Romans 8:1-17
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Heirs with Christ
Heirs with Christ
Hey guys, Good morning! I just want to begin today with welcoming you into the house of the Lord.
This place is His and we have the joy of meeting our brothers and sisters here, worshiping together and are blessed to stand in the presence of Jesus when we do worship.
[Marci and I extend a blessed thank you to each of you for sending us away and giving us the resources to enjoy our time away. We had an wonderful break . So thank you for blessing us!]
This morning we come back to the book of Romans, and today we will examine the first part of chapter 8.
I hope you are enjoying it as we walk through these texts, this is really the best way to hear/study the Word of God...
One of the most beautiful things that happens when we come to faith in Christ, is that we are saved and with that we receive the Holy Spirit into our lives. He is such a blessing to the believer.
The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word so we can better understand these Spiritual truths, He has already convicted of sin in bringing us to Christ and will continue when we step out of line. He will guide us, help us and yes, is the assurance of our salvation, we are sealed with Him until the day of redemption. And He reminds us that we are the children of God.
Life in and by the Holy Spirit is wonderful. And this is where Paul is going in this chapter.
So as we open this chapter, let’s consider this first of three thoughts this morning...
So the first thought is this....
1. No Condemnation in Christ...
As we open this chapter, the first verse sets forth one of the most important truths of our Christian faith..
Look at verse Romans 8:1
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Now the verses starts with that word, “Therefore” and it reminds us, What Paul has just said is important, and because of that, there is the outcome..
Q. So what did Paul just tell us, in Romans 7, verse 25??
He says the freedom from and over the power of our sinful nature, the nature that man enters the world with, has been dealt with forever through the atoning work of Christ on the cross.
Because of that, there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ. Those who have received Christ has their Lord and Savior.
So the verdict of death that mankind deserved has been forever removed because Christ died in our place, He paid our sin-debt. So mankind is not condemned any longer.
There is joy for us my friends. Great joy! Why? We are free!
Look at verses 2-4 Romans 8:2-4
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Paul says that since there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, and as such we are free! Here is why...
A. We are Free… The Spirit has set us free, you see Paul is contrasting two different laws here in the text… the law of death and the law of the Spirit.
1. The old law (law of death), the power of sin results in death. The law could point out sin, the law revealed our short comings, but the law couldn’t rescue mankind from sin. Death reigned in our lives because of it. There is where we stood condemned.
But there is the second law....
2. The new law is of the Spirit. The law of the Spirit sets the believer free from the power of sin. God has saved us and then the Holy Spirit enters of our life and keeps us, He keeps us safe, secure until the day of redemption.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The day of redemption is the day we leave here to see Jesus or Jesus returns and takes us home. It doesn’t matter which one, He keeps us safe.
But secondly, not only are we free, God did what we were not able...
B. God did what we were not able… God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful men, ( literally in the flesh) the phrase “incarno” with flesh or in flesh, (like chili con carne) He was made like us, yet without sin. Why? That He might be made sin for us. he took on our fallen nature, this veil of flesh yet he did not sin, (remember the temptation of Christ by the devil)
Then his death we remember Jesus hung on the cross that day and took upon himself the sins of humanity, past, present and future. He bore that awful state upon his life that He might atone for our sin.
The law couldn’t do that, all the law could do was pronounce humanity as guilty. All the law could do was to set the penalty for sin. But God atoned for our sin.
His mission was to put an end to sin reigning in our life, to condemn that which held humanity hostage since the fall of man.
The couldn’t do that… But God did!
Because of that, there is no longer condemnation for those in Christ.
So the outcome, His death satisfies the righteous requirement of the law, as Paul said in verse 4
R. A Knox says God “signed the death warrant of sin.” The writer of Hebrews says this...
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
We are free....
Noe lets move to our next thought my friends....
Since you are in Christ, you were joined to Him when you called out for salvation and forgiveness. At that moment you passed from the old way, death and were brought to life… This new life is of the Spirit.
2. You are in the Spirit.....
We often forget we are a Spiritual creature.
We often only consider what we see and know, feel and touch the most about right now. But you have a living soul, you are a spiritual agent.
Since you are both, physical and spiritual, you have the opportunity to walk with God through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Why, you are spiritual too.
Look with me at verses 9-11
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So look at what Paul tells you about your spiritual life. He wants you to be clear, to understand your life in Christ.
A. Your life is in Christ.... So Paul says plainly, clearly if you are in Christ, if you belong to him you are in the Spirit, literally, the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Friends, there is nothing more clear that says when you are born again the Holy Spirit enters your life. A one time act, and the Holy Spirit is there until you see Jesus. Listen to what Paul shared in Ephesians....
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
I love this because it tells us he seals us, and his presence in us is a picture, memorial that reminds us of the guarantee that is to come.
