Tension, Conflict, Sin

Introduction to the Series and Review of Principle One

0:04 This adult Sunday school class was held on May 23, 1982, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:30 Now, as we begin our class this morning, will someone please tell me the subject which will be occupying our attention for some weeks in the adult class, a subject which was introduced last Lord's Day morning in our adult class. We are going to be considering together what subject. Anyone? Anyone? Yes, Brian.

0:54 Some major principles of the Christian life. All right. Some major principles of the Christian life, or we may want to state it, some major principles of Christian living or living the Christian life. Any of those titles will help you, I trust, to understand that we are concerned with not an exhaustive treatment of all the biblical principles pertaining to the entirety of living the Christian life, but some of the major principles.

1:22 Some of the major principles pertaining to the whole question, how are we to live as those who are united to Christ, his professed disciples? And last week I set before you by way of introduction, first of all, my purposes and my methods. Now, without looking at your notes, can you give me the three purposes or the threefold purpose I have in mind in taking up this subject? All right. Number one. Sketch what?

1:52 All right. Sketch in an outline. Of a theology of living the Christian life. All right. Second purpose, Gary.

2:02 All right. To immunize you against errors pertaining to the biblical doctrine of the Christian life. And thirdly, all right, to purge out any existing errors. All right. To sketch, to immunize, and to purge.

2:15 And if you remember those words, you'll have the heart of our purposes. And then our method is to be one in which we do what? Someone want to describe our method in your own words. You don't need to use my words.

2:27 But what will be our method in seeking to accomplish these goals and purposes?

2:34 All right, Sharon. All right. What kind of verses or texts? Special kind.

2:43 All right. Primary or? Pardon? All right. We'll look at some primary and secondary.

2:49 I use the word epitomizing text. In other words, there are certain texts in the scripture which take the, as it were, almost the full range of biblical teaching on a given subject and state it in a very condensed, concentrated way, sort of like concentrated orange juice. It's all orange juice, but it's orange juice with some of the water removed. Well, when we come to a text such as the wages of sin is death.

3:18 Well, you see, that epitomizes, brings together in a simple sentence and statement, the teaching of the entire word of God with respect to the results of sin. All right. Now, with that behind us, by way of introduction, we then begin to look at the text. We then begin to look at the text.

3:34 We then begin an examination of these principles by stating and then demonstrating from the scripture major principle number one. And what was the principle that we considered last week? All right. Someone else. Yes. All right.

3:47 All right. There is no one master key to living the Christian life. And for those of you visiting with us, I can't go back over all that material. If your appetite is whetted, they are available on tape.

4:02 What we did is, first of all, explain what we meant by the. Concept of a master key, where this kind of teaching comes from and noted that it often comes from sincere people who have been helped by a particular biblical truth. And then we examined the teaching of the word of God. And we looked at some major texts and some minor text, some primary or secondary texts, which clearly teach that we need the whole of the Bible in order to have a whole theology of living the Christian life.

4:35 And then we looked. We looked at the overall climate of the New Testament and you filled the board with all of the various problems which are addressed in the New Testament. And we noted that as the New Testament writers address those problems, they did not have a master key by which they unlocked all of those problems, but rather they had a whole key ring on which are hung all of the truths of the word of God. So if you remember that analogy, we don't have one key on the small key ring.

5:04 We have a large key. Ring on which are hung all of the text of the word of God, old and New Testament. We are not half key ring Christians. We are not New Testament Christians.

5:17 We are Bible Christians. Well, so much for that brief review. Now we come this morning to the second of these major principles of living the Christian life. And let me emphasize again that there is no necessary logical connection between these principles.

5:35 So don't look. Look at them as being built up this way, but rather simply look at them as major principles of the Christian life standing perhaps in parallel relationship to each other. So don't anyone think that there's any necessary logical connection or that these are given in a descending scale of importance from the most important to the less least important. We're simply stating them.

