Sermon Tone Analysis

Series Intro:

Series: Life in the Spirit (Romans 8)

Romans 8 is considered by many to be the greatest chapter in the Bible.

Properly understood, Romans 8 tells us how to live a life of freedom and victory.

It gives us the right understanding of who we are in Christ.

It speaks of our Resurrection and future blessed hope of seeing Christ come back.

With chap.

8 we arrive at what may be called the inspirational highlight of the Book of Romans.

Here the apostle is swept along in a wave of spiritual exaltation that begins with God’s provision of the Spirit for victory over the old nature, breaks through the sufferings that mark our present existence, and crests with a doxology of praise to the unfathomable love of God revealed in Christ Jesus.

Nowhere in the annals of sacred literature do we find anything to match the power and beauty of this remarkable paean of praise (Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans, vol.

6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 244–245.)

To sum up what Chapter 8 is about we will use the phrase: Life in the Spirit.

We are going to spend three weeks in this glorious chapter:

Part One: Freedom (v1-17)

Part Two: Victory (v18-30)

Part Three: Love (v31-39)

Today, we are going to talk about Freedom.

Life in the Spirit is a life of freedom.

Life in the Spirit: Freedom (Romans 8:1-17)

What is the worst thing that you have ever done?

How do you feel about that?

The second book in the Bible, the book of Exodus, documents a dark time for God’s people the Israelites.

When the book begins they are a free people, living in Egypt.

They were fruitful, their numbers increased rapidly, they multiplied, they became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.

There was a political change, a new king came on the scene, he felt threatened by them, so he oppressed them.

He forced them into slavery.

Their lives became bitter as they were ruthlessly imposed with difficult labor.

They eventually cry out to God and He raised up a deliverer and they are gloriously set free from their bondage.

God is a god of freedom.

While we here in America enjoy freedom, today in our world there are somewhere between 30-40 million slaves.

Cambodia, South Sudan, China and many other countries practice slavery.

This is wrong and evil and does not please the Lord.

There is another kind of slavery that happens in the world today.

It can happen to anyone; it can happen to followers of Jesus.

I’m talking about slavery to guilt and condemnation, slavery to sin, and slavery to fear.

I come back to the question with which I began.

What’s the worst thing that you have ever done, and how do you feel about that?

Do you feel condemned?

Do you feel lousy, miserable, guilty?

Do you feel afraid?

Are you allowing these emotions to control you?

To live in the Spirit, it to live free from condemnation.

There is no imperative, not a single command.

We are talking about a life that is so guided by the Spirit that there is no need for a string of commands.

This is describing a supernatural life that happens very naturally.Romans 8:1-17 speaks of freedom.

Freedom from condemnation, freedom from sin, and freedom from fear.

Let’s take a closer look.

Freedom from Condemnation

Rom 8:1“1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...

Here we see that our freedom from condemnation is tied to our identity.

1a.

....Because we are in Christ (v1)

Romans 8 speaks of our new identity in Christ.

Human beings are searching for identity.

Many search in negative and harmful ways: bullying, feel better about themselves as they make others feel bad, finding their identity by being part of a gang, trying to change their gender because they feel like they are trapped in the wrong body.

Getting involved in all sorts of sexual sin.

This is not how you find your identity.

This is not how you discover who you are.

Even healthier areas of focus like sports and music and academics and business, while they can be good, and we need to be involved in recreation.

These activities certainly can be part of your identity.

But the place to find the core of your identity is “in Christ.”

In school, people might say “I am in sports.

I am in the debate club.”

Christian, you are “in Christ.”

This is your identity.

Look at this profound verse:

1 Cor 6:17 “17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Are you joined to the Lord?

John 14:19-20 “19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.

Because I live, you will live also.

20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

This is what Romans 8 is about.

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...

The NO is emphatic.

There is no single kind of condemnation that can be brought against us.

We are united with Christ.

Is there any condemnation of Jesus?

Of course not!

You would never think that Jesus could be found guilty of any wrong doing.

We are united with Him, so there is no condemnation directed at us.

Our freedom from condemnation is tied to our identity in Christ.

It is also tied to the activity of Christ for us.

Look at v3-4

1a.

Because Jesus was condemned for us.

(v3-4)

The perfect Man was condemned for the sin of the world.

So you don’t have to be.

Jesus was punished for your sin, so that you could have His standing with God.

There’s no condemnation.

John 3:16–17 (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Word to those who feel guilty...

It’s likely in a crowd like this that some of you have done some bad things.

Even as believers it is possible to sin terribly.

God wants you to know today that He forgives you because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus died for all of your sin, past, present, and future.

He knows your weakness, he knows your struggle and he gives you the church to help you.

Don’t be condemned today.