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A Closer Look At Romans 10:4, What Does It Mean For Christ To Be The End Of The Law?
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Feb 19, 2025
In chapter 9 of Romans , Paul the apostle explained the doctrine of election and he opens chapter 10 with a heartfelt plea to his fellow Jews, let’s look at Romans 10:1 “Brothers,[a] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them( the people of Israel, the jews) is that they may be saved.” Paul goes on to explain why they continue to fail to recognize what the true righteousness that comes from God is, and in the process he makes a very strong statement in v4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”. I want to zero in on that verse today. What does it mean for Christ to be the end of the law for righteousness?
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hello good morning this is taiva
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tabs.com
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and today our focus will be romans 10
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verse 4
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and the verse read uh christ is the end
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of the law
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for righteousness to everyone who
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believes so we are going to be
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looking at that verse specifically
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within the context in which it was
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written
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because it's imperative that we truly
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understand how to
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interpret on the scriptures correctly
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because sometimes when we don't do that
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then we take it out of context
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and we apply it in a way that does not
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fit
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some people look at this verse and say
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well jesus
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is the end of the law so therefore we
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are under grace i don't have to keep the
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law anymore
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i want to do what i want to do and the
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scripture says christ is the end of the
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law
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for righteousness so therefore i am
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righteous i don't have to keep the law
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i just do what i want and jesus loves me
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the way i
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am so sometimes those things can
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hurt our witness so we need to
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understand the verse
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and know how to apply so let's go into
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my intro so in romans
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9 paul explains on the doctrine of
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salvation and election deduction of
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election
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and he opens on chapter 10 with a
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heartfelt
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plea to his fellow jews and we are going
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to look at romans 10 verse 1
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paul says brothers my heart's desire and
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prayer to god
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for them is referring to the jews his
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fellow jews is that they may be saved
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and um paul goes on to explain why
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they continue to fail to recognize what
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a true righteousness that comes from god
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is
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and in the process he makes a very
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strong statement in verse four he says
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for christ is the end of the law for
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righteousness to everyone who believes
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so we are going to zero in on that verse
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and we need to understand why
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what does it mean for christ to be the
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end of the law for righteousness
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now the first thing i want to do is i
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want to look at romans 10
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verse 2 to 3 because that's the verse
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that follows romans 1.
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paul says for i bear them witness
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talking about his fellow jews
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that they have a zeal for god but not
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according
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to knowledge for being ignorant of the
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righteousness of god
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and seeking to establish their own
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righteousness
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they did not submit to god's
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righteousness
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what does all that mean see paul
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he acknowledges that some of his fellow
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jews certainly
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are zealous for god but their zeal
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doesn't come from the holy spirit they
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haven't been granted the mind
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to understand the righteousness of god
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and when paul
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mentions ignorance in verse three it
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isn't as if
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that ignorance is innocent you know but
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it doesn't it is an ignorance that is
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rooted in unbelief
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we need to truly understand that if you
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look at ephesians 4
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18 paul says they are darkened in their
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understanding
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alienated from the life of god because
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of the ignorance
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that is in them due to their hardness of
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heart
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so it's not an ignorance that is like
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innocent as if
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well they just didn't know this is why
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they are doing what they are doing
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yes we need to understand why they
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didn't know
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is so ignorance is not the reason why
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people reject
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the righteousness of god or paul's
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fellow jews in that context
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but it is unbelief because
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the byproduct of unbelief
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is ignorance so because of the hardness
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of their heart
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they don't believe and they become
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ignorant in the process and they have a
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lack of knowledge it is not as if they
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just didn't know
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this is because they are innocent oh so
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god don't be mad god
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don't be angry no it's because that that
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ignorance
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is deeply deeply rooted in
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unbelief and the hardness of the heart
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so it's not as if this is
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innocent and i'm saying that again and
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again so people can understand
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because sometimes you see people say
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well they are really zealous for god
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they really truly love god
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like you see someone so pious they're
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trying to do everything yet they reject
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jesus christ and then you go well how
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can they
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you know they really love god no they
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don't
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love god because they are acting in
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ignorance and that ignorance
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is deeply found in unbelief
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a hardness of the heart so whatever they
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are doing is called
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a man-made religion which is i'm gonna
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try to please god my way
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just like cain did and god
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rejects that because of the hardness of
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their heart so the unbelief is not
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innocent it is
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deeply rooted in unbelief
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okay the ignorance is not innocent keep
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that in mind
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so now in verse 4
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paul gives that statement for christ
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is the end of the law for
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righteousness to everyone who believes
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so
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remember he's referring to his fellow
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jews he's talking to them they are
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trying to keep the law
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they are doing everything to keep the
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law yet