Principle Two: No Escape from Tension and Conflict

6:03 So if you want to use the analogy of this or think of the. Pie as all the major principles and we're just picking as it were at random some of the slices and opening them up. All right. The second major principle is this.

6:17 There is no escape from tension and conflict in living the Christian life. There is no escape from tension and conflict in living the Christian life. Now, let me first of all explain. The idea that lies behind my statement and then we will proceed in the second place to examine the realities which preclude any escape from tension and conflict and that's where you're going to go to work and give me the texts and the principles from the scripture.

6:54 I hope now I'm all prepared if you don't you see I've got lots of notes here but this is a class and not a preaching session so no one goes to sleep. I just might call on you by name. Rather than do you the honor of letting you raise your hand I didn't say I would I said I just might so that's a mild threat that hangs over your head to help you keep awake on a heavy rainy morning all right first of all explaining the idea behind this statement now the idea that is frequently propounded is this appeals are made to Christians couched in this language. Dear child of God.

7:37 Are you tired and weary of the conflict with sin child of God are you dissatisfied with your present experience of Christ nearness and fellowship with him child of God are you at the point of despair with wrestling with besetting sins feeling the dulling influence of the world upon your heart and upon your mind when you pray. Oh child of God.

8:07 I have for you even and then this is what is promised a system presenting a theology of the Christian life which will lift you out of that realm of tension disappointment and conflict into a qualitatively different realm of Christian experience and whatever the marks of that realm are tension and conflict do not predominate or they may hold forth a specific experience and we'll deal with that under a separate heading. That there is.

8:38 No crisis promised or commanded which is necessary to living the Christian life but suffice it to say that sometimes what is held forth is not a system of living the Christian life but a specific crisis and in other places a list of rules seven steps to get out of tension and conflict sometimes a relationship to Christ is held forth one of such intimacy and one of such pervasive reality of the in.

9:08 dwelling Christ that just as he is beyond tension and conflict at the right hand of the father we will be brought beyond it well in various ways you see there is held out to Christians this possibility that here in this life they may attain to a level of Christian experience in which tension and conflict are not conscious constant realities so by whatever

9:38 description it comes within whatever framework the bottom line is that it is possible for the Christian to get up above the line of conscious constant tension and conflict and either to reach a plateau or to reach a point from which he can go onward in his Christian experience without these realities constantly and consciously present and I've chosen my words carefully.

10:08 There are very few who would promise a Christian experience in which there may not be occasional conflict and occasional tension but what is held forth is a level of experience in which tension and conflict are not conscious and constant realities all right having explained briefly the idea as frequently propounded now in the second place let us examine the reality of tension and conflict.

10:40 which preclude any escape from tension and conflict in living the Christian life that is until the point of our glorification whether it comes in one stage or two stages some will be glorified in two stages they die their spirits are made perfect and then at the return of Christ they'll get perfected bodies those alive at the Lord's return will get it all in one stage so that's what I mean about one or two stage glorification now what are the realities of tension and conflict?

Realities Precluding Escape from Tension and Conflict (Brainstorming)

11:10 which preclude any escape from tension and conflict while we are still living the Christian life in the flesh we'll list them and then I'll go back and hopefully expound them in the order in which I've prepared them here in my own notes all right Jerry? I'd expound on that a little bit in a little louder please.

11:44 all right so the the earth is cursed according to Genesis chapter 3 and what New Testament passage is perhaps the fullest treatment of this? 3 and Romans 8 and what you are saying Jerry is that that curse which rests upon the earth rests upon man who is upon the earth and as long as he's here even a redeemed man with a cursed earth he's going to experience tension growing out of that is that your point? I don't want to put words in your mouth I just want to rearrange them if I can all right very good okay all right we can look specifically now

12:29 at some of these texts later on we just want to sort of get them up here and then we'll shuffle them and deal with them all right what's another reality which precludes release from tension and conflict yes all right Paul all right so what should we call that the presence and activity of the devil okay the presence and activity of saving passage that Paul quoted was first Peter 5 verse 8 and what's the parallel passage?

