His Cross Part 7

[Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] The Lord has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad. Hallelujah, He has made me glad. And I'm so glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. Oh, I will enter, I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter His courts with praise. I will say, this is the day that the Lord has made. Oh, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad. He has made me glad. And so and I'm so glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. Hallelujah, He has made me glad. And I'm so glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. Our Father, You have made us glad. Our Father, we give You glory. Our Father, we appreciate You. Our God, we thank You. We give You all the glory. We give You all the honor. We give You all adoration. We say, blessed be Your name. We say, blessed be Your name. We say, blessed be Your name, our God. We say, be Thou lifted high, Jehovah. Jehovah above all the earth. To You be all the glory. To You be all the honor. To You be all the praise. We worship You, our Jesus. We thank You, our Father. We say, be Thou exalted, our God. Be Thou exalted. Be Thou exalted. Be Thou exalted. There is none like unto Thee. There is none like Thee. Oh, to You be all the glory. To You be all the honor. To You be all the adoration. We thank You for the cross. We thank You for Calvary. We thank You for Your suffering, Your death, and Your resurrection. We say, Lord, be Thou exalted. We say, Lord, be Thou lifted high. Be Thou lifted high above all heavens. Let Your glory be above all the earth. Our Father, we worship You. Our God, we worship You. Blessed be Your name, oh God. Blessed be Your name. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name we’ve worshipped. Amen. Our Father, we thank You as we come into Your word this evening. Lord, we are committing ourselves into Your hand again. We pray. The Bible says, the entrance of Your word gives light and understanding. Lord, we are asking that as we come into scriptures, let there be light. Let there be understanding in the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray to connect together our brethren on Telegram, our brethren on Mixlr, we that are here physically. Lord, we pray, let Your Spirit work within us among us, oh God, in the name of Jesus. There will be food for the sower. There will be bread enough for the eaters in the name of Jesus. And Your name alone will be glorified in the name of Jesus. Thank You, blessed Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 3] Please let’s have our seat as we start this evening. We have been considering this very, very important topic: "His Cross." We have been on this topic for a while now. And like I was telling the technicals this evening, we need to start introducing subdivision so that it will not just be because the matter of His Cross, honestly, I don't know how many sessions it’s going to take us. This is about the seventh session of His Cross. And so I'm thinking that what we might begin to do is that we will begin to sectionalize it. "His Cross 7," what exactly is it addressing? "His Cross 8," which aspect is it addressing? So that when you want to listen to the matter of His Cross, you know which one exactly to listen to. Consequently, I’ve told technicals, we’ll start putting the division so that you want to listen, you know which burden of the cross. Honestly, the cross is everything we have and nothing more. And so there is so much about the cross that I really don't know how many sessions we are going to have. But each meeting has its own burden. So the burden for each meeting, we'll just say "His Cross," then we put the burden. So you know which burden we address and which one you want to listen to over time when you want to download it, something like that. So that is what I'm thinking over time. And we'll start introducing that so as to make it easier for us. Last week we were looking at a very, very important aspect of the matter in relation to His Cross. We were looking at two more verses in Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5. We were able to come to— we stopped at actually at verse 17. We stopped at verse 17. We were able to call our attention to some of the truth about the matter of the cross. And one thing, oh, maybe before I give a brief overview... Okay, some of us were not— I think it’s only Victor that was around here last week. The others are yet to come. Now, Victor, is there something you want to say from last week before I give an overview? Or I should just go ahead with what I want to do? I should go ahead, yeah. Now, one thing that came out very clearly for us last week, because that is where I want to move on in the matter of His Cross, we saw that— please, let’s go to that Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 11. [Speaker 4] Hebrews 11. [Speaker 3] Hebrews 11. We took it from verse 27. That was where we zeroed in last week. I just want to read. It’s just good to recap that as we move on today. [Speaker 4] "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king," that’s talking about Moses. "For he endured as seeing Him who was invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled, after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, of Samson, of Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trials of mockery and scourging, yes, of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. All these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise." [Speaker 3] When you look at the exploit of these people, you agree with me that in our time, many of us have not even done what they did. Huh? When we look at the exploit, what these people did, if you look at the extent—and I made a very strong emphasis last week—when you look at what they did by faith, it was not only miraculous signs. The Bible said being tortured was also by faith. Being destitute was also faith. That faith is not only about getting; it’s also about losing. Huh? It said some of them were in prison. All of these were all faith. So faith is not only when we escape death; even when we die, it’s also faith. But when we look at everything they did, we notice that despite all, all they were able to do was that they only got a good report. They did not get the promise. They didn't get the promise. All they were able to—all they were able to get was still outside the promise. The promise didn't get to them. We’re talking about His Cross. I made an emphasis last week that look, everything