God's Purpose through the Spirit: Romans 8
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
What if your were Found Guilty and condemned, but your’e not.
I wonder how many of you have read the stories of people wrongly imprisoned for a crime they claim they did not commit? They plead their innocence only to be denied the freedom they claim they should have.
Or what about the stories of the many people who were imprisoned, found innocence.
I met an individual in Calgary who had been incarsiraed for years and released. I won’t mention his name, but it was a big case in Canada and he was never the same after that event.
Condemned.
This morning we are going to be looking at various passages found in Romans 8
This passage is full of rich words that could take several sermons to explain all of the content, but that is not my point this morning.
A couple of weeks ago, I was in the process of not being able to preach this Sunday so I had asked a friend if he would be willing to fill in for me.
When he found out the passage, his response was like mine, how can it all be covered in one sermon,
Folks it can’t.
But this morning, like an early morning swim in an outdoor hotel pool, we are going to dip our toes in the water, I hope that in doing so, we will be delighted with the warmth of the message and will want to dive fully into the passage as a weekly study.
In order to see that entire chapter I have divided it up into four parts,
The theme, as we will discover, is looking at our spiritual lives.
We are to be Spiritually minded, Spiritually Lead, Spiritually sealed, and finally we are Spiritually Loved.
Let’s Stand as we look into the reading of God’s Word found in Romans
Beginning in Chapter 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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.
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.
Let’s Pray
Spiritually Minded Vs 1-11
Spiritually Minded Vs 1-11
Paul begins this chapter with a powerful statement.
No Condemnation.
Christ’s work on the Cross has removed the Judgement of God upon His creation.
For many reading this, who love to share the love of God, His Compassion tell many that there is no Condemnation.
Christ has saved us All
He has come and finished the work of Death on the Cross.
The sin that so easily entangles us has been removed once for all and we All will be saved.
Maybe you are sitting in the chair and saying Amen,
Maybe your sitting here listening and wondering, wait, is there more?
The Good and bad news is that Paul didn’t stop there either.
He begins this section of being spiritually minded by stating this
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
When I was in Bible School, our gymnasium was often rented on a Saturday for a large floor hockey tournament.
On mass, people would come to spend the day playing floor hockey. The school had built 2 foot high boards that would be set out on the gym creating several smaller playing areas for the round robin tournament. The boards were far enough apart from one another that a chair could sit in there and often a piece of paper on the board,
“Sin Bin”
Those guilty of an infraction in the game, would take their momentary place of shame in that bin as their team struggled without them.
For the team and the player it was a bin for only a moment.
Paul spent the first seven chapters of his letter to the Romans describing the state and condition of the sin bin.
In fact, if I could take the analogy even farther, we all started out in the sin bin.
The Law was introduced and pointed out the way in which we deserve to be in the bin. The law shows us that if good behaviour is carried out, for a moment, we might be able to get out, but soon realize that knowing the rules, we are right back in the bin.
Paul states,
Rom 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Those in Christ Jesus
Those in Christ Jesus
No Condemnation is only for those who are in Christ.
That is the Good news.
The bad news, is there is coming a day for those who are not in Christ Jesus, a day they will find themselves lost.
The Judge will judge, The ref will blow the whistle, The infraction will be called out, and a penalty will be rendered.
It’s at that time, like a soccer referee reaching into his pocket to pull out the red card for the player, the player begins to plead for mercy,
The player begins to point out all the ways in which it couldn’t possibly be that bad, yet the ref still reaches into his pocket.
Out comes the red card.
The judgement is over,
The condemnation has been issued.
The condemnation will be issued, but those who are in Christ will be cleared.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Set Free
Set Free
The moment that that judgement is rendered, Christ stands in our place and we are set free from the condemnation.
He paid a debt He did not owe, I owe a debt I cannot pay.
The moment we become “in Christ Jesus” we begin to play by a different set of rules as it were.
