If you hand your Bible, you want to turn into Romans 6, 15 through 23 as we continue with our study in the book of Romans. It's our practice on Monday before we begin a week to pray. Let's do it now, Father. Sometimes we forget the wonderful privilege it is to come before your throne. You're great and we're small, you're infinite, and we are finite. You're eternal and we tarry by just a little while. And sometimes our boat is so small and the ocean is so big that we could go before the throne of the one who created the universe and the oceans. Father is simply overwhelming. We know why we're here, we're here because of Jesus, that we can come boldly before the throne because of what he did for us on the cross, and we're glad for that. We're glad for your love, unconditional, for your grace, unconditional, for what you're doing in our lives and making us better before we get home. Father, we're still not good and we still have things to confess and to bring before you, and we come as a child to a father, not a criminal, to a policeman. We come before you glad that you accept us, asking that you would forgive us, and we are ashamed that we have not been more faithful. Father, give us your spirit, make us sensitive to your agenda this week, meet us at the point of our needs when we're lonely, be our friend, and come alongside when we're afraid, give us courage. When our heart is broken, bind it up, when our tears flow, drive them unless, of course, those things, Father, cause us to lean harder on you. Father, we praise you because you're worthy of our praise, and if you had never given us anything, you're still God, and you're still worthy of our praise. And we ask you to oversee what is taught on key life this week, forgive the one who teaches his sins, for they are many, we would see Jesus and Him only, and we pray in Jesus' name. I'm in. All right, we're continuing with our study in the Book of Romans, and this week we're going to study Romans 6, 15 through 23, and before we turn to that text, let's review some of the things we saw last week when the text was Romans 6, 1 through 14. Now, if you were listening last week, you know that we went down a couple of side roads, we noted how Paul externalizes and personalizes sin by calling sin king and a slave owner, 6, 12 and 6, 6. We saw the Book of Romans teach us the wonderful symbolism and imagery of a believer's death and resurrection in baptism, and then we saw an incomparable fact, Romans 9, 8, or 6, 9, 8 through 10, an astounding reality, Romans 6, 4 through 5. Incidentally, the fact is that the death and resurrection of Christ is an accomplished fact. The reality is, his story is our story, we saw a wonderful liberty, verses 6 through 9, and unpleasant truth, verse 11, got to reckon ourselves dead, a necessary application, verse 11, the ongoing application of that truth, keep on reckoning, and a magnificent king, verses 12 through 14 now. We are ready to turn to our text, for this week, Romans 6, 15 through 23, listen up. What then shall we sin because we're not under wall, but under grace, certainly not? Do you not know that to whom you will present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that, though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered, and having been set free from sin you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your faith. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness so now, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you were now ashamed, for the end of those things is death, but now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves to God you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, last week we talked about the magnificent king who is our king, and we've moved from one kingdom to another, and we're going to talk some more about that this week as we examine God's psychology. But before we do that, I do want to go down, let me see, one or two side roads. Side road number one, people always say, I wish you wouldn't go down to side roads, I wish you would just teach the Bible. You need to know that the side roads aren't side roads because they're unimportant. They're just things that kind of stick out of the text, that we need to make reference to so that we teach the entire text, and they're not under the main theme of the teaching during the week. So this is a side, observation, but an important one, note the faults logic of the pagan mind, you'll find it in Romans 6, 15, what then shall we sin because we're not under law but under grace, certainly not? I had a problem with dyslexia when I was growing up, and still do sometimes. And there are still certain words I get backwards. Well, the pagan mind, sort of like that, skeptics forum, was something that I used to do when we would invite atheists and agnostics to come to my study, and I was the only Christian who was allowed to be there. We saw about half of them become Christians. Skeptics forum was in response to my commitment to God that if I ever found answers to my honest questions, I was going to provide honest answers to other people's honest questions. Skeptics forum was interesting because I wanted to say to skeptics, that's the dumbest thing I ever heard anybody say. I mean, anybody with a brains of a peanut wouldn't say something that dumb, but I never said that. I always said, well, that's an interesting point, let's discuss it. What is common sense to you is gibberish to the average pagan, you know why? Because the first Corinthians 2.14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Not too long ago, I read an autobiography of Margaret Fatcher, The Downing Street Years. I hope to tell you, if we ever had a vote on King of the World or Queen of the World, I would vote for Margaret Fatcher. I think she is a great lady. And she's