that happened before Christ came were temporal. Everything was temporal. Everything just—all they were able to do, they still could not get the thing. What was the promise? Eternal life. They could not get it. The Bible says they did not get it, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. So despite everything that they did, they could not be perfected. They could not enter into their rest. It was when Jesus died that He went to lead captivity captive. That was when things were finally taken away. That was when the saints of old were finally liberated. So I made something very—I made a very important point last week that one thing you must get clear about this cross, this matter of this cross, is that this cross was the only thing that eventually, conclusively, perfectly brought the liberation from what? From sin and death. That was what took us back to that Roman place. Let’s go back to that Romans now. That Romans chapter 5 verse 17. The cross. Romans 5:17. [Speaker 4] Romans 5:17. [Speaker 3] Now, we said, "For if by one man’s offense death..." did what? "Death..." did what? "Reigned." And I want to ask, what does it mean for something to reign? To have dominion. The Bible says, "For if by one man’s offense..." That was where we concluded last week. I want to enter into this week’s discussion. The point was that when Adam sinned, it is not just that we died, but that death reigned. [Nigerian Language] It became a thing. It has a rule. It was reigning. The Bible says, "For if by one man’s offense, death reigned through one man," the Bible now says what? What do we see there? "Much more." What does that mean? What does that mean? If we say "much more," what does it mean? It means the kind of reign that the initial one had will be nothing compared to what this one will have. Huh? Now, if you go back to where we were coming from, I read something before. Romans 7. Romans 7, please. Romans 7. Where we were coming from. I read Romans 7 from verse 6. We have read this scripture before, but I'm reminding you of something as I gradually enter into that of what we want to do today. I'm concluding what we did last week and I'm entering into this week where we want to move on. [Speaker 4] "But now we have been delivered from the law..." [Speaker 3] We’ll soon come to why we are delivered from the law. [Speaker 4] "...having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of spirit..." [Speaker 3] Note the matter. We are serving in the newness of spirit. [Speaker 4] "...and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law, sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin..." did what? "...revived, and what happened? I died." [Speaker 3] So when it said "death reigned," what do we mean? Whenever we die, once death reigns, what is alive? I take it again. "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and what happened? I died." So when death reigned, what is alive? What revived that made me to die? So when you say death reigned, what do we mean? Death reigned through what? Look at it. "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, what revived? What came alive? Sin." Anytime sin is alive, what will be reigning? Death. Once sin revived, what happened? Then death. So when he says, "Death reigned," [Nigerian Language]. If death is reigning, what has revived? Sin. I'm talking about His Cross. He said, "And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death." Verse 11. "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it..." did what? "...killed me." Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just and good. "Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear as—that it might appear sin, was producing in me..." what? What was sin producing? "...death in me through what is good." So when we say death is reigning, I'm trying to make you see that there is a connection between sin and what? And death. What sin normally produced is what? Death. So when you say death reigned, what is death using to reign? Sin. Death, when he says death reigned over all men, how was he reigning? Making men to do what? Sin. As men sin, they die. So the strength of sin, what gives sin strength is what? The law. Death now use sin to do what? To reign. What gives sin strength is the law. And when sin is alive, what happens? Death is reigning. Now, produced death in me, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that the law is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. I'm gradually taking something to bring us to the statement of Jesus: "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself." But you will notice, immediately He said "deny himself," the next thing "let him take up the cross." I want to connect those two statements together. That’s where we are going today. Why is it that if a man deny himself but does not take the cross, he cannot follow Jesus? Why is it that a man makes up his mind like Peter said, "I'm going to die," but when he saw death, he ran? He denied Him three times before the cock could crow. There was something he was not understanding. And that is what I want to gradually address today. It is beyond just a decision and a will. There is a mystery about the cross. And I'm showing you a mystery. That somebody sinned, and what happened? Death reigned. But when we say death reigned, what it actually meant is that people could not obey the law. Are you connecting it? Are you connecting what I'm trying to connect now? Once death is reigning, what it means is that people could not obey the law. Once they obey the law, then they will live. But understand something very clear. The law is not sin. Sin had been before the law. I discussed that before in the "Cross 5." Yes, that was in 5. The Cross 5. We said the law came through who? The law came through Moses. Sin came through who? Through Adam. So ever before the law came, there was sin. Before the law came, in the days of Noah, God wiped out the earth because of what? Sin. So breaking the law of God is not sin. Sin exist on its own without law. Are you understanding? Did I confuse you? What I mean is that it is not only when you break the law of God that you sin. Sin had been before—when there was no law, didn't God wipe out the earth? On what basis? Was there law? So on what basis? That they were what? They were sinning. God wiped out everybody. He spared only Noah, who was—he said, "But Noah found favor with God because he was a righteous man." So how was God defining righteousness and unrighteousness when there was no law? But he’s making us to understand