13:07 passage to that very similar book of James someone got it that's it is it six is that the right reference doesn't sound right to me is that right it's James chapter 4 no verse verse uh yes I'm sorry for it verses 6 and 7 that's right verses 6 and 7 you did have the right reference just didn't sound right on my ear that's what I have in my nose okay all right now a third reality which precludes any release from tension and conflict in this present state of things

13:49 all right James the presence of the world system now that sounds kind of highfalutin what's that mean are you telling me that uh the trees out there and the cars are essentially evil

14:13 those are the things around me oh so television is evil then I accept I know you said the world system but I want you to define that for me now for some of you who are visiting I'm not being cruel Miss Jean as we affectionately call her has been with us from way back when we first came here so uh our relationship with her has been with us for a long time and I want you to define that for I'll tell you how it works we're very grateful to be here today you all see we are home now

14:52 we're going to go through the rest of this and I'll be talking about the uses of the world and a lot of the reasons why we're here today we're going to be talking about what's going on right here on this panel today and I want to talk with you about one thing that's been really important about the world and so I want to begin my talk with you today about the universe what you're all about you're all about us and that's what I want to dig into today so let's start the first question and I'm going to start with what we'll be talking about in this presentation and actually I hope that you enjoy watching this video. Thank you very much. 17. Okay, another reality which precludes tension and conflict all of our days. Let's go back to this side

15:32 for a minute. All right, Doug? Okay, remaining sin, Romans chapter 7, verse 21 and many passages in there, the reality that sin remains in the believer constantly puts him in a context where there will be tension and conflict. All right? Any other realities?

16:04 Let us put the board over here.

16:08 James did a good job.

16:12 Let's see. Luis, and then we'll come back this way, all right? Okay. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

16:28 And why is that true, Luis?

16:35 All right, so wouldn't that come under heading number three? Wouldn't that be a subheading? The presence of the world system, it not only tries to squeeze us into its mold, but when we don't conform, then it boots us. All right? So let's put in there

16:48 the opposition that comes from the world, 2 Timothy 3, 12. Okay? All right, now. Rich? All right,

17:09 so we were a son, we had learned to be obedient, but as soon as we suffered. All right? And then Hebrews 11,

17:26 it's where you experience the thought that they do a right thing, that these kingdoms, there's a gospel, or people wipe away every fear we have in death. All right, so you're saying then what precludes our getting out of the realm of tension and conflict is the pattern or example of our Lord and of what did you call the other? Our spiritual forefathers?

18:11 All right. Our spiritual forefathers. All right? Okay.

18:17 And some of the passages that were quoted, Hebrews 5 and verse 8. And then of course we could add to that 1 Peter 2, 21 who left us an example that we should follow his steps. 1 John 2, 6, he would say if he abided in him, ought himself so to walk even as he walked. The example set forth in Hebrews chapter 11, and then in the book of the Revelation, the description of the saints being brought out of the realm of tears, which by inference means tension and conflict, disappointment and heartache only in the glorified state. All right?

18:55 Yes, Mr. Bischoff? Ah, very good. So is that the only image we have as warfare? What are some of the

19:08 other dominant images of the Christian life in the New Testament? We're soldiers at war. We are runners strained to win a race.

19:19 We're pilgrims in an alien environment on our way to our true dwelling. Not very secure, is it? You've got a backpack. That's it. All right, Steve?

19:35 All right. Farmers who are killing the land. Well, we could add to all of this. Let's put this category the dominant images or analogies of the Christian life.

19:54 The dominant images or analogies of the Christian life are ones which preclude any notion of the absence of tension and conflict. Did you ever see a runner who's really trying to win the race come floating across the line? You say, this is the most wonderful experience I've ever had. You know, this just feels so great. No effort, no

20:21 heavy legs, no burning lungs, no pounding head. You talk to any man who is in any kind of athletic competition at any high level where winning counts for something. And the descriptions at times are almost more than I can bear. When you read of the people who win the... Well, look at this Salazar,

20:41 who's the top man in the marathon. He almost killed himself. Body temperature dropped to, what, 86 degrees when he won the Boston Marathon here just a short time ago, and they had to rush him to the hospital. It's the second time it's happened.

