The Indwelling Spirit
Notes
Transcript
No Condemnation
Romans (Condemnation No More (8:1–4))
The state of “condemnation” stands for the general “lostness” that all of humanity experiences in their estrangement from God
Romans (Condemnation No More (8:1–4))
The reason why there is no condemnation is because the Holy Spirit has brought about a liberation of the believer in Christ from the domain of sin and death
Mindfulness
Romans (Mind the Flesh (8:5–8))
“Paul’s main purpose is to highlight the radical differences between the flesh and the Spirit as a means of showing why only those who ‘walk/think/are’ after the Spirit can have eternal life.”
But You are in the Spirit
Romans (You Are in the Spirit (8:9–11))
Paul immediately contrasts those who belong to the flesh in vv. 5–8 with those who belong to the Spirit in vv. 9–11. The key differences are that those who belong to the Spirit experience the indwelling of the Spirit and Christ, possess life, and await the hope of resurrection
Paul is driving home the point that “you are no longer in the flesh but now in the spirit.”
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.
Thomas Goodman (Puritan preacher 1600’s)
A little boy came up to ask Mr. Goodman about being saved. Goodman responded to the little boy, “Are you ready to die boy.” The child began to run away with turned up lip and tears pouring from his eyes.
However, harsh this response may sound that is at the heart of the pressing argument that Paul is making. The tension is clear and present. We do not like the tension of the reality of life and death. Most people avoid talking about it, even in the church.
Maybe the question we need to ask today, is, are you a Christian?
This week at Mighty Oaks with 18 active duty and veterans, the question that was posed over and over was, “are you a Christian?”
The other question that should go along with this question is, “What is your position?” What is your position with Christ?
You are either in the flesh or in the spirit.
How do you know if you are in the Spirit?
Look what 2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
There is a freedom that we experience when we are in Christ.
I had a young active duty Marine this week that I had the privilege of leading to Christ. One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is how the countenance of a person who receives Christ changes. I know we don’t go on feelings but after he prayed to receive Christ he had a huge smile and said I have a feeling in my heart and body that I have never felt before. I think of the movie “The Grinch that stole Christmas,” where his heart grew and began to beat out of his chest.
“Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” The chains we carry are bondage before Christ. We are bound to the flesh.
We also read in Ezekiel 36:22-26
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
What does it mean to be in the Spirit and have the Spirit in us.
Consider the relationship between a herd of sheep and their shepherd. A shepherd guides, nourishes, and protects the sheep of his flock. The role of the sheep is one of response.
When their shepherd calls, they listen. When he leads them to grassy pastures, they eat. When a wolf or thief attempts to overtake them, they are dependent on their shepherd’s efforts to protect them and lead them into safety.
Our relationship with Jesus is the same—he calls us, gives us all we need, and keeps us from evil. Our job is simply to know and follow his voice. John 10:14 “The shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep know Him.”
1. The Spirit brings a new kind of ownership.
1. The Spirit brings a new kind of ownership.
Note: While the spirit does not come to us in pieces it is still fragmented. Meaning we still have the problem of the flesh to deal with. Even though we died with Christ we are not yet complete. The full effect of the spirit is not present until Christ returns for His Church. This is the constant battle for all believers.
Indwelling sin is still the problem of all children of Adam. Jesus has promised that he lives in you and will be in you.
We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit that he chooses to dwell in. The Holy Spirit reminds us of the importance of our bodies.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
*The spirit indicates new ownership.
Do you functionally Believe this?
You show how you believe this by how you choose to use your body. The question is not an exercise of shaming you and me, its an exercise in the honest assessment of our body do we really believe it to be true.
Martin Luther -
“when our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.”
With God’s incredible grace in mind, we can take a good, honest look at ourselves and ask: do we really believe that we are not our own?
We live in a world that prizes ownership, the end goal of the American dream is to own our house, own our automobiles, own property. Why? Because to have ownership is to completely possess, no one can take it away from us.
