Finding Rest in Our New Position Pt 2

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Not only does a right understanding of our salvation and of our being under grace produce great joy in our souls, but it also allows us to rest.

Friends, I invite you to find joy and rest this morning in your salvation, in your position of being united to Christ.

What truths do we need to understand about grace in order to find joy and have rest for our souls?

I. For those who are in Christ there is a binding authority or power at work which guarantees everlasting life. (8:1-2) Total Salvation

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

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.

The rest of the paragraph Paul explores this idea. If you are in Christ, then there is no longer any death-sentence, there is no longer any condemnation EVER! God’s grace in your salvation assures you of this truth.

Paul then anchors this grace in your position in Christ Jesus. If you are in Christ Jesus, if you are united to Him then you are under a new law or power or binding authority. Paul calls this power the law of the Spirit of life. And this power, found only in Christ Jesus, has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Now Paul is going to work out exactly what this authority or power, this law of the Spirit of life does for us. And he explores this power in every part of element of our salvation.

First, Paul starts with how this law or power works in our justification.

And this leads us to our second truth that once understood causes us to find joy and have rest for our souls.

II. Your salvation is assured because of what God has done for you not what you have done yourself. (8:3-4) Justification

Romans 8:3–4 ESV

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.

The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death because (and only for this reason) God has done the impossible for you.

You cannot do what is needed on your own to be set free from the law of sin and death. God had to do it for you and He did it by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. And in this sending of His own Son, and in Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, and in his burial and resurrection from the dead, God condemned (death-sentence) sin in the flesh.

For this purpose- that His own righteous, perfect, holy, just, and good requirements might be FULFILLED (πληρόω)! God’s righteous requirement has been filled all the way to the top! Completely accomplished, overflowingly accomplished, in your justification!

And this leads us to our third truth that once understood causes us to find joy and have rest for our souls.

III. If you are in Christ then you have been transferred into a new realm that is dominated by the Holy Spirit (8:5-8) Sanctification

If you have been united with Christ, then you have been transferred from the realm dominated by the flesh to the realm dominated by the Spirit.

Paul is eager to show us here that the grace of God in our salvation is effective in us not only for our initial justification, but for our sanctification and glorification as well.

Romans 8:4 (ESV)

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.

Transitional verse- who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. And Paul’s aim is to show why only believers walk according to the Spirit. Or in other words, why our sanctification is just as much a work of His grace as our justification was.

Romans 8:5 (NASB95)

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Speaking positionally here. If you are according to the flesh, if you are in the position of being in the flesh, if you are an unbeliever then you will have a mindset according to the flesh. But once you are in Christ, once you have received God’s grace, His own grace keeps on working on your behalf. Not only in justifying you, but in working out practical holiness in you as well.

If you are in Christ, then you are in the Spirit, you are according to the Spirit, then you will have a mindset according to the Spirit. Why? Because God’s grace will cause it to be so. This is not to deny the human responsibility part of our sanctification. We will get to that later in our message. But, for know Paul wants to focus on the divine part of our salvation, the grace part of our salvation. Because it is here that we find joy and rest.

Romans 8:6 ESV

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

This is a positional statement! Remember from last week.

Life and peace illustration

If you have been united with Christ, then there is no condemnation at for, and you are under the law of the Spirit of life, and you are in the position of being in the Spirit, so you will walk in the Spirit, and you will set your mind on the things of the Spirit, therefore you have life and peace.

This is what Paul means when he says to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

BUT- in contrast to this, Paul says to set the mind on the flesh is death.

Romans 8:7–8 ESV

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.

And this leads us to our fourth truth that once understood causes us to find joy and have rest for our souls.

IV. Your future resurrection is guaranteed by the power of the triune God working on your behalf (8:9-11) Glorification

Romans 8:9 ESV

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.

Paul just finished telling us that our sanctification is empowered by God’s grace. It is only those who are in the Spirit who have any ability whatsoever to walk in the Spirit or to have a mindset according to the Spirit. Those outside of Christ are in the flesh and have no hope to do anything other than walk in the flesh and have a mindset according to the flesh. This is a position of hostility to God, this is a position of rebellion against God, and this is a position of inability to please God.