written the first of a two-volume autobiography. The Downing Street Years cover those years of elections, and when she was in political power in England, and she's going to write another one that will talk about the years leading up to that. The Iron Lady, what did she was still around, and we could make her prime minister of England, and President of the United, at any rate, when she was elected England was in terrible trouble with inflation, and she tried, and to a fair degree was able to stem the horrible inflation. A columnist in a London paper by the name of John Hoskins wrote that the Fatcher administration was trying to pitch their tent in a landslide. I love that. That's a wonderful imagery trying to pitch their tent in a landslide. What they can mind does, tries to pitch a rational tent in an irrational landslide. Just can't be done. How many slum housing projects do they have to build before they realize that housing isn't a problem? How many value clarification classes do they have to teach before they realize that it isn't helping? How many condoms do they have to give out before they realize that safe sex isn't a problem? How many babies do they have to destroy before they realize that choice isn't the issue seems logical to me? It doesn't pagan mind. I sometimes say, man, what you try to explain to me what you believe, because you look reasonably intelligent, and you say the dumbest things, but you don't do that because I'll hurt your witness. Then I have one other side road. Please note the fact of the gospel, Romans 628, for the wages of Santa's death, but the gift of God is eternal life and Christ Jesus on board. Anybody here want to live forever? Well, if you do, I got some good news for you. Anybody here want to stop feeling guilty? If you do, I'm going to tell you how. Anybody here want to have meaning in your life? If you do, I want to tell you how. Plan of salvation is this, and I know there are a lot. There's the Roman road and four spiritual laws and the E plan of evangelism. Those are all very, very good. Let me tell you what, let me tell you how simple it is. News that will change your life. Now listen carefully. You'll never be able to say again that nobody ever told you because I'm going to tell you right now that it's simplicity for you. You don't have to go down an aisle. You don't have to learn theology or be good. You just have to have a need and take it to Jesus. You say, well, that's it. You just have to have a need and you need to take it to Jesus. When you go to Him, say, look, I'm not a very good person. And I'm in trouble with the righteous God. But a guy with a foghorn boys on a radio station that I heard by accident said, if I came to you, that you would forgive me on the basis of the cross and you would give me eternal life. And I wouldn't have to be guilty anymore. I could live forever. So sounded too simple to me. But I want that reality in my life. You do that. And stand back. I mean, because some things are going to happen to you. And they dropped me an open let me know if you did that. Because I have some information I'd like to send you. Well, let me introduce the topic for this week. We get a lot of questions. And one of the most often asked questions is this, Steve, what do you think about psychology? Well, I want you to remember something. Pagan science, pagan sociology, and pagan psychology just falls into what I just taught you. It comes from a bent mind. Smells like smoke. You say, other than that, what do you think about it? I wouldn't. I wouldn't send my dog to a pagan psychologist. Now, the truth is that a lot of psychology is built on a humanistic worldview that simply doesn't fit. Now, let me say also, I wouldn't trust a study done by a pagan sociologist because they bring an agenda. Pagan sociology is just a small step from looking at the entrails of chickens to discern the future. I wouldn't trust a pagan scientist who had an agenda like Carl Sagan. I wouldn't even want him to sing twinkle twinkle little star, but listen to me. James Hunter, for instance, and I can name a bunch of others, is one of the most godly and brilliant sociologist in America. And when you read the book Culture Wars or the book before the shooting starts, you are listening to something from a man who's got something to say. You ought to read those books. You ought to be listening to what he says because he's saying some very, very good things. When I read his books and listen to him talk, I'm hearing proof. When I read the thoughts, for instance, of the scientist Pascal or Leonardo da Vinci or some of the other modern day Christian scientists, I'm going to pay attention. More to the point, and that's on the sub-view of what we're talking about this week, I would trust my life to Larry Kram, Dan Allender, Steve Arterburn, the guys at Minruth Meyer, and many godly men and women who are Christians, psychologists, and counselors. Why is that? Because their business is to understand people, and their business is to always measure that understanding by God's word, the Bible. One of the things that I really have a problem with is the way brothers and sisters throw rocks at brothers and sisters in Christ whose discipline is in the area of psychology. I agree with you. I mean, pagan psychologists, you've got to be really careful about. In fact, I wouldn't go to one. But when you have a psychologist who has the training and who has the love for God and an ability to understand what God's word says about human beings, then you ought to listen to what they have to say. That means that God has called them, has gifted them, and has trained them to be of help to the body of Christ. Carl Menager in a book that was written a number of years ago, whatever happened to sin, has a great statement. He says it is not good to