Romans 8:5-6

Beginning to see a progression here? We are freed from the law of sin and death. We are given life. This is accomplished through the blood of Jesus Christ. What is the reason? The reason is that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us. Now again think of the analogy, Exodus through Deuteronomy. Was the righteous requirement of the law fulfilled in the Israelites? No it was not. They sinned so frequently while they were in the wilderness. Did they really understand what they did? No. We can look in Deuteronomy 29 and find out that God did not give them an understanding heart that they might go on from what God's purpose was. So we have been given the opportunity to do what the Israelites did not do.

Again, think about the Israelites, what did we just read in Deuteronomy. The thing that caused the problem was the inclination of the heart, the heart being the seat of the thinking processes, of the attitudes. It was not a lack of knowledge. They did not understand. But we do have understanding, though not enough yet. Some have more than others. I am convinced that most of the time when we depart from the way of God and sin, it is because we do not understand what we are doing. I do not think we want to sin, but we just do not get it yet.

This is one of the reasons why Mr. Armstrong so frequently said that when a doctrine is being considered, one has to consider all of the scriptures on any given subject. When portions of an explanation are left out, the understanding at best is shallow and might even be wrong. If the understanding is shallow the chances increase, incrementally, that we are going to go off in the wrong direction even though we do not want to. We just do not get it yet. So to be carnally minded is death because the carnal mind is still chained to what? Spiritual Egypt.

You ought to be able to begin to see one of the things I am driving at here—and actually it is the main theme of this sermon: Liberty is not something that comes to us all at once. Liberty—freedom—is something that must be grown into. If we are really and truly growing in the grace and knowledge, then our freedom is going to increase by increments that have everything to do with what we understand about God's Word. Though we all have knowledge, we do not understand on the same level. God is bringing us to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, but we are not there yet.

Romans 8:4-6

Do you understand what Paul is saying here? He's saying that the problem with the Old Covenant (not just Israel and Egypt) was not in the covenant. The problem was in the people. It was weak through the flesh. The problem (reading through the context of Romans 7 and 8) was in the mind. They weren't converted. It's as simple as that.

The problem under the Old Covenant was the way the people thought. They thought the way they did because they were missing elements vital to God's way. One was the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:3-9

Verse 9 is the key. Christ will only dwell in those called now to live as He lives in both the letter and the spirit of the law of God. Those who are set apart, who are holy (as Ted talked about). This is a precious treasure.