something. Sin came in as the normal human nature. The normal human nature is sin. If I slap you, what will you do? What will you do? If you slap Jesus, what will He do? He will turn the other one. That’s the divine nature. If I curse you, what will you do? You will curse me back. But if you curse Jesus, what will He do? He will bless you. I'm showing you the divine nature from the human nature. What we are saying is that the normal human nature is sin. It is not breaking the law of God that is sin. When God now brought the law, "Do not revenge," "Do not steal," "Do not that," sin now used it that "Oya, God said don't lie. Oya now, try if you will not lie." You cannot because sin will be using the law. Sin only use the law to kill you, that you have broken the law of God. That’s what he was trying to explain. Because actually, what made sin to reign was something that is beyond us. Iniquity is a mystery. Adam sinned, and sin reigned, death reigned. So it’s not something—the reign of death had its origin where? Where? In the sin of what? Of one man. The reign of death had its origin in the sin of one man. That is why we say the mystery of iniquity. Iniquity is a mystery. Iniquity is a thing you cannot explain. That is why you say, "I will not—I will not do it." But what you find yourself—what you say you don’t want to do is what you do. Because it’s actually a mystery. And that mystery is a mystery that is beyond man. That is what every hero of faith ever before Jesus came could not deal with. With all their testimony, they got a good report, but they could not escape death. There was no eternal life. They could not be liberated because the key—he that has power over death is who? Was the devil. The person who had power over death... so despite everything they did, they could not have life. So they couldn't obtain life because their sins were only covered. It could not be taken away. The blood of bulls, the blood of lambs cannot take away sin. They can only cover it. So the sin had not been dealt with. So life cannot be offered. So the person that hold the key of death was still the devil. So Jesus through death destroyed him that has power over death—that is the devil—and got the key of death. That was why He now was able to lead captivity captive. So everything they did, that is why I keep telling people, miracle signs, wonders is not what Jesus normally came to offer. In the temporal, it was done. Done to all extent and yet there was no life. They could not obtain the promise. They couldn't get the promise. All the miracles they did, all the signs they did, everything they did could not give them eternal life. It was when Jesus came that He went to free them and then captivities were led captive, and then He now give gift unto men. Now, the point I'm trying to draw is that as by one man sinned, death reigned. If you remember the "Cross 5," we also mentioned that Adam was a type of who? Of Christ that was to—that was to come. So the matter of dealing with sin, we mentioned in the "Cross 5," after Adam will be who? The Christ. Everything in between cannot solve the problem. It is going to be through him by one man. So the point I'm making is that the cross is a mystery. A mystery of what? That Romans 17 now. Look at it. Romans 5:17. It’s a mystery of what? "For if by one man’s offense, death reigned through one man," what did he say? "Much more." "Much more." Those who received what? Did what? Is it those who will receive? Or they received? Are you seeing that? "Much more, those who received abundance of grace and what again? And..." Should you see something? What was reigning before? What reigned through that one man? Death. When we say death reigned, what do we mean? Sin is in charge. He now said "much more," those who receive abundance of grace and what? So do you see something? In the cross, in the cross, you need to understand that righteousness is a gift. Righteousness is not something to work for. That’s it. Sin, sin was a what? In the real sense of it, was it not a gift? A gift from who? From Adam. Sin was a gift. Gift in the sense that it’s a mystery. You are born, you are told that you are a sinner. How? They said because Adam sinned. You say "Ah..." that was why I was telling you about the man who said, "Sir, your theology is baseless." When I was trying to preach to him. He said, "If you have three children and one—and one commits an offense, how many will you beat?" I said, "I will beat that one." He said, "Look at the nonsense you just said now. So God is stupid, abi? Adam sin, we all sin. What you are saying does not make sense." And I simply said, "If you don't believe this foolish thing, you will die in your sin." You see, it doesn't make sense. But I'm trying to make you see something very, very crucial about this cross. What many people are struggling with today is because they don't understand the mystery of the cross. The cross, like I said last week, is not putting one thing—like I said when we were in Anglican, we put—put it on your chest, then we do one big stick. [Singing]. That’s not what we are talking about. I'm talking about a mystery. A mystery that the Bible says, "For by the gift of one man, death reigned." [Nigerian Language] It reigned. There is nothing you can do. No matter how much you try not to sin, you will sin. No matter how much you struggle with it, you will sin. So when God was bringing something else, what came in the cross was that God gave what? Not just grace. God gave what? Abundance. And I want you to note, not the cross is going to give grace, but the cross gave grace. Are you understanding me? It gave. Not that it will give it to us. It gave it to us. It says "those who receive abundance of grace and what again? And the gift of righteousness will..." what? "Will reign in what?" "In what?" "In life." What was reigning before? Death. But will reign through who? Through the one. So sin and death was reigning through who? One man. Life and righteousness is reigning through who? Through one man. That’s where the mystery is. That’s where the mystery is. That is why the matter—you will see the apostles who—you will see Apostle Paul say something repeatedly. Look at—is it Colossians? Colossians 1:29. Can somebody read Colossians 1:29 for me? I think I should be right. Colossians 1:29. Look at what Paul said. He said, "I also labor..." Look at something. "I also labor, striving according to what? His working which does what? Works in me mightily." So what is making Paul to do righteousness? Something was working. The way sin was