repent of a sickness, nor is it good to treat a sin. Let me say that again. It's not good to repent of a sickness or to treat a sin. Well enough of that. For the rest of the time, this week on Key Life, I'm going to look at God's psychology and some biblical principles as they apply to the slavery of sin. So without further chitchat, let's dig in now. You remember that as we moved into this sixth chapter of the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul, after teaching us about justification and grace, is now beginning to give us some principles to help us live obedient lives. Okay. Enough chitchat. First, as we study God's psychology, we should understand the principle of volitional choice. You say, say, what? Well, hanged up, and I'll explain it. Romans 6, 16, do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one slave whom you obey? Whether of sin, leading to death, or of obedience, leading to righteousness. People say that they're free of any conscious sin. Now what in the world is conscious sin? When I do it, I know it. I'm not stupid. In fact, almost all the sin in my life is first degree. I thought about it before I did it. The truth is that sin is almost always first degree. In other words, we choose, we have a volitional movement in the direction of sins. In other words, I thought about it before I did it. Before I did it, I thought about it sometimes for a very long time. Young man gained to me one time he said that he needed help stop smoking dope. And I said, what do you mean, you need help? Just stop. He said, but Mr. Brown, you don't understand. I said, well, let me try to understand. Your friends make you take drugs right, and he said, well, not exactly. I said, do your friends hold you down, put a reefer in your mouth, and then do CPR on you to get you to smoke it? He said, well, no. Then I said, well, why don't you stop? And he said, well, I never thought of that. You see, it's very important that we understand that our will is involved in what we decide which determines who we are. Now, before you knew Christ, you didn't have a lot of options. I mean, you could choose to be a real center, or a really bad center, or a really, really, really bad center. But you could hardly choose obedience that please God. But after you became a Christian, we talked about this last week. After you became a Christian, God fixed it so that you have an opportunity to make a choice about goodness, about following Him, and He gives you the power to do that. The confessional prayer from the Book of Common Prayer says, I have sinned in my own vault. I have sinned in my own vault. That's true. When I sinned, it's my own vault. I'd like to blame it on my parents. I'd like to blame it on circumstances. I would like to say to God, you don't understand. I mean, this was very difficult. But none of that works. I have sinned in my own vault. Forgiveness isn't the issue. God will forgive you. You can talk about that a lot. I mean, you'll forgive you no matter. But not if you don't accept responsibility. The truth is that sin is volitional, slavery to sin is volitional, and you have it that they decide. Now, AA can't work with anybody unless that person knows that he or she is a drunk and is willing to stop blaming their wife, their husband, their father, their mother. I know there are some problems with AA. I would prefer they call the higher power by the proper name. But I'll tell you, until we start seeing enough drunks getting straight, as many as they do, then we ought to not talk too much about AA. And by the way, AA has some very strong Christian roots. People like Sam Schumaker, who was the rector at Calvary Church in Pittsburgh and New York, a very godly man who loved Christ with all of his heart. So there's a lot of AA that finds it rooted in that sort of thing. But nevertheless, they understand drunks, and unless somebody knows he or she is a drunk, willing to stop blaming their wife, their husband, their father, their mother, then they're never going to stop drinking. There's great power in assuming responsibility. There is great psychological power, and there is great supernatural power. The church my daughter attends in Birmingham, the Altadena Presbyterian Church is a very small church. When I first went there, I sensed that something was different than God was there, but it was the most disorganized church I'd ever gone to in my life. I mean, the choir didn't process, they ambled. There's a guy playing a guitar, and the choir just sort of one would come one time, and one other time pretty soon, they had a full choir. But through it all, and you need to know that I sort of like things in order. I mean, I like for people to know what's coming next, and I got to feeling they weren't really sure. But through it all, I sensed that God was in the congregation, that something very special was happening there, and then the pastor got up to preach. Man, I mean, he let us have it, and I thought, gosh, if there's this kind of condemnation, then I don't know what's going on here. And then he stopped in the middle of a sermon. This is what he said. He said, before I go any further, I want to tell you guys that I'm more guilty of this than anybody else here, and then I understood. What was it? Well, it was following Jack Miller's admonishment that the most repentant person in the entire congregation should be the pastor. Pastor, you wonder why there's no power in your church? Now you know. You wonder why there's no power in your life? Now you know, it's not my brother, it's not my sister, it's not my father, my mother, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer, and forgiveness. I cannot tell a lie, Father, I chopped down the cherry tree. Washington had great power if that reflected the thrust of his life, the principal