And then secondly, You are alive in Christ.
B. You are alive by the Spirit... Now we know as the consequence of sin, our physical bodies are subject to death. Simply said, we must die physically as long as Jesus delays his coming.
But the spiritual man is enjoying life. Why? Because we are in Christ. The life our spiritual man is enjoying is the blessing and reward of justification.
And because of our life is in Christ, since we are filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul says the Holy Spirit, will raise us from the dead just as Jesus was raised.
So it is important what we be in Christ, in fact it is the most important decision a person can make my friends. To make a person decision about Christ in this lifetime, is life and death. Because without Christ a person is dead in their trespasses and sins, and if you are dead, the Spirit of God is not in you and there is no hope of the resurrection.
But to know Christ, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, means that we are heirs of Christ.
This is my last thought for today....
3. Heirs of Christ....
Having given our hearts over to the Lord Jesus and having been filled with His Spirit, ensures our place in the family of God.
This place my friends is the greatest place, the greatest position that we can find ourselves in, we see this in verses 12-17, as Paul shares this place with us.
Look with me at verses Romans 8:12-17
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
What Paul says here is so rich in meaning my friends. So there are a few things I want to remind you of in this passage.
A. Led by the Spirit makes you the sons (and daughters) of God.... You salvation in Christ and having the Holy Spirit in you is the necessary ingredient to be the son’s and or daughter’s of God.
You connections to Christ, authenticated by God’s Holy Spirit, is the mark of whose you are my friends. You once were slaves to sin, but you have been freed from sin and Saved by God, adopted into the family of God.
Listen to Jesus in John 1:12-13
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Those who trusted and called upon the name of the Lord had the right to be called the children of God.
And listen to the word Paul shared with those at Corinth....
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
B. You were not bought by Christ to be returned to Slavery....
The prince and ruler of the air, the devil seeks to restrict and hurt people, but Jesus gives live. Likewise, Jesus did not purchase you back from sin to return you to slavery.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
If we were uncertain about our future we would be full of fear, but fear is not of God. 2 Timothy 1:7 says
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
But instead we have a sure hope, what we received was adoption. I like that term, God chose you, called out come and hear, he calls for the world to come and hear. And if we choose God, we are made a son of daugther.
I choose Christ, and the Holy Spirit comes and says Welcome child to the family of God… isn’t that great. Why does God do this, because he loves us.
The Father has exercised authority over the son and has that son inter into a new place of privileges and responsibilities as if they were a natural son.
That made we think of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, do you remember the Son demanded His inheritance, his goodies and he left the father. I no longer what you or to be associated with you.
But he fell into sin and hired himself out as a hired man, no better than a slave for he was going hungry.
And then coming to his senses, he returns, confesses his sin and asks to be made like a slave. But what did the Father do… listen to Luke 15:21-24
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The father restored him, blessed him and loved him. My friends you deserved nothing but God loved you and gave you a place and position in Christ.
C. A Status Change....
How beautiful it is to know that God even confirms our new position. He wants us to know and be certain concerning our new place in Christ. Look at Romans 8:16-17
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Remember what we said early, The Holy Spirit, He the third person of the Holy Trinity comes and is our guarantee of the good things to come…
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Paul says that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit/soul that we are indeed God’s children. He is our assurance, our hope. Two passages i want to share with you here
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
And finally here, if we are sons, if we are His children, then we are heirs!
Did you hear that, what is God’s, he is giving to you! Go back to verse 17
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
We are God’s heir, and a co-heir with Christ … what does this mean?
Well it says that if we are co-heirs with Christ, then all that Christ has and possess is ours as well.
Jesus lived as we did, was tempted but He was without sin, and in doing so, died on the cross for the sins of world. That his life would be the sacrifice to atone for our sin. And in atoning for us, being the sacrifice necessary to redeem us… so that we could be the righteousness of God, and have life and not death.
And just as Christ was raised immortal from the dead through His resurrection, being the first fruits of the dead. Literally the first to experience the resurrection. Well to be in Christ means we will experience the resurrection as well.
Christ has prepared a place for us, His death finished the necessary work of God so that we can be like Christ, our mortal bodies becoming immortal so that we can stand in a place called heaven.
That is a statues change, we have gone from death unto life, from slave to free, from lost to redeemed, from unwanted with no hope to being declared a child of God.
Wow...
We have so much since we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. It reminds me that we should stop living like we are on our way to death, like there is no hope for us.
Yes, life here is tough, (sin broken world) but this is not our home. We are like Abraham who are going looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.
We have so much because of who we are in Christ, live like it.
So do you live like your His?
Do you chase after him and seek to follow him daily
Or do you spend your time entertaining sin
God is calling us to not be a slave to sin, but to be the child he has called us to be.
Pray
