The scripture

this morning's message is found in the book of Romans,

chapter 6, versus 14 to 19.

For sins shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then?

Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace, may it never be.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience,

you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death or of obedience

resulting in righteousness.

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of

teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of

righteousness.

I'm speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh,

for just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness.

So now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. Father, my heart's desire for us, and I'm sure I speak for hundreds in this room, is that we as a people would count you as our treasure and as a

precious jewel more valuable than anything else in the world.

And that our affections would awaken to this estimation of your value.

I pray that we would move beyond decision to delight, beyond willpower duty to satisfied desire.

I pray that you would get the glory of right thinking, but even more the glory of fitting affections.

I pray for those who are sitting there right now quite dead spiritually who feel nothing of what we've just sung and who look upon you as a truth to be agreed to and not a treasure to be

cherished. I pray that you would give them life and not leave them dead.

And so Lord, that's beyond my doing.

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