Romans Chapter 7, The Law Is Good, We’re not; Not Saved From Sinning; Did Jesus Have A Sin Nature?; Bad In us; sin nature from father; 2 natures of Christ; coveting; Age Of Accountability; Sin Deceives Your Heart; impeccability/peccability

1. Romans 7
The Law Is Good, We’re not; Not Saved From
Sinning; Did Jesus Have A Sin Nature?; Bad In us; sin
nature from father; 2 natures of Christ; coveting;
Age Of Accountability; Sin Deceives Your Heart;
impeccability/peccability
Lake Tahoe, May 2015

2. BIBLE IN FIVE
Pastor Dave Kooyers
Valley Bible Fellowship
Box 433
Boonville CA 95415
http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers
www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org
(707) 895-2325
God bless you as you examine His Word,
Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5
These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ"
(Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and
there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.
Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

3. Where are we at in Romans?
• Mankind is hopelessly separated from God
because of our sin; Romans 1:16-3:20
• Christ’s righteousness is offered as an
imputed, free gift; Romans 3:21-5:21
• Christ’s righteousness imputed should impact
our daily life; Romans 6
• Imputed righteousness should impact our life,
but we ain’t sinless yet; Romans 7
3

4. Romans 7:3, “law”
• NAU Romans 7:3 So then, if while her husband is
living she is joined to another man, she shall be
called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she
is free from the law, so that she is not an
adulteress though she is joined to another man.
• Pretty strong argument for monogamy.
• The little book of Romans uses the word “law”
more than any other NAU book of the Bible.
Romans 7 uses the word “law” more than any
other chapter in Romans, 23 X’s.
4

5. Romans 7:5
Believer Or Unbeliever?
• NAU Romans 7:5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful
passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the
members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we
have been released from the Law, having died to that by which
we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and
not in oldness of the letter.
• NAU Romans 7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am
speaking to those who know the law)…
• NAU Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made
to die to the Law through the body of Christ…
• Does this sound like Paul is presenting himself as saved or
unsaved?
5

6. Romans 7:7, Thou shalt not covet
• NAU Romans 7:7
What shall we say
then? Is the Law sin?
May it never be! On
the contrary, I would
not have come to
know sin except
through the Law; for I
would not have known
about coveting if the
Law had not said, "YOU
SHALL NOT COVET."

7. Romans 7:7, Thou shalt not covet
• There was a Dennis the Menace a comic strip that had
a picture of Dennis looking longingly at a catalog and
saying, "This catalog's got a lot of toys I didn't even
know I wanted.”
• The Wizard of Id comic strip has one where there was
a monk putting up a sign on the bulletin board in front
of his church while a visiting monk is watching. The
sign read, "Thou shalt not covet." The visiting monk
said, "Boy, I wish we had a signboard like that at our
church."

8. Romans 7:9, Age Of Accountability
gracethrufaith.com
• Q. If my son has not reached the age of accountability by the Rapture and
therefore can’t make the choice to come to Christ, will he have to make it later?
Since he lacks the capacity to sin or be judged I understand he would come with us
in the Rapture, but some believe that those who lack the mental capacity to come
to Christ will be given that chance (or rather have to make that decision) during the
1,000 year reign. Wouldn’t that mean he’d have to be born again in the Millennium
in order to make a choice. Doesn’t sound right to me. Does everyone have to
decide at some point or do infants and small children get a “pass go” card? I cannot
find any scripture to support this doctrine of decision, can you help?
• A. There’s no Scripture anywhere to support that view. I don’t know where it came
from. The clearest Biblical directive on the issue comes from Paul in Romans 7:9:
Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to
life and I died.
• He meant that before reaching the age of accountability, he had eternal life. As
soon as he became accountable for his sins, he was under the same death penalty
as all adults, and needed to be born again to be saved.
• To me this means that all who lack the mental capacity to understand the
sin/salvation issue at the time of the rapture will inherit eternity. They will not
need any further qualification since they’ll be given perfected bodies at the rapture
and will no longer have a sin nature.
• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/will-children-have-to-come-
back/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

9. Romans 7:9
Age Of Accountability
• To see all of the Bible verses that I have
collected concerning an “Age Of
Accountability” please watch my YouTube
video,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiLVf7Bo
yjw
• Is An Age Of Accountability Biblical?
• by Dave Kooyers
9

10. Romans 7:11, Sin Deceives
• NAU Romans 7:11 for sin, taking an opportunity
through the commandment, deceived me and through
it killed me.
• “I declare I know of no state of soul more dangerous
than to imagine we are born again and sanctified by the
Holy Ghost, because we have picked up a few religious
feelings.” J.C. Ryle
• Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your name perform
many miracles?’