20:55 And you read of these people that run the sub-four-minute miles, and they talk about what that last 400 meters or 400 yards feels like, and when they describe how their legs feel like they've been filled up with lead, and their lungs feel like they're going to burst, and they're oxygen-starved, and all of the rest. I mean, the whole image, the whole image of running and straining in the race is certainly not one that it will allow us to get rid of the idea of tension and conflict, the Christian soldier motif, etc. All right? Any other reality, any other factor which makes deliverance from this preclude? Yes, Mr. Brown?

21:34 So we could say the divine purpose to mold us, to mold us by suffering. Some of this will come out more dominantly in some of the subsequent principles, but I, we do want to get some of these major things out. I think we're, we got anyone else that has what we feel is a major, yes, sense?

22:27 All right, if there's no tension and conflict, why all of the temptation in Scripture to stand against all of the contrary influence, so we could say the whole biblical doctrine of perseverance assumes this. All right? Now, I'm sure we could bring in several others, but I think we've covered the major ones, and what I want to do in the time that remains, and I think we'll only have time to get through the first two or three, and then we'll pick up several more, and this has been helpful because I had five, but I can see one or two here that I ought to include in my list, so there was a method in my madness in getting it all flushed out at first. I figured I'd get you to do some of my work for me for next Lord's Day morning.

23:06 All right? In fact, I'd better add some of those, so I'll do it at the end. I'll add some of those to my notes. All right?

Reality One: Remaining or Indwelling Sin (Romans 7)

23:13 Let's back up then, and I want to take some of these up in the order that I've prepared them, only because my mind is prepared to handle them in that order. All right? So I'm not overruling the judgment some of you may make with respect to which one ought to come first, but since I have them laid out in a certain way, in my notes, I want to handle them that way. Okay? Now we're

23:34 dealing with the principles that preclude any escape, the realities that preclude any escape from tension and conflict while we're living the Christian life here in the flesh. And reality number one is, and this is the way I've stated it, remaining or indwelling sin with its incessant and powerful activity.

24:01 Remaining or indwelling sin number four in the list you put on the board with its incessant and powerful activity. All right? Now let's turn to several passages which clearly set forth this truth. Doug mentioned the first one. Romans chapter

24:24 seven. Those of you who were here several weeks ago on the Lord's Day evening will remember Pastor Nichols directing our attention to this passage in his classic treatment on the subject of indwelling sin. John Owen sets the framework for his whole treatise by an exposition of Romans seven verses twenty-one through twenty-three.

24:54 I find then the law that to me who would do good evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see a different law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. Now taking the statement of verse twenty-one I find literally I discover. It's the word used throughout the New Testament for discovery.

25:38 I find I discover then the law that to me who would do good evil is present. Now the point Owen makes and very perceptively is this that the true discovery of the tremendous power of remaining or indwelling sin comes at the point that we would do that which is good. In other words the more focused and concentrated is any endeavor in the direction of pleasing God, the more powerful and incessant is the activity of indwelling sin. Now let me confirm that from your own experience.

26:22 I've used this illustration on several occasions and I'll use it again because it's one I think to which all of us can relate. Here we've come home from a busy day at the office, busy day at school, or as a housewife you've spent a very trying day. Mummy this, mummy that, mummy the other thing, mummy this, mummy that, and you feel if you hear the word mummy one more time you're going to go bang your head against the wall.

26:45 Well just at that time things have subsided, everything's quiet and you can relax for a few minutes and the thought enters your mind well I think I'll get down and kick on the television and watch a little bit of the news. Now when you decide to do that, are you conscious of any powerful acting of remaining or indwelling sin when you're just going to kick your feet up and become a little more informed about what's happening in the Falkland, Islands? Are you very conscious of the presence of indwelling sin? Does anyone find indwelling sin stirred up when you decide to watch a little news or pick up the newspaper and get a little information?

