesus Christ. We died in Jesus Christ. We were resurrected in Jesus Christ. We're no longer obligated to serve sin because we're dead to sin. And our life now is found in Jesus Christ. So we have a new Lord. We have a new master.
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Now, how do we apply this truth? We'll look down to verses 11 and 12. He says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Now, He said, "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." And He also says, "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, how do you reckon yourself dead? The Greek word for "reckon" here is the word logizomai. And it literally means to think, to impute, to reckon, to count, to deem, to judge, to purpose, and determine. So when He says "reckon yourselves also to be dead indeed unto sin," you're counting yourself dead. You're judging yourself dead. You're deeming yourself dead. When you're reckoning yourself alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ, you're judging yourself alive. You are simply saying that yes, I'm deeming myself alive. I'm counting myself alive.
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I'm imputing myself alive. So, here's the important thing about the Greek word logizomai. Logizomai is a word that deals with reality. It does not deal with suppositions. Let me say it another way. It's not a play word. It is not a pretend word. When we were kids, we would say, "Let's pretend we're cowboys and Indians. Let's pretend we're Confederates and Yankees," but nobody ever wanted to be the Yankees.
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But we were just pretending. You see what I'm saying? But when you get to the word logizomai, it's not a word that pretends. It's not a word that plays. It is a word that deals with reality. Here's a good illustration. If I reckon, using the word logizomai, if I reckon or if I logizomai that I have 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account, I've got 5,000 Federal Reserve notes in my bank account. It's not a pretend thing. It's not a wishful thing. It's not a hopeful thing. It is a thing of reality. It is a thing of truth. So when he says, "Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God," it's something that is real. It's a principle of truth. You count yourself, you impute yourself, you judge yourself, you deem yourself, you determine yourself dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.
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Now, look at verse 12. He says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Hmm. Wow. You see, what he's just gotten through saying, let me try to tie it together. We don't owe sin anything. The reason we don't owe sin anything is because we have a new Lord, we have a new master, Lord Jesus Christ. The only thing sin ever did for us was condemn us and make us dead to God. We owe nothing to sin. We owe everything now to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says in verse 12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Notice if you would carefully, he did not say "let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies." It's in our bodies because we've got flesh. But He said, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."
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It is not to hold mastery. It is not to dominate. It is not to rule over us. In other words, sin is not our master. Let me translate that. We don't owe it anything. We don't have to obey sin. We don't have to jump when sin tempts us. We do not need sin. So, he says sin has been killed as far as its lordship.
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Now, let me show you. Look in verse 18. We're going to come back. But look in verse 18: "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Really? Are you totally free from sin? Well, how about this one in verse 22: "But now being made free from sin." Has sin totally been eradicated from your life? No. Well, what is he talking about? "Being then made free from sin." Being then made free from the dominion of sin. From the mastery of sin. That's what he's talking about. Because he's just gotten through saying, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."
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So, how does this apply? Well, I want you to look in verse 16. Watch carefully. He says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" To show you how practical this is. Here's a good illustration. Suppose I went to Francis and I said, "Francis, I'm going to be your servant. I'm going to be your slave."
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"You just tell me what to do, I'll do it." And everything Francis told me to do, I did. He would tell me when to go to bed, when to get up, when to dress, when not to dress, when to go to work, when not to work, what to do. Would I be his servant? Of course I'd be his servant, because I'm rendering to him a practical obedience.
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OK, now watch what he said. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death." In other words, if you jump at sin's command, you're his servant. "Or of obedience unto righteousness." If you jump at our Lord's command, you're his servant now. Let me show you how practical this is. What Paul is telling us is we're either going to obey the flesh, or we're going to obey Jesus Christ. You cannot obey both at the same time. It is impossible.
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So, here it is very practically explained. Skip down to verse 19. He says, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh." Yeah, we've got infirmities alright. "For," he said, let me explain it again. "For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."
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Now, watch what he's saying. He said, "I'm going to break this down so that you can understand it." He said, "For as ye have..."
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Now stop and think about when you were unsaved. Stop and think about before your conversion. When you sinned, you did so willingly, gladly, eagerly, delightfully. You wanted to do it. And your heart was engaged in it. And you gave yourself to it.
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Now, he said, look, you're no longer the servant of sin. You're now the servant of Jesus Christ. So you render to Jesus Christ the same that you rendered unto sin. You now serve Jesus Christ willingly, eagerly, readily, delightfully. In other words, to whom you yield yourselves servants, His servant you are. Whether it's sin unto death or whether it is righteousness unto life.
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Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. I want to try to tie all this together for you. So I want you to watch it. Galatians 5, look in verse 16. Galatians 5, verse 16. He says, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Now skip down to verse 25. We're going to come back to verse 16. Verse 25: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Now, going back to verse 16, he said, "Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
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I did not write down the Greek word. I think it's peripateo, but it literally means to regulate or to conduct one's life. So in verse 16, "This I say, regulate or conduct your life in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." So it would be the Holy Spirit's power and enabling of us to regulate our lives and conduct our lives so as to walk in the Spirit. Now, look down to verse 25. He said, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." And here the word "walk" is stoicheo.
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Oh, and what is different about that? It means to walk orderly. Listen carefully: to march as a soldier, to direct one's life with order and discipline. So he says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us live a not just a regulated life, but a disciplined life. The life of a soldier strictly walking in the Holy Spirit."
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Now, the same truth is given to us in Romans 8 and verse 14. You don't have to turn there, let me just quote it: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." So walking in the Spirit and being led of the Spirit happens to be one and the same thing. Because the Holy Spirit leads us to walk in obedience to God. He leads us to walk in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. He leads us to walk in obedience to the written Word of God. He leads us to walk holily and righteously before God. That is why in Colossians 1 and verse 10, he says that we are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. In other words, it is the Holy Spirit who enables us, who leads us, to walk pleasing unto Him. I've had so many Christians tell me, "I'm not normal." I say, "You're not normal?"
