Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning we continue our study in the book of Romans that we started in July of this year.

We are in the middle of the the 8th chapter - and this is the chapter that we have said is the victory lap.

It is so packed full of Gospel goodness.

As many scholars have said “it begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation”

This is the Spirit chapter.

The word spirit was used one time in chapters 1-7, it appears 21 times in the 8th.

This is an incredible chapter, one that I have been stuck on for a while.

It is a beautiful description of who we are in Christ.

As we look at the world around us, it is easy - so easy for us to be concerned about the things that are going on.

For us to get worried - this chapter deals with that.

This chapter starts with no condemnation and ends with no separation.

This is the anthem of the believer.

This is our comfort food.

This is our blessed assurance.

It is right here.

Last week I had Quinn on the scaffold and we rolled around the sanctuary - to give some sort of illustration to the idea that our heart set matters - and that with our heart set, we choose either Flesh or Spirit.

We choose our long off in the distance destination, and that changes everything about what we do and what we experience between here and there.

If you missed that - it’s online.

We had a good time with it.

Today we are picking up where we left off last week in verse 12-13, and we will only get through those two verses today.

I included the verse slides for King James - for one reason really… its starts the sentence a little better.

So then, he says in verse 12 - reminding us of everything we have already heard from this chapter and before… What we studied last week

The spirit of God is working to complete the work that was begun in us.

1. Changes our thinking

2. Produces life and peace in us and through us

3. Dwells in us

4. Will Resurrect us

He says because of that - we are not obligated to the flesh.

What does that mean?

To be obligated means to owe someone something.

The king james and ESV say we are not debtors to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

It means we don’t have to.

Our names are no longer associated with that debt.

We died to sin - we know from earlier in this book - and are no longer tied to it in any way.

So we know right off that we are dealing with our relationship with sin and the flesh.

We used to have to deal with them, but we don’t any more.

Last week I mentioned my dad passing away and that he was in the hospital for 17 days before that.

We were driving back and forth to Blessing hospital in quincy at least once a day - in a truck that got 9 miles to the gallon, gas prices were similar to what they are now - we were eating fast food or cafeteria food - which was more expensive.

And we racked up quite a bit of credit card debt all at once.

During that time - I lost my job.

It wasn’t a great job, but it paid a little bit, but I lost it.

And there were so many things going on - physically, mentally - that I couldn’t get another job at that time.

And I didn’t.

And the debt mounted.

Eventually, the debt collectors started calling.

And kept calling.

And there was nothing we could do because they were calling.

I owed them.

We eventually paid all of that off - but it took years.

And they kept calling.

It was such an amazing feeling.

Now the only people that call are asking about my extended warranty!

Being in debt that you cannot pay is a terrible situation.

There is nothing good or fun about it.

It is just bad.

Outside of our salvation relationship with Christ - that is our relationship with the flesh.

It owns us.

We owe it everything.

Every drop of joy, every penny of finances, every ounce of health and peace… the flesh requires it of us.

Paul tells us once again here - we don’t owe that debt any more.

We don’t have to live according to the flesh.

And, he says, if you DO live according to the flesh, you will die.

So what is the other option?

We know from last week - and earlier in this chapter - that we can and should be living according to the spirit!

And verse 13 tells us an important part of that.

These two verses are the two of the most important verses on sanctification.

The continuing change worked by God in us, freeing us from sinful habits and forming in us Christ like affections, dispositions and virtues.

It does not instantly eradicated sin, nor does it merely restrain or repress sin.

Sanctification produces real transformation.

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q.

35), sanctification is "the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness."

It is a continuing change worked by God in us, freeing us from sinful habits and forming in us Christlike affections, dispositions, and virtues.

It does not mean that sin is instantly eradicated, but it is also more than a counteraction, in which sin is merely restrained or repressed without being progressively destroyed.

Sanctification is a real transformation, not just the appearance of one.

Sanctification is a lifelong process that includes God continuing the work that He began in us, and our continued struggle against sin.

It isn’t something we can do on our own.

And it isn’t something that just happens to us.

It is the work that we partner with God to accomplish - where he provides all of the power and ability and we provide human effort dependent on God

2 Cor.

7:1 Phil.

3:10-14

Heb.

12:14).

Knowing that without Christ's enabling we cannot do good works, but also that He is ready to strengthen us for all we have to do (Phil.

4:13), we "abide" in Christ, asking for His help constantly-and we receive it (Col.

1:11; 1 Tim.

1:12; 2 Tim.

1:7; 2:1).

But Romans 8:13 reminds us that it isn’t just us in our own power.

There are three parts to this verse that we need to see.

If you live according to the flesh you will die

If you put to death the deeds of the body you will live

Most important - by the spirit.

We say when we share the Gospel with someone “Jesus died for to forgive your sins, now you need to go live your life for him”

And we say that because that is how we understand it ourselves!

Without further explanation or foundation – telling someone that, that Jesus died to forgive their sins now they need to go out and do their best -results in a legalistic approach to following God – a rules based Christianity.

The person who hears that – goes one of two ways… either they oscillate in doing well at following the rules, and then failing at following the rules.

Paul describes this reality in Romans 7:18-19.. that for those of us living in reality – the desire to good is there but often there is no ability to do it.

OR.

They are really good at following the rules and end up being no fun to be around.

Because the rules are all they do.

We create a law for ourselves.

And within that, start relying on ourselves for our salvation, giving room for sin to grow.