Romans 7:25b-8:4

Introduction

We continue our study in the book of Romans. Last week Fraser gave us a helpful re-cap of the first 7 chapters.

Today we have a wonderful passage that contrasts the battle in the christian heart… with the freedom and life that is given to us by God through the work of his Son applied to us through the Holy Spirit.

This means that believers no longer stand in condemnation but are empowered by the holy Spirit to live for God.

So this morning I have 3 brief points to help us to live in light of the fact that we are sinners saved by grace.

1. We begin by Acknowledging the Struggle

In chapter 7 Paul has been showing us that christians still struggle with the remaining indwelling sin.

You can hear his frustration and his acknowledgement of this.

In verse 15 he says: 15 

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Then later in verses 24-25 he says:  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

Christian’s still sin. We disobey and go against almighty God.. Through neglagence, throigh weakness, by our own deliberate fault.

We battle and we fight… but we still fall into sin.

You can see that Paul has a disgust and frustration over this.

That’s the Christians attitude towards sin. We aknowledge our sinfulness and feel the weight of it. We are disgusted by it.

This is not who we want to be…

Do you ever do or say something and you just wonder…. why did i just do that… why did i go and say that… where did that come from?

We all do, do’t we?

But our sin shouldn't leave us hiding away from God. Wollowing in our mess.

No.

Rather it leads us to Jesus in repentance and faith.

Paul was a man who had so much gratitude in his heart for what God had done for him.

Listen to what he says in verse 25a: 25: Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Through Jesus Christ there is deliverance and hope!

Although that inner conflict still rages, there is hope.

Paul has been setting the stage for the wonderful hope that is found in chapter 8.

The christian is in Christ this is truly wonderful news.

Yes we are sinners… but we are not defined by our sin…

While we are in this world there will be a constant battle. But Jesus Christ provides the victory.

I love this little quote from CH Spurgeon: “There was never a sinner half as big as Christ is as a Saviour.”

2. We can have Assurance that there is No Condemnation

Romans 8:1-2

Look at what Paul tells us in verse 1 of chapter 8: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

This is amazing good news.

It doesn't just say that we are not condemned…

It tells us that there is no condemnation at all! There is no possibility of it!

We are not condemned and we never will be condemned!

Some Christians really struggle with assurance…

How can I be saved by God… i’m so wretched… i’m such a mess…

We have all gone through seasons where we think like that…

But listen to this “ There is no condemnation for those who are In Christ Jesus.”

This is a game changing statement.

It doesn’t matter what your heart may say… what matters is what God says.

If you are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation for you… Why?

Is it because of your good behaviour? No.

Is it because of your best efforts? No.

Is it because of something you have done or something you have sacraficed? No

It is because of what Jesus has done for us at calvary.

He paid the price of our sin for us.

His perfectness becomes our perfectness.

The Holy Spirit applies this marvellous work to our hearts.

The Holy Spirit is now at work in us. Romans 8 is largely about the work of the Spirit.

As i reflect back on my school days… I remember a whole range of diffrent teachers.

Some were quite and sten and liked to dish out punishments…

Others were kind and generous… There were willing to give there time, even after school hours to help you.

In some ways God is like that kind and generous teacher… The student mistakenly submits there homework filled with errors… Instead of flying off the handle… He simply says, “Let’s work through this together”

That’s how God treats us; He sees our faults and failings… But by his Spirit He guides us, and helps us, and changes us… proving there’s no condemnation under His grace!

3. We remember the Transformative Power of the Spirit

Romans 8:3-4

Maybe consider explaining how God, through sending His Son, accomplished what the law could not—condemning sin in the flesh and fulfilling the law's requirements in us. Stress the transformative power given to us to live according to the Spirit, underscoring the life-changing impact of Christ's work and encouraging believers to embrace living by the Spirit's guidance.

This passage points to Christ as the ultimate solution to humanity's sin problem. Through His obedience and sacrificial death, He fulfills the law's righteous requirement on our behalf, allowing believers to live in the Spirit.

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary IX. The Spirit Leads Us to Glory (8:1–39)

Which law you operate by determines whether you live in victory or defeat. The law of sin and death is like gravity. It inherently pulls you down, no matter how high you jump. But the law of the Spirit overrides gravity. It’s like climbing aboard an airplane, where the laws of aerodynamics apply. You cannot get rid of the law of gravity, but you can transcend it. The Spirit’s law transcends the law of sin so that sin no longer controls the agenda

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary IX. The Spirit Leads Us to Glory (8:1–39)

The word “walk” refers to our entire way of life, and it has three concepts imbedded in it. First, it implies a destination: you must point your life toward the will and glory of God. Second, it implies dependence: when you walk, you place one foot in front of another, putting all your weight on that foot for that step. You must rest all of the weight of your soul on God’s power, not your own. Third, walking implies dedication: you must continually take steps, perpetually calling on God to do in you what you could never do alone.