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"What are you talking about?" "Well, I have these bad thoughts. I have these evil desires. I have these wicked propensities. I think of things I should never think of. I can't pray as I ought to pray. I can't study the way I ought to study. I can't live the way I want to live." Let me tell you something. You're normal. Because every Christian has to fight. Would it surprise you if I told you that the Apostle Paul went through the same exact thing that we go through? Look at it. Look in Romans 7. Go back to Romans 7. The Apostle Paul had to fight as well. Look in Romans 7, and let's just begin reading there with verse 14. I wish I could spend an hour on this one little passage, but look, Romans 7, verse 14.
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He says, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." I don't want to do these things, but I end up doing them. I must be stupid. I must not be normal. That's what he's saying. "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good."
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That is when I deny my flesh. "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: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 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 is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." That's that principle of sin. "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." The law of sin and death.
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"For 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, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." And then he says this, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And then he says, "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." Now, note if you would, he said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
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I've told you this before. In ancient times, if a man murdered another man and they caught the murderer right away, they would take the murdered man and tie him face to face with the living murderer, chest to chest, arm to arm, leg to leg, stomach to stomach, until the worms in the dead man ate the living man alive. It was a body of death that he was carrying around.
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That's the picture Paul is talking about with this remaining sin that is in his flesh. He said, "O wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death?" And then he says, "I thank God, it is through Jesus Christ." And the answer is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. So, the Apostle Paul had a struggle just like we have a struggle.
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Now, listen carefully to me. What we must learn to do is what Paul said. We must reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We must learn that sin is not to dominate us. It is not to master us. It is not to control us. We are no longer under the dominion of sin. We are under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must learn to bring our lives into conformity to His Word.
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Now, let me give you a couple of applications. And I want you to think about this as I try to tie this together. First of all, with all of the evil and lust and fighting our fleshly body has produced and put us through while we're on this earth, it should be a relief and a joy to drop it off and to leave it to rot in the grave. Just stop and think about this. If we viewed death as did the Apostle Paul, we would understand this because Paul thought to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. In other words, when we die, this body of sin drops off. That's it.
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We will no longer have to fight. We will be free from the body of this death. The second application of this practically and theologically: We must learn to count ourselves dead indeed unto sin. When sin tempts us, when our flesh entices us, when our desires arise and they're contrary to God, we need to respond like this: "I'm sorry. I'm dead." Let me ask you, what can sin do with a dead man? Here's a man that died a drunkard. He's been dead for 30 minutes or 30 years. It doesn't matter.
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Go to his grave, hold a fifth of liquor over the grave and say, "Come on out and I'll let you have it." It doesn't bother him. He's dead. Sin cannot tempt the dead man. That's what he's talking about in Romans chapter 6. He that is dead is free from sin. We died in Christ. If we count ourselves dead, sin can't do one thing with us. So we have to learn that we are dead men when it comes to sin. We also have to learn that we are alive unto God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who gives us the power and the grace and the mercy to say, "I'm dead to sin. I'm dead to sin." Now, we are alive unto God.
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And we're to respond only to Him because He is our Master. He is our Lord. So we have to learn to walk in the Spirit. And as we're walking in the Spirit, we're being led by the Holy Spirit of God.
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Now, I will tell you this. Two of the greatest truths that I have ever learned in my entire ministry are number one, the sovereignty of God. When I found out that God was really and truly God, it changed my life. It changed my ministry. Most people serve a God of their imagination and not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is absolutely, totally, completely sovereign.
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"Our Lord is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased" (Psalm 115:3). He is sovereign. The second truth that really changed my life was when I found out that I had been set free from the dominion of sin. That doesn't mean that I do not sin. That does not mean that I am not a sinner. What it does mean is that sin has no right to tyrannize me. It has no right to dominate me. It has no right to be my master. And as long as I recognize that truth, I do not have to serve sin. I have to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. So when a wicked thought comes in my mind, I can repel it and I can say, "But God says..." And I come back with a Scriptural truth. With a Biblical truth. With a truth from God. Because I'm to be dead to that sin. And I'm to be alive unto the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I do not need to obey sin. I need to obey the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now, someone says, "But you don't understand. I still have evil thoughts. I still have evil desires. I still have wrong motives." I know. You're normal. Because the flesh is fighting against the Spirit, and the Spirit is fighting against the flesh. And they are contrary, the one to the other. And may I tell you this, you will have to fight until the day that you die. And what did the Apostle Paul say? "I die daily."
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For some of us, it might be hourly. Some of us, it might be minute by minute. But he said, "I die daily." I have to fight. I have to fight. I have to fight. And the struggle will never be over until we die. Until then, we have to keep saying, "Sin is not my master. My flesh is not my master. Jesus Christ is my master. I must obey Him." "Likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." If sin reigns in you, you're not converted. If Jesus Christ reigns in you, you are converted. Sin may be in our bodies, but it does not and should not control us because Jesus Christ is our Lord.
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And the struggles we have just proves that we're normal. We're not abnormal because we'll have to fight with our flesh till the day that we die. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, that we are indeed free from the tyranny and domination of sin and that we're under the sovereignty and Lordship of Jesus Christ.
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Help us, Lord, to recognize Him as our Lord and as our Master and obey Him in all things. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:37:59Z