“Do You Not Know”
Paul asks the question as he addresses Christians. Some Christians were possibly new believers and perhaps did not know. But Paul is phrasing the question that makes it clear that he was giving a firm reminder to most readers who doctrinally knew, but whose behavior revealed that they functionally had forgotten.
Basically they were living in functional unbelief. Which was real sin and required real obedience.
Is your mind set on Jesus?
If we do not have Christ’s spirit in us we are not Saved.
Many of the men at Mighty oaks this week had an identity problem. They did not know who they really are. They had not changed positions. The struggle is very real when you are facing life and death apart from the Spirit.
There is no peace, no hope, you are living a life of futility with no end in sight. Most people in the world’s position is not in the spirit but in the flesh. The mortal body is dead!
The funeral Home in Cisco
The first Church I served at had a funeral home right across the street. The funeral home director and his family who lived in the funeral home were members of our Church. Cassie one of the girls was in my youth ministry. When we first came to Cisco she wanted to show me around the funeral home; she showed me the lobby; she showed me the casket room; we then went through a corridor and she opened a door and said with a smile, and this is the embalming room not realizing there was a body in the room being embalmed.
Even though it is a normal part of this life of flesh and blood. We are all going to die at some point unless Christ returns first, however, most people do not want to discuss the reality of death. Why, because most people’s identity is not in Christ. For the believer however, death is nothing to fear; death is a release from this mortal body of flesh and an entrance into the presence of God.
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
The Mortal Body is Death
Genesis 2 The pinnacle of God’s creation was your’s and my body. The body was created by God and for God’s purposes.
Note: some people can remember the date of their new birth and others may not remember the exact date. The main thing is that you know you have been brought from death to life.
1 John 5:13 John writes “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Note: There is no, “I think so, or, I hope so to the question.”
What does it mean that even though the body is dead because of sin the Spirit is life, because of His righteousness.
2. The Spirit brings a New Kind of Control.
2. The Spirit brings a New Kind of Control.
Have you ever been on a roller coaster and wondered who was in control?
The answer is always the same—not you! There’s something terrifying about not having control. What about the control of our life?
In one sense, we have no control over the temptations that suddenly appear or the troubles that unexpectedly come our way. In another sense, we do have control of the fact that we can avoid what we know what might trip us up, and we also have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. Our spiritual life doesn’t have to be a roller coaster. We can experience victory in our life.
The life that is not in Christ is still being controlled by the flesh, however the one that is in the Spirit is controlled by the spirit.
The bible calls the spirit our helper or paraclete, meaning He comes along side us to help us as we walk through this life.
To start with, some people see the doctrine of the Spirit as essentially about power, in the sense of God-given ability to do what you know you ought to do and indeed want to do, but feel you lack the strength for.
For example this includes saying no to the cravings of the flesh: things such as (sex, alcohol, tobacco, money, luxuries, reputation, power etc.)
Look what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
However, the spirit brings us power, and self-control to be able to withstand the temptation that leads into sin. Look at what Zechariah 4:6
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah and Haggai were both ministering in the return to Jerusalem. Construction on the temple had been stopped by opposition from neighbors. Zechariah had received a series of night visions and in the fifth one it ended with where our power comes from.
In the Old and New testament God’s people are called to shine the light of God’s glory into the world for those who are walking in darkness.
Our God given work is guaranteed to be successful not by human power, but by the power of God’s Holy Spirit that is poured into our lives like the oil that fueled Zechariah’s lampstand.
Look what Paul say’s in Ephesians 5:18
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Note: Paul’s positive alternative to being drunk is to “be filled with the spirit.” Just as drinking a great deal can cause a person to be controlled by wine.
Look at the beginning of Ephesians 5 he says that:
Sexual immorality, all impurity, covetousness, must not even be named among someone who is controlled by the spirit of God.
No filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, which is out of place for someone who is in the spirit.
Let no one deceive you, because God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
v.8 “He ways that at one time you were in the darkness, but now you are in the light; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the spirit is present in all that is good , right and true.)
“Awake, O Sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.
What we are being told is that supernatural living through supernatural empowering is at the very heart of New Testament Christianity, so that those who, while professing faith, do not experience and show forth this empowering are suspect in the New Testament as having the Spirit of Christ.
SLAVES TO THE FLESH OR SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
Cultural Issue: There is a universal need for all humanity.
J.I. Packer
“All Christians time and again are forced to cry, “Lord, help me, strengthen me, enable me, give me power to speak and act in the way that pleases you, make me equal to the demands and pressures which I face.” We are called to fight evil in all its forms in and around us, and we need to learn that in this battle the Spirit’s power alone gives victory, while self-reliance leads only to the discovery of one’s impotence and the experience of defeat.”
3. The Spirit brings a New Kind of Life
3. The Spirit brings a New Kind of Life
Remember what we read in Romans 8:6
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
How does the Holy Spirit give new life?
Sanctification is the process of the Holy Spirit stripping away our sinful habits and bringing us into holiness. Think of it like peeling back an onion. There are layers. The Holy Spirit works in us by peeling away our sinful characteristics and replacing them with godly characteristics.
Two Big If’s
Two Big If’s
Paul is not assuming that the spirit lives in us.
1). If God did raise Jesus from the dead?
1). If God did raise Jesus from the dead?
(Are you sure that the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you)
Are you sure that God raised Jesus from the dead? It all comes down to credible witnesses, how do you decide whether to believe a man’s testimony or not? Let’s take Paul for example as you read the book of Romans do you come to a reasonable assumption that his words are trustworthy and true.
John Piper - 7 questions to pose a witness.
1.) Am I open to the possible truth of what Paul is saying and ready to change my life if it's true?
2.) Does his moral character (the humility and love and submission to God) make it unlikely that he is given to easy deception or outright fabrication?
3.) Do his witness and teachings hang together? Are they coherent? Or does he speak out of both sides of his mouth and contradict himself?
4.) Does he offer any supporting evidences for his claim and do they hold up?
5.) Are there other credible corroborating witnesses or is he alone in his claim?
6.) Does his claim yield insight that helps make sense out of our total picture of things and does it fit the true needs of man?
7.) Are there lasting effects from his claim that give some independent support for its reality?
1) yes, I am open to change if Paul’s claim prove to be true and trustworthy.
2) yes, I have seen enough in Paul through his 13 letters to see his moral character and that he is not fabricating the things he has seen and heard to be true.
3) yes, the more I study Paul and his writings, I am convinced of the coherence and unity of his writing.
4) yes, Paul gives corroborating evidence of conversion from church persecutor to church planter.
5) yes, there are other supporting witnesses such as: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, and Jesus himself said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.
6) yes, Paul’s total teaching fits into the historical narrative that makes sense of life, and meets the need that all fell for forgiveness and hope; and reveals how God will not be defeated and will make all things new.
7) yes, there are lasting affects from the resurrection of Jesus: It transformed fearful fisherman into fearless apostles.
2) If the Spirit that raised Jesus from the Dead Dwells in you?
2) If the Spirit that raised Jesus from the Dead Dwells in you?
It is not enough to be persuaded that God raised Jesus from the dead. The devil is more convinced about that than any of us, but, that conviction does not save Satan; nor will it secure our resurrection when He returns.
*Being a Christian is Being Led by the Spirit
*Being a Christian is Being Led by the Spirit
The Flesh and the Spirit are complete opposites. The most fundamental choice we have to make everyday as Christians is what are going to let dictate our decisions and motives.
Look what Paul says in Galatians 5:16-18
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The text before 16-18 tells us “not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love we are to serve one another.” “ the law is fulfilled in how we show love to one another.”