working, righteousness is working. Something works. That is the mystery of the cross. Something works. It’s not about us. It is about what—he says they will reign through that one man. You see, the point—you know we said something in one of our meetings one time and we all agreed. We said if there is somebody, if it is possible for somebody to be born today and if it is possible that morally, it—the morality is per excellence and the person grow up like that and die. If the person die, where is he going? We said he’s going to hellfire. We said why? He didn't break any law. You remember our discussion then? We said because he’s still a sinner. He’s still a sinner. No matter how he turns it, he is a sinner. Whether a mango tree, whether it bears mango or does not bear mango, whether it has leaf or does not have leaf or does not have any of those things, is it an apple tree? So whether a sinner bears fruit or does not bear fruit or does not do anything, whatever it is, a mango tree is a mango tree. That’s how you look at the sinner. A man is not a sinner because he sins; rather he is a sinner, that is why he sins. Why is he a sinner? Why is he a sinner? Because Adam sinned. Now, look at the righteous man. I'm talking about His Cross. Why am I righteous? Because I obey the law of God? It’s not about the law of God or no law of God. It has nothing to do with it. It’s about what? One man. Just as no matter what the sinner does, he remains a sinner. The Bible now say "much more." Oh, that is what is available in Adam is nothing compared to what is available in Christ. And do you know why? The sin of Adam was committed by sand. I got the breath of God. If you remove the breath of God, what was Adam? [Nigerian Language]. What is [Nigerian Language]? He’s just a dead body. After God finished all the thing, He now do [Sound of breathing]. So what was making him to move was just bit, infinitesimal aspect of God. Everybody. Now, now imagine the thing that carries life now died. Something that God does small, he set it. Look at the consequences. Now somebody that now carry the whole thing, if He now acts right, what will be available for man? "Much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift..." You should understand that sin was a gift to man. Nobody worked to become a sinner. Nobody can work to become righteous. Nobody [Nigerian Language]. There is nothing you can do that can make you right. Know what the Bible says? It says even the best of angels are not clean before God. The holiness of God, the holiness of God is not what the mortal can attain. The only way it can come to—to man is by what? Is by a gift. So nobody can actually do something that could make God say, "Ah, you are now holy. You are..." because... I want to ask you—let me put it this way for you so that you can understand. You see, because we don't understand the effect of the death of Adam, we don't understand the effect of the death of Christ on the cross. I want to ask you, tell me how particularly a dog will sound that will make it a goat. Please, how will a dog, what will a dog do to become a goat? So that God can now say, "Ha, you are now exactly like us. You are now exactly like us." Even if dog say "Meh," is it a goat? What can make dog to become a goat? Is there anything about dog that can make it a goat? No. You see, you need to understand there is nothing about a sinner that can make him righteous. There is nothing in him. You cannot change who you are. I don't know—I don't know whether I'm making sense to you. There is nothing—there is nothing you can do because what made you a sinner is not doing. It’s not doing something that made you a sinner. So even if you don't do anything, you are still not righteous. Do all the good works, you are still a sinner. There is nothing you can do—that is, all you can do, the sinner per excellence morality is still a sinner. I'm talking about the Cross of Jesus. This—the point of this cross is we should take our mind—you see, like I mentioned before, all those other things, those things you saw in the temporal, those mighty works of power, all of other those things, you see if we can understand who we really are and we work in this gift that we have been given, you will see that much more than they did, we will do. Because if those things can happen under temporal arrangement, what is going to happen under a permanent arrangement? And that’s why I mentioned last week, you will notice that all the miracles of Jesus, how many were done for the disciples? Virtually nothing. But when Jesus left them, they became miracle workers. He did not give them fish; He made them fishermen. Do you get the point I'm making? The point I'm trying to bring out that when they entered into the life of Jesus, when they—when they understood that life and they began to work in that life, I now want to ask you, between them and the multitude, who was actually better? The person who can now work miracle, the person whose shadow was making the—making the sick to be healed and the person that was ill of leprosy, who is better? So the Bible says, "We receive abundance of grace." But the matter I am drawing your attention to is that it says "they will reign in life through the..." The point I am drawing is what? Through the one. Through the one. The reigning is through the one because the sin is also through the one. Death is through the one. That death is a mystery. Nobody could handle that death. I was discussing in my class one day and we were looking at sexually transmitted infections and diseases. And then we got to a point, I was discussing with them sociologically the power of sex. And they were wondering. I said so strong is the power of sex that man cannot handle it. They said, "No, some people, you know..." I said, "You don't understand what I'm trying to say." I said, "Do you see you will tell a man that HIV don't have certified cure and yet he will tell you that I can be a condom distance away from death? There will be no problem." He now put one thin rubber, they said, "This is death." He now put a rubber. So say "Death, you see, I'm here, you cannot get me." Does—Have you seen the power of sex? See the power. You see, we don't understand what sin made us. You see, we don't understand what—what we became in Adam. What we became in Adam is that we became totally deprived. We became totally condemned. We became something that was eternally lost. And that is why I tell people that if you don't understand sin and death, you won't—you won't properly understand the cross. If you can—I