No, You Are Normal

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver teaches from Galatians 5:17 that the internal war between the flesh and the Spirit is the normal Christian experience. He explains that believers are not yet perfect and will struggle with sin until death, but they are no longer under sin's dominion. Through union with Christ, they can reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, walking in the Spirit to resist the flesh.

Introduction: The Normal Christian Struggle

Weaver introduces the topic by stating that Christians are normal in the sense that they all struggle with sin and the flesh, contrary to the idea that they should be perfect.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:17

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that

The Flesh Has Not Been Redeemed

Weaver explains that our physical flesh is not redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom, citing 1 Corinthians 15:51 and Luke 24:39 to show that our current bodies must perish.

Scripture Reading — Luke 24:39

"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see Me have."

No Perfect Christians

Weaver asserts that there are no perfect Christians, pastors, or people; even our best acts are tainted by sin, and we all experience wandering thoughts and wicked intrusions during prayer.

Denying Sin Makes Us Liars

From 1 John 1:8-10, Weaver argues that denying the principle of sin (sin nature) or actual sin makes us liars and calls God a liar, emphasizing the reality of indwelling sin.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:8-10

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."

The War Between Flesh and Spirit

Weaver expounds Galatians 5:17, explaining that the flesh and Spirit are adversaries in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want, and that the flesh hates God.

The Law of Sin and Death vs. the Spirit

Weaver suggests that 'the law' in Galatians 5:18 refers to the law of sin and death, and contrasts the works of the flesh (vv. 19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-23).

Now, the Greek word for law is the word nomos. If you look up nomos, you will find that nomos refers to God's law. It refers to man's law. It refers to any rule or any principle.

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:21-25

"I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me."

So here's a law that deals with evil. Skip down, if you would, to verse 23:

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:21-25

"But 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."

So there's the law of sin that he's spoken of. Skip down to verse 25.

He says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1-2

"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."

Now look in Romans 8 verses 1 and 2:

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:1-2

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Crucifixion and Mortification of the Flesh

Weaver teaches that the old man was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6), but believers must actively mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body through the Spirit (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:13

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:5

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

We Do Not Have to Sin

From 1 John 2:1, Weaver emphasizes that believers are not compelled to sin; they have an Advocate in Christ, and just as a thief is not always stealing, a sinner is not always sinning.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Now, John is writing to believers. And the purpose for his writing is that they sin not. That's what he said.

