Fifth Sunday in Lent (2023)
Notes
Transcript
You Are A New Person
As the text for the last regular Sunday of the Lenten season, this will be heard by Christians preparing to join the Palm Sunday crowd in their shouts of welcome and praise, but only to experience a few short days later how shouts of praise are drowned out by cries of “Crucify him!”
We live in a time when many are feeling insecure. Inflation still seems out of control. Some who are retired, and those about to retire, may feel insecure about their retirement savings and income — “Will there be enough to last?” There are even children who experience insecurity because of failing families.
As God’s children we need to be assured that being members of God’s family give us genuine security for this life and the next. The Holy Spirit assures us that Christ died to pay for the sins that tore us away from our Father. And we need to be assured that in Christ our Father loves us, supports us, and is there whenever we need him.
The Spirit leads us away from judging our own faith on the basis of feelings or failures, and brings us the objective promises of God.
But hear this: the future is a bright for God’s children in spite of personal problems or troubles in the world. A glory awaits us that outweighs all earthly problems and troubles. It is glory we will share with Jesus forever.
How?
You Are A New Person
As a new person,
You Are a Child of God
You Are a Child of God
You have received the Spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15)
Living in our sinful nature is only fear, because we are sinful and deserve punishment.
But the Holy Spirit regenerated us through the Word (Titus 3:5, John 3:1-17; Rom 1:16-17).
Now you have a new spiritual life.
The Spirit bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16; Rom 5:5).
And He pours into our hearts holy desires — Like prayer, desire to serve (Rom 7:22; Rom 8:15)
Now we have the call to live like God’s children.
No longer debtors to the flesh (Rom 8:12
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
Sin living within us is constantly tempting us (Rom 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
To live to the flesh brings death (Rom 8:13
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.
We are to put to death — mortify — the deeds of the flesh (v. 13; Gal 5:24; 1 Cor 9:27)
We Are Heirs
We Are Heirs
As heirs we may have to endure a little suffering (Rom 8:17-18)
Much of our suffering is self-inflicted
The chastens those whom He loves (Heb. 12:6).
But, then there are times we suffer for Christ’s sake and the Gospels (Matt 10:10-39).
Yet, we have the hope of glory (Rom 8:18)
In fact, all creation looks forward — like with their necks outstretched looking ahead with intense watching, waiting and never tiring, until the thing waited for finally appears.
The whole creature world is made to depend on what God does with his children.
Going back to the fall of Adam which plunged the creature world into corruption, the Christian hope is tied to the fulfillment of the expectation of even this created world.
We shall receive it.
Our souls will be with Christ.
On the last day our bodies will be raised and glorified (v. 11; 1 Cor 15)
The glory shall outweigh the suffering of this life.
The suffering as a Christian we endure in this life can be compared to scales. In one bin all our challenges and sufferings are placed. In the other bin goes the glory that God promised. When that happens, the bin containing the sufferings we knew in this life will fly into the air, like it was nothing but feathers. In that day we will look at what awaits us and say WOW! What I had to endure in my life here was worth it all.
Fight on, my soul, till death shall bring thee to thy God.
Remade indeed! Thanks to the Spirit we are children and heirs.