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,
Those law and the fleshly way of trying to keep up with the laws is impossible.
It’s can’t be done.
I often hear, “Oh, they are such good people!”
We are not good enough on our own.
The Law was there to prove that.
God sending His Son condemned the flesh and brought life to us.
Life that is eternal.
Now if one would stop reading at this point, and quite honestly some have, they see this as a licence that the debt has been paid therefore I can continue in my old ways knowing that the debt will be cancelled in the end.
But Folks,
Paul didn’t stop there.
Jesus came and has claimed victory over the death, but being spiritually minded also comes with actions.
Look at vs 4
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.
How is your walking?
The greek word is (Perry put tell)
to live or behave in a specified manner.
Paul is not saying the law is invalid, through the Spirit’s work in our lives, when we live in the Spirit’s way, we are set free from the bondage of the Law.
Folks when you choose to be a follower of Christ, His Spirit comes to dwell within you and will guide you how to live.
You have entered a battle.
The righteous requirement of the Law cannot be fulfilled on our own attempts by our own nature, it is only fulfilled through the Spirit.
I heard the a great definition of conflict this past week.
The speaker said, when two things attempt to occupy the same thing or in this case the same space, there will be conflict.
When you become a follower of Christ, and the Spirit comes to dwell in you, it comes to remove the former way of life that is the flesh, our sin nature.
It will come in the future to fully eradicate our old sin nature, but at the present it comes to battle the sin nature.
It’s our purpose to walk in the Spirit. Putting away those things in our lives that are nature driven.
Living the Christian life is a battle with ones own self.
The beauty is that we are not asked to do this alone.
When I lived in Calgary, I had the opportunity to volunteer in the Calgary Marathon. Year after year, I would come early in the morning to prepare for the runners. As I travelled on the train to downtown, many runners were on the train as well preparing for the run. Some were silent, listening to something, while others were laughing and joking with one another.
They all had one thing in common, to run the race, to finish.
For those who were running for the first time there was a sense of excitement, and thrill, will a lot of fear. For the runners who were once again running, it was setting their mind on beating their previous time.
What was most interesting to watch,
and believe me,
I was given a corner along the race that every runner ran by me at least 2 times, leaving the start and returning to the finish, they all had this in common.
In a race of individualistic accomplishment, no one ever ran alone.
There were people, family, friends, crowds, volunteers, along the race cheering them on.
The fastest followed the time clock vehicle, the pace runners with their pace sign were surrounded by runners holding that pace, the first aid personnel on their bikes to help those who were in distress. Even someone watching to see if the last runner was still running or walking to cross the finish line.
Being Spiritually minded, living and walking with the Spirit is not to be done alone.
You are first and foremost doing it with the Spirit, Secondly you are doing it with other believers.
Those in our lives that are running with us. Some are on the sidelines cheering us on as we battle the race and all the challenges that come with running.
During one of the races, there were teams made up of a group of people, I can’t remember clearly, but at least 12 maybe more, were bundgie tied together around the waist, and all ran together. One couldn’t go off on their own, run their race on their own. They had to stay together, run at the same pace.
If one fell, they all stopped, they helped that fallen person, and then continued on the race.
What a great example that the Body of Christ should operate as we walk in the Spirit.
Paul reminds us in vs 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.
How can we know we are believers, quite simple put in these verses, God’s Spirit dwells within you.
It is that same Spirit that one day will raise our mortal bodies to be like Christ’s risen body.
We have a new life now because of Christ’s work on the cross for our lives.
Spiritually Led Vs 12-17
Spiritually Led Vs 12-17
Paul moves onto the next section of our Spiritual life and that is how we are led.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
What drives and leads you? Is it your sin nature that drives you to do what you want or are you being led by the Spirit.
You are called and will be called Sons of God.
When Christ returns and calls His own to Him, will you be one of the ones called?
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Have you given your life over to His will, saying goodbye to your sinful nature to lead you and are looking to God to lead and Guide you through His Word?