Scripture Reading — 1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not."

Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Romans 6)

Weaver reads Romans 6 and explains that believers are freed from sin's dominion; they must reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, not letting sin reign in their mortal bodies.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:1-23

"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid."

That is, perish the thought, don't even let that enter in your mind.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:1-23

"How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 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 your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Practical Obedience: Yielding to Christ

Weaver illustrates that believers are servants to whom they obey; they must yield their members to righteousness just as they once yielded to sin, serving Christ willingly.

Walking in the Spirit

Weaver explains that walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25) means regulating life by the Spirit and marching in disciplined obedience, which is the same as being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).

Now, the same truth is given to us in Romans 8 and verse 14. You don't have to turn there, let me just quote it:

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:14

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Paul's Struggle and Our Hope

Weaver shows from Romans 7 that Paul experienced the same internal conflict, crying out for deliverance from the body of death, and that our hope is in Christ alone.

No, You Are Normal

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1026202225596210
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2020-10-25
Dictation Name
Book	Book 132: Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit — Chapter 9
Source Timed Segments	90

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Normal Christian Struggle: Weaver introduces the topic by stating that Christians are normal in the sense that they all struggle with sin and the flesh, contrary to the idea that they should be perfect.
The Flesh Has Not Been Redeemed: Weaver explains that our physical flesh is not redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom, citing 1 Corinthians 15:51 and Luke 24:39 to show that our current bodies must perish.
No Perfect Christians: Weaver asserts that there are no perfect Christians, pastors, or people; even our best acts are tainted by sin, and we all experience wandering thoughts and wicked intrusions during prayer.
Denying Sin Makes Us Liars: From 1 John 1:8-10, Weaver argues that denying the principle of sin (sin nature) or actual sin makes us liars and calls God a liar, emphasizing the reality of indwelling sin.
The War Between Flesh and Spirit: Weaver expounds Galatians 5:17, explaining that the flesh and Spirit are adversaries in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want, and that the flesh hates God.
The Law of Sin and Death vs. the Spirit: Weaver suggests that 'the law' in Galatians 5:18 refers to the law of sin and death, and contrasts the works of the flesh (vv. 19-21) with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-23).
Crucifixion and Mortification of the Flesh: Weaver teaches that the old man was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6), but believers must actively mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body through the Spirit (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).
We Do Not Have to Sin: From 1 John 2:1, Weaver emphasizes that believers are not compelled to sin; they have an Advocate in Christ, and just as a thief is not always stealing, a sinner is not always sinning.
Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Romans 6): Weaver reads Romans 6 and explains that believers are freed from sin's dominion; they must reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, not letting sin reign in their mortal bodies.
Practical Obedience: Yielding to Christ: Weaver illustrates that believers are servants to whom they obey; they must yield their members to righteousness just as they once yielded to sin, serving Christ willingly.
Walking in the Spirit: Weaver explains that walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25) means regulating life by the Spirit and marching in disciplined obedience, which is the same as being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).
Paul's Struggle and Our Hope: Weaver shows from Romans 7 that Paul experienced the same internal conflict, crying out for deliverance from the body of death, and that our hope is in Christ alone.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Christians are normal in their struggle with sin

The presence of evil thoughts and desires does not indicate abnormality but the common experience of all believers due to the flesh.

Weaver says, 'everybody has basically the same problem with the flesh' and 'the struggles we have just proves that we're normal.'

The flesh is not redeemed and must be mortified

Our current bodies are not fit for God's kingdom; believers must actively put to death sinful deeds through the Spirit.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 15:51 and explains mortification from Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5.

Denying sin makes one a liar

To claim we have no sin nature or have not sinned is to deceive ourselves and call God a liar, according to 1 John 1:8-10.

Weaver states, 'If we say that we have no sin... we deceive ourselves... If we say that we have not sinned... we make him a liar.'

The flesh and Spirit are adversaries

Galatians 5:17 teaches that the flesh and Spirit are in constant conflict, preventing believers from doing whatever they want.

Weaver explains the Greek words epithumeo and antikeimai, emphasizing the war between flesh and Spirit.

Believers are freed from sin's dominion

Through union with Christ, sin no longer has mastery over believers; they are servants of righteousness.

Weaver expounds Romans 6, saying 'sin has no right to tyrannize me... I do not have to serve sin.'

