45 Preaching/Teaching Romans 8a

Power for Sanctification

Intro

We have a decent amount of kids. Talk about Heather's pregnancies-they are so rough that the deliveries seem easy. Our first delivery. Bringing down the house, driving slow...

My wife calls me the visionary but does not realize she is the most prominent visionary. She wanted this big family for God's glory.

Having kids is not complicated or painful, but there is so much joy when your child is born. Raising the kids is the hard part.

In the same way, believing in Christ and becoming a believer is not the most challenging part of the Christian walk. Walking with Jesus regularly and for a lifetime is.

We have seen a lot about Jesus lately, but today, we are not just going to see about Jesus. We are going to see that if we are in Christ, we have God's Spirit, which allows us to tap into the power of God and walk with God.

So far, in the book of Romans, we have seen the good news clearly laid out-Mainly that man is sinful and separated from God, and that in this state God loved man so much that he died for him.

I want to give you three big terms regarding salvation:

Justification-This is what the majority of the Romans has talked about regarding salvation. It deals with what has already happened with our salvation.

Sanctification-This is what God is doing in our life to make us look more like Jesus. As one pastor says it is when God beats the hell out of us to make us look like Jesus. Salvation is both past and present.

Glorification-This is when God finishes what he has started. It is when he gives us a new glorified body and we will worship him forever in heaven day and night. This is the future aspect of salvation.

What I have noticed is most Christians have a very small view of salvation that only focuses on justification. Are you a Christian? Yes God has saved me. But today we are going to look at the present part of salvation, becoming more like Jesus right now. And just like raising kids is hard, this part is hard and it can only be done by walking by the Spirit.

You see God loves you so much he wants you to walk with him not just for a season but for a lifetime, and this is really hard to do. Already I know many Christians who have started strong with Jesus and now are not walking with him closely any more and some not at all. But God desires that we walk closely with him for a lifetime. Even though this is hard he gives us the ability to do this, through his Holy Spirit.

Today we are going to talk about embracing walking by God’s spirit.

Now do not freak out. Many of us get all scared because we are like man is he going to start speaking in tongues. When people talk about the Holy Spirit we know there have been abuses. But here is the reality if you believe in Jesus the HOLY SPIRIT OF God lives in your life.

Today I just want to give you three reasons why you need to embrace walking by the Holy Spirt.

1. Why we must walk by the Spirit? Because Jesus will be magnified in our life (1-4).

We need to be reminded of our identity 

Romans 8:1 (NASB95)

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

-In Christ = we will never experience the penalty of sin-Never.

Doesn't Satan want us to live in shame and condemnation? 

Thy Lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed That I am cursed and gone astray I cannot gain salvation

The Holy Spirit- (2-4)-

Romans 8:2 (NASB95)

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

2- Could you picture if you committed a crime and the judge said not guilty, you are free to go? That is what Jesus did once and for all. This is precisely what the Holy Spirit did. It was able to do this because of what Jesus did.

Romans 8:3–4 NASB95

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

(3-4) The basis of the Spirit's power is what Jesus did-

He sent his son as a sin offering. In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were given every year; in fact, there were sacrifices all the time.

ILLUSTRATION—Walk through how serious the process was and play it out. The blood of an animal was to atone for the people's sins. Now, wait a minute. Animals cannot atone for sins, right? Ultimately, these sacrifices were all to point to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus. Condemned This sin that we just can't seem to get away from the condemned once and for all (4)

It was done once and for all. When Jesus was on the cross, his words were, he said, "IT is Finished." When Jesus walked the earth, he was literally man and God at the same time. I don't know how this works out entirely, but it is what the Bible says. He turned water into wine, he healed a paralyzed man and then forgave his sins, he walked on water, he stumped the smartest of the smart, and his very words healed a soldier's son who was dying. As impressive as all those things were, when he died on the cross, he said it was finished once and for all. I came to do what I was sent to do: mission accomplished. 

Application-

Big God, small problems.

Small, God, big problems.

Jesus is so great it will take all eternity to figure out how great he is. Is Jesus being magnified in your life this last week?

Let's walk by the Spirit so he will be magnified this week. 

2. The second reason: Why we must walk by the spirit? Because the fence is an illusion (5-11).

Don't we desire comfort? I mean, we don't want to go all in with Jesus. There are only three options for how to live our lives.

1-If you are not in Christ, you cannot live by the Spirit. So you will live for fame, possessions, or the things of the world. But even if you want to please God, you cannot.  

2-You can be a believer and still be saved, but you can live like you are not.

3-You can be a believer and live by the Spirit.

Romans 8:5–8 NASB95

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. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Paul contrasts those who live according to the sinful nature to those who live by the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature:

Have their minds set on what nature desires (5). Is death (6)Hostile to God, it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so (7)Cannot please God (8)Does not belong to Christ (9).

DC Talk-the single greatest cause of atheism...(quote) 

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." ― Brennan Manning

 ...... Isn't it crazy to think if you are a believer in Jesus and teh HS lives in you that we settle and say God I am going to acknlowledge you with my lips but I am not going to embrace walking by the Spirit.

Those who live in accordance with the Spirit.

Romans 8:9–11 NASB95

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But 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 Latter have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (5).Life and peace (6).  The Spirit of God controls you if you have the Spirit of Christ (9)Your body is dead, but your Spirit is alive because of Righteousness (10). Our mortal bodies will have life (11). Practical Life by the Spirit

3. Why we must walk by the Spirit?Because every Christian is obligated to it (12-17).

Romans 8:12 (NASB95)

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—

Obligation defined: an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.

In the Old Testament, Samson is a great picture of the potential for great spiritual victories and defeats. At one moment, he deliberately sinned in the face of God and his parents. When walking with the Spirit, he is doing feats that can only point to and highlight God; he is defeating thousands of God's enemies.

Romans 8:13 (NASB95)

for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Only by the Holy Spirit's power can a believer put to death the sins of his former life (cf. Eph. 4:22–31; Col. 3:5–9).

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 471). Victor Books.

Assurance of Salvation vs Eternal Security

Romans 8:14–17 NASB95

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Evidence - Sons of God

ILLUSTRATION- Walking by the Spirit is the difference between you living a life of significance or desperation. It could be the difference between you leaving a Godly legacy with your kids. It could be the difference between being a difference maker or not. Will you walk by the Spirit? God is looking for his people to live in a way that impacts this world. Negative side-What not to doPositive side- (John 16:7)-How is this possible? Have stories of things that have happened just with our people.