One person wrote,
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 29: Romans (Living in the Good of the Family)
As is common with all families, life in the family involves many privileges and responsibilities. Sons of God are “led by the Spirit of God” (v. 14). This is both an obligation on the part of the son and an evidence of his sonship
Often when a child is born the family members gather around the child and try to see who they look like and resemble.
I must say, I have told my son and others that my Grandson doesn’t resemble me in any way, so I guess I will have to train him to act and think like me.
When you describe your child, what characteristics do you look for?
I love the expression “The child has the eyes of ....”
You see in order to be fully led by the Spirit, we must have the eyes of the Spirit.
To see what God wants us to see.
To Go where God wants us to God. To follow the path God has set out for us.
That sometimes means going like the road to the cross.
Paul reminds us
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.
Being led by the Spirit will give us the title Children of God
Spiritually Sealed Vs 18-30
Spiritually Sealed Vs 18-30
The next beauty of having no Condemnation in Christ is that we are Spiritually sealed in Christ.
Paul reminds us in the next set of verses of the coming time.
We are sealed for that time.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Are you eagerly awaiting the time that you will truly be called an Child of God in the fullest extent of the word.
Following Christ, being Spiritually minded, Spiritually Led, will bring about a final change because we have been sealed for the coming age.
The corruptible mortal bodies in which we live have been sealed by Christ Work on that day, will be changed.
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
The trick knee, soar back, numbness in the hand will be changed.
How do we live today knowing that one day that seal, that promise, that hope will be reveled,
Paul tells us,
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
A verse often used out of context is found in this chapter,
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
But look at the context,
We are sealed to Walk in the Spirit,
To walk in our weakness,
The Spirit intercedes for our groanings, our heart cry.
The working together is the having a spiritual mind, being led by the Spirit, being sealed by the Spirit that in that day, All things will work out for our Good, on that day.
To be redeemed fully, to be transformed fully.
Those who walk in this way are called, justified, predestined, and all things work together to be glorified.
The trials of this life are but a passing thought in comparison to that day.
Spiritually Loved Vs 31-39
Spiritually Loved Vs 31-39
The final section of this chapter is dealing with those who are spiritually loved.
Paul begins by saying
Rom 8:31 “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
What is your view of God?
Is He Powerful, Almighty, All knowing, All Seeing, Holy, Full of Grace and Mercy.
If that is your view of God, then you are Spiritually Loved and can say with confidence,
Who can be against us
We are so Spiritually loved that God, by His own voice, spoke this world into creation, sent His Son to this world and to redeem us to Himself.
He did not spare His own son
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
All things, what things,
Wealth, prosperity, Joy, happiness, yes sometimes,
But Paul outlines what He had truly given us.
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
We have someone who stands in the gap for us.
Remember Paul started with
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is all we need. The day we stand before an Almighty God,
Jesus stands there for us, in our place.
We are so spiritually loved,
A love described so deep that exceeds anything in this world we treasure.
Rom 8:35 “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
Notice Paul reminds us that even though God gives us all “things”, it is not a removal from these things in our lives.
God doesn’t bring them into our lives, but God love does more than remove these things,
There is no separation from God’s love. Nothing can be done to remove God’s Love.
When those trial of life seem to come in and overwhelm us, God’s Love shows up even more.
Can God’s love be separated from us,
Romans 8:38-39 “38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Are you living Spiritually Minded
Are you being led by the Spirit
Do you realize that you have been sealed by the Spirit for the coming age
And do you rest in the knowledge of being Spiritually loved.
I hope so and my prayer is that if you are not, that you turn today to follow the one who one day will return.
In Summary
In Summary
As the worship team makes there way to the front to lead us in a song of response, if you need to come for prayer, may I encourage you to come to pray. Come to the alter and bring your requests to Him.
He is our Hope for the nations.
Response to Worship
Response to Worship
Benediction
Benediction