is volitional choice. Dear friend, if you're a Christian, you have an opportunity to make a choice to follow Christ. Now you didn't have that opportunity before, you didn't have that freedom. But when you don't, you need to remember that you shouldn't blame, you should accept responsibility. What's accepting responsibility? Well, if you want another name for it's called repentance. You know what a repentance is? Repentance isn't that guy with a funny beard with a sign saying repent the world is coming to an end. Repentance, now listen to me carefully, is knowing who you are and who God is and what you've done wrong and telling him so. Come from a Greek word metanoia and it means to change one's mind that eventually changes one life. Now, repentance isn't changing, it is God's methodology to help us change. I used to think repentance meant you changed. I used to say you know you spilled the milk and you asked forgiveness, that's justification. But sanctification, repentance is going out and cleaning up the milk. That's not repentance. Repentance isn't changing, it's God's method whereby he will enable you to change. So go to him, tell him what you've done wrong, ask you forgiveness, agree and ask for his power. And that's how you keep moving. But remember, it's an act of your will, it's an act of choice. Now let me give you another principle. As we study God's psychology, you should note not only the principle of volitional choice, I want you to note also the principle of existential review. And you say great. Can't you use normal English words, we'll stay with me, I'll show you. Roman 6.17, but God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. Romans 6.21, what fruit did you have then when you were slaves to sin and the things of which you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death. Now what's Paul doing? He's saying remember where God found you. That means existential review, review what happened in the past. Think about what it was like. Two or three years ago I got asked by a large church if I would consider being a pastor. Now you need to know and that that's not where I'm called right now. I'm not called to be a pastor, I'm called to teach seminary students and then to work with key life. And I'm convinced that that's where God is putting me, but you need to know something about me, all of my life I've wanted to be the pastor of a big mega church. I mean I've always served small churches and I want it. I always said God you know I taught good, could not be the pastor of one of those big old churches that everybody uses as a model. And he said no you're not good enough or skilled enough, you can't even keep things together in a small church. So for 28 years I served as a pastor, relatively small churches. But after I started doing something else I got this letter from a church, a big church, a kind of church I've always wanted to serve. And they said the guy wrote me said I know Steve that you don't think you're any longer called to be a pastor, but promise me that you'll pray about it for a week before you say no. And I said well okay, hung up the phone and I said Lord I could do this. I mean I'd be good for that church. And then I could fulfill my dream of being the pastor of a big mega-opolis church. Lord I think I can sense you calling me to do this. Do you know how you remember the good and forget the bad? It's called nostalgia. You know you kind of erase the bad things that happen in the past. And then the past starts looking a lot better than it really was. Well that's natural in that human, but on this one occasion God reversed that. He calls me to forget the good and remember the bad. I remember the meetings and I hate meetings. I mean if God calls a meeting when I get to heaven I've missed it. I remembered the mistakes I made. I remembered the criticism. I remembered the sleepless nights. I remembered the times when I was up at 2 in the morning on Sunday morning and saying Lord you know what time it is. I don't have anything to say. And it starts at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning and this piece of paper is blank. What am I going to say? And God just reminded me of all those things. 24 hours a day of the calls from Drunks at 3 in the morning. And when I wrote my friend back to say I'm with draw my name my hand was shaking so bad I could hardly write. What was God doing? God was reminding me where I was. Now let me tell you something. Ask God to remind you where he found you and then be thankful for what he's made of your life. I have a friend who was complaining about paying taxes not too long ago and then he stopped and he grew in and he said what am I saying. I can remember the time when I didn't pay any taxes because I didn't have a job. That's very, very important that you ask God to remind you of the past that you that he reminds you of what it was like before you knew him. On a radio program that we did in Miami a number of years ago I had a group of homosexuals who would come out of a homosexual lifestyle. They were with Exodus. And I was asking about the past and there was a young man there were three guys and I asked one of the young men I said tell me tell me something of where you've come from when you came to know Christ and he started talking and then he started crying. I mean big time crying and I couldn't even go on to interview and I told him because we were live I said I wouldn't give you a dime for a man who can't cry when he remembers where God found him. And I said you just get yourself together and I gave him my handkerchief and I turned to the next guy and I said let me talk to you when he gets kind of okay then we'll come back and talk to him. Then I turned to the next person in the studio and when I went back to the first man he was grinning from