said if that—if man could get to such a point and he became so thoughtless, and you will see them... I said, "Do you see professor doing that?" They said "Yes." I said, "What is the point of all this professorship?" I said he could—I said man have studied cockroaches, they have studied housefly, they have studied the moon, they have studied everything. They say they have conquered it, but they could not conquer sin. After all the inaugural, they became professors, yet they could not escape from lie. Still lie. All those things, why couldn't they handle just lie? They will have children at home, they will be sleeping with people’s daughters in their office. So what—all this scholarly thing, what does it make him? He’s still empty. Now, the reason why I'm saying this is for you to get it right. That what we got in the cross is not just becoming a member of a church or being in the choir or being in the council. No, that’s not what we got. What we got at the cross was what? Newness of spirit. We got a life. We got a new life. It was a life. So even if I don't belong to any denomination—it’s nothing to do with denomination. Nothing to do with maybe—no, it’s a life. I got something in Christ the way we died in Adam is the way we lived in Christ. Now, the issue of fellowship is for the purpose of iron sharpening iron. Now, he now says, look at the verse 18. "Therefore, as through one man’s offense, judgment came upon all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man’s act, the..." The what, please? "The..." What is the free gift? The cross gave righteousness. The cross gave a life. The cross makes something—it gave it to us. Not that it will give it to us. It gave it to us. That is why he says "came the free gift, resulting in what? Justification." We became justified. So our being justified before God has essentially nothing to do with what we did, what we are doing or we are not doing. No. It has to do with what? With what? With whether we are where? In Christ, or whether we are what? Outside Christ. The real thing about the matter is being in Christ. The real issue of our life is being in Christ. The real thing that the cross, what the cross offered is that everything sums up in what? Being in Christ. Everything is summed up. If he’s in Christ, what? There is abundance grace, there is what? The gift of righteousness. And what will happen? Life will reign in life. If they are outside Christ, no matter how they try, what will reign? Death. Now, he says verse 19, "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous." We have said—it’s just talking about the consequence. It says, "Moreover, the law entered that the offenses might abound." Moreover... I've explained this earlier and I believe it is clear. Is it not clear? Is it not clear? Why did God give the law? What was the purpose of the law? What was the purpose of the law? Moreover the law entered that what? What does it mean for offense to abound? To increase. So how does the law increase the offense? Let me tell you something very simple. If there is no law that says don't covet your neighbor’s wife, normally, the natural instinct of men is just to be sleeping with anything like animals. That’s what sin made out of man. That’s why you will see girls before they are married, they will sleep with this, sleep with that, sleep with they become animals. You know animals were designed without single sexual partner. They sleep with anyone. They are made in their kind. But you see man too, they will sleep with this, sleep with that before they finally say they are settling down to marry. They became animals. But I want to ask you, when they are expressing that thing, what are they doing? They are expressing love. They say it is natural, isn't it? It’s a feeling and all of that. Okay. Now, what made you to say you are a fornicator? Because the law says so. So the law brings the law from generality to what? To being specific. If there is no law, the person has not sinned. That’s just his life. If animals sleep among themselves, do you say they commit fornication? Because there is no law. But God said, human beings, a man will leave father and mother, be joined to his wife. Whoremonger, adulterers, I will judge. Don't commit fornication. [Nigerian Language]. So when they are doing their own, they have not sinned. But when man do that, it comes to their personal account. So law make the offense to abound because it makes what was natural to you, it makes it a personal account. They now begin to count. You have committed fornication, you’re a fornicator. One! You are an adulterer! Two! You are a liar! Three! You see how the law is killing us. God gave the law, not because He wanted to save anybody. But if God had said we are sinners, you won't believe that you are a sinner. So the law has to prove that you are a sinner. The law was made to prove that man is a sinner. So everybody who is trying to obey the law, they are only wasting their time because the essence of the law is to make man—to prove that man is a sinner. But you must remember something we read in that Romans chapter 7. Is the law therefore a bad thing? What did he say? Is the law a bad thing? What is the law? He said the law is good and holy. What is he telling you? That actually, the law itself is not a bad thing. The law is actually what? The revelation of what? Of the nature of God. The law is good! In itself it is good. It reveals the nature of God. God hates liars. So do not lie. The law is good in itself. It reveals the nature of God. This means, get it now. It means once God frees us from death and gave righteousness, what will happen to the law? We and the law? What will happen to we and the law? What is the nature of God? Righteousness, holiness. What did God do? God now gave us His nature as a gift. So what will happen to you if you get that gift? You and the law. So it tells you, if your life don't naturally follows the law, there is something about your conversion. There must be a working. There are two workings. There is the working of sin and death. There is the working of what? Spirit and life. But the Bible says that of spirit and life is what? Is much more. Is what? Is stronger than what? Look at Galatians. Galatians made it very clear. Galatians chapter 5. Galatians 5. Galatians 5. Are you there? Galatians 5. Look at it from around verse 19 thereabout. Let me take it from verse 13. Please let’s go to Galatians 5 from verse 13. Are you there? "For you, brethren, have been called to what? To what? Liberty. Only do not use your liberty as