Reckoning is based on reality, not pretense

The Greek word logizomai means to count something as true based on reality; believers are truly dead to sin and alive to God.

Weaver illustrates with a bank account: 'If I reckon... I have 5,000 Federal Reserve notes... it's a thing of reality.'

Obedience determines one's master

To whom you yield yourself as a servant to obey, that is your master; believers must yield to Christ, not sin.

Weaver explains Romans 6:16, 'if you jump at sin's command, you're his servant... if you jump at our Lord's command, you're his servant.'

Walking in the Spirit is a disciplined life

Believers are to regulate their lives by the Spirit and march as soldiers in orderly obedience.

Weaver contrasts peripateo and stoicheo in Galatians 5:16, 25, emphasizing discipline.

Scripture References

Galatians 5:17: The central text of the sermon, describing the conflict between flesh and Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Cited to show that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Luke 24:39: Used to demonstrate that Christ's resurrected body was flesh and bone, not flesh and blood.
1 John 1:8-10: Quoted to show that denying sin makes one a liar and calls God a liar.
Galatians 5:18: Discussed in relation to being led by the Spirit and not under the law (of sin and death).
Romans 7:21-25: Read to show the law of sin in Paul's members and his struggle.
Romans 8:1-2: Cited to show the law of the Spirit of life sets free from the law of sin and death.
Galatians 5:19-23: Contrasted the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.
Romans 6:6: Quoted to show the old man was crucified with Christ to destroy the body of sin.
Romans 8:13: Cited to teach mortification of the deeds of the body through the Spirit.
Colossians 3:5: Quoted to command mortifying members which are upon the earth.
1 John 2:1: Used to show believers are not to sin, but have an Advocate if they do.
Romans 6:1-23: Read in full to expound freedom from sin's dominion and reckoning oneself dead to sin.
Galatians 5:16: Quoted to command walking in the Spirit to not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25: Quoted to command walking in the Spirit with discipline.
Romans 8:14: Cited to equate being led by the Spirit with walking in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:10: Referenced to show walking worthy of the Lord.
Romans 7:14-25: Read to show Paul's personal struggle with sin.
Psalm 115:3: Quoted to affirm God's sovereignty.

Historical References

Vance Havner: Quoted: 'Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.'
John Trapp: Quoted on crucifixion as a lingering death and mortification.
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown: Quoted on the believer's death to sin and execution of the body of sin.

Important Quotes

Christians have lived subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.

Introduces the theme that the normal Christian life includes struggle, contrary to expectations of perfection.

The flesh has not been redeemed.

Key doctrinal point that our physical bodies are not yet redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom.

There are no perfect Christians. There are no perfect pastors. There are no perfect husbands.

Emphasizes the universality of imperfection and sin among believers.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Direct quote of 1 John 1:8 used to confront denial of the sin nature.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would.

The central verse of the sermon, highlighting the adversarial conflict within believers.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Paul's cry in Romans 7:24, illustrating the intense struggle with indwelling sin.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Key application from Romans 6:11 on how believers should view themselves in relation to sin.

I die daily.

Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:31, used to emphasize the ongoing nature of mortification.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do you find yourself thinking that your struggles with sin are abnormal? How does this sermon challenge that view?

[Context]

Weaver argues that all Christians experience the war between flesh and Spirit, and that such struggles are normal.

[Question]

How does understanding that 'the flesh has not been redeemed' affect your expectations for personal holiness in this life?

[Context]

Weaver explains that our physical bodies are not yet redeemed and will not inherit God's kingdom.

[Question]

What does it mean practically to 'reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin'? How is this different from pretending?

[Context]

Weaver explains the Greek word logizomai as dealing with reality, not supposition.

[Question]

How can we actively 'mortify the deeds of the body' through the Spirit in daily life?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the commands in Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5 to put to death sinful deeds.

[Question]

In what ways do you see the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) manifesting in your own life, and how can you cultivate the fruit of the Spirit instead?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of who is leading.

[Question]

How does the truth that 'sin shall not have dominion over you' change the way you respond to temptation?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that believers are freed from sin's mastery and do not have to obey it.

[Question]

What does it look like to 'walk in the Spirit' as a disciplined soldier, and how can we grow in that discipline?

[Context]

Weaver explains the Greek word stoicheo in Galatians 5:25 as marching in orderly fashion.

[Question]

How can Paul's cry in Romans 7:24 ('O wretched man that I am!') encourage us when we feel defeated by sin?

[Context]

Weaver uses Paul's struggle to show that even the apostle experienced the same internal conflict.

Applications

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