Romans 8:1-17

Free in Christ!

Romans 8:1–2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Paul has focused on the Law in here he calls it the law of sin and death

Sin in that it teaches us what sin is, and in the knowledge we become culpable and tempted by that sin. Our sin goes from a sin of ommision (you didn’t know) to as sin of commision (you did know) or the better word is trespass. You know you are doing wrong.

Death The Law also condemns the world especially those who know it to death. Imagine, I am a big believer that the ten commandments should be in schools. You walk under those ten commandments every day, it is a good thing but it also leaves that person guilty. From Paul’s perspective (which is correct) when a sinner stands before God condemned the law is the record against him.

That is why this verse is so important

NO Condemnation- how much NONE! You are free in Christ

But this only applies to those who are in Christ gives.

Jesus is the only way to salvation.

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

No condemnation for those in Jesus.

Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Our hope of eternity innocent before the judge is Christ in you!

When Christ is in you, you walk different.

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

I know we say WWJD but it is more about walking like Jesus walked

Walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit

Ephesians 5:14–15 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

You are alive in Christ. Walking in the Spirit to guide you. Before Christ you were dead, a slave to sin, a zombie following sins every command heading towards destruction and there was nothing you could do about it. In Christ things are different. You walk circumspectly, what does that mean. It means that you can see the entire picture from all angles and you can walk in wisdom.

In the Spirit, we have something better than Israel.

Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

We say I wish I had what the children of Israel had a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day. Well in Romans 8 Paul says you have something superior the spirit filled life if we have a problem it is that we don’t listen to that. A few months ago I preached on the Holy Spirit. I was challendged about the importance of the Spirit filled life and that it is so important to the Christian life. There are few things more important. Maybe having a relationship with Jesus and I only use the example of Bar Jesus who wanted to buy the holy spirit but Paul said what you really need is Jesus as my proof. Someone told me that I beat the topic of the Holy Spirit to death. You want to be a pastor, that can be the kinds of things that you will hear. Anyway I refuse to stop talking about the Holy Spirit maybe I have become emboldended to speak about the spirit and pray for the individual who would rather I talk about real life problems than the holy spirit

The Law was impotent, Christ is omnipotent!

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

Paul is making a case that only Christ could save you.

Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

You couldn’t do it, the law couldn’t do it. The law condemns you your sins make you guilty but Jesus had all the power.

In Jesus we have redemption from being under the law.

Galatians 4:3–5 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Jesus became man in flesh so that He could pay for our sins.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Jesus was in the flesh, but He never sinned.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus is the perfect lamb of God, He is God in skin. Never sinned, not once. That must be at the core of our beliefs that Jesus is the perfect God in flesh.

Jesus is our propitiation.

Romans 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

He met the law and was the perfect sacrifice in the place and he did this in the spirit

Propitiation - substitutionary satisfactory sacrifice

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus died in your place so that you don’t have to walk in the flesh blind and lost wandering with no direction, but saved and walking in the spirit with NO CONDEMNATION

All three of persons of the Godhead are involved in our redemption.

Acts 5:30–32 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.

God the Father sent His Son like Abraham in the Aquedah,

Jesus was obedient to allow His blood to be shed on the cross as a sacrifice

God the Father raised Christ from the dead

The Holy Spirit calls us to Salvation and we receive Him and are transformed by Him after salvation.

Paul is hitting on all these things in the beginning of Romans 8 You walk like Jesus according to the Spirit. How does that work I don’t know. But I trust it. I will never stop talking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus or salvation from sin. All of which I as a pastor or camp director have been asked to do and to talk about important things like practical words of leadership love and politics. Um why do you think that you come to church?

Holy Spirit vs The Flesh

Romans 8:5–9 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, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

What is your mind fixed on? The Spirit or the flesh?

Remember the Spirit is the indwelling Holy Spirit

The Flesh is the carne, the meat the skin often it is sexual or evil minded thinking. It is worldly. Are your thoughts predominately about here or heaven?

The carnal mind is death.

Ephesians 2:1–3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Paul talks about this a lot. If your mind is flesh focused that isn’t good. It is repeated in Colossians and Ephesians. As Christians we are first and foremost heavenly minded.

This world is a dead end.

1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

See the same thing there. The lust, that is associated with the flesh. We as Christians are to die to the flesh. That is a problem I see with a lot of people they want the flesh and the spirit. Death and life don’t mix well. Except sometimes death makes good fertilizer

The Spirit is life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul is echoing the words of Jesus.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

This has had me thinking. If I want my life to be a stench focus on this old world. Am I going to have a fancy house, a new car, the latest and greatest. The desire to follow after strange women, the pleasures of alcohol and drugs. The worship of a sports team. That is all the flesh. We need to be walking in the spirit to find peace and life.

The carnal mind is enmity against God.

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Yep do you want this old world passing away or do you want heaven. This is why I shut down the news and open my Bible. This is why I don’t go to a liquor party and walk to church. This is why I visit the hospital instead of the whore house. I shouldn’t say that word in church but it’s true.