what? An opportunity for the flesh, but what? Through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Oh, "but if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another." Verse 16. What did he say? "I say then: Walk where? In the spirit, and you shall what? Not fulfill the lust of the flesh." What did he tell us about verse 17? "For the flesh lusts against who? The Spirit, and the Spirit does what? Against the flesh. And these are what? Contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Are you seeing it again? What Paul said in Romans chapter 7? Is it here? What did he now say in verse 18? "But if you are led by the Spirit..." What is he telling you? That when Christ brought the law of righteousness in the cross, please listen. And let no let anybody—that is why when people talk sometimes, I really wonder. They say the root of Adamic nature has been canceled. So that it has been completely taken so that they are telling people "Then why are we tempted?" What he is saying is this: there are two laws. One law is the what? The law of what? Sin and death. The other one is what? The law of what? Spirit and life. But the good thing about the cross is that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is much more. Is stronger! It’s like you have two—there are two forces. One was up—one pulling you to the left, a bicycle. The other one pulling you to the right is trailer. Please! What you going to pull you actually? If surely you are connected to that trailer, can the bicycle pull you away? So if the bicycle keep pulling you, you say "I am joined to trailer," ah-ah, bro! How are you joined to the trailer? Still bicycle pull you. Are you getting what he’s trying to say? One is much more, the more. The law that sets us free is far stronger than the law that killed us. That is, what is taking us up is stronger than what is pulling us down. I said it last week. If you find that what is pulling you down is stronger than what is taking you up, there are two things. Either you are not born again, or you don't understand what happened to you when you got born again. Because except you know the truth, you can never be free. It is the truth that sets free. If you don't know who you are, then you cannot live the life of who you are. Because we are actually set free by knowing. There must be a what? A knowing. There is a knowing that sets free. There is a knowing, there is an understanding. If you don't have that understanding and that knowing, you can never be free. So there are people who are actually born again, but the problem is the knowing is not there. And there are those who are not born again. So the point—the point I am drawing is he says, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Why? Why are you not under the law? Why are you not under the law? Look at it! Look at why you are not under the law! Romans chapter 8. Why you're not under the law. Romans 8. I read verse 1. Very familiar scripture. "There is therefore now no condemnation to who? To those who are who? In Christ Jesus." You know the first thing is in Christ. Then what is the next thing? "Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Now please note something. This is where people miss it. When he said "who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit," you know where we miss it? We now think not walking according to the flesh is a will power. No, it’s not a will power. Look at the next verse. What did he say in verse 2? "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has..." Do you see that? "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has..." not that it will make us free. [Nigerian Language] No! It has! It has made us free from the law of sin and death. So when he said "who does not walk," not as if you are trying to be free. No! It is understanding that you are free that makes you free. Are you—do you get me at all? It’s understanding that you are free that makes you free. It’s the understanding that I am not bound, I am free. That is what we call faith! Faith! When we say we are justified by faith, what we mean is that you are agreeing with who God says you are, and as you do that, you'll experience what God says you are. Not that you will be free, but you are free. I said just free! Now why are we not under the law? That’s where I'm going. He says, "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did send—God did it by sending His only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin." He did what? "He condemned sin where? In the flesh, that what? That the righteous requirement of the law might be what? Might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." So how do you know you are in the Spirit? Because the righteous demand of the law is fulfilled in you. That is how you know that you are in the Spirit. That is why you are not under the law. You are not under the dominion of the law. The law could not make—the law could not make sin to condemn you. You are—you are not under the dominion again. Formerly we were under the dominion. Sin take the law to kill us. But now it’s not possible. Sin cannot use the law to kill me again! I am free! Sin cannot use the law to kill me because the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in me. So what is going to kill me? Just requirement of the law is fulfilled in me, then sin has lost its power. Because the power of sin is the law. The power of sin is the law. Now, the point—the point I am drawing as of this evening brethren, is this. Please let’s quickly go down to something. Romans chapter 5. Now look at how the 21 ends. How the 5:21 ends. How the chapter 5 ends, please. When he said, "Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace much more the more abound. So that as sin..." please look at that. Please look at that. "Where the law—moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded..." what happened? Let me take it in a simpler translation, NLT. "God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were." If you take another—that’s another translation. That’s why God gave that law. "But as people sinned much more, God’s wonderful kindness became more abundant." Why? Why this became more abundant? Abundant in who? Abundant in who and through who? Is it not through Christ? Because don't forget, when you say "became abundant," it is not a grace that you will be receiving, oh. It’s a grace that you have received. Don't begin to pray for grace not to live a righteous life. You have received that one. The grace you receive at the cross. A grace that makes righteousness