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[0:00] For the Lord's help, I will direct your attention to the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 9 and 10.

[0:13] The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 9 and 10. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

[0:34] Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

[0:54] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

[1:11] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

[1:29] It is very important for us all to know where we stand in regard to the things of eternity. We shall not be wise to go on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, without coming to some certain conclusion in respect to our eternal state.

[2:01] There may, of course, immediately arise in the heart that there are so many things which come and which bring us to a stand, which will bring forth the question, how can I determine and how can I know how I stand in respect to the things of eternity.

[2:31] Undoubtedly, one of the purposes of the word of God is that we may be able to draw forth clear conclusions that will direct our attention to where we stand in regard to eternity.

[2:54] So, that should that day come and take us unawares or suddenly rather, yet we shall not be found wanting.

[3:05] At the same time, it will be good for us to feel, particularly from time to time, that our feet are on a good foundation and that thereby we may have a true, real, proper and well-founded confidence toward God.

[3:32] Against these considerations, of course, there are many arguments which may be presented to us in order that we may be brought into conditions of doubt and of fear, sometimes issuing from the carnal mind which is everlasting against the flesh, and sometimes coming from Satan himself, whose principal design in regard to the children of God is that if he cannot devour them, he will trouble them and make their lives as miserable as he possibly can.

[4:20] The lives of the children of God will never be more made so than when they feel by the pressing of fears and doubts upon their heart that they have a questionable interest in the covenant of grace and in God himself.

[4:45] We do read in the scriptures, however, that there is one that is declared to be such that dissolves doubts.

[4:59] Also, we believe that there is one, the mighty God, the eternal Spirit, that relieves and removes fear. How you may have come to the house of God this morning, I could not possibly discern, for the heart knoweth its own bitterness, and none intermedleth with its joys.

[5:25] With those few words of interruption, may the Lord help us to look at the passage before us, which I feel needs much grace to look at.

[5:40] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

[5:50] We read further that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

[6:04] The result of this is that sometimes the temptations presented to the people of God are such that they fear that they are flesh, and that they are not Spirit.

[6:21] The carnal mind may sometimes seem to have such a powerful dominance that they may truly be in great fear in respect to the outcome.

[6:36] How do they know that they are carnally minded? For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

[6:51] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. The first point that we would make is this, that the Spirit of God that dwells in the children of God is the Spirit of life.

[7:10] and because He is the Spirit of life, then we can follow and not only follow, but feel the intense truth presented to us for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

[7:35] There are many people that are carnally minded but not all of them would know that to be carnally minded is death.

[7:48] But those that do may well said, may well be said to come under the words of our text, that ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you as the Spirit of life and makes you feel to be carnally minded is death.

[8:17] What is it to be carnally minded? Well, it is to be taken up with the things of the world and all that is in it.

[8:30] And you may say, well, we must be taken up with the things of the world. We live in the world and therefore we've got to pay attention to the things of the world.

[8:42] This is quite true. But how do we feel about it? Do we find that all these things of the world have a carnalizing effect upon our spirit and bring death as it were into our feelings?

[9:03] So, that when we would turn to the Word of God, when we would bow our knee at the throne of grace, there is not that sweet freedom of life and liberty that we would seek to enjoy.

[9:19] Now, we therefore are aware that we are alive unto God because of the death that is felt within, because of the carnal propensities of our minds.

[9:36] When we think of the things that demand our attention in the world, they must, of course, include all lawful things.

[9:48] And even in this matter, in respect to lawful things, the children of God, those who are blessed with the Spirit, will feel the force of these words, to be carnally minded is death.

[10:08] All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient on this alone ground. because it brings carnality and it brings death.

[10:24] Now we have, but ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Therefore, if we should be deeply concerned because as to whether we are in the flesh or in the Spirit, because there seems to be so many things that do demand our attention and that take us away, as it were, from the things of God, yet the overriding factor is to be found in this verse, but ye are not in the flesh.

[11:06] Would it be a cheering word to any of you this morning to hear this word, but ye are not in the flesh? Even though you fear you are, even though you are greatly afraid that you are in the flesh, and you cannot see anything else, but for God to say, ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

[11:35] And what can we therefore say in respect to such a point this morning? Does the Spirit of God dwell in us? Is he the Spirit of life?

[11:46] Therefore, does he make us feel that to be carnally minded is death? And therefore, are we grieved because we have the flesh about us?

[12:03] And in the flesh there is a plague. plague. You may recall in the book of Leviticus, it refers to the leper, and a very close examination was needful by the priest in regard to this matter.

[12:28] And the leprosy was in the flesh. Now, leprosy is sometimes analogous to the disease of sin in our members.

[12:46] Where is it seen? Is it not seen in the flesh? Is it not seen in the carnality of our mind?

[12:57] Sin working in our members in the previous chapter the apostle says, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

[13:22] O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

[13:45] Because the flesh is so strong and the leprosy, sin is found in the flesh, sometimes the people of God are in great concern.