11. Romans 7:11
Your Heart Has Deceived You
• My country, America, has become self/sin
deceived.
• Obadiah 1:3 "The arrogance of your heart has
deceived you…
• “America is the only country where a
significant proportion of the population
believes that professional wrestling is real but
the moon landing was faked.” David Letterman

13. Romans 7:12, The Law Is Good
• NAU Romans 7:12 …the Law is holy,… and
good.
• NAU Romans 7:16 … I agree with the Law,
confessing that the Law is good.
• The law is good, the problem is, we are not.
• NAU Romans 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS
NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
• NAU Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God,
13

14. Romans 7:14
God And His Law Are Good But I Am Not
• NAU Romans 7:14 For we know that the Law
is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage
to sin.
• Charles Ryrie said, “The easiest place in which
to be spiritual is in public; the most difficult is
at home.”

15. Romans 7:15, Not Saved From Sinning
• NAU Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not
understand; for I am not practicing what I would like
to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
• Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but
now much more in my absence, work out your
salvation with fear and trembling;
• Why “fear and trembling” if we are sinless now?
• Strange, though I am saved from sin, I am not saved
from sinning. Martin Luther

16. Romans 7:16, The Law Is Good
• NAU Romans 7:16 But if I do the very thing I do not
want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the
Law is good.
• NAU Romans 7:12 …the Law is holy,… and good.
• NAU 1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the Law is
good, if one uses it lawfully,
• NAU Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect…
• NAU Psalm 119:137 Righteous are You, O LORD, And
upright are Your judgments.
• The law was given to be a blessing.
16

17. Sin Nature From Father, 2 Natures Of Christ,
(impeccability/peccability?)
• Did Jesus Have A Sin Nature?
• Q. Re: Romans 7:18-20. You said, “Paul sinned because he was a
sinner. It was his nature to sin, and it’s ours too.” You have also
said, “God knows that no matter how hard we try, we’ll fail to meet
His righteous standard because we’re flawed. Our sin nature will
always betray us.” Does this mean that Jesus also had a sin nature,
and that He overcame it? Or did He just not have a sin nature?
• A. One of the great mysteries of the Bible is that the sin nature is
apparently passed from father to child. Although females have a sin
nature, they don’t pass it along. Jesus, having no earthly father, did
not have a sin nature even though he had an earthly mother. He was
without sin, the only man in history to be so, and therefore the only
one who could qualify to save us.
• “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weakness, but we have one who was tempted in every way – yet
was without sin.”(Hebrews 4:15)
• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/did-jesus-have-a-sin-nature/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

18. Sin Nature From Father, 2 Natures Of Christ,
(impeccability/peccability?)
• Did Jesus Have A Sin Nature?
• Some maintain that the sin nature is carried by the father, and
Jesus’ father (Holy Spirit) does not have a sin nature. So Jesus
did not inherit a sin nature.
• Colorblindness is carried by the mother, does not affect
women, only their sons.
• Some maintain that Christ, to be fully human, had to have a
sin nature. Yet, He was able to resist and not sin.
• NAU Hebrews 4:15 …One [Jesus] who has been tempted in all
things as we are, yet without sin.
• If Jesus was able to sin, is he able to sin now?
• If he had a sin nature, does he still have it?
• If He did not have a sin nature, was He still fully human
(Adam, Gen 1-3)? (Deut 29:29)
• If He did not have a sin nature, was He tempted like us?

21. Romans 7:24, Bad In The Best Of Us
• Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will
set me free from the body of this death?
• “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so
much bad in the best of us, that it behooves all of
us not to talk about the rest of us.” Robert Louis
Stevenson
• James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw
near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and
purify your hearts, you double-minded.