BUT you, Roman Christians, are not in the flesh (you are not in the position of being in flesh, you are not in the realm dominated by the flesh). Instead you are in the Spirit, you are in the position of being in the Holy Spirit, you are in the realm now dominated by the Holy Spirit.

How can you know if you are in this new realm?

if in fact, or if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Now I think we miss Paul’s point by calling into question the salvation of the Roman believers. Instead, these conditional sentences here in this section could be translated as “since in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.”

You, Roman Christians, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

What a wonderful description of a Christian. How do you know if you are a Christian? By means of the Spirit of God dwelling in you.

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Every true believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. At the moment of your salvation on the benefits of being united to Christ is having the Holy Spirit dwell within you.

Why does it matter so much if you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you?

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

First of all I want you to notice how easily Paul can move between members of the trinity in these verses.

Romans 8:9–10 (ESV)

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.

Why can Paul so easily move and shift between the different persons of the trinity?

“What this means is not that Christ and the Spirit are equated or interchangeable, but that Christ and the Spirit are so closely related in communicating to believers the benefits of salvation that Paul can move from one to the other almost unconsciously.” (Moo, 491)

And we will see in moment the working of the Father in our salvation as well. The power of the triune God is at work bring to us the benefits of our salvation! That is a wonderful soul thrilling idea.

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Believers, listen to the grace of God at work in your future glorification.

If Christ is in you, or we could say it this way, “Since Christ is in you”

Although the body is dead because of sin? What does that mean?

Because of our past justification and our present sanctification- both the penalty and the power of sin have been destroyed. But the presence of sin still remains. We still dwell in bodies cursed by sin and therefore subject to death.

Unless we are raptured, we will all have to face the physical death of our bodies. But since Christ is in you, although you will have to face the physical death of these bodies because of the continued presence of sin, the Spirit (that is the Holy Spirit) is life because of righteousness.

Since believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, even though we face physical death because of sin, we have the guarantee of life. The Holy Spirit will give life, why?

Because of righteousness. What righteousness are we talking about?

The imputed righteousness of Christ!

Friends, you future glorification (your resurrection from the dead) is guaranteed by the power of the triune God.

Here we are told that we have the Holy Spirit of life dwelling within us guaranteeing life. And that life is also guaranteed because we have the imputed righteousness of the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ.

So your glorification is guaranteed by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is guaranteed by the power of the imputed righteousness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ the righteous.

AND, beyond that:

Romans 8:11 ESV

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.

If the Spirit, or since the Spirit of HIM who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. Who is the him? This is the Father. Since the Spirit of the Father who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you!

The Heavenly Father decreed that His only Son should be raised to life from the dead by the power of His Spirit. And by that decree, by the will of the Father Himself, through the power of His Holy Spirit, He raised Christ Jesus from the dead! This life was not the same life either. God willed that by the power of His Spirit Jesus should be raised to a glorified life. This was not a Lazarus like resurrection. Why not? Because Lazarus was brought back to the same life as he had before. How do we know that? He died again!

But not Jesus. He was raised by the will of the Heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Spirit to glorified life.

So now hear the joy and rest that come from the grace of God for you friend!

Romans 8:11 (ESV)

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.

The same eternal will and the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead will one day give life to your mortal bodies! Through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Since Christ is in you and He has imputed to you His own righteousness.

Since the Spirit of life indwells you guaranteeing eternal life for you.

Since the Heavenly Father wills His resurrection power on your behalf,

The triune God powerfully works together for you promising life to your mortal bodies. You future glorification is all based on the powerful promises of God’s grace and not one once of your own effort.

How could your salvation be any more secure? What other power could God add to ensure your salvation? Every person of the trinity is exercising the full force of their power to save you. You cannot be more secure than you are right now because of your salvation! Rejoice in that hope, rest in that hope! This is the free gift of grace that God offers in salvation!