[13:59] they may well follow what John Newton says, if I am, that is, born again of the spirit, if I am, why am I thus?

[14:12] Why this cold and lifeless frame? Hardly sure could they be worse who had never heard his name. Now does this not bring into our soul sometimes a deep concern because it is important that we should know where we stand.

[14:34] It is important that we should be assured that we shall gain the victory. Have we the life of God in the soul? Does the spirit of God dwell in our hearts?

[14:47] But ye are not in the flesh. Oh for the Lord God to speak this home to some poor soul would be a never to be forgotten experience.

[15:00] Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit. If so be that the spirit of life dwell in you. Now the spirit of life may be also said to be the spirit of faith and Christ dwells in our hearts by faith.

[15:21] We should bear in mind that faith is living. It is not something which is dead but it is living and what does faith live upon?

[15:36] Faith is divine repast is to live upon his precious death. Now ye are but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you and causes you to walk by faith and to feel that you're fed by the result of what faith feeds upon.

[16:12] so we come back to the activities of the flesh we come back to the carnality of the mind what ravages that sometimes produces what distresses that sometimes brings forth and what anxieties are sometimes a real experience but says the apostle by the spirit of God ye are not in the flesh despite all these things despite all that may seem to be against you despite all that makes you so anxious and full of care but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you and the spirit of God dwelling in you being the spirit of life and also the spirit of faith will lead you in the same way that the apostle himself was led and which he describes in his epistles to the

[17:23] Galatians the I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me not outside of me but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh surrounded by the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and so encumbered as we may be distressed as we may be by all that is carnal and all of the flesh yet there is this which works within the soul of the all living that they walk by faith as they walk by faith there will be occasions again and again when they will be thankful to read the 130th psalm where the psalmist brings forth his own desperate feelings desperate situations and he says out of the depth have

[18:49] I cried unto thee oh lord have we cried out of the depth because out of the depth of the activity of the flesh and the same in our members out of the depth have I cried unto thee oh lord lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications from whence cometh this spirit of life this spirit of prayer this grace of supplications well must it not proceed from the spirit of God dwelling in your heart by faith activating faith crowning faith and causing faith to look up unto the almighty God and to see some wondrous things concerning him but if thou lord should mark iniquities oh lord who shall stand and the iniquities of the flesh are multitudinous are continuous if thou lord should mark iniquities if this lord was the only work of thine to mark iniquity then who shall stand that the lord does mark iniquity is undoubted it is necessary that iniquity should be marked in order that iniquity may be atoned for but we shall notice ye are not in the flesh ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of god dwelling you which is the spirit of life and the spirit of faith which looks up and says sees but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared with regard to the spirit of life and of faith in the soul it may well require waiting hence the psalmist goes on

[21:10] I wait for the lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope my soul wait for the lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning let Israel hope in the lord for with the lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities we can see in this psalm traceable the life of faith in the soul now we may say in the words of our text but ye are not in the flesh despite the iniquities which may abound despite the strength of sin which you may sometimes be very conscious of in all sorts of ways but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of

[22:19] God dwell in you that spirit being the spirit of life and the spirit of faith and so we turn to psalm 130 and we say does your faith sometimes walk up and down this psalm and if it does then surely ye are not in the flesh but ye are in the spirit and being in the spirit ye are groaning as we have it later on in this same chapter the eighth chapter to the Romans we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit also help with our infirmities and the spirit itself make it into session for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of

[23:28] God if we are therefore blessed with the spirit of God dwelling in us we shall surely be conscious of this spirit since he is the spirit of life since he is the spirit of faith since he is also the spirit of prayer and of intercession have we groaned within ourselves sometimes because of the carnality of our mind what seems to be the overriding power of the flesh and yet have we groaned you know we may look at it as analogous to the physical situation when the children of Israel were in Egypt and there they were under taskmasters particularly toward the end of their time there and those taskmasters imposed upon them impossible tasks and it may well have been that they wondered whether

[24:42] God would ever appear for them but in the early part of the book of Exodus we read of the Lord speaking to Moses and saying I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them sorrows how did God know their sorrows was it not because of their groanings under their taskmasters but we know the experience of having sin and the flesh as our taskmasters preventing us from doing the things that we wanted to do preventing us from doing the things that going to the places that we wish to go sometimes the taskmasters and so there were groanings I've heard their groanings and I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them now the so be that the spirit of God dwell in you it will certainly be as the spirit of prayer and of intercession and of groanings which cannot be uttered the flesh may go a little further and may attempt to disown the groanings as being spiritual groanings but then we come to this point but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of

[26:28] God dwell in you as a gracious witness now we read that he that believeth hath the witness in himself and it is in this same chapter that it is written 17th verse 16th verse the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God now what spirit is that it is not our carnal spirit it is not the spirit of the flesh but it is that spirit of God dwelling in us in the divine nature which groans and cries under heavy burdens that seem to be laid upon it and from which it cannot get free the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of

[27:33] God despite all the activities of the flesh despite all the power of unbelief despite all the infidelity that sometimes may make us wonder whether there is any difference at all and how shall we know that it is the spirit of God praying in us have we ever prayed like the psalmist in the 28th psalm when surely he said oh unto thee will I cry oh lord my rock be not silent unto me lest if they'll be silent to me I become like unto them that go down into the pit now those that go down into the pit are all flesh and therefore they know nothing of the spirit of God now by reason of the power and workings of his fleshly mind the psalmist was deeply concerned the whole matter was intensified because of the

[28:46] Lord's silence and therefore he cries motivated by the spirit of God dwelling in him unto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if they'll be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity which speak peace to their neighbors but mischief is in their hearts of faith in our life.

