From Wretched to Righteous

Well, getting into the main message, I've got a few questions I'd like for us to think about today. Number one, if you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, took a spiritual inventory of yourself and we are going to do that this afternoon, how you can take a spiritual inventory of yourself, how would you come out? Number two, we'd like to consider also, just how should we view our natural human state? We are human. How should we view ourselves as human beings? And number three, what is the best way you, in your opinion, what would be the best way to complete this statement, I am blank? How would you feel is the best way for you to complete that statement?

I'd like to read from a recent article, quite a bit in the beginning of the sermon here from our church president, Mr. Kubik. He wrote in a publication called the E-News, which is sent to ministers and workers of the church around the world. And in an E-News a few weeks ago, he wrote an article about, with the title, From Wretched to Righteous. So wretched is pretty bad, isn't it? That's pretty far down. And then righteous, that's pretty high up. So this is the title of this article that he wrote, From Wretched to Righteous. I'll read just a bit from it, and also we'll be turning to some scriptures that he refers to, because I'd like for us to consider this this afternoon in our own lives, and in taking inventory of ourselves, and how we should view our natural human state, that human state with which we are born. Mr. Kubik says, if you, as a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ, were to take a spiritual inventory, where would you come out? How would you come out on this? He gets into the Apostle Paul as an example. The Apostle Paul, when you consider his life, he says the word extraordinary comes to mind. He was well educated.

He was well known. Why, turn over to Philippians 3. We are going to turn to some scriptures that he refers to along the way. Philippians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul describes his former life before God knocked him down. In Philippians chapter 3 and verse 3, he says, for we are the circumcision who worship God and the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. Paul had done some things. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more. He had accomplished a lot of things before God called him. Circumcised the eighth day, okay, according to the law, he was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. So he was a Benjaminite, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was outstanding. He was known concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuted in the church, concerning righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. So Paul had a lot of things going for him. He could look back at his life and be kind of proud of himself. He had accomplished a lot of things before God called him to be a part of the church. Furthermore, other scriptures show that he was something that was very treasured back in his time in his area. He was a citizen of the Roman Empire. He was born as a citizen of, in the Roman world, that was a prized status to have. Paul was so well educated that he could easily quote some of the Greek poets when he was talking to the philosophers at Athens.

Look at all that Paul did then once he was converted. He wrote many, much of the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul. He performed great public miracles so that even from his body, little pieces of cloth were sent out to the sick and they were made well. And we still follow that practice or that example in the church today, the anointed cloth. Paul was beaten with rods. He was stoned. He was shipwrecked. Well, just to show all that the Apostle Paul did once he was in the church, let's read from 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. And we'll begin in verse 23.

Look at what this man went through. We have not begun. I have not begun to go through things like this. Have you? Look at all that he went through as a Christian. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 23. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in labors, more abundant, in stripes above measure, in presence more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews, five times I received 40 stripes minus one. You know, the Jews, when they would flog someone, they would beat them 39 stripes. They had this law that said 40, but they did not want to overdo it so they would stop one shy. 39 stripes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times shipwrecked. A night and a day I have been in the deep. In journeys often, in perils of waters, perils of robbers, perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brethren, in weariness, in toil, in sleeplessness, often. That's a bad thing when you need sleep and you can't get it. In hunger, in thirst, in fastings, often in cold and nakedness. So the Apostle Paul went through a tremendous amount of things then as a minister in the Church of God. Mr. Cubitt goes on to say, if ever there was a true disciple of Christ, it was Paul of Tarsus. He firmly established a very high standard for us to emulate today. But then he goes on to say, in spite of all these accolades, all these things that the Apostle had done before he came into God's Church and after he came into God's Church, he wrote a most remarkable statement to the Roman Church. Let's turn over to the book of Romans and read that in chapter 7.