to reign. What he is saying is that do you notice that even as sin—do you notice that after we say we become born again, and you are trying to live a life to please God, do you notice the work of sin? You notice the work of sin still trying to tie us down. Now what you need to understand is that where sin abound, what happened? That thing you receive, much more the more abound. [Nigerian Language] What I'm trying to make you see is that we are not—we are not strong in our sense. I'm showing you the source of our victory. Thank You. That the source of our victory is in who? Is in Christ. Our—our mistake today is that we are trying to do what Christ have done for us. Instead of agreeing with what He has done so that we can experience it, we are still trying to do it. But in a bid to try to do it, we cannot do it. We cannot. Provided that you have the desire, that’s why "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself." But you see, once you make up your mind to renounce everything about yourself, that decision, you need to understand, is not sufficient, master. There is a mystery—there is something about His Cross. And the mystery about this cross is that it is a thing that is obtained by what? By faith. But I want to ask you, can you believe in what you don't know? Can you believe what you don't know? Can we be saved without the gospel, without hearing the gospel? Bible says how can they hear? How can they believe except that they are told? How can they be told except that people are sent? I say God now send people to preach the gospel. What I'm trying to make you understand, one of the greatest things against your life as a Christian is everything that prevent you from hearing the gospel of the cross. Whatsoever is preventing you from seeing Jesus the way Jesus actually is, is your greatest enemy. Your greatest real enemy. And—and I want to tell you, every time you take the scriptures, don't be looking for two things except Jesus. I keep telling people, the whole essence of the Bible is Jesus. Anything you take the scriptures, your prayer should be, Lord Jesus that I may see You. Lord Jesus that I may know You. Lord Jesus, because I'm telling you brethren, in Him you are complete. If you need wisdom, the more you know Jesus you will have wisdom. If you need prosperity, the more you know Jesus you will prosper. In Him you are complete. If you are looking for your purpose in life, the more you know Jesus you will understand your purpose. If you are looking for direction in life, the more you know Him you will find direction. You see what I'm trying to explain to you is that the mystery of God, please get my word very clear. The mystery of God is Jesus. Everything God is trying to reveal to us... how will I—somebody showed me a very simple illustration yesterday that answer the question. Can I get a—can I get a cloth? Something. Can you give me that? See, somebody did something like this in the teaching yesterday that makes—it makes it better. And give a very good illustration. Now you saw when I was wrapping it. But if you were not there when I was, if I say "What is here?" Can you know what is here? All Moses was trying to write, he was trying to tell us what is here. All the prophet were trying to say, they were trying to tell us what is here inside here. They don't know exactly what is here. The Bible says the prophet, they were prophesying when they saw the suffering and the glory, but they were told it was not for them. So they were wondering. Even angels are looking into it, even angels did not understand. They were just wondering, what is God going to do exactly? What is God doing? What is God doing? Everything that God was doing, you know what happened? [Unwrapping object]. What God doing? What is the mystery of God is Christ. Everything God is trying to do is that for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that anybody who believe in that Son will not perish but have eternal life. That is everything God was doing. Everything! There is nothing else that God is doing. Don't let anybody deceive you. The whole essence of the cross is what I'm telling you. Once man comes back to eternal life, every other thing that went wrong will align themselves. Your health, your prosperity, your marriage, your future, everything. It was when life left that everything scattered. Did you forget? What scattered paradise? What scattered paradise? Was it not death? "The day you eat this thing you will die." Immediately they died, what happened to the whole of paradise? So the day they come alive, what happened? Is paradise not restored? You should understand that once he is in Christ, every other thing are consequential things. They will come back to their place. But the point I am drawing this evening very, very strongly is that the ability to do right, it is something that becomes possible by believing what God did, not by trying to do what God said. Do you understand me? Do you understand me? The ability to do right, man don't have it. And nobody should boast that "I can do right of myself." You see, it is—Paul said, "I can do all things through who?" You see, we should understand that we reign in one man. The more—the more a man can understand that no, thank You Jesus, You have set me free from sin and death. I'm not under bondage to sin. For where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. Liberty to do right has been given to me. I cannot continue in sin. The man begin to experience a working in him that makes him to do right. Because sin is a working that is stronger than your will power. Sin—and that is what we must appreciate about our salvation. Sin is stronger. You will notice that many times you will say, "I will not do certain thing," but you find that you did those things. And then you are wondering. It is because sin is stronger than our will power. We don't need to look at "I will." We need to look at—turn ourselves around and can we just take this cross? When I say take it now, I don't mean go and put something in your—in your door post and write "holy, holy, holy, holy," put small cross. That’s not what I'm talking about. That’s not what I mean. When I say take this cross, I mean understand that whenever we are bitten by the serpent, there is a bronze serpent that has been lifted up. That if I look up, the venom of this serpent must die. If I look up, if I stand in what I have been made to be. And the more I can keep looking, the more I can tread over all the serpent and they will not be able to do me anything again. The more—but once I