ear to ear and he said Steve I'm sorry. But I remember where Christ found me and I am so so thankful. That's existential review. Make sure that you ask God to remind you where he found you. Thirdly and this is brand new. I want you to see not only the psychological God psychological principles of volitional choice and existential review. I want you to note if you will the principle of applicable facts. Let me say it again the principle of applicable facts. Look at rule in 617 but God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin yet you obeyed from the heart and here it comes sportsman's underline it that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. They say kiss him don't last but cook and do and that's true and mother's ought to be telling their daughters that. And I know it's sexist but nevertheless still ought to be said. But let me take something as feelings don't last but doctrine do in other words truth lasts even when you don't feel it inside. That form of doctrine bold says. When I have over my counseling ministry dealt with the people who were psychotic out of touch with reality. What do they say that a neurotic is somebody who dreams up beautiful bird houses and a psychotic is somebody who lives in them. At any rate over the period of a number of years I talked with a number of people who have gone through radical bipolar kind of stuff or schizophrenia, paranoia, schizophrenia. You know one of the things that I learned really on don't play that game don't go live in that unreality. When I remember a young man we were taking to get some help and he said the people and we were listening to the radio said they were talking to him and they were after him and I said son no they're not. They don't even know who you are that doesn't have anything he would say oh because I would hit him with reality and I want you to know that he got better because some friends did exactly the same thing. It's so important that truth be applied to our lives over and over again. Let me tell you what to do with somebody who is irrational don't play irrational games. You deal with truth and with facts St. Teresa set out wants to build a convent with half a crown. Somebody said not even St. Teresa can accomplish that much with so little truth she replied but Teresa a half a crown and God can accomplish anything. Some of you guys are depressed about your sin that's because you haven't been looking at the doctrinal fact that you're forgiven. When you forget that you find yourself in more sin. Some of you guys are really down because things aren't working out in your life. The fact is that God is sovereign and as Spurgeon said God is too good to be unkind and he's too wise to be mistaken when you can't trace his hand you can trust his heart. Now that's a fact that's a doctrinal fact. It's taught throughout scripture no matter what you feel that fact is still true in terms of God's benevolent love directed toward you. Some of you guys are afraid of death. Jesus had let not your heart be troubled believe in God. Believe also in me. And my father's house are many rooms and if it weren't so I would have told you I'd go to prepare a place for you and if I'd go to prepare a place for you. I'll come again and receive you unto myself now that's a fact. No matter how much you fear death what I just told you is a fact. Deal with the truth you think you're never going to get any better the fact is in Philippians 1.6 God says that the person who began that's God a good work in you is going to bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ that's a fact. So don't get so discouraged. It's a process and sometimes you take two steps backwards and one step forward and then three steps forward but eventually that which was begun and you will come out okay in the end I could go on and on. But get the principle the principle is always apply truth to the lies that Satan would have you believe. And sometimes tweets will have you believe sometimes friends will say things that you believe don't believe any lie always know what the Bible says and apply that truth to your life and you'll get better. Let me get another principle. Fourthly I want you to see not only God's psychological principles of volitional choice that means that we choose to follow him. Existential review remind us where we were found. Applicable fact always apply truth to the lies. I want you to see the principle of confirmed habit. You'll see it in Romans 6.18 and having been set free from sin you became what slaves to righteousness. Let me tell you something sin can become a habit. But I'll tell you something else too. Goodness and obedience can become a habit too. Sin can become a habit and so can goodness and obedience. My friend Fred Smith says that practice does not make perfect if you practice the wrong way. It just confirms you in the wrong way to do it. That was my problem. One of my students asked me today if I played golf. I said I think I do but my friends don't. But listen to what Fred said practice does not make perfect. That was my problem. My practice and practice and practice. But I was practicing it the wrong way and I got worse. Just confirms you in the wrong way to do it. I used to spend a lot of time on the driving range trying to fix my golf swing. I swung and swung and swung until I got very good at doing it wrong. I mean I was so good at doing it wrong almost gave up. So habit is important. Habit is important and golf is important in living. Goodness is a habit. Sin is a habit too. If you do it right enough times you won't have to think about doing it right all the time and that's principal. If you do it right enough times you won't have to think about doing it right all the time. If you do it wrong enough times you won't have to think about how to do it wrong it