The flesh can not please God.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Does throwing money in the plate at church please God? Complicated question, it isn’t yes or no… It’s about how the heart smells. If you are doing it in the Spirit it pleases God, if in the flesh it means nothing.

Those in the Spirit are different than those in the flesh.

Galatians 5:22–23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

When things are done in the Spirit, everything is different.

What dominates your heart, the spirit or the flesh? Who is sitting on the throne of your heart. I like that word dominate. Because it is a constant struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. We need to feed the Spirit every day every week. The flesh gets fed enough turn on the TV and you feed the flesh. Go out in public and the flesh is tempted and fed. If you are going to win the battle you need to feed the spirit.

Resurrection & Christ in Me!

Romans 8:10–11 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Resurrection is a difficult topic.

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.

Chuck Kark often brings up the absence of heaven before Christ. He is absolutely right. The afterlife is a hot topic before Jesus. Sure in the lens of the 2020 vision of the New Testament we see it clearly. Isaiah 6, Daniel 12, Hosea 13 in Isaiah and other places. But a lot of believers in God questioned resurrection and rightly so. The Saducees, the scripture only religious sect thought that there was no resurrection that is why they were sad u see. It was the Pharisees who strictly followed the law and focused on good works adding to the scripture laws that it didn’t say. But my point is that the resurrection was a hot topic in Paul’s day.

Jesus is the resurrection.

John 11:23–27 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

This is a HOT TAKE!!!!! Do you get that. Your brother with rise again. Hot topic, everyone in religiosity ears perked up. Martha is showing her faith, I know he will rise again. We take it for granted. Every funeral. Johny has gone to a better place. Johny lived like the devil but he had his moments so we picture him sitting on a cloud playing a harp and wearing a diaper rather than in the lake of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. I will tell you this at a funeral I always cling to the hope of the thief on the cross. Who with one profession of faith Jesus said this day you will be with me in paradise. I believe it. But I sometimes as a fruit inspector wonder if the people that I say goodbye to from this earth had Martha kind of faith. Did they really believe that Jesus was their resurrection

Jesus said I AM THE RESURRECTION!!!!! He is the answer to Hosea 13 and Paul acknowledges as much in Romans 8 and bring in the power of the Holy Spirit in this case. Another hot take look back at Hosea 13 I will be the redeemer of death. Jesus says that’s me I’m here. Paul is going to get to the same point in 1 Corinthians 15 the resurrection chapter

Life in the Spirit leads to immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:52–57 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your choice you can be happy with this sin cursed mortal body but in the spirit Christ in me the hope of glory you can have an immortal body. One that is free of the tapping of this world because of His righteousness.

Recognize God’s gift.

Romans 8:12–13 Therefore, brethren, 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.

When it says that we are debtors that doesn’t mean that we are in bondage, that means we owe Christ a debt that we will never be able to repay. His free gift we must be grateful. This piggey backs off of 1 Corinthians 15 thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. It is also the idea of being appreciative with our actions for the gift given. Like when someone donates a kidney but so much more than that. You owe that person your life you could never repay them but you live your life in honor of them and would do anything for them. Also what memorial day should be all about.

The Spirit of Adoption

Romans 8:14–17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “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 joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Those in the Spirit are the Sons of God.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

We are in the Spirit saved by Jesus children of God. I go back to that person who told me I beat the Holy Spirit to death. I can’t get over this. I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God. I’ve been washed in the fountain cleansed by His blood joint heirs with jesus as we travel this sod for I’m part of the family the family of God.

That is so important the person who led by the spirit not the flesh. They are thinking about heaven and not earth, they turn off the TV and open the scriptures. They are the children of God. That is what I want to be, not of the flesh but of the spirit.

We are adopted into a growing family.

Galatians 4:4–5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Adoption in the Roman world was a big deal when you were adopted into a family you were given full legal rights as an heir to that person. The Roman Emperor Julius Ceasar adopted a young man Octavian to become his heir and he eventually inherited the Roman Empire and became to Emperor Augustus.

Adoption is a big deal

God called Israel His children.

Exodus 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”

Later on in Romans Paul will address the Israel issue, God’s prodigal son. But for now the focus on our adoption in the Spirit.

We receive adoption by the Spirit.

Mark 14:36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Paul talks about how that close personal relationship with God comes by the Spirit. I don’t know how you can’t go through this life without stressing the relationship with the trinity. If you are going to look at the Bible. It is about a relationship with God. We can GOD ABBA DADDY because of the Spirit, that is awesome. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love my kids. Until two little girls came into my life. They are my kids. I love them., just the same as my big three. God I call Him Abba Daddy.

We become Joint Heirs with Jesus.

Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

We are heirs as citizens of heaven.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

We are heirs of the cross and the crown.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

You understand that being adoption comes with the entire package. Being adopted into my family means that you have to endure me singing and dancing around the house and you have to pick up your toys. It also means that you get to go on vacation with us. It’s the entire package.