Romans chapter 7 and verse 14. So how did the Apostle evaluate himself as a human being? How did, what did he put down as his spiritual inventory, you might say? In Romans chapter 7 and verse 14, he said, we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sowed under sin. That's how the Apostle, as we go on through this chapter, we're going to see that he, how did he view himself? Did he say, boy, look at all these things I've been through. Look at all these things I have done. I feel good about myself. No, he's going to actually, we're going to read verses that show he looked at himself quite the opposite of feeling good about himself. So let's skip on down to, well, we'll read on down for verse 15 and on down a way. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do. If then I do what I will not to do.

I agree that the law that it is good. And now it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells in me. Paul saw something in himself he didn't like. You know, what about you and me? Do we find things in ourselves that we don't like? We actually should. We should be able, as we continue in God's church year by year, to identify with this way that Paul viewed himself more and more and more as the years go by. We should see that many times we, too, don't do the things that we want to do, but end up and just are not really doing those things that we would like and many times doing what we don't like.

In verse 18 he says, I know that in me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells.

That's an amazing statement. In me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells. To will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do I do not do, but the evil I will not to do that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. We come to see that sin that is in us as well. I find a law that evil is present with me. Here's a man that did all these wonderful things, performed miracles, tremendous spiritual accomplishments, you might say, but he says evil is present with me.

In verse 22, I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. He loved God's law. How about us? We love God's law, but did we see that evil is in us that we have to resist and fight against every day? And we come to see this more fully as the years go by. Verse 23, I see another law in my members warring. There was a battle, a struggle going on, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. And that is verse 24.

How did Paul summarize the way he viewed himself? Not very good.

O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. I wonder if we more and more, as we go along, see ourselves as the Apostle Paul did. And we come to the same conclusion, oh boy, what a battle this is. I don't end up doing what I'd like to do. I end up doing what I don't like to do.

And, O wretched man, I see this other law in my members. There's nothing good in my flesh, O wretched man that I am. So the word for wretched here is from a great word that means to be deeply miserable, to be distressed, to be beaten down, full of trouble. So here the Apostle Paul described himself as being full of misery. And in verse 25, at the end of the verse, says, with the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

So there was this struggle that was going on in the life of the Apostle Paul. Despite all the incredible achievements, Mr. Cubitt goes on to say, and accomplishments as a powerful spirit-filled minister of God, Paul still had major issues that he needed to spiritually overcome, even sins and sinful traits hidden from public view. He fell short of God's perfection.

And Mr. Cubitt goes on to say, if this is true of the Apostle Paul, what does that mean for you and me? It means that this is in the Bible so that we ourselves can also, when we take spiritual inventory, we see that we come up short. We see that there is a struggle, this battle that is going on, and that it is not an easy battle at that.

Do we have hidden sins, spiritual challenges that we quietly grapple with, and the truth is that we do? We have thoughts that come to our mind. We have attitudes that we sometimes fall into. We maybe have an action, or words slip out of our mouth that we later just wish we could take back. So Mr. Cubitt says, even though we may present an image of rock-solid spiritual success to those who cross our path, so you know, we look at others and we say, well, they don't have the same battle that I have. I'm having to battle my thoughts.

I'm having to battle my attitude and my human nature, the law of sin that is in my members, and we feel, oh, wretched man that I am, but others are not that way.

Mr. Cubitt goes on to say, as a long-time couple in the ministry of Jesus Christ, my wife and I have experienced this ourselves. We are but human. We strive to follow the law of God as it lights a spiritual lamp to guide our spiritual journey, but we fall short of the mark.

And he says that others, he has known people who publicly seem to have it all together. Brother, I don't know that any of us have it all together. We're all in this struggle together, and this is in the Bible here so that we can understand when we take a spiritual inventory that it can be a realistic inventory. It won't be one where we sweep things under the carpet and say, well, I'm a pretty good person. I don't do this.

