Decoding our Hearts

Text: Romans 8:3-17

Romans 8:3–17 CSB

3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you. 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

when I was a kid. I remember there was a certain cereal box with hidden messages behind red print. You needed the secret magnifying glass found somewhere in the bottom of the cereal box. Now with three kids in the household. I remember trying to be the first one up, so I could get the prize. I mean Nothing was so sanitary as a bunch of kids digging through a box of cereal with thier hands to find a prize. Now that I thin k about that its kind of gross. right?

Anyway one would take that red lensed magnifying glass and hold it to your eye, look at the box, and suddenly what was hidden behind the red print would be revealed.

In much the same way this portion of Romans 8 is meant to do exactly that, It’s meant to see through all of our religious behavior those self-protective layers that keep us from seeing ourselves in the light of Gods word, to reveal what is truly underneath.

Now, often people are afraid to truly dig into thier inner hearts because they are afraid of what they might find. Just like a child that refuses to look under his bed for fear he might see a monster we too are often afraid of examination. I mean if the monster is really under the bed refusing to acknowledge it or ignoring it would only make the danger worse.

In the same way what is in hour hearts is there and not acknowledging it only increases its danger and its power over us for this type of ignorance could be the difference between heaven and hell. Life and death or missing reward. So honesty is your friend and not your enemy.

Paul says it this way in 2 Cor. 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 CSB

5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.

Last week we saw the two guarantees of salvation.

The first was transactional and the second transformational . Christ transferred our guilt on himself. There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

The second guarantee is that we would be transformed by the work of Christ.

So now Paul formulates an argument much like a decoder magnifying glass. His argument will show us if we are indeed in Christ. His words, if we are brave enough to look under the bed will show us what is really underneath.

The first lens he applies is best summed up by this question:

I. On what is your heart “set”?

as we look at verse 5, I want you to circle two words “for” and “Set”.

Romans 8:3–5 CSB

3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.

“To set” means to give serious consideration too or determine. The heart was seen as the inner mort being of a person. It is the conscious and subconscious part of a person that controls them. So to set your heart on something means, that something will control and steer your heart.

The heart determines your actions.

Now The word “for” can have two different meanings.

It can mean the reason I am doing something.

I am hungry for some Thai food.

or it can be the cause of my situation.

I am starving for I do not have any food.

In this context, it means :cause”.

In other words a person who has set his heart on the things of the flesh will have the evidence in his or her actions. Your lifestyle will betray your value system. If you are in Christ you will value the the things of God.

If you are not in Christ, your heart will value the things of the flesh.

The cause of a sinful lifestyle is due to what the heart values.

Let me give you a few examples of how are actions betray what we value.

Can a person a person “value” church yet not be committed to attend and be involved in the community of it?

Let me drive that point further, can a person say they value the gathering yet not prepare adequately to have a meaningful time together.

If you are staying up late every Saturday night, then dragging yourself here only to be so tired that you can’t focus on the teaching and enjoy the community. Are you valuing the time together?

Can a person value Christ and the kingdom of God , yet not spend thier time serving him?

Of course not, our actions will always reflect our heart or value system. If you truly value something, your actions will prove it.

James states the same idea.

James 2:14–18 CSB

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.

While we are not saved by works. We cannot earn our salvation. Our salvation transforms us and we will have the works or lifestyle to prove it. There is no such thing as faith without works. There is no such thing as a person in faith who lifestyle opposes the works of faith.

But I want you to notice something with me. The one that is “set on the flesh” is there by default. If you remember from weeks past. Those who have not been set free are under the curse of the law of sin and death.

Since we sin ,all of us we have set out minds on the things of the flesh. Your mind is consumed with your life on earth but those in Christ thier mind or heart has been redeemed. They set thier affections on something different. The same is true of those who have considered God’s ways and have determined to follow him. This person has “set” thier minds on the spirit.

Colossians 3:2 CSB

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

So Paul is saying hey examine your heart, what is the driving factor behind your life as evidenced by your actions, because there is no such thing as a faith that is separate from obedience.

What you believe is the most important, will be evidenced by the way you live. You will obey whatever you have set your heart on....

Now for some this idea will be terrifying because it will reveal to you that you may have an unregenerate heart .

for others it will be extremely convicting because you realize that sense your salvation you have not continued to allow Christ full reign of your heart and lifestyle.

You’ve become distracted by the business of life, sin, and misplaced priorities: Money, career, education, and sports your faith is the last thing you think about and if you are not careful you’re modeling these ideals for your children and grand-children. You are modeling that faith is necessary but secondary to goals of earthly life.

Now after hearing this some of you are worried about what side of salvation you are on, Paul gives us another lens to look through another test.

II. The Fruit of your life, are you able to obey God?

Romans 8:6–8 CSB

6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There are many people in churched today that claim salvation based upon some experience they had. But in the Parable of the Sower told by Jesus in Matthew 13, It seems that many will have some sort of religious experience that does not result in true salvation.

In this parable there is only response to the gospel that is viable as evidenced by the fruit that it produces, that fruit is the fruit of a life characterized by obedience.

You see the lost cannot obey God. They might try out of religious guilt from time to time but their life is not characterized by obedience. They are not empowered by the spirit of God. They do not have the Holy Spirit in them.

But a person that has set his heart on the things of God will strive and fight for obedience. It won’t always come easy but your life will be characterized as one that strives to live for God. You will have a long-term success with occasional times of failure mixed in. Your life won’t be perfect but it will be transformed.

So then Paul says remember Those who are in Christ remember who you are....

Christians need to look at thier lives through the next lens.

III. The Lens of our New Identity

Romans 8:9–11 CSB

9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

If you are in Christ you have become alive to righteousness and obedience. You consider yourself dead to sin. You see yourself not as a sinner with an license to sin but a saint that is dead to his own will. You know have a singular purpose to bring glory to God.

Romans 8:12–14 CSB

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.

Who are the Son’s lead by?....God’s Spirit.

So then how do I know if I am truly born again?

Paul gives us one more lens to look through

IV. The Lens of the Spirit.

Romans 8:15–17 CSB

15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

In this we see that we have an intimate relationship with God that we can call him Abba, father.

secondly we see that the spirit of God gives us the assurance that we are God’s children.

The spirit testifies with out spirit....Those who are in Christ know it.

So there are only three categories of people in this room this morning.

Those who belong to Christ

Those who are pretending to belong to Christ

Those who know they do not yet belong to Christ.

Which one are you?