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paul says christ is the end of the law
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for righteousness to everyone who
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believes does that mean that
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god's law no longer matters because
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jesus is here
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is the end of the law let's truly
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investigate this
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first we need to understand the law that
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paul is talking about
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he's addressing primarily his his fellow
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jews in this chapter
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and they are very well aware of what is
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paul talking about he didn't know what
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he's talking about here he's talking
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about the natural laws of god
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those that god would never abrogate and
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he's also probably talking about the
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other dietary laws and the purification
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laws and all these are the laws that
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were put in place
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for the jewish nation because they had a
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covenant with god
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so now let's go to exodus 20 verse 1 to
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17 and
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and also deuteronomy 6 1-9 those are
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called the natural laws of god
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those laws are consistent with god's
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nature
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and character those laws will never end
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because they are the same
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yesterday today and tomorrow god does
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not change
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so let's go to exodus 20 verse 1 to 17
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and deuteronomy 6
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verse 1 to 9 and we are going to see
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what paul is talking about
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so let's start with exodus 20 verse 1 to
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17 the 10 commandments
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and god spoke all his words i am the
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lord your god who brought you out of
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egypt
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out of the land of slavery you shall
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have
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no other gods before me you shall not
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make for yourself an image in the form
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of anything in heaven
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above or on the earth beneath or in the
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waters below
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you shall not bow down to them or
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worship them for i the lord your god i
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mean jealous god
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punishing the children for the sin of
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the parents to the third and fourth
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generation of those who hate me
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by showing love to a thousand
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generations of those who love me
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and keep my commandments you shall not
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misuse the name of the lord your god
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for the lord will not hold it will not
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hold anyone guiltless who misuses his
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name
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remember the sabbath day by keeping it
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holy six days you shall labor and do all
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your work
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but the seventh day is a servant to the
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lord your god on it you shall not do any
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work
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neither you nor your son or your
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daughter nor your male or female servant
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nor your animals nor any foreigner
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residing in your towns
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when in six days the lord made the
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heavens and the earth the sea
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and all that's in them but he rested on
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the seventh day
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therefore the lord blessed the sabbath
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day and made it holy
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honor your father and your mother so
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that you may live long in the land that
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the lord your god is giving you you
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shall not murder you shall not commit
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adultery you shall not steal
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you shall not give false testimony
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against your neighbor you shall not
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covet your neighbor's house
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you shall not covet your neighbor's wife
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or his male or female servant
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he is ox or a donkey or anything that
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belongs to your neighbor
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this is the word of god now god is not
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going to change
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his laws on murder adultery stealing
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false testimony covering and and in
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keeping
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the sabbath day holy i believe actually
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every day is a sabbath day because every
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day belongs to the lord
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misusing his name that's not going to
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change you know make yourself an image
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in the form of anything idolatry is
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still
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god is not going to change those laws he
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is still god and he
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wants nobody before him because he is
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god
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okay and now let's go to deuteronomy 6
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verse 1 to 9.
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the scripture says these are the
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commands decrees and laws the lord your
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god directed me
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to teach you to observe in the land that
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you are crossing the jordan to possess
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so that you your children and their
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children after them may fear the lord
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your god as long as you leave
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by keeping all these decrees and
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commands that i give you
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and so that you may enjoy life long life
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hear israel and be careful to obey so
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that he may go well with you
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and that you may increase greatly in the
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land flowing with milk and honey
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just as the lord the god of your
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ancestors promise you
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hear o israel the lord your god the lord
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is one
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okay one god in three persons
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well he's a uh one of these a god law of
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the lord your god with all your heart
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with all your soul and with all your
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strength
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this verse ought to make you tremble
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love the lord your god
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with all your heart with all your soul
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and with all your strength
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that has not changed god is still
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expecting us to love him this way
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this commencement that i give you today
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are to be on your heart
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that's why you're saying impress them on
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your children talk about them when you
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sit at home and when you walk along the
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road
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when you lie down and when you get up
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tie them
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as cymbals on your hands and bind them
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on your foreheads
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write them on the doorframes of your
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houses and on your gates
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so god natural laws those laws have been
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changed
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by himself like he want us to love him
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with all our heart
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mind and soul and strength he wants that
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that has not changed so let's keep that
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in mind and let's go back to the
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presentation
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so we talk about this right and then now
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there was also like several other laws
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like dietary laws
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purification or diseases for diseases
