Life in the Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Last week in our study of Romans, when we looked at Romans 7, we explored the reality that we who are in Christ are dead to the law. It no longer condemns us.
Even though we have died to sin and died to the law, we still struggle with sin in our lives.
In Romans 7 we see that even Paul had this struggle.
This he sums up in these words in verses 18-19 of Romans 7.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Maybe you know that feeling, I know I do.
But I will tell you that the more I practice what Paul goes on to say in our passage this morning, the more I have seen victory in this struggle with my flesh.
Which takes us to our passage this morning.
Romans 8:1-17
Romans 8:1-17
Exposition
Exposition
Reality of our Salvation (vv. 1-2)
Reality of our Salvation (vv. 1-2)
Our passage this morning begins with a declaration of the reality of our full and complete salvation in vv. 1-2.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
No condemnation
No condemnation
What I want you to notice is how concrete this statement of fact is.
“There is,
now,
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
There’s nothing wishy washy here
There’s no grey area.
As we have seen in our study of Romans.
You were once condemned by God’s moral law because of your sin.
but now, if you are in Christ, you are no longer condemned.
Those who are in Christ are declared righteous before God.
We see this distinction between the old life and the new life in Christ again in verse two:
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Now when we see the word “law” here in verse two, it is not speaking about a specific written law like the Mosaic law in the old testament.
The Law here means principle or reality.
That the reality, the principle, of the Spirit of Life, has set us free from the reality of sin and death.
These are two distinct and opposite ways of being.
Salvation is going from one reality, one way of living, to the other.
Sin and death, to the Spirit of Life.
The Means of our Salvation (vv. 3-4)
The Means of our Salvation (vv. 3-4)
In verses 3-4 of our passage, Paul reminds us what took us from sin and death to life by the Spirit.
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, 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 (Mosaic Law) could not save. It was not meant to save. We’ve already seen that following the law does not justify an already sinful person in Romans 3:20.
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Christ Dealt with Sin
Christ Dealt with Sin
But heres the good news, here’s the Gospel: that God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do.
That God sent his son in the likeness of sinful flesh.
that does not mean that God’s Son, Jesus, was sinful,
but that he took on physical flesh, being like us who are sinful.
and through his death on the cross, he completely dealt with sin, “he condemned sin in the flesh.”
We often think only of Jesus dying for our sinful actions.
But through his death on the cross, Jesus also deals with our sinful nature.
As Paul wrote in Romans 6, through our union with Christ, we died to sin.
So that we are no longer slaves of it.
And as he wrote in Romans 7, through our union with Christ, we died to the law.
So that we are no longer condemned by it.
These aspects of life in the flesh are no longer the reality for those who are in Christ.
Free to Obey According to the Spirit
Free to Obey According to the Spirit
In verse 4 of our passage we see what Christ’s work on the cross frees us to.
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.
See we are not just freed from sin and death, life in the flesh, we are freed to life in the Spirit.
And it is by living this life in the Spirit, that the Holy Spirit fulfills the righteous requirement of the Law in us.
Another way to put it is, that the Holy Spirit conforms us to the righteousness of God as we walk by the Spirit.
The Spirit v. The Flesh (vv. 5-8)
The Spirit v. The Flesh (vv. 5-8)
Paul explains the difference between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit in vv. 5-6.
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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
If you remember back to when we looked at Romans 5 there are two types of people in this world.
Those who are in Adam, and those who are in Christ.
Those who are in Adam are those who are still in their sin, the natural man.
But those who are in Christ are those who have been justified by faith.
But we see the same two types of people here in verse 5.
Those who are in Adam, are those who live according to the flesh.
Those who are in Christ are those who live according to the Spirit.
A Definite State of Being
A Definite State of Being
See, we are talking about definite states of being here.
You are either in Adam, or in Christ.
You are either in your sin, or you have been justified
You either have your mind set on the things of the flesh, or you have your mind set on the things of the Spirit.
Setting your mind.
Setting your mind.
When Paul says “Set their minds” here in vv. 5-6. He doesn’t mean that this is a mindset that anyone can just choose to have. This isn’t something that anyone can just turn on in their minds.
It’s not like obeying a motivational cat poster.
This is not like thinking positively, or believing in yourself.
He is saying that only those who have the Spirit of God in them can have this mindset.
You cannot set your mind on the things of the Spirit without God the Holy Spirit, actually dwelling within you.
1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us this,
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
The natural person, those who live according to the flesh, can only set their minds on the things of the flesh.
For without the indwelling of the Spirit of God, that is all they can do.
Look at what vv. 7-8 of our passage says,
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. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
This is consistent with what we saw about the sinful nature of mankind early on in Romans 1.
This is the reality of sinful humanity. That mankind in his natural, sinful state, cannot submit to God’s law, nor even please him. He is given over to pursue his sin.
One section of scripture that has a lot of parallel’s to our passage this morning is Galatians 5. Were going to refer to it several times this morning.
In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul shares with us some examples of the works of the flesh. He writes,
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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.
Now that is some pretty ugly stuff.