27:25 Anyone? Now if you're not careful about what you watch or what you read indwelling sin may be stirred up, but just the thought of doing it, do you find any powerful stirring up? No. But suppose you said, well you know, it's been a busy day from morning till night I've had no time to even sit down.

27:42 Sit down and reflect upon the Lord, my relationship to Him and to pray. I think I'll get my Bible and read a few verses and meditate.

27:52 The moment your mind thinks in that direction I would do this good that will feed the inner man and aid my progress in grace. What happens at that very point? Evil is present and powerful. And suddenly your mind can start thinking up a hundred pious reasons as to why you shouldn't read your Bible.

28:19 Well that's not honoring to God to pick up your Bible when your mind is so cluttered up. You need a transition time. You do need a little time with the paper first to get your mind quieted then go to your Bible. Pious excuse. In other words

28:33 put off reading your Bible so you can be more fit to read your Bible. Very plausible isn't it? You know what that is? That's indwelling sin warring against the law of your mind.

28:47 That's what it is. When you would do good evil is present with you and never is it more active and present than when you are seeking the highest good for your soul. And the Apostle Paul as Pastor Nichols so clearly pointed out and is obvious from reading even in the English text. You don't need to have a knowledge of even one letter of the Greek alphabet that there is the constant use of the present tense from verse 14 onwards.

29:17 And either Paul became very very careless with the use of his tenses or he's trying to get a message through to us that he with all of his revelations, with all of his privileges with all of his knowledge, with all of his experience never was brought beyond the sphere of tension and conflict because of remaining sin with its incessant and its powerful negativity. Now what is another key text which sets this same truth forward? Not only Romans 7 but another key text. Ray?

Reality One: Remaining or Indwelling Sin (Galatians 5)

29:57 Alright, Galatians chapter 5 and verse 17. Let's turn to it. You want to read it for us please Ray in a good loud voice please? Galatians 5 17. Look at the vigorous language.

30:21 The flesh present tense now, the flesh is lusting against the spirit. Now here you see remaining or indwelling sin is described as the flesh and it is lusting it is striving, it is putting forth conscious desires against the spirit. In other words, the indwelling spirit through whose ministry the dominion of sin has been broken, who has given us a positive inclination to the law of God to holiness, to righteousness fellowship with Christ, communion with the Lord Jesus. Everything that is a blessing of the new covenant, the spirit

31:04 has given us an appetite, a disposition, an inclination for those things but that inclination and disposition and appetite is continually opposed by the flesh. That is by remaining sin. The flesh is constantly lusting against the spirit and the spirit, the indwelling sovereign who has given us what the old writers would call this new principle of life or this principle of new life is constantly in opposition, lusting against remaining corruption. In other words, the direction of the spirit's work in us is always to run directly counter to the inclinations

31:49 of the flesh and the pressure of the flesh is always to run directly counter to the inclination of the spirit. Now this is not talking about two equal powers. Old nature and new nature. That's not the teaching of the Bible.

32:05 So don't infer from this something that is not taught because later on in this very passage he says, and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and the lusts thereof. And those who abandon themselves to the flesh, he says, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. So you don't have two equal and opposing forces but you do have tension arising from the fact that though we have been born of the spirit, though through the spirit's ministry bringing us into union with Christ, the dominion of sin is broken. Romans chapter 6 Sin shall not have dominion over you, shall not lord it over you.