22. Romans 7:24
Wretched Man/Women/Mankind
• Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set
me free from the body of this death?
• It would seem, after having been a Christian for
almost 80 years, that I would no longer do ugly
things that need forgiving. Yet I am constantly
doing things to others that cause me to have to go
back and ask their forgiveness. Sometimes these
are things I actually do- other times they are simply
attitudes I let creep in which break the circle of
God’s perfect love. Corrie ten Boom

23. Romans 7:24, Justify The Wicked?
• Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The greatest wonder that I
ever heard of is that God should ever justify me. I feel
myself to be a lumpy of unworthiness, a mass of
corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His almighty
love. I know and am fully assured that I am justified by
faith which is in Christ Jesus, and I am treated as if I had
been perfectly just and made an heir of God and a joint-
heir with Christ. And yet, by nature I must take my place
among the most sinful. I, who am altogether
undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving. I am
loved with as much love as if I had always been Godly,
whereas before I was ungodly. Who can help being
astonished at this? Gratitude for such favor stands
dressed in robes of wonder.”

24. Romans 7:24
Remember Our Freedom In Christ
• NAU Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set
us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be
subject again to a yoke of slavery.
• NAU Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom,
brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another.
• NAU 1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use
your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as
bondslaves of God.
• Remember our freedom in Christ; Romans 7:24, 24

25. In closing,
Don't drive
and text!
25

26. KEEP LOOKING UP
THE END IS NEAR!
26

27. 27

28. Romans, From church on Hy 49, Jacksonville, CA,
Andrew and Matty Simpson wedding
28

29. Raptured Children, Age Of Accountability
• Q. I am searching scripture looking for something that tells me that the children under the age of
accountability will also be taken in the rapture. A friend asked me this and I told her that yes
they would be removed at the rapture but could not back-up my statement with scripture that
actually spells that out.
• A. The idea that all children under the age of accountability will be taken in the rapture comes
from two places. The first is Matt. 18. Verse 3 says we have to change and become like little
children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. That means children are the model to which
all believers have to conform in order to enter the kingdom. Verse 10 says that all children have
an angel in constant contact with the Father. This leads us to conclude that all children belong to
God.
• The second place is Romans 7:9. Here, Paul wrote about being alive apart from the law, but
then the commandment came, sin sprang to life and he died. Since he was still physically alive
he had to be talking about spiritual death. So he was saying that before the age of
accountability, he had eternal life. But as soon as he reached the age where he became
accountable for his sins, he was scheduled for death and needed to find a way to regain eternal
life.
• Put it all together and it appears that all children are born with eternal life. They belong to God
and and their sins are not counted against them. The way adults become like them so we can
have eternal life is to be born again, because then we become a child of God again (John 1:12-
13) and our sins are no longer counted against us (Romans 7:18-20). This makes all children and
born again adults equally qualified for the rapture.
• . http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/raptured-
children/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethruf
aith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