look away from what had been done and I'm looking down, once they bite me, it becomes operational. So faith, what the Bible said, "Strive, do the work of faith." It’s a work of faith. Faith, the work there is what? Look up. That is the work of faith. The work of faith is not will power. The work of faith is to look at what God has done for us. So what we do is that you make up your mind. There is a making up of my mind. I must decide that I want to follow Jesus. That is the denying of ourselves. But we must understand, it is not sufficient to follow Him. No matter how much you make up your mind, you will soon break your resolve if you don't take the cross. No matter how much you make up your mind. I don't know whether you—Have you witnessed it? You see people talking about it, "But I said I wouldn't do this thing. I said I wouldn't do this thing again. And again, and again." They don't understand. What they don't understand is that sin is a mystery. Sin is only resolved on the cross. That was a mystery that all the heroes of faith could not obtain. That was what they could not get. That was what they did. They did all the miracles, all the signs, and some are still missing it today. They are doing signs and miracle. They have not laid the foundation to depart from iniquity. God will tell them, "I don't know you." Because you are still in the temporal arrangement. The permanent arrangement is what? Victory over sin. That is the permanent arrangement. And it has been arranged. It has been made available. Not that it will be made available, brethren. What did I say? It has been made available. Have you made up your mind about anything? Have you decided about something? All you need to do is to take the cross. If it is the matter of righteousness, it is to affirm that God, I am who You said I am. If you find yourself having issue, it is not "God give me grace," no, it is to grow in the grace that you have received. You have received the grace, but you need to grow in understanding. If you don't understand what happened to you, you will remain there. I told my—I close with this. I was discussing with my—you know I do discipleship class every Tuesday by 5 PM with secondary school children. And one day I just told them, "If a teacher comes to class and everybody is making noise, then the teacher say, 'Ha! People are making noise! People are making noise! Management! Management! Management! Come and drive these students, oh! They don't allow me to teach! School management!'" I said, "What is wrong?" All of them were laughing. They were just laughing. I said, "Why are you laughing?" They said, "It is not possible." I said, "No, if a teacher is doing like that..." one said "Maybe he’s mad." I said, "No, what if he’s not mad?" He said then the teacher don't understand that he has authority. I said, "That is the point." I said, "You will continue with the confusion in your life until you realize that you have authority." The day you realize that you have authority, many things you are calling God to come and do, the day you realize that He has done them, you will walk in your liberty. Many are saying, "God, come and do! God, come and do!" The day we begin to realize that it has been done! It is for us to know that it has been done. And the more you know it has been done, and you step into it, it becomes your reality. Brethren, let us pray this evening. Let’s talk to the Lord. Let’s talk to the Lord. "His Cross." What I'm saying is this: that the cross is the mystery of righteousness. The cross is the mystery of our righteousness. The cross is the mystery of our victory. I mean victory over sin and death is the cross. The cross is the mystery. That will power you are looking for is the cross. That thing you are going to look around for, "I need—I will," it is the cross. You need to pray, "God help me to understand what You did for me at the cross." Help me to—if that You don't understand it, if that You don't know it, if that You are not getting it. You need to pray, "God give me understanding. Open my eyes to see Jesus. Open my eyes to see Him, to see Him, to see Him, to see Jesus. Open my eyes in Genesis, in Exodus, in Leviticus, in Numbers, in the Psalms, in the Prophet, that I may see Jesus just as Jesus is." Oh, thank You Jesus. Oh, thank You Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Let’s stand up with this hymn, with this song. Holy Ghost do it again. Do it again in my life. Open my eyes to see Jesus, Who is seated upon the throne. Holy Ghost do it for me. Oh, Holy Ghost do it again. Do it again in my life. Do it again in my life. Open my eyes to see Jesus, Who is seated upon the throne. Lord, this is our cry this evening, that You will open our eyes. Lord, Lord. Bible says buy the truth and sell it not. Oh Lord, Lord, that every heir that is living like a child because he does not understand, every heir that is living as a slave—slave to sin, slave to all kinds of sinful lust, slave to this passion, slave to that passion, slave to lying, slave to stealing, corruption, lack of courage to do right, all these kind of slavery, different forms of slavery today, different forms of affliction, oh Lord we pray. First we pray for ourselves, Lord, that we may see Jesus as Jesus truly is to us in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, let our understanding be open. Lord, that we may see the offer, the offer from, at, and from the cross in the name of Jesus Christ. And Lord, there is liberty. There is liberty. There is liberty. Whether the law says, there is liberty. The Bible says much more, the more. Lord we pray for the body of Christ. God Almighty, there is liberty. Liberty in Your understanding that brings this liberty. Let truth, this liberty, take the church in the name of Jesus Christ. Let there be an awakening in the body of Christ in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name our God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Can we share the grace together, please? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. [Speaker 6] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission help. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class, every Monday 5:00 PM. Adolescents and singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM. Marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM. Family life seminars, regular school out-reaches and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ile-ere community opposite the Rejoice filling station along Ije-are road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.