Illustration: Playing baseball in the backyard / holding back when I pitch / sometimes I can’t help myself and I don’t hold anything back. I used the full force of my pitch to blow the ball right past them. Why? Because I love the look on their faces!

Friends, God didn’t hold anything back when he saved us! He brought to bear the full force of his power and the full measure of his grace! Our salvation is secure, not because of our own works, but because of the full force of God’s power and grace!

He Giveth More Grace:

V. 2: When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our horded resources,

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit;

His grace has no measure;

His power has no boundary known unto men.

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth and giveth and giveth again!

So what?

I think Paul then concludes with two points of application in vv. 12-13.

The first point deals with the object to his opponents that has filled chapters 6-7. Do you remember the objects his opponents raised?

Romans 5:20 ESV

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Romans 6:1 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

Romans 6:15 ESV

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Paul, we can’t teach people about this kind of grace! If we teach this kind of grace we will through open the door for people to sin and sin and sin. Paul you are teaching lawlessness! We cannot say these things.

Here we find Paul’s answer in his first application of this limitless radical grace.

Romans 8:12 ESV

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

We are debtors- we are obligated persons, we are people who are under a moral obligation to do something.

We are not debtors to the flesh. We are no longer in debt to the realm of the flesh. To sin, to this rebellious sinful world under the control of Satan. We are no longer debtors to that realm any longer. Why not? We are dead to it, we have been transferred out of it, it no longer has any power over us. We are not debtors of it and so we don’t have to live according to it.

What are we debtors to? Christ!

Here is the important question- why? In other words what is our motivation for this debt?

2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

We now serve God willingly because we love Him. When you teach God’s grace, so full so free, you empower Christians to become debtors, not to the flesh, but to Christ. And the motivation for service is no longer rooted in fear, but rather in love.

1 John 4:17–18 ESV

17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Application #1: Recognize that when you rejoice and rest in the grace of God for your salvation your love for God becomes your primary motive for obedience.

Romans 8:12 ESV

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

We are debtors to God, to live according to the Spirit.

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sov’reign die, Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?

Was it for sins that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe; Here Lord, I give myself away: ’Tis all that I can do.

Rejoice and rest in God’s grace. See the powerful grace of God working on your behalf in every area of your salvation, from beginning all the way to the end. And then go out and serve God, walk according to the Spirit, out of an awed overwhelmed heart of love. Let your love for God compel your obedience to God!

The second point of application comes in the form of a warning.

Romans 8:13 ESV

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.

Paul concludes this paragraph with a stern warning. And we would be fools not to let the weight of this warning have its full effect.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die?

What death is he talking about? Second death! Lake of fire death.

It cannot be physical death only. What kind of warning is that? We will all face physical death someday!

Paul’s warning is that if YOU (plural- referring to Roman Christians!), if you, Christians, live according to the flesh, then you will die. And here Paul really does use the verb, “to live” that is if you lead a certain kind of life, if you live in a certain manner, and that manner is according to the flesh- then you will die. You will experience eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.

What does living according to the flesh look like?

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul says that even if you claim the name of Christian, and yet you lead a certain life that is characterized by these kinds of things- then you will die.

Romans 8:13 ESV

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.

BUT, if by the Holy Spirit, you (Roman Christians) put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

What is Paul talking about here?

Galatians 5:16 ESV

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

This is action you have to accomplish. You have to do this. It is empowered by the Spirit, but it requires human effort.

Notice the results of walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Galatians 5:23 ESV

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

These are the exact opposites of the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:24 ESV

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Romans 8:13 (ESV)

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.

If you are working these things out in your life, if you are walking in the Spirit, and producing the fruit of the Spirit thereby putting to death the deeds of the body, then you will live.

What kind of life is he talking about? Everlasting life. Salvation life.

This is a hard warning to understand! Paul you just spent 11 verses explaining in no uncertain terms that my salvation is all a product of God’s grace and is not in any way dependent upon my works. And now you tell me that if I live my life according to the flesh then I will die, but if I live according to the Spirit then I will live. Which is it Paul? The answer is BOTH.