I don't do that. Instead, we see that we do have a struggle, and we have wayward thoughts, and that not one of us is perfect. So, Mr. Kieber makes this statement. The Bible reveals to us that when we come to the knowledge of the truth, we don't bring a lot to the table. We bring a human nature, then, that is a real problem. So, question number two was, in taking a spiritual inventory, how should we view ourselves then? Well, we should view ourselves as the Apostle Paul came to view himself in Romans 7, that in us, that is, in our flesh, dwells no good thing. Evil is present, and there is a law of sin in our members at war with the law of our mind.

And we want, in the law of our mind, to do what is right, to please and serve God, but we fall short of that. So, thoughts are there. We have to battle them. We have to fight against them. And it's a constant, ongoing thing.

Let's read a few very clear other verses outside of Romans 7. Let's go to Jeremiah 17, and verse 9. We've heard this verse many times, I'm sure, but it's good to review this and think about this in this setting of taking inventory of ourselves and how we should view ourselves. But we do fall short, and we do have a nature that we have to battle against, and it's a hard battle. It's a hard struggle. In Jeremiah 17 and verse 9, the heart—this is talking about the human heart, our human heart. What kind of heart is it? Well, the Bible doesn't sweep it under the carpet. It doesn't somehow—it makes it bare and plain to understand. The heart is deceitful above all things. Above all things, the heart is deceitful and desperately, desperately wicked. Who can know it? So, God through His Spirit helps us to come to see it and to begin to do battle against it, against a deceitful heart and one that is desperately wicked. Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind to give to every man according to his ways. Let's also read in Jeremiah chapter 10. Jeremiah chapter 10. We're going to need help on this thing of doing battle against our that law of sin. This interremembers in Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23, oh Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It's just not there. We don't have it in us.

I know the way of man, the way that we should live, that is, the right way is not in himself.

It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. And so Jeremiah went on to say, as should we, oh Lord, correct me, but with justice, not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. So we should ask for God's help and his guidance as well and his spirit. So Jeremiah brings out about the human heart being deceitful above all things. He says the way is not in man. So as we go along, how do we view ourselves? We don't have what it takes to go the right way. We're going to need help, the help from our Creator to be able to do to fight this battle. Let's go to Mark chapter 7. Furthermore, as far as viewing ourselves, Mark chapter 7 sheds some light on that as well.

Mark chapter 7 and reading beginning in verse 15. Mark 7 and verse 15.

There is nothing. This is the incident where Jesus was being, his disciples were eating with unwashed hands and the Pharisees who had this custom of washing, the ceremonial custom of washing your hands. Do you wash your hands meticulously every time you, you know, get a snack or eat an apple or do something? No, you don't do that. Most of us don't anyway. And the Pharisees had this custom where you just had to go through this ceremonial washing before you could eat anything, put anything into your mouth. But Jesus went on to explain in verse 15, there's nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him. But the things which come out of him, these are the things that defile a man. Skipping down to verse 18, so he said to them, are you thus without understanding also, do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, you know, to eat something? If what if you do get a grain of dirt or, you know, germ or something? If your body is healthy, it's going to pass right on through.

Whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, verse 19, because it does not enter his heart, but his stomach and is eliminated, passes on through the body, thus purifying all foods. By the way, if you have the King James Version, it says purifying all meats.

Back in King James' day, sometimes meats would refer to all foods, but today we think of meat as being meat, and the new King James translation has this correct and better. Purifying all foods is not talking about cleaning and unclean meats, as some people claim in this chapter. In verse 20, he said, what comes out of a man that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, perceive evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within. They're from that nature that Jeremiah described as deceitful above all things.

They come from within and defile a man. So when we take our inventory and we want to know our natural human state, these verses are revealing that to us.

It's a very natural thing, though, for human beings to look at themselves as being pretty good. Pretty good. I remember counseling a man for baptism many years ago, and I got into his prior life and what kind of life he how he looked at that, and I said, what kind of person were you? How did you look at your past way of life?

This old man was in his 70s. He said, oh, pretty good. I always treated my neighbor right. Wasn't quite satisfied with that, so I gave him some of these verses that we're reading here this afternoon to study and to read and think about and pray about and understand.