will come naturally. Now when you begin to do it right it will be hard that keep on trucking. Keep on doing it and eventually you will groove out the tapes of your mind and you won't have to think about it so much anymore. It's called the principal of confirmed habit. Learning to when you listen to Christ and he tells you to do something to do it quickly and to add quickly to follow him to do those things that he calls you to do. Does that mean you're going to be perfect? No, probably not. I mean if you ever get to that point let me know we're writing a book and make a lot of money. But it means you're still going to understand there's still going to be times when you fail. But if you begin to make obedience I have it. To read the scripture each day no matter what make a habit. To pray each day make a habit. To be kind to people. To be courteous that's a habit. To reach out across racial and cultural boundaries that's a habit. To give generously of what God has given you that's a habit. To be a member of the church and to stand with your pastor that's a habit. You say I don't like my church. No matter you don't go there because you like it you go there to show who side you're on. That's important. Make those things I have it. Make love I have it. When you can't when you can't love somebody and they're driving you up a wall and you just wish they'd leave you alone say God I can't forgive this person. I cannot love this person. This person drives me crazy. Then say God teach me to love and then begin to act in a loving way. Make a habit of acting in a loving way. And you will be surprised at how God will increase your sanctification process as you get any better. Now I want you to see another principle. This is the fifth one. It's the principle of magnified inclination Roman 6.19. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and lawlessness here comes leading to more lawlessness. So now present your members as slaves to righteousness for holiness. And I might add parenthetically leading to more righteousness and holiness. Let me give you the principle God will shove you in the direction you've decided to go. Let me say it again God will shove you in the direction you have decided to go. This is a little like the last principle of confirmed habit but with a little little better twist on it. Sometimes one time Mr. Graham I heard him answer a question when somebody said why he had an invitation. One time in another country he was having a crusade and a liberal criticized him because they sang just as I am and they said it was so emotional. So that night they had the choir not sang just as I am and asked people to just come quietly. And the next day they criticized him because they said that the Trump of feed in the stadium. Oh man I tell you about catch 22. The Trump of the sound of the feed in the stadium was an emotional turn on and it was not good. You can't win. But anyway I heard him answer the question why do you have an invitation. He says there's something about people walking down an aisle and saying I'm signing on the bottom line I'm taking my stand with Christ which confirms the decision. That's true about walking with Christ and Colossians the Apostle Paul says just as you received him walking him. Now I've given you the principle before but let me give it to you again. You take the first step. Are you getting tired of this? God will take the second step and by the time you get to the third one you'll know it was God who took the first step. Now let me give you a carl area back from old slew food himself. You take the first step. The devil will take the second step and the third and the fourth and the fifth and the sixth for you until the fire is so hot. You won't be able to stand it. Don't just sit there. Choose. Draw a line in the stand for God's sake. Choose. The tracks will be greased. You will be pushed in the direction you choose. It's the principle of magnified inclination. Then I've got one other principle and then we're finished on this text. I want you to note the principle of the third gratification. Look at Romans 623 for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life and Christ Jesus our Lord. Now why is Paul bringing eternal life right now? I'll tell you why because he wants you to not only ask God to remind you of your past but to remind you of your future. Senator Monney and a study on poverty a number of years ago said that one of the major reasons for poverty was the inability of before to deal with delayed gratification. Now the good senator has said some silly things but he was right about that and some other things. It's true about poverty. If you're poor means you don't say it means that when you get a buck you spend a buck. That you can hardly wait to go out and gratify yourself with whatever you've got and let tomorrow take care of itself. Now if you don't want to be poor anymore then you've got to set a plan. You've got to delay gratification. Now it's the same way with the Christian life. Now but not yet listen God is preparing a place for you. The gratification now comes in thinking about the place that he's prepared for you. The reality will be good. Someone has written the beautiful lines of a wonderful song just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven. A taking hold that a hand and finding it God's hand. A breathing new air and finding it heavenly air, a feeling invigorated and finding immortality, a passing from storm and tempest into an unbroken calm of waking up and finding it home. One of the best ways that I know to keep on trucking is to remember home. To remember that you're not home yet, to remember that someday sometimes he's going to call you and you'll be home and there won't be anymore struggles. Keep on trucking. Till you get home, you think about that.