[30:07] He witnesses to the life of the grace of supplications and the spirit of prayer and the groanings of the believer that are sometimes breathed out in secret places whom God alone can distinguish and observe.

[30:30] Then you are not in the flesh. If God can look down upon you and can behold the groaning of the prisoner and of those that are bound.

[30:43] You are not in the flesh if you should be in the situation described by the psalmist in Psalm 12 for the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

[31:14] The words of the Lord are pure words as silver cried in the furnace of earth purified seven times. so this brings us in the next place to consider that the spirit of God dwelling in a person is a spirit of expectation.

[31:40] Expectation. Thine expectation shall not be cut off. We have already referred to Psalm 130 and in that psalm there is expectation.

[31:56] My soul doth wait. My soul doth wait. And in waiting there is a waiting in hope. And in a waiting in hope there is an expectation.

[32:09] Yeah, not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you as the spirit of expectation. And what are you expecting?

[32:22] He must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. Expecting that God will arise and scatter your enemies expecting that the scriptures will truly be fulfilled in your own life so that you may not only be able to give a nodding assent doctrinally but a full assent because of your own experience to such a passage.

[33:00] Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?

[33:12] He retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us.

[33:24] He will subdue our sins. What a spirit of expectation. Now says the word here but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you as the spirit of expectation.

[33:44] Expectation that the scriptures will be fulfilled. Not in respect to so much or only as certain events coming upon the earth but the scripture may have a spiritual fulfillment in your own soul.

[34:03] A spiritual fulfillment wherein you expect to know and to be able to bear your personal witness and testimony that God that there is none like unto God that pardoneth iniquity.

[34:19] mercy. And there is none like unto God that passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. And there is none like unto God that retaineth not his anger forever.

[34:35] And there is none like unto God who delighteth in mercy. Do we expect? Can we find the spirit of expectation in our souls?

[34:49] If we can then ye are not under the flesh but are in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you.

[35:05] Expectation and thine expectation you see shall not be cut off. And now we see some of the ravages that the flesh may well bring personal to ourselves secret to our own knowledge for who can tell what our own feelings are relative to the workings of the flesh.

[35:32] But have we this other spirit the spirit of God dwelling in us where there is an expectation he will turn again. turn thou me he said Ephraim and I shall return he will turn again he will have compassion on us he will subdue our iniquities I say have we the spirit of expectation looking for and hoping unto the end that what is prophesied concerning the almighty God will surely become that which is a real experience in our own souls if we have the spirit of expectation then we may well say to you this morning but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you.

[36:36] In the next place we also read in the word of God of the spirit of love by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples when ye love one another.

[36:54] Now it may be that some of us would know how powerfully the works of the flesh militates against loving God and the people of God but if ye but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you.

[37:23] So therefore if we love God and if we love the people of God how good it is to trace it to the honour of God to the spirit of God dwelling in us so that we love the people of God and we love God not with a natural spirit which indeed is enmity against God but with that which we are bound to acclaim as being supernatural.

[37:56] Now if the spirit of God dwells in us it will be a supernatural experience. Supernatural insofar that it abounds over nature where we are reminded where sin abounded grace did much more abound and this is a point the spirit of love and the spirit of grace may be seen almost as it were hand in hand covenant but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you the spirit of love dwelling in you now these points that we have mentioned already we should notice that they dwell now dwelling is to be contrasted with just a transitory residence a wayfaring man that tarrieth but for a day when the soul is born again when divine nature is partaken of then all the faculties of the soul are there present they they activate according to the warm felt on the one hand and sometimes they are less active because of the cold environment now we may sometimes be troubled because of the cold environment which the flesh brings and as I may refer and repeat

[39:49]  Newton's hymn if I am why am I thus why this cold and lifeless frame hardly sure could they be worse who had never known his name but how shall we know that God the spirit of God dwells in our heart by faith will it not be when our spirits sometimes are warmed sometimes our spirits are warmed in reading the word of God sometimes they are warmed as we may pray unto the Lord and we may feel such love to the Lord in our prayers and sometimes our spirits may be warmed as we may hear our brethren pray and there is felt to be a unity of the spirit in the bond of peace sometimes our spirits may be warmed under the preaching of the gospel sometimes our spirits may be warmed as those that feared the Lord spake often one to another and we felt that there was truly a union sweet well when you feel this we can truly say for ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwell in you but we shall have to leave it for this point are종 your the you you