And I think we can all think of some examples in our society or in our media where these are not just tolerated, they are celebrated.
But I think we can sometimes focus on the extreme examples in this list, and we end up overlooking the works of the flesh that we might more be more likely participate in.
Right along with sorcery, and orgies we have jealousy, enmity, strife, anger, dissension (thats discord with others or even dishonour to authorities), and drunkenness.
These too are the works of the flesh.
These are what result when the natural man sets his mind on the things of the flesh.
When we seek out the desires of the flesh, and we set our mind on gratifying those desires these works of the flesh is what that leads to.
And, as we see in vs. 6, the ultimate end of setting the mind on the things of the flesh - is death.
The Spirit and Belonging to God (v. 9)
The Spirit and Belonging to God (v. 9)
It is only through receiving justification by faith in Jesus Christ, that a man or woman can even begin to set their minds on the things of the Spirit
Because it is only through faith in Christ, that a person receives the Holy Spirit.
Paul tells us in verse 9 of our passage,
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.
The only way someone can set their mind on the things of the Spirit, is if the Holy Spirit is within them.
This happens when you receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you.
The Holy Spirit dwells in each and every believer.
There is no such thing as an unbeliever with the Spirit,
just as there is no such thing as a believer without the Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us,
Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV)
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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit seals us as belonging to God
If a traveller in ancient times came to Kings castle saying that they were invited by the king, they would always be turned away at the door by the guards.
But if that traveller had a written notice, sealed with wax marked by the king’s signet ring, then the traveller would be ushered right in to the kings presence.
We are given an unseen seal, a guarantee that we belong to God, that is the Holy Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit is not in you, you do not belong to God.
But if the Holy Spirit indwells you, He is the guarantee that you belong to God.
And if the Holy Spirit indwells you, our passage this morning tells us that he will accomplish three things in us.
These three things that the Spirit accomplishes are in reverse order in the passage from how we experience them in our lives.
The first one listed is the last to be accomplished, and the last one listed is the first to be accomplished in the life of a believer.
1. Resurrection (vv. 10-11)
1. Resurrection (vv. 10-11)
The first accomplishment of the Spirit in the passage, but the last that we will experience is Resurrection. Romans 8:10-11 tells us,
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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 you belong to Christ by faith, you have received his Spirit. And since you have received his Spirit, you will be resurrected to eternal life.
Though your body will one day die because of sin, if the Spirit of God dwells within you, you will be raised from the dead at Jesus return.
This is the most outrageous claim made by any religion or worldview.
But as Christians in our day to day lives, we kind of just take it for granted and don’t give it much though.
Think about what this means!.
That when Jesus returns, the dead in their tombs who are sealed with the Holy Spirit, will be raised bodily to eternal life!
Never to die again.
Just like Jesus did at his resurrection.
The same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead is in you.
The seal of the promise: that like Christ, you will one day walk out of your own tomb!
Before that happens though, the Holy Spirit accomplishes his second work that Paul mentions in our passage.
2. Sanctification (vv. 12-13)
2. Sanctification (vv. 12-13)
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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.
This is the second work that Paul says the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us.
The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.
In Salvation the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all those who will believe.
He convicts those who will believe of their sin, and draws them to salvation by faith in Christ.
But once they believe, the Holy Spirit continues his work,
guiding believers into all truth through applying the scriptures to their lives.
This is what is called the sanctification.
This sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is something that progresses over the lifetime of the believer.
Moritification
Moritification
The Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer has both a positive aspect, and a negative aspect.
The positive aspect is that the Holy Spirit makes the believer more Christlike, more Holy.
By applying the scriptures to the life of a believer and empowering them for obedience, the believer is able to grow in obedience to God’s commands as they live their lives by the Spirit.
That is the positive aspect.
In our passage this morning Paul focuses on the negative aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer.
This is not negative in the sense of bad, but negative in the sense of removal.
The Holy Spirit not only makes us more Christlike, but he removes sin in us.
We see this negative aspect here in our passage, Romans 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 also see this aspect of sanctification in Galatians 5:24
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
This putting to death the deeds of the body, this crucifying of the flesh with it’s passions and desires has historically been called mortification.
We get this word “Mortification” from the Latin “Mortificare” meaning to kill.
You’ll notice in both of these passages (Romans 8, and Galatians 5) that the mortification of sin is something that believers participate in with the Holy Spirit.
We put to death the wicked deeds of the flesh by the Holy Spirit’s power.
He will accomplishes this in us if we walk in step with him as Galatians 5 says, or as our passage Romans 8 says, if we “set our minds on the things of the Spirit.”
And we can only participate in this second work of the Spirit if this next work has been accomplished in us.
3. Adoption (vv. 14-17)
3. Adoption (vv. 14-17)
This last work that Paul lists is the first one accomplished in us, and that is Adoption.
When we receive salvation through faith in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit. And as we have already see in verse 9, he is our guarantee as belonging to God.
Through the Holy Spirit we are adopted as sons of God.
Paul says in verses 14-17 of our passage.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.
This passage points to two aspects of our belonging to God.