32:39 Remaining sin, here called the flesh, continually opposes that which God by the spirit has done and that which the spirit is committed to do is in constant opposition. So conflict and tension will be both incessant and at times powerful. Now let me use a simple illustration that I hope will help clarify this. I'd thought of using the Falklands situation but I said no because if I do then it may inflame passions if I indicate that the Argentines or Argentines or the British are the conquerors. So let's think of a neutral

33:18 situation. That way you won't know anything of my own private personal convictions about that tragic situation to the south of us. But imagine that there is an island or a country that is held by a given power an alien power and then the rightful owner of that particular country comes and defeats the one who had usurped sovereignty over that particular country. Now when the conquering army comes in, it takes the flag of that usurping power and tears it down and raises its own flag goes to the seat of government and there installs its

34:02 own voice, its own authority and it claims conquest of that particular piece of real estate. The dominion of that foreign power has been broken. You have a conquering army in control. You have the rightful government now at the seat of government beginning to establish its rule throughout all of the provinces and all of the counties and all of the towns and cities of that country. But now

34:37 there's a problem. There are pockets of the soldiers of that usurping power that have holed up in dens and caves and in the woods and they have constituted themselves marauding bands constantly to harass the new government. So whenever there is an opportunity these marauding bands seek to cripple the establishment of an effective communication system throughout that country. They seek wherever possible to oppose the policies that are being implemented from the capital and from the seat of government in that particular country. Now you see it's

35:20 not a case that you have equal and opposing forces. No. Those forces, guerrilla forces, represent a power that has been defeated and brought into subjugation. But those pockets of resistance continue to remain and remain intensely active. And it is

35:37 one of the responsibilities of that government to wipe them out until they no longer remain. Well, in some ways that's analogous to what God has done in us. The devil was the usurping governor on the throne of our hearts and in our lives. He had under his power all of the members of our body. Ephesians

35:57 chapter 2 very clearly teaches this. King Jesus has come with the truths of grace. The preaching of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit, and he has dethroned the devil. That's the whole imagery, of course, of the holy war by John Bunyan and the attack upon man's soul by Prince Emmanuel and destroying Diabolus and all of his minions. Well, that whole

36:23 imagery, you see, is a biblical imagery. And King Jesus has established his government in the heart of every true believer. He reigns. There is a new government.

36:33 There is a new authority. And, of course, there is a new government. But we have these pockets of guerrilla activity, which the Bible calls the flesh, remaining or indwelling sin. And they are constantly opposing all that Christ purposes to do in us and through us. And so wherever

36:52 and as long as remaining or indwelling sin is a reality, its activity will be incessant and it will be powerful. And therefore there can be no release from tension and conflict until remaining or indwelling sin is no longer a reality. And if we understand our Bibles correctly, that will not come until at death our spirits are made perfect and fit to enter the immediate presence of Christ or at the return of the Lord our spirits and our bodies are perfected in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the sight of our God. And that is what we are returning Lord.

The Lord's Prayer: A Monument to Ongoing Sin

37:36 Does that help to bring the thing into focus? Now let me ask the question. What great monument is there to the fact that Jesus Christ never expected that his work and his people would ever put them beyond the reality of remaining and indwelling sin? David?

37:58 What text? Yeah, what text or what teaching? All right, the fact that in our Lord's high priestly prayer in John 17 he assumes that they will be vulnerable to the influence of the world and therefore prays that they will be kept from the world and from the evil one. All right, that's not the one I was thinking though. It's a valid

38:32 one. All right, yes. All right, that would be from John's writings, but I'm thinking more particularly of the direct words of our Lord. What what legacy has he left us that clearly indicates he never expected his disciples to get beyond a present and constant tension conflict interaction with the world?

38:55 In the world, it is said that God created man and man were in the world as of the day of his death. Now, what did the Lord say to the world? That the world is not a place for sin or indwelling sin. All right, Jerry? All right. The warning

39:13 that we could say that maybe that's referring to the fact that in the world itself there will be opportunities for sin and not so directly to his own people. So we could perhaps put that in a secondary class of text. All right, John, all right? He said that to whom? All right.

39:31 So that was specifically to Peter, James and John. So someone might argue, well, that was due to that particular setting. I want something that's more universal in which our Lord clearly indicates that I want something that's more universal, in which our Lord clearly indicates that he anticipates that his people for all time are going to have this problem. All right?

