Verses 20-25, "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But 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. 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."

2. This message deals with the last four which are the dangers of:

- Backsliding and not repenting.
- Committing deliberate, willful sin
- Being careless and going undisciplined in our lives
- Refusing to hear the Word of God.

1. I Cor. 9:24-27 - Paul said he kept his body under subjection: lest even after preaching to others he would be a cast- away. He struggled to obey God and not allow his carnal nature to control him.
a. The cure for backsliding was self discipline. Verse25 "temperate in all things" means "practices self-discipline."

b. Verse26 states also that it must be a determined in this endeavor "not as uncertainly" means literally, "I run not aimlessly, I do not fight as one who aimless beating the air." In other words he runs the race, or lives his life with purpose. The new nature desires to serve God and live a godly live and that is what he strives to do that is his goal.

ILLUS: Using the term run the race refers to an athlete who is competing in a race. No runner, runs to lose. He enters the race to win and do his very best. Because his goal is to come in first he practices daily to condition his body to be at its optimum. Athletes practice for years. There is a commercial on TV about the coming 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and shows a running in training. The runners says this is not a one day affair, but one of training every day. That is the way it is in the Christian life. It must be our purpose to live godly lives....they best possible life for Christ. With that as our goal we strive every day to achieve that purpose.

c. Verse27 means a cast away, is one who has been disqualified. A athlete must obey the laws of the sport. If he takes drugs or disobeys the rules he is disqualified and is not allowed to compete. What a tragedy to be set aside in disgrace because we broke the rules. Paul in using this illustration is telling us that in order to live a life that honors the Lord we must live obeying His instructions.

2. I Cor. 11:28-32 What happens if a believer sins and refuses to repent?
a. One is that we come under the chastisement of God in danger of becoming sick in body, of dying an early death, and having little or no reward at the BEMA judgment.

b. Heb. 12:6 - Says whom the Lord loves he chasteneth. He does not allow us to continue in sin but in love chastens us to turn us from sin and its destructive influence in our lives. Our response should be to "endure hardship as discipline." God is treating us as sons. If you are not disciplined when you blatantly sin then you are not a son."

1. Verse38, is the key verse, "now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

2. Verse39 "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul"

1. The cure is I John 1:9 "to repent of willful sin."

2. When we sin and do not confess it as sin we are in danger of progressively let it control us to the point we refuse to admit it in our pride and self justification.

1. This is reference to the BEMA judgment of Christians after the rapture.

2. Verse16 states again the we are the temple of God.

3. These verse clearly establish the doctrine that God cannot reward disobedience nor can He bless those in disobedience.

"Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees, Make level paths for your feet. so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

1. Hebrews 12:11 " No discipline seems pleasant at the time, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

2. When we as children were disciplined, it was not fun...right??

We didn't like it, but if we realized that our parents did it out of love, we took it knowing we desired it, and purposed in our hearts to do better, if for no other reason than to keep from getting another whipping.

ILLUS: There is another ad I saw on TV which shows several teenagers complaining about their parents disciplining them. One says you would not give me my freedom and did not understand me and let me live my own life. The last teens pauses for a moment and then says...."Thank you Mom."

It is referring to peace with God! The result of obeying God and living as He tells us is we live in peace with God and peace within our lives. Folks that is the only way to go. If we are at odds with God we will not have peace and satisfaction in our lives. There is true joy in salvation when we live as a child of God.

B. Verse25, let us not refuse God who is offering us grace and love and sonship, who also is capable of judgment.

C. In other words, realize who God is! (See verse 22)

Realize who we are saved to...to God, and we are His children.

D. "For our God is a consuming fire" Heb. 12:29

1. God will not allow sin to continue unchecked or unpunished, if there is not genuine repentance, and effort to overcome it.

2. He loves us enough to want the very best for us even to chastening us and to beseech us to do right.

Many times, it is the carnal way, to reject those who will not do as they should. But that is not God's way. His love in unconditional and never rejects us.