The new way of life we are all called into is to desire the happiness of others with the same zeal that we seek our own happiness.
“I should get up every morning and fell just as much concern for your needs as I do for my own, which in reality is utterly impossible in my own power. Why? Because everything in my flesh is bent towards fulfilling my own desire apart from the spirit.”
The Secret is in learning to walk in the spirit, learning to align my desires with His desires, this only comes through much practice and patience.
The Secret of walking in step with the Spirit.
George Müller learned the secret of walking by the Spirit:
Meditate on the precious truths of the word of God until your heart is happy in God, resting in his promises.
3 Evidences of Having the Holy Spirit
3 Evidences of Having the Holy Spirit
1.) If you can cry out with sincerity to God “Abba Father!”
1.) If you can cry out with sincerity to God “Abba Father!”
vs. 15 “If you look to God as your Father for Security and Guidance.”
2.) If you are led by the Spirit you are a child of God.
2.) If you are led by the Spirit you are a child of God.
Do you look to the word of God given by the spirit for your guidance. Do you then yield when He prompts you towards paths of righteousness.
3.) If you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit.
3.) If you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit.
When faced with temptation to do the right or wrong thing, do you seek the help of God’s spirit and rely on His power to gain the victory over sin and death.
Note: If you do battle like this you can be assured that the Holy Spirit Dwells in you.
How does one Receive the Holy Spirit?
I think some people assume that they have the Holy Spirit but, when tempted to sin they never seek God’s help to gain the upper hand against sin, or give God a second thought. His Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are saved.
God does not want you to be unsure whether or not the spirit dwells inside of you.
“If the spirit .... dwells in you, then (God) will give life to your mortal bodies.
Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, everyone one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
REPENTANCE: is a decisive turning away from sin and towards Christ act of redemption on the cross. Baptism is the act of obedience that signifies death of your old life and faith in Christ to help live a new life according to His will. Romans 6:4
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Pic of Baptisms being performed.......
Until the point of repentance and the affirmation of being dead to sin and alive to Christ you are still walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION
Romans 8:11 gives us the all significant truth that if the spirit of God dwells in you this morning, God is going to raise you from the dead at His second coming and give new life to your mortal bodies.
1). God is profoundly concerned about your body.
If He did not care about your body He would let it rot for all eternity in the grave. In 1 Corinthians 6:13-14 the people have little concern for the body and what they do with it. 1 Corinthians 6:13-14
13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
God is for the body, not against the body, why else would He raise it from the dead.
2). God will transform your body for His Glory.
Here is a snap shot of what is going to happen on that day. Daniel 12:2-3
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Here is another one taken from a parable by Jesus Matthew 13:43
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Here is one more from Philippians 3:21
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.
God created you with a body, and for His Glory. He is going to raise you, no matter how mangled, or deformed your body might be you will get a new glorified body in the resurrection. Your radiance is going to be like the son shining against the backdrop of His glory and majesty.
Jesus Christ who made you has also redeemed you, and glorified you forever.
CONCLUSION
Once Jesus was at a banquet with many important and immanent people. He said the following for all to hear.
"When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just"
Where can a person find power to press on in a life of love when there are very few earthly rewards? Where does the husband or wife have the strength and fortitude to keep on giving when there is no reciprocation. Where does the man or woman who would like to be married to be content for 70 years of singleness.
Where did Maud Cary get the strength to press on in 54 hard years of missionary service in Morocco only to be rewarded at her funeral with two sprays, a few visitors, and no tears? Where did Jesus get the strength to endure the cross and despise the shame (Hebrews 12:2)—fleeing disciples, and the denial of Peter, and the beating and scoffing and thorns and nails?
Answer: You shall be repaid at the Resurrection.
Jesus did not promise that obedience to Him would be repaid by man.
"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Where will you be on Resurrection Day?
What position do you have with the Holy Spirit?
How are you walking in step with the Spirit today?