39:51 Glenn?

39:54 All right, want to read it for us?

40:15 No, no, that applies. Our Lord assumes that there's going to be this conflict and tension, at least with the world, not with indwelling sin explicitly there. Okay? All right, if someone doesn't come up with it soon, I'm going to spill the beans.

40:26 All right? Yes. Brian? At the end of the Great Commission, I will be with you always.

40:30 At the end of the age, there implies the need for that presence of Christ with them. As he returns to heaven, there will be a set of all kinds of fears and trials and suffering. He promises to be with them. All right?

40:45 But someone might argue, yes, and that's the reason why we can live above tension and conflict, because the Lord is with us and helps us to do so. So I think they might strike that text out. All right. Yes, Ken?

40:57 All right. The overcomer language in Revelation. All of these. He certainly contributed.

41:07 But now, in the interest of time, let me spill the beans. All right? Pastor Clark, you tell me. In the world, ye shall have tribulation.

41:14 All right. In the world, ye shall have tribulation. But that has to do more with here. I want this right here.

41:21 All right. Turn to Matthew 6. Now, you're all going to kick yourself and say, oh, why didn't I think of that? All right?

41:30 Here the Lord is teaching his people how to pray. Verse 7 of Matthew 6.

41:38 Praying, use not vain repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him. After this manner, therefore, pray ye. Here our Lord is giving us not so much a form, which we are to repeat, but he's giving us a framework within which.

42:08 In which all legitimate prayer concerns can be found principally. This is not an exhaustive, detailed list of everything for which it is legitimate to pray. The rest of the Bible clearly teaches that. But in principle, all of the major categories of concern that ought to be part of our overall prayer life are set forth by our Lord.

42:33 Look at them. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. After this manner, pray ye. When you pray, come in the consciousness that if you are a Christian, God is your Father.

42:45 He sits upon a throne of unshakable sovereignty. You are to worship him. Hallowed, sanctified be your name. Your kingdom come.

42:54 Your will be done as in heaven so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts. Or in the parallel passage in Luke. Our transgressions.

43:08 As we also have forgiven our debtors and bring us not into temptation. Why do we pray that we be kept from temptation? Because we have something in us that is vulnerable to temptation. If temptation is positive spiritual polarity, then indwelling sin is negative spiritual polarity.

43:38 And when they get close together, they have an affinity. And so Jesus said, you're to pray. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And then he goes back to amplify only one of the petitions.

43:54 Notice now the one he amplifies.

43:58 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. For if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you. You see the tremendous sin consciousness in this framework for prayer. You see it?

44:18 And Jesus is giving the framework for legitimate prayer for his people until the consummation of the age. Because they were commanded to teach disciples all things that he had commanded. This is a command. After this manner therefore pray ye.

Practical Implications of the Lord's Prayer

44:37 Now let me show you how practical. This is some time ago. We had someone come to our congregation and after being amongst us for maybe a year or so. This person wrote a letter saying they could no longer come to this church.

44:50 And the reason was that we were confirming people in a false hope of heaven. We preached a cheap salvation. Yes. And then amazing.

45:02 We get accused of teaching salvation by works one week and salvation. That's too easy the next week. But anyway. And this individual.

45:10 Said that by our teaching on this point that remains sin was a constant and I'm sorry an incessant and powerful activity and something that the child of God would live with until the end of his days that we were downgrading both the provisions of God's grace and also we were encouraging people to believe they could go on sinning willy nilly and go to heaven at last. Well in trying to sort this individual out. It was.

45:40 Most difficult and then finally one day I said let me ask a very simple question when Jesus said after this manner pray do you find yourself daily praying for the forgiveness of your sins the individual could not answer I said when you claim to go beyond in your experience with Jesus Christ anticipated his people would ever experience you are on dangerous ground. You see how practical this is. Our Lord assumes that because of the reality of the main.