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for relationships and for sacrifices
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that the jews had to abide by and he can
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take some some time and look at
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leviticus
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from chapter i think 10 to like all the
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way to the end
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there's like additional laws that were
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mandated by god
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through moses now the natural laws of
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god that were consistent with his
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character
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were never to be obligated now some
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dietary laws
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may no longer hold now but i'm not gonna
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get into that
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but both natural laws and the other laws
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had a specific purpose the law
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of god was not just given for the sake
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of just giving us a law
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he had a purpose god was only was
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not only revealing his character but was
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also some other things that he wanted
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us people to know and the jewish people
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in particular
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because he didn't just give the laws for
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nothing now to truly understand the
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purpose of the law
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excuse me let's look at an encounter
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that jesus had in mark 10
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uh verse 17 to 22. we're gonna go
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through the scriptures
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so the rich young ruler you know the
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story
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so as jesus started on his way a man ran
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up to him and fell on his knees before
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him
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good teacher he asked what must i must i
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do
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to inherit eternal life why do you call
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me good
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jesus answered no one is good except god
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alone
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you know the commandments you shall no
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murder you shall not commit adultery you
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shall not steal you shall not give
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false testimony you shall not defraud
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honor your father and mother
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and the man say his teacher he declared
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all these i have kept since i was a boy
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so that's almost like a sigh of relief
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is that oh yeah i've done it
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and jesus look jesus looks at him looked
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at him and loved him
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one thing you lack he said go
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sell everything you have and give to the
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poor
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and you will have treasure in heaven
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then come
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and follow me at this demands fell
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the man's face fell and he went away sad
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because he had
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great wealth so immediately you can see
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what's going on here
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the man came to trying to figure out
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what is the one thing that i'm lacking
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in my life to inherit eternal life he's
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trying to earn something
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right he wants to please god he wants to
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do
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what god wants him to do and then jesus
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answers him with
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you shall not murder you shall not
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commit adultery shall not steal you
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shall not give false testimony you shall
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not defraud
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honor your honor your father and your
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mother and he probably says to jesus
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all this i've kept since i was a boy
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kind of feeling himself a little bit
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and then jesus tells him one thing you
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like go sell everything you have and
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give to the poor
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and you will have treasure in heaven
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then come follow me
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and the man goes away sad because he has
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great wealth
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now let's go back to deuteronomy 6
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verse 6 verse 5 law of the lord your god
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with all your heart with all your soul
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and with all your strength this man
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clearly
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cannot do that because he loved money
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more than he loved god and his
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understanding of the law of god was
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really superficial
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if you go back to leviticus 22 what does
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the scripture say
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in uh uh not leviticus
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um exodus 20
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i am the lord your god who brought you
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out of egypt out of the land of slavery
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you shall have no
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other gods before me money
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came before god in this man's life
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and why was god given the law he's given
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us a law that we cannot
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keep for a purpose and let's go back to
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the presentation and we're going to talk
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about that
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so the man in the account had a
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superficial view of the law of god
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he was standing right before the author
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of eternal life
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and didn't understand that the main
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objective of the law
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was to point him to jesus christ himself
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so basically
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christ coming was meant to show the
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weakness of the law in
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saving us okay christ's coming was
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supposed to show
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the weakness of the law in saving me and
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you
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this is why jesus is the end of the law
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because the law was meant to point us to
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jesus
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if you look at galatians 3 verse 24 the
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scripture says
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so then the law was our guardian until
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christ
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came in order that we might be justified
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by faith
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okay those who seek to be justified by
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the keeping of the law
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must indeed keep the entire law to be
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counted righteous
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the one that wants to believe and
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receive
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eternal life basically leave it to live
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is to receive eternal life in god's eyes
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the one that wants to have eternal life
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apart from the righteousness of god
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in jesus must fully leave out
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all the commandments starting with
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deuteronomy 6 5 you shall love the lord
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your god
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with all your heart with all your soul
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involve your strength
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if you want to earn eternal life on your
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own terms
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this is what you must do so the law
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basically when when paul says that
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christ is the end of the law he's not
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saying that the natural laws of god no
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longer matter
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because we are under grace that's not
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what he's saying but what paul is saying
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is that the law's job
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the job of the law and the goal of the
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law and the objective of the law
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is is is is to point us to to jesus
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the law came to the heart in the sense