Relationship
Relationship
The first aspect is relational. Through adoption we have a Father and child relationship to God.
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our adoption as children of God. “All who are led by the Spirit are sons of God.” (v.14)
If you have received Salvation through faith in Christ, you belong to God.
The Holy Spirit is a witness of this, we see this in v. 14.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
In the Old Testament law, something could not be confirmed legally without the testimony of two or more witnesses.
Much like today, we need witnesses to establish someone’s guilt in a crime, or, on the more positive end, to act as witnesses to a marriage ceremony. That is what you are doing, when you attend a wedding.
The Holy Spirit, likewise is a witness, along with our own soul, that we belong to God.
Two witnesses that we have been adopted by God.
And if we have been adopted by him, we have access to him.
The same access as Jesus had.
This is what Paul means when he says in v. 15, Romans 8:15 “you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Now there’s a common belief that the word, “Abba!” means something like a toddler saying “dadda.”
I don’t know who got that idea started or why people like it so much, but it’s not the case. It’s sentimental; it’s cute, but it’s not true.
The real meaning of this word in the passage is so much more powerful!
Abba means “father” in Aramaic, and Paul here is quoting Jesus. Quoting the very words that Jesus cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:36
Mark 14:36 (ESV)
“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
You and I, as adopted children, can approach and call out to God the same way that God’s natural Son did.
By the Holy Spirit, we are given access to the Father, just as Jesus had.
That is the relational aspect of our adoption.
Inheritance
Inheritance
The second aspect of our adoption that we see here in Romans 8:14-17 is that we are given an inheritance.
I am sure that some of you have wondered why in this passage, and in many others throughout the New Testament, use the word “Sons” almost exclusively.
What about daughters of God?
There are some translations that try to remedy this by inserting “Sons and daughters,” but this is actually missing the point.
When we read the word “Sons” in reference to our adoption by God, this is not only speaking to the relation aspect of our adoption.
It is also speaking to our inheritance.
In the Old Testament it was sons who received an inheritance.
But in Christ both men and women receive an inheritance as sons.
We see this in Galatians 3:28–29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
Men and women, if they are in Christ, are adopted: heirs with an inheritance.
This work of Adoption, although it is the last in our passage, is the first work to be accomplished in the life of a believer.
Though the fulfillment of our adoption will be revealed when we receive our inheritance at Christ’s return, we are adopted by God at our conversion.
When we repent of our sins, and believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit right away, is the seal of our adoption.
Romans 8:16–17a (ESV)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.
Pastor Darrell will be preaching on our present suffering, and future glory, as heirs with Christ next week as he takes us through the second half of c. 8.
But I want you to think about this:
If you have been given the adopted by God, and the Holy Spirit is in you guaranteeing that adoption, will anything be able to take you away?
If God has adopted you as his Child, will you ever be removed from His care?
The Holy Spirit guarantees our adoption. Think about that word, guarantees, and what it means.
He guarantees this, if we have received him. And the only way to receive him, is through genuine personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour.
Application
Application
The Holy Spirit guarantees our Adoption, our Sanctification, and finally our Resurrection.
But there is still responsibility on us as God’s people.
See, the natural man cannot set their mind on the things of the Spirit, they can only set their mind on the things of the flesh.
But God’s people, by the power of the Holy Spirit who is within us, are to put to death the things of the flesh and set our minds on the things of the Spirit.
In Galatians 5 Paul calls this walking by the Spirit. He says in Galatians 5:16
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
And in verse 25.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
As I’ve said already: we participate in this work of Sanctification.
And we do this by:
Mortify
Mortify
First of all Mortifying, killing sin in our lives.
This means confessing our sins to God, and repenting, turning from that which He calls sin.
You cannot do this without much prayer, without being shaped by God’s word, without daily going to God for help. Do not think that you can kill sin in your life on your own
But Ill remind you as I said last week, God promises in 1 John 1:9 that,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
By The Power of the Holy Spirit, put to death what is earthly in you. Mortify your sin.
That is the first way we participate in our sanctification.
Set your minds
Set your minds
The Second way is this.
Set your mind on the things of the Spirit.
Were going to appeal to Galatians 5 one more time to show us what this is like.
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what the fruit of the walking by the Spirit is.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
These are the works that walking by the Spirit produces in the life of a believer.
But this is not fruit that is born automatically, we participate with the Spirit in bearing this fruit in our lives by setting our minds on them.
These are the target’s that we are aiming at in our lives empowered by the Spirit.
But once again, do not think that you can pursue these on your own.
Bearing this fruit takes much prayer, it takes spending time listening to God in his word, even time in worship at church.
Whatever means God has given us to draw near to him by his Spirit, participate in it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We as the people of God have been given the gift of God himself!
The very Holy Spirit of God dwells within those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit in us guarantees our:
Adoption
Sanctification
and Our resurrection.
If this is the case what should our lives look like? Don’t you think they would look very different from the world around us who live according to the flesh?
May we who have been given the Spirit, walk by the Spirit,
putting to death what is earthly in us
and setting our minds instead on the things of the Spirit.