In Romans 8:1-11 Paul is highlighting and magnifying the divine sovereignty side of our salvation. And it is wonderful to behold. And we must preach and believe every last word.

Now in Romans 8:12-13 Paul is highlighting the human responsibility side of our salvation. And we must preach and believe every last word.

Why? Because the Scripture teaches both.

Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Over and over again the Scriptures put side by side both the truth of divine sovereignty and the truth the human responsibility. And because the Scripture teaches both we must believe both.

But what the Scriptures do not teach us is how these two truths blend together. And therefore, it is a mystery. A mystery is any truth that human beings cannot understand apart from additional revelation from God.

God has chosen not to reveal to us how divine sovereignty and human responsibility blend together. But clearly Scripture teaches both so I believe both.

If you emphasize either side to the exclusion of the other you end up in error. If you highlight the human responsibility side you end up with the teaching that you can loose your salvation or that your sanctification is based on your own unaided effort.

If you emphasize the sovereignty part you end up with a “let go and let God.”

Neither the indicative—what God has done for us in Christ—nor the imperative—what we are commanded to do—can be eliminated.

Romans 8:13 ESV

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.

Application #2: If we live lives dominated by the dictates of the flesh, then all we have to look forward to is eternal damnation.

For the one who really is in Christ they are in a new position. They are in a new realm. And if they are in Christ then the Spirit is in them. And if the are in the Spirit then they set their minds of the things of the Spirit and they will put to death the deeds of the body and they will have life and peace.

This is on the one hand a work of God’s grace, but on the other hand we still must put to death the deeds of the body. We do it by the Spirit who dwells in us, but we must still do it.

Any person who claims to be a believer ought to show evidence of that claim. What will that evidence look like? Putting to death the deeds of the body.

We will never be perfect, we will always struggle with sin, but if the Spirit is in us then we will, over time begin to put to death sin in our lives.

Caution: Sometimes we think this work of putting to death the deeds of the body, that is a join effort of the believer and the Spirit, sometimes we think this ought to happen sooner rather than later.

Especially in a disciple-making relationship. We can do great damage to people when we call into question their salvation. “You still have this sin in your life, you must not be saved.” And we can do this when we have already seen evidences of the Spirit in their lives in the past.

Parents we can be the worst at this in the lives of our kids. Be very careful here. If that person is a believer, then they have the Spirit in them, and the Spirit is working in their life to put to death the deeds of the body, even if it isn’t happening as fast as you think it should.

Realize, if that person can give a credible testimony of salvation, if they can articulate the gospel as personally applied to their lives, then we should be very careful in calling into doubt their salvation when we think that personal holiness should be happening faster in their lives than it is.

On the flip side: warnings like this one in Romans 8:13 are all over the place in the NT. And we must let these warnings have their full weight. If you are in Christ, and the Spirit is in you, then you will see evidence of that. You will begin to see sin being killed in your life.

Romans 8:13 ESV

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.

If the Spirit has taken up residence within us, He will produce a mindset which tends toward doing the will of God and resists the ways of the flesh. We must also do our part in putting to death the deeds of the body. But, through a divine mystery, those who are united to Christ, who are under the law of the Spirit of life, who have God’s grace at work at every stage of their salvation, who have the power of the triune God working for their behalf, that one will by the power of the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body and live.

But if you are constantly dominated by the dictates of the flesh, if you life is characterized by the works of the flesh, if there is no Spiritual life in you at all, then all you have to look forward to is death. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. And the fact will reveal itself in the way you live your life.

If that is you this morning. If the Spirit of God is using the warning of Romans 8:13 to prick your heart I invite you to come to Christ. What you need is to receive the gift of salvation by faith. You need the grace of God powerfully working on your behalf. You need to be saved.

Christian, in invite you to come to Christ this morning. Find joy and rest in God’s grace. Be motivated by love and go out and joyfully obey Christ.

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