30. Romans 7:14-20 sin nature, 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no
sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
• Help Me Convince My Son It’s Not God’s Fault
• Thursday, May 1st, 2014Forgiveness
• Salvation
• Sin
• Q. Please help me explain something to my son. He says God is partly to blame for our sin because He created us. I told him that God didn’t create
people to sin but that Adam chose to sin. I know that God was not surprised and had a plan already in place. What can I tell him so that he does not
blame God for his sin. He says he does not feel guilty because it is not his fault that he sins, he was born that way.
• A. Your son is partially correct. Being born with a sin nature makes it impossible for us not to sin (Romans 7:14-20). But that doesn’t mean we can
blame God, because God did not create man that way. He created man in His own image, perfect. The first man and woman disobeyed God and let
Satan persuade them to sin. As a result all of their descendants have been cursed with an inability to avoid sinning. The only way we can reverse the
effects of that is to believe that Jesus died for our sins so we don’t have to (1 Peter 3:18).
• If your son is old enough to understand this, you can also tell him that no one after Adam and Eve was a direct creation of God. We are all the result of
the procreation process, wherein God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and increase in number (Genesis 1:28). From that point on, it has been
up to parents to decide when to bring a child into the world. Otherwise God could have isolated Adam and Eve and created all the rest of us to be
perfect. In that case He would have been responsible for making us sinners like your son claims.
• If your son is a believer, he’s also correct in saying he shouldn’t feel guilty, because from God’s perspective it’s not his fault. Paul explained this
in Romans 7:14-20 saying that God doesn’t count a believer’s sins against him and doesn’t condemn us when we do sin (Romans 8:1). He sees us as if
we’re perfect (Hebrews 10:12-14), a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), not because of our behavior, but because of our belief (Romans 3:21-24) .
• However, believers do try to avoid sinning as much as we can. We do this out of the gratitude we feel for the fact that the Lord has saved us and we
want to please Him. And we do feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we sin, because we know it’s not what God wants us to do. It makes us want
to ask Him to forgive us.
• When we do, God will always agree (1 John 1:9), because Jesus died for all the sins of our life, not just some of them.
• In summary, mature believers know they can’t entirely avoid sinning, and they know when they do God will forgive them every time they ask. Out of
gratitude for the free gift of salvation, we strive to live in a manner pleasing to Him, because we know that had it not been for His love for us, we would
all be lost forever.
• I realize I’ve given you a whole course on theology in a few sentences, and some of this may differ from what you’ve been taught. Study the references
I’ve included here and they will help you make more sense of it.
• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/help-convince-son-gods-
fault/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

31. Romans 7:24, Justify The Wicked?
• NAU Romans 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free
from the body of this death?
• Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The greatest wonder that I ever heard of
is that God should ever justify me. I feel myself to be a lumpy of
unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin apart from His
almighty love. I know and am fully assured that I am justified by faith
which is in Christ Jesus, and I am treated as if I had been perfectly
just and made an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. And yet, by
nature I must take my place among the most sinful. I, who am
altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving. I am
loved with as much love as if I had always been Godly, whereas
before I was ungodly. Who can help being astonished at this?
Gratitude for such favor stands dressed in robes of wonder.”
• Janell Adams tells when, “Our son Jonathan asked Jesus to come
into his heart when he was four. A few months later as I was getting
him ready for bed, he asked in all seriousness, "Mom, what did I used
to do when I was wicked?”

32. Born In Sin
• NAU Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in
iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
• Peggy Jones says, “My husband and I teach
children's church. I was telling the boys and girls,
ranging in age from four to eleven, that we all are
born in sin, but by grace are saved through faith.
One of the younger girls first looked puzzled, then
said quite seriously, "I wasn't born in sin. I was born
in November."