So he came back several weeks later. I gave him Jeremiah 17.9, the hardest deceitful above all things. I gave him Mark 7 here, Romans 8.7, the carnal mind, which we might read next, is enmity against God. He came back a month or so later and he said, I want to be baptized.

So we talked a little bit, and I said, well, how do you look at your past way of life?

And he said, filthy rags. So I knew that he had come to see himself, because our past way of life is in God's sight like filthy rags. And there's a verse about that as well. Let's read from a man that felt real good about himself. He, this man, even offered sacrifices in the Old Testament.

He was a righteous man, described as a righteous man. He even did sacrificing when his children threw a party. They had a party, a birthday party or whatever it may have been. And he said, well, they may have sinned, so I'm going to offer a sacrifice just in case they did. He was so, so very righteous was Job. At the end of his life, though, after being whittled down to look at himself the way God looks at human beings, how did he view himself? Let's go to Job 42.

Job and chapter 42, and begin reading in verse 1. And we'll see that Job finally really had the right view of himself. And it's how we should view our natural human state. In Job 42 in verse 1, Job answered the Lord and said, after God had whittled him down and humbled him, I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you.

You asked, who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? And Job says it was me. I uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak. You said I will question you and you will answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. And verse 6 summarizes how Job now views himself. Therefore, I abhor myself. He did not like what he saw and repent in dust and ashes. So Job did not like what he saw. Paul did not like what he saw either. What about you and me? When we look at ourselves and view ourselves, and this is good to consider here in the spring of the year before the Passover comes, how do we view ourselves? Do we have we come to see ourselves as Job at last did?

Have we come to see ourselves as the Apostle Paul did? We should.

Well, the good news is, you know, God has no interest in just leaving it at that.

As Mr. Kubik goes on to say, it will not be healthy. God wants us to understand. He wants us to have the proper view of ourselves, and that we do sin, that we do fall short, but he wants us to go on. Then he loves us and to accept the Passover sacrifice and to accept Jesus Christ as our high priest, our living high priest. You know, Jesus Christ is more than the one who died on the cross. He is also our high priest. He sits on the right hand of God. He helps us in the time of need. And so Mr. Kubik goes on to say that God stands ready and seeks to have a relationship with us. We are to overcome and become the very children of God. And as Paul funders to us down across the ages, by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. Well, let's read that in Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. You know, it's not of ourselves then, is it? We see that our nature is not some kind of goodness that is deep down inside of us. Many years ago, in a survey at a seminary where individuals were being trained for the ministry, they, in other words, they were future ministers in our country. This was many years back when this survey was done. The ministers were asked about what they felt their primary job was. And quite a few put down that they felt their primary job, that in every human being there is a spark of divinity, they said, and our job is to pull that out. What do you think about that? You know, the Bible doesn't say that there's a spark of divinity, just a natural spark of divinity in a human being. There is the potential to become a member of the family of God. But the spark of divinity that is to be in us comes when we repent and are baptized and God gives us his Holy Spirit. Then we do have the earnest of the Spirit. Then there is something, you might say, a spark of divinity in us, but that comes not at the time of birth of a little baby. A little baby doesn't have a natural spark of divinity. That comes when God adds his Holy Spirit to us, gives us his Spirit. But in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8 now, by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It certainly is not of ourselves when we realize that in us, that is in our flesh, just our natural human state, there's nothing good, as the Apostle said.

So we do see that it's not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. It's God's doing, and we are his workmanship, as it goes on to say in verse 10. So we are saved how? We're saved by the grace of God. This word grace means favor. It means the love of God. It represents the expression of God's power.

The word grace appears more than 100 times in the New Testament, and it describes God's direct intervention with us in reconciliation and in bestowing of marvelous favor. You know, another first part of this sermon could be a little bit heavy. In us dwells nothing good.

