Living by the Spirit

Romans 8:1–4 ESV

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. 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.

Those who are in Christ have no condemnation because we have been set free by the Spirit.

Firstly, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the entire Trinity is present in this passage.

I want to remind you that as Christians we believe in the Trinity.

As Christians, we believe in the Trinity, which consists of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

It’s important to remember three key truths about the Trinity:

There is only one God.

God is three distinct persons.

Each person is fully God.

Now, I wish I could give you an analogy to help make these truths easy to understand.

However, any analogy falls short and may contradict these truths.

We must accept these truths by faith, as revealed in Scripture.

Now that we have a reminder of what the Trinity is, let’s look at its significance in this passage.

First, we see Jesus present in this passage.

“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

“We are set free in Jesus Christ”

“Jesus was sent and condemned for us”

Our salvation is found in what Jesus has done for us, a message that has been repeated over and over in Romans.

Next, we see the Holy Spirit.

“We are set free by the Spirit”

“We walk according to the Spirit”

Throughout our study of the book of Romans we haven’t heard much about the Holy Spirit.

However, in Chapter 8 we begin to truly see the importance of the Holy Spirit.

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.

If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, He is working to free you from all the sins that wish to enslave you.

It is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to walk in righteousness.

Lastly, we see the Father.

“God sent His Son, Jesus Christ.”

It is God the Father, in His great love for us, who has set all things in motion for our salvation.

This is shown in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

All of God, represented in the full Trinity, is pursuing you.

For those of you who are lost, God desires your salvation through a relationship with Him.

2 Peter 3:9 reminds us “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

The Father sent His Son for you.

Jesus died on the cross for you.

The Holy Spirit is convicting you of your sin so that you may believe in Jesus.

Speak about how this is true for Christians as well.

Romans 8:5–8 ESV

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. 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.

Christians are called to set their minds on things of the Spirit.

In this passage, we are presented with two contrasting types of people:

Those who live according to the flesh.

Those who live according the Spirit.

Let's first examine what the scripture says about those who live in the flesh:

They "set their minds on things of the flesh."

To "set the mind on the flesh is death."

The "flesh is hostile to God."

The flesh "does not submit to God’s law."

“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God”

Now, I urge you to reflect: Are you living in the flesh? Consider the consequences:

Are you dwelling on sin?

Are you seeking pleasure and joy from this world rather than God?

Do you reject God and what comes from God?

Are you unwilling to submit to God and place yourself in a position of obedience to Him?

If this reflects you, then you are living in the flesh.

And we see in this passage that to be in the flesh is death.

Your only hope to please God and escape this fate lies through His Son, Jesus Christ."

Yet, those who have trusted in Jesus Christ live according to something else.

They live according to the Spirit.

As we saw from our truth earlier, those who are followers of Christ are called to set their minds on things of the Spirit.

What does this look like?

This means we are reading God’s word, so that our minds our filled with truth about God.

This means we are praying, so that our hearts are near to God.

This means we are rejecting sin, so that we are distracted from God.

This means our words are about God, so that our focus is on God.

To be a follower of Christ means that our whole live is centered and powered by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9–11 ESV

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. 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.

The Spirit gives us life.

The scariest thing we have to face as humans is that we are dying.

There will be a day where my body will fail.

There is nothing I can do to stop it.

All of my weightlifting and running can’t stop it.

I can’t eat healthy enough to avoid it.

There isn’t a perfect combination of medicine to prevent it.

And no future technology will end it.

I will die one day, as we all will.

No one can stop death...

except one person, Jesus Christ.

Just as the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, the Holy Spirit raises those who are in Jesus Christ from death.

All that is necessary is that the Holy Spirit dwells in you.

We must remember the promise of Romans 10:9–10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Repent and believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit will dwell in you.

Do you have your mind set on the things of the Spirit, or are you consumed by the things of the flesh?