33. Romans 7:7-8
Learning To Be Content, By Keith Walker
• Learning To Be Content
•
• By Keith Walker
Exodus 20:17
•
•
• I like cartoons. Dennis the Menace has been a favorite for a long time. One comic strip has a picture of Dennis looking at a catalog and saying, "This catalog's got a lot of toys I didn't even know I wanted."
The Wizard of Id has a comic strip where one monk is putting up a sign on the bulletin board in front of his church while a visiting monk watches. The sign read, "Thou shalt not covet." The visiting monk said, "Boy, I wish we had a signboard like that at our church."
• We come to an end of our study of the 10 commandments.I hope it has been interesting and informative for you. It has for me. The last of the 10 would seem to be the least threatening, the less dangerous or destructive. Simply stated it says, "You shall not covet." Many of you may think, "Thatone doesn't bother me." Or, "Even if I covet what's the big deal? Who's hurt by it?"
•
• Well, the Bible clearly says it is wrong to covet. One good definition that I heard for coveting is: "The uncontrolled desire to acquire." We're not talking about an ordinary desire to have things. Material possessions by themselves are neutral. The bigger issue today is how we can be content without desiring things uncontrollably.
•
• Let's read the verse. God gives us three categories here. It is wrong to desire: (1) Your neighbor's property (house), Ahab took Nabob's vineyard (2) Your neighbor's people (wife, male or female servant), King David (3) Your neighbor's possessions (ox, donkey, nor anything). Somebody desired my chain saw so they took it from my garage.
•
• We will look at two kinds of hearts today. The Coveting heart and the Contented heart.
•
• THE COVETING HEART
•
The coveting heart is not innocent. In God's eyes, it is corrupt and it is corrosive.
A. Corrupt
1. It Disregards the Laws of God
That it is corrupt is obvious because God would not have included it in the list of The Ten Big Ones. Just because it is last doesn't mean it is least. I think it has an effect on all the other ten. For instance:
(1) How manyof you have put money andpossessions ahead of God? - V.3
(2) How manyhave bowed at the altars of materialism and greed while refusing to bow at the altar of the Lord? - Vs. 4-6
(3) Many have blasphemedthe nameof the Lord in efforts to acquire things. Disregarding God's Word to obtain what you want in life is blaspheming.- V. 7
(4) Have you ever desecrated the Lord's day to make money? - Vs.9-11
(5) Many parents are treated poorly and cast aside by children too busy making money to be bothered with them. - V.12
(6) Many people are dead today because somebody wanted something that belonged to them. - V.13
(7) Lot's of marriages are torn apart because of as one preacher said, "He was so caught up in earning his salt, he neglected his sugar!" A coveting heart is behind adultery. Coveting and lust are first cousins. - V.14
(8) It goes without saying that stealing is the end result of a covetous spirit that has gone too far. - V.15
(9) Often, people will lie about another person, gossip about them because they are envious and covetous of that person's life. - V.16
Listen to Paul:
Romans 7:7-8
7 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." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, producedin me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. NKJV
2. It Denies the Lordship of Christ
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. NKJV
B. It is Corrosive
1. It becomes Excessive (and destructive)
Luke 12:15-21
15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich manyielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops andmy goods. 19 AndI will say to my
soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, andbe merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Howard Hughes, a billionaire. He wanted more so he went to Hollywood and became a film maker and star. He wanted more sensual pleasures, so he paid large sums to indulge every sensual urge. He wanted more thrills, so he designed, built and piloted the fastest aircraft in the world. He wanted more power, so he secretly dealt political favors so skillfully that two U.S. presidents became his pawns. All he ever wanted was more. Yet, this manended his life as a pitiful sight. He
lived in darkness, his arms covered with needle marks from drug addition, his finger nails were inches long and curled up in a grotesque way, his teeth were black and rotten. His hair to his waist, long beard. He lived like a hermit. He wore rubber gloves all the time andwouldn't leave his apartment. He died weighing 95 pounds as a billionaire junkie.
• The side effects of an excessive coveting heart: Fatigue, debt, worry, conflict, dissatisfaction. No wonder families are being destroyed today.
2. It can Become Exploitative
Micah 2:2
2 They covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, andseize them.
So they oppress a manand his house,
A manand his inheritance.
•
• THE CONTENTED HEART
This is the opposite of the coveting heart. Paul learned contentment. Listen to him:
Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to aboundand to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. NKJV
Contentment is learned. Here's some help in learning contentment:
•
A. Resist comparing yourself to others
•
2 Corinthians 10:12
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (Houses, cars, jobs, looks, clothes, etc.) Learn to admire without having to acquire.
Why do we compare anyway? Because that's the way society keeps score, by possessions. But, your possessions have nothing to do with your significance or importance. You can be a millionaire andbe a jerk, or you can be poor and be wonderful.
•
B. Rejoice in what you do have
•
Eccl. 5:19 says, "If God gives a manwealth andproperty he should be grateful and enjoy what he has. It is a gift from God" (GN).
There's the trap of "When andThen" thinking:
"When I get married, then I'll be happy."
"When I get divorced, then I'll be happy."
"When we have kids, then we'll be happy."
"When I get another job, then I'll be happy."
Happiness is not getting whatever you want. Happiness is enjoying whatever you have (repeat).
2 Tim says that God has richly given us everything for our enjoyment.
A rich manfinds a manlazily sitting by his boat. "Why aren't you fishing?" asks the rich man. "BecauseI've caught enough fish for today."
"Why don't you catch more fish than you need?" the rich manasks.
"What would I do with them?" came back the fisherman.
"You could sell them for money. You could buy a better boat, go into deeper water, catch even more fish and make lots of money. Soon you could have a fleet of fishing boats and be rich like me."
The fishermanasked, "Then what would I do?"
"You could sit down and enjoy life."
"What do you think I'm doing now?"
•
C. Release what you have to help others
•
1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Commandthose who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. NKJV
• Who's the rich here? All Americans no matter what you make. You are in the top 2% of income in the world.
4 precautions for us in these verses:
1. Don't become proud of your wealth. Don't think you are better than anybody else.
2. Don't put your trust in money. Security is not your bank account.
3. Use your money to do good. Don't waste it. Don't blow it.
4. Give cheerfully. Giving is a cure for materialism. The opposite of getting is giving. The benefit is that you are storing up treasure in heaven.
• This reminds me of a story I heard about a guy who died andwent to heaven. When he got there he saw a friend there driving a Mercedes. "What's that?" Peter said, "The transportation you are given in heaven is based on how muchyou've given, sent on ahead. That guy was very generous." The guy asked, "What about me?" Well," Peter said, "You weren't so generous so you get a Moped." He was pretty sad until he saw his former pastor come by on roller skates.
•
D. Refocus on what's going to last
•
2 Corinthians 4:18
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
•
• If we do these 4 things we'll be OK.
(1) Resist Comparing yourself to others,
(2) Rejoice in what you do have,
(3) Release what you have to help others,
(4) Refocus on what's going to last.
There was a funeral in Beverly Hills, CA. A wealthy widow who was worth millions died. People gathered around the grave. Someone said, "It's a shame, she had so muchto live for." Someone next to her said, "No, she had so much to live on. She had nothing to live for."
How about you? What do you live for?