The law of sin that dwells in our members. Our human nature is deceitful above all things. Well, that's our natural human state. But then the title of the sermon and of Mr. Kubik's article here is from wretched to righteous. And so God wants us to be in his family as his righteous children. He wants it so badly that he let his own son die in our stead. And it is God's grace and God's favor then from the forgiveness of our sins to development of his holy righteous character that transforms, it transforms our wretchedness, our natural human wretchedness, into his holy divine righteousness. You talk about going from zero or maybe below zero all the way to the top. That's what God has in mind. He is in the process of transforming from wretched to righteous in our lives. Grace is the manifestation of God's power in our lives, says Mr. Kubik. It brings us to obedience. It gives us the capacity to receive and experience and pass on the love of God himself.

So Mr. Kubik ends his article, two or three paragraphs. Now, Paul wasn't good enough. You know, it's important for us here before the Passover to think about that. We're not good enough either, not of ourselves in our natural human state. Paul wasn't good enough and he knew it. Likewise, Joe.

Therefore, we can understand that all of us need God's grace. None of us are righteous or holy of our own accord. That's why we are directly instructed in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And Mr. Kubik then ends with this next to the last paragraph. Much of life, and this is a loaded statement here, much of life, much of our physical life that we're going through right now, what you're going through day by day, much of life is pure combat between the spiritual and the flesh. Think about, I want you to think about that and remember that much of our life day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, is pure combat between the spiritual and the flesh. And I think if you have grown to identify with the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 7, I think you will fully agree much of your life, much of my life is that combat, that struggle, that war that is going on in our members with the law of sin that pulls us down. It's a combat between the spiritual and the flesh. Let's go to Galatians chapter 5. He does not refer to this verse, but Galatians chapter 5, I'm just turning back one page because we were in Ephesians 1. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16. Here's that combat between the spiritual and the flesh. I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusts against the spirit. Here's that combat, that battle, that war, and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the spirit, you're not under the law, but I will say add to that you are within the law, but you're not under the penalty of breaking it because you are striving to keep the law when you're led by the spirit. Verse 19, now the works of the flesh are evident, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealous, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresis, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I've told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.

And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh. That's what we're in the process of doing in our combat or warfare. We are crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires.

So again, Mr. Kubits' article or sentence rather is loaded. Much of our lives is pure, a combat between the spiritual and the flesh. Do you see it? Do you see it in your own life? Do you see what we're talking about? There's a war going on. There's a battle. And therefore, we identify fully with the Apostle Paul. I have to say that earlier in my life, I would not have identified as much with Paul in Romans 7 as I do now. But I do identify with that. There are thoughts, there are attitudes, there's a warfare going on. It's a constant battle. It's never ending. And I see it.

He goes on to say it's a battle for our minds. We are instructed to control our thoughts and grow in faith, but we can only do it imperfectly. We don't do it perfectly. Of course, I'm sure that I could facetiously say, I guess I'm the only one that has to fight wrong thoughts and wrong attitudes in this warfare. But no, we all have this battle going on to control our thoughts.

To be victorious and clear the hurdle, we require the power of God's grace, the power of His Spirit. But we do go on then, as it says in 2 Corinthians 10, 5, that we can then destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. So the end of this article is very encouraging, and that is, have you fallen short?

And the correct answer, the only correct answer, is yes. For each and every one of us, we, yes, have fallen short.

Are you overwhelmed, feeling full of misery? Yeah, I think we all do. We don't like our natural human state. We don't like some of the things that go on in our own mind that we don't... but they're there. They're part of that nature that has to be crucified. We all need grace, Mr. Kubik says.

We all need God's favor. Seek it earnestly today. So that's the end of his article. Let's just summarize a few of the things that we have covered then this afternoon. We've got a few more minutes here. First of all, if we want to take a spiritual inventory, then we should accept and admit the truth about our natural human state, and that is that our human state is not good.