46:18 And it's incessant and powerful activity we will need constantly to pray for forgiveness we will need constantly to pray that we've been delivered from temptation and because we share that experience in the fellowship of his church we will need constantly to forgive one another because in each other indwelling sin will crop up.

46:42 And cause us to offend one another and we will need to come to one another asking forgiveness and our Lord says be sure when it is asked that you confer it all right so we know that that there is no deliverance from tension and conflict in the Christian light short of glorification whether the first stage or two stages at once because of this first reality the reality of remaining or indwelling sin.

Addressing Objections and Conclusion

47:11 Now we've only got three minutes left so let me open it up for questions and we're we're just not going to get through these things but I don't care that's the joy of again of teaching the class you don't need to tie things up as neatly as you do in in preaching all right any question any additional passages or principles that you'd like to bring to bear upon this first one we've considered yes Doug yes yes okay here the question now verse 16 of Galatians 5 says but I say.

48:01 Walk by the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh for the flesh lust against the spirit the spirit against the flesh and Doug's question is suppose someone comes as I yes you'll experience that conflict intention but if you learn to walk by the spirit you won't how would we answer such a person all right yes no all right so the very way the thought is hung together in the scripture itself but this is our position Paul is not setting forth two alternatives.

48:55 A walk by the spirit or one in which there is conflict with remaining sin he's saying to the degree that we walk by the spirit walk in the direction that the spirit is leading what is the direction in which the spirit is leading holiness obedience likeness to Christ the priority of the kingdom of God the world to come to the extent that we fall in with the direction in which the spirit would lead us the spirit who is continually lusting against the flesh.

49:25 As we walk by the spirit we will not be fulfilling the promptings of the flesh but that walking by the spirit is in the context of the conscious conflict so that we dare not separate verse 16 from 17 or 17 from 16 what God has joined together we must not put us under all right yes who is exactly exactly so I that's how I would answer that Doug's that satisfy your own conscience that we're not.

50:11 Playing loose with the scriptures good well our time is gone so if you have some leftover contributions on this point to hold them and remind me that I made a promise that you'd have opportunity to express the next week and then we'll move on and I say I'm in no hurry to cover these principles they're so vital and as God is pleased to add believers to our assembly you who are sitting here ought to be able to take a young believer aside and sit down and go over these things these are not matters.

50:42 That just preachers in in their counseling session should have a grasp on these are so elementary that in the language of Hebrews all of us who has any degree of exposure each of us who has any degree of exposure to the truth should be able to be teachers of others not necessarily officially standing here teaching the class but surely as we seek to minister to one another to be able to help a young Christian because one of the most shocking things to a young Christian is when after the.

51:12 Flush of his newfound faith God begins to bring him down out of the clouds to the world of reality and there's a time in the many of Christians early experience when the thought that he could ever sin seems so abhorrent to him and impossible that when he begins to join the real world with the rest of us it's a horrible shocking thing and he needs to have others who've gone through that horror and shock to help him and say join the club we're in this together and we will pass through to glory in a. Consciousness.

51:42 Context of tension and conflict but one in which we can know the enablement of the grace and power of God through the spirit well let's pray together and thank God for our time our father we confess again in your presence the joy it has been for us to think together in the light of your holy word and we do confess with shame the reality of our indwelling sin and with the apostle Paul.

52:14 We would own it as our sin we would not look upon it as constitutional weakness we would not look upon it as something which is alien to us but we would say with the apostle wretched man that I am and yet we thank you that in the midst of that consciousness the humbling consciousness of our remaining sin we have the glorious prospect of that day that you will bring to pass.

52:45 For all of your own when we shall be made fully into the image of your dear son oh lord while we await that day help us more and more to walk by the spirit so that we may not fulfill the lust of the flesh when we get weary of the tension and conflict and begin to be vulnerable to some promised experience that will lift it lift us above it bring back to our remembrance. The things we have heard this morning write them upon our hearts and help us to walk in the light of them we ask through our lord Jesus Christ amen.