34. 34

35. 35

36. 36

37. 37

38. 38

39. 39

40. Kenosis, Berkhof, Systematic Theology
• F. The Kenosis Doctrine in Various Forms.
• About the middle of the nineteenth century a new form of Christology made its appearance in the Kenotic
theories. It found favor especially among the Lutherans, but also with some Reformed theologians. It represents
part of an attempt to bring the Lutheran and the Reformed sections of the Church closer together. The advocates
of this new view desired to do full justice to the reality and integrity of the manhood of Christ, and to stress the
magnitude of His self-denial and self-sacrifice.
• 1. STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE. The term "kenosis" is used in a two-fold sense in theology. Originally it was used
by Lutheran theologians to denote the self-limitation, not of the Logos, but of the God-man, whereby He, in the
interest of His humiliation, laid aside the actual use of His divine attributes. In the teachings of the Kenoticists,
however, it signalized the doctrine that the Logos at the incarnation was denuded of His transitive or of all His
attributes, was reduced to a mere potentiality, and then, in union with the human nature, developed again into a
divine-human person. The main forms in which this doctrine were taught are the following:
• a. The theory of Thomasius, Delitzsch and Crosby. Thomasius distinguishes between the absolute and essential
attributes of God, such as absolute power, holiness, truth, and love, and His relative attributes, which are not
essential to the Godhead, such as omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience; and maintains that the Logos
while retaining His divine self-consciousness, laid the latter aside, in order to take unto Himself veritable human
nature.
• b. The theory of Gess and H. W. Beecher. This is far more thorough-going. La Touche speaks of it as "incarnation by
divine suicide." The Logos so depotentiated Himself of all His divine attributes that He literally ceased from His
cosmic functions and His eternal consciousness during the years of His earthly life. His consciousness became purely
that of a human soul, and consequently He could and did take the place of the human soul in Christ. Thus the true
manhood of Christ, even to the extent of His peccability, was secured.
• c. The theory of Ebrard. Ebrard agrees with Gess in making the incarnate Logos take the place of the human soul.
The eternal Son gave up the form of eternity, and in full self-limitation assumed the existence-form of a human life-
center. But with him this self-reduction does not amount to a complete depotentiation of the Logos. The divine
properties were retained, but were possessed by the God-man in the time-form appropriate to a human mode of
existence.
• Berkhof, Systematic Theology