It's just not good. And there's... the way is not in us to direct our paths in the right way. We just don't have it. It just is not there. We all fall short, far short, and in our human state, in our flesh, dwells nothing good. And like the Apostle Paul, we conclude, O wretched man that I am. I don't like the way I am just in the... in my natural human state. But then we have the opportunity to go from our human state to a divine state from wretched to righteous. That is the sermon title, From Wretched to Righteous. Let's just read a few verses in the book of Romans. We've referred to some of these verses already, but just a few... Let's begin in chapter five. And you know, God has made us this way, the way that we are, with a purpose in mind that we do develop in the end his holy and righteous character through the power of his Holy Spirit, and that salvation truly is a gift of God. Begins with our coming to see our human state and repenting and wanting to be forgiven of our shortcomings and our sins. And God has made that available. By the way, if you want about four chapters that are really very good before the Passover, these would be the chapters that I'll be reading from Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8. We've already read from chapter 7 quite a bit.

But Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That's how much God wants us to be in his family. He gave his son Jesus Christ. It was foreordained, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And we just need to think about that a lot more deeply, that great love that God has for us, as it says in John 3 in verse 16, God so loved the world. I guess that probably is the most quoted verse, the one you see up on billboards even, God so loved the world. It is a great verse. He gave his only begotten son. So we can go, we can go from righteous, I mean from wretched to righteous, with God's help. God has made a way possible to go from our natural human state, which is wretched, as we've read in the Bible, to righteous, which is God's divine character and nature. So in Romans chapter 5, there's a lot of verses about the grace of God. The last half of the chapter is wonderful, showing that just like sin came through one man, Adam into the world, so righteousness that is that is opened up to us comes comes through one man, Jesus Christ.

And even the last verse of chapter 5 and verse 21, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So you can read these verses in between, and it's a good study here before Passover, Romans 5, and then Romans chapter 6 as well. Notice Romans chapter 6 and verse 18, "...having been set free from sin..." God has done that through the sacrifice of Christ.

"...you became slaves of righteousness." That's what we're striving for, the righteousness of God.

In verse 22, "...now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." So all of chapter 6 would be good to read and study here before the Passover as well.

And then chapter 7, we've read a lot of verses already about, I am carnal, sold under sin, verse 14. Verse 18, I know that in me, in my flesh, nothing good dwells.

In verse 23, another law warring against the law of my mind, bringing me to captivity to the law of sin. Then verse 24, oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me. But it'd be a sad thing if there were not any deliverance from our natural human state. There is deliverance. There is forgiveness of sin and then a living high priest. Jesus Christ helps us to grow and develop in the holy righteous character of God.

So who will, the answer to that question, who will deliver me from this body of death, from our natural human state? And the answer, verse 25, I thank God is through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died for us and who serves as our high priest, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So he goes on to say, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

But you know man has put the chapter breaks here. So read chapter five, read chapter six, read chapter seven, here before the Passover would be good good Bible study. And then, and also chapter eight, a wonderful chapter. So here we are, we have this law of sin. There's nothing good that dwells in our flesh. Are we to feel bad, feel wretched, feel miserable?

Is that what God wants? Well, we look at ourselves and we admit the way we are, but then we realize what God wants us to be, and it's wonderful. Chapter eight gets into that. There is therefore now no condemnation. We find ourselves in this condition that we're in, this human state. There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because we're forgiven as we go along of our sins, as we repent. We are forgiven.

Who do not walk according to the flesh. We don't live the way of the flesh, but the way of the Spirit. We're led by God's Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. We've been set free from the penalty that sin brings on. And skipping on down to verse five, those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. They're just thinking about the physical things that can be seen, but those who live according to the Spirit, they're living according to the things that cannot be seen, things of the Spirit. In verse six, to be carnally minded, just to think about the here and the now, just to think about the things that can be seen, to be carnally minded is death.

But to be spiritually minded, that's where we set our minds on the kingdom of God. That's where we set our affection on things above. That we think about the things above. How about you? Which do you think more on? Do you think more about the things that are seen or more on the things that are not seen? We should be thinking more on the things that are not seen, setting our affection on the spiritual things above. That's what it means to be spiritually minded.