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that the law was like okay
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lord you've done your job when jesus
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came
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now your job is no longer needed in the
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sense that
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now you need to point to jesus that's
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the job of the lord the goal of the lord
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because the chief purpose of the law is
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given in galatians 3 19. i want to go to
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the scripture for that reason because
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he does a better job than me explaining
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it so let's go
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to scripture for that so paul says
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why then was the lord giving at all he
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was
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added because of transgressions until
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the seed to whom the promised referral
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had come the law was given through
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angels and entrusted with mediator
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immediately however implies more than
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one party
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but god is one is the law therefore
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opposed to the promises of god
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absolutely not for if a law had been
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given that could impart
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life then righteousness would certainly
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have come by the law
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but scripture has locked up everything
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under the control of sin
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so that what was promised being given
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through faith in jesus christ might be
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given to those who believe
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so you see let's go back to the present
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so you see that as great as the law is
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he could not save people then and he
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cannot save us today
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the law was supposed to show us our
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wretchedness
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wretchedness in order that we might
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humble ourselves under the mercy of god
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by receiving his free gift of salvation
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by grace through the work of christ
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jesus didn't come to abolish the law but
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to fulfill the law
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and then he grants us righteousness that
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is not contingent
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on us keeping the law but on him keeping
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the law on our behalf
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so righteousness is by works but not my
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works but the works of jesus christ and
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then
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he applies his work to me and to you
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and now he declares us righteous in
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jesus christ
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so that now he gives us the holy spirit
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to confirm our election because now the
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holy spirit come
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to sanctify you and to sanctify me
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so when paul says christ is the end of
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the law for righteousness
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he's saying that when jesus came the law
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did his job the law did its job
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basically said to point us to him
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because the law
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says listen as good as the law of god is
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perfect in
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every way we are imperfect people
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because we are born with the propensity
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to sin
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so the law comes to show us listen you
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cannot keep the law
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you cannot keep the law so what do i do
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i fall under the mercy of god and say
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lord jesus
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save me because i can't keep the law
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not even in a single second because the
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deuteronomy 6 5 says you shall love the
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lord your god with all your heart with
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all your soul and
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all your strength and with all your mind
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meaning
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every single second that i leave must be
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dedicated
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holy to god who can do that
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no one so the law was meant to show
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our inability to keep the law of god
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so that we can we can be pointed to
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jesus say
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he did what i can do i can't save myself
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by keeping these laws i can't do it but
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jesus kept
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the law he kept every single aspect of
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the law he lived his life
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according to deuteronomy 6 5 and then he
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grants me
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that righteousness he grants you if you
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believe in him that righteousness
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if you acknowledge that jesus is lord
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acknowledging meaning if you know that
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only by him because
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scripture says there is no under name
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under heaven by which
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we could be saved by the name of christ
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he is the only way he is the way
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the truth and the life there is no other
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way
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your religious practices you trying to
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please god
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doing this and that because a lot of
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people you ask them
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if god were to ask you why should i let
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you into heaven they go
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well because you know i try to be a good
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person i don't i don't steal
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i don't kill you know i don't but have
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you lost it in your mind
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have you had any single bad thought in
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your mind have you ever coveted
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something else
20:29
even if you didn't take it did you think
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about it
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because jesus comes in and gives us a
20:34
deeper understanding of the lord
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blessed are the pure in hearts what they
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shall see god purity of heart
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who has that no one for jesus this is
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why
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christ is the end of the law because the
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law completely
20:48
tells us how wretched we are and as bad
20:51
as
20:51
as the news is that we are bad is good
20:53
because that bad news
20:55
lead us to good news because god says
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yes i see that you're wretched
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you can't keep my law so therefore i've
21:01
made a provision for you
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and as you receive jesus as your lord
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and savior
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by grace through faith he comes
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and inhabits you by his holy spirit and
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then sanctifies you
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until the redemption of your body
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so this is the this this is why romans
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10 4 is so important because it shows us
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how weak we are even after receiving the
21:26
holy spirit we still struggle
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if you go back to romans 7 you will see
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that but
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it's not all lost because we understand
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that we no longer now
21:35
are under the dominion of sin but now
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christ come and through his holy spirit
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we have victory in jesus
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we have that victory in jesus so i would
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encourage you to
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not count on your own works because your
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own works as a as filthy as filthy rags
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jesus says
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but the works of christ we impart your
21:57
spirit
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to keep you from sinning against him it
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gives you so much it gives us so much
22:01
that we don't even understand
22:03
so have a wonderful day and i hope to
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see you next time for another
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study okay have a wonderful day
#Religion & Belief
#Sensitive Subjects