Verse seven, that verse we've often read, because the carnal mind, that is the natural human mind we're born with, is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. And that nature is one that we have to fight against every day. There's a war going on.

So then they, those in the flesh, cannot please God if we're just seeking what can be seen instead of the things above. But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if any, and if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. So God's Spirit, forgiveness of our sins and being led by the Spirit of God, that helps us to move over or up from wretched to righteous.

Verse 11, but if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead, that would be the Father then, dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you. So brethren, these are rich verses showing us going from that human condition of wretched to that divine condition of righteous, from wretched to righteous.

That is what is going on in our lives. Is it going on? From wretched to righteous should be going on.

Verse 12, therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

No, we don't want to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself, King James Version, has it correct. New King James has it incorrect. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we also may also be glorified together. God's purpose then is that we become His sons and daughters. And as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

God's purpose is bringing many sons to glory. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10, many sons to glory. You know, we find ourselves then what in our human state we find ourselves pretty wretched, don't we? Pretty miserable just looking at it humanly. When you read all these verses in the Bible. Now this is not the natural way that human beings tend to look at themselves. Somehow they want to look at themselves as being pretty good on their own. But we're not pretty good on our own. And our conversion then, and being led by God's Spirit, He helps us to see our human state as it really is. And summed up by the word wretched. But then we find out we can go from wretched to the righteousness of God, being led by His Spirit, being forgiven by the sacrifice of Christ. We go on then to as a son of God from wretched to righteous. The Passover service is going to be on Thursday night, April 18. That's just under two months away. Thursday night, April 18.

So let's take a spiritual inventory, or be taking a spiritual inventory, be thinking about our natural human state. Let's see how far we fall short of God's glory, just of ourselves. Let's agree fully with the Apostle Paul. Let's agree with him, O wretched man that I am. Let's agree with him.

At the same time, let's rejoice at God's love for us, His grace, His favor, and that we can go from wretched to righteous. He gave His Son. He so loved the world. Let's thank God for the Passover lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. You know, the Passover is actually a time to rejoice. We stand back and we say, boy, wretched at the human level, with potential to go to the righteous because of God's grace. I think we can say a great big wow. We can go from wretched to righteous.

And God wants us to make it into His family.

Question number three was, what is the best way to complete the statement, I am? If you were to write that down, you know, kind of in your own mind, how would you feel after this sermon? How would you fill out the completion of this statement? I am blank.

You know, the best way, the best way. There was a professor at Ambassador College. I was not in his class, but I heard about this many years ago, who asked that question of his students at Ambassador College, in which he said, I want you all to complete this statement. I am and they filled in the blank. Some put down, I'm a temporary mortal being. That's correct.

Some put down, I'm pitiful. That's correct. Also, some put down, I'm a wretched human being.

That's also correct, in view of what we read today. And there were other answers that were along this line. But very few got the best, the best answer. I am.

Let's read Romans 8 and verse 14. We've already read the verse that gives us the answer.

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

So the best answer for members of the Church of God is, I am a begotten Son of God.

I believe that is indeed the very, very best answer we could have. I am a begotten Son of God, with the understanding that it is through the grace of God that we're able to go from wretched to righteous. Final few verses I'd like for us to read is reading on down in verse 18. I consider that this is Romans 8 and verse 18. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. You know, I want to think about this a lot more myself, and that is the sufferings and the program that we go through, even this thing of fighting combat every day, the spirit against the flesh, that is leading toward great glory that will be revealed in us. Verse 19, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

In verse 18, or verse 20 rather, shows our human state that God has allowed it to be, for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who has subjected it in hope. And verse 21 just shows that glory that lies ahead for us if we go from wretched to righteous in this lifetime, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. And that is a wonderful verse. Our God wants us to go from the bondage of corruption. He wants us to go from our natural human state of wretched to that wonderful divine state of glorious liberty of the children of God.

Brother, I hope these are things that will help us, give us things to think about between now and the Passover. Let's rejoice in God and his purpose, and that he wants us to go from wretched to righteous.