Life in the Spirit’s Story

Introduction

On July 4th, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. But declaring your independence and living in independence are two different things.

Imagine fighting a seven-year war to win your freedom. You finally win. The British are gone. You are now citizens of a free nation.

But then a new question emerges:

How do we live now?

That was the question facing the United States after the Revolutionary War. The colonies had won their independence, but winning freedom did not automatically teach them how to live as a free people.

Paul asks a similar question in Romans 8.

Last week, we saw that those who belong to Christ have been set free from sin. We are no longer slaves to our old master. We have been called to live a new story.

But how?

How do people who have been set free from sin actually live this new life?

We might think the answer is simply to try harder, make better choices, and develop better habits sort of like how America had to keep working at improving their government. But that’s not it.

But Paul gives us a different answer.

We weren't saved by our own power, and we don't live the Christian life in our own power. We were saved by God's grace, and we live this new life by God's grace—through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You are empowered by the Spirit to live a new life in Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that through faith in You, we have been raised to walk in newness of life. We pray this morning that Your Spirit would guide us to understand Your Word with our minds, draw us to embrace Your Word in our hearts, and lead us to apply Your Word in our lives.

In Jesus' name, amen.

1. The Challenge of Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-4)

Transition

Please open your Bibles to Romans 8:1.

In the previous chapter, Paul had a lengthy discussion about the struggle with sin—the frustration of knowing the good we ought to do and yet finding ourselves doing the very things we hate.

And here he brings good news to all of us who face that struggle.

Will you join me in reading Romans 8:1–4?

Romans 8:1–4 NKJV

1 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. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 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, 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.

a. The Power of Sin and Death

Paul has done it again. He has started a new idea with the word “therefore.” What has come before has led Paul to this conclusion:

“There is therefore now no condemnation.”

So let's unpack this “therefore.”

Why would there be condemnation? And what has set us free from it?

In chapter 7, Paul has discussed the power of sin. Apart from Christ, all of us are under the power of sin.

That’s true for all of us. All of us have sinned. All of us fall short of God's perfect standard.

And just as we saw in the Garden of Eden, where sin led to death, all of us are also subject to death.

Near the end of chapter 7, Paul cries out:

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)

So what will set us free from the law of sin and death?

Will it be the power of our own works as we try to follow the law?

b. The Failure of the Law

No.

Paul makes clear that the law does not set us free. Throughout Romans, he has shown that we are not saved by works of the law, but by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

He points it out again here:

“For what the law could not do…”

The law can tell us what is right, but it cannot change our hearts.

And our fundamental problem is a heart problem. Our hearts are bound to sin and death, so neither the law nor our own efforts to keep it can free us from sin's power.

The law does serve an important purpose: it reveals our guilt.

When we see God's holy standards, we see how far we fall short. The law exposes our sin, but it cannot remove our sin.

The law can tell us what is right, but it cannot make us righteous.

So we stand condemned by the law, not set free.

But remember how Paul began this chapter:

“There is therefore now no condemnation.”

Why is that?

c. What Is the Solution?

Well, just keep reading.

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

You see, as real as the problem of our sin is, and as inadequate as the law is to solve it, God has a better plan.

Good news!

Paul did not leave his question unanswered at the end of chapter 7.

“Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

The answer is Jesus Christ.

And how does He do that?

Look again at verses 3 and 4:

Romans 8:3–4 NKJV

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, 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.

We are not free from condemnation because God decided that sin doesn't matter.

We are free from condemnation because God dealt with sin through His Son.

Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. He condemned sin in the flesh. And now, those who belong to Christ are no longer left to struggle against sin in their own strength.

We have been set free to walk according to the Spirit.

And that brings us to the next question: What does this Spirit-empowered life actually look like?

2. The Power of Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-11)

Transition

To answer that question let’s continue reading in verses 5-11.

Romans 8:5–11 NKJV

5 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. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 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. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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.

a. What's Your Mindset? (vv. 5–8)

Paul contrasts two ways of living: living according to the flesh and living according to the Spirit.

But this contrast is not just between the physical and the nonphysical.

Some religions—and even some forms of Christianity—have treated the physical world as somehow less spiritual. But that's not what Paul is saying.

When we walk according to the Spirit, we still live in physical bodies. We work. We raise families. We serve others. We make decisions and carry out our daily responsibilities.

And when we sin according to the flesh, the problem is not our physical bodies. Sin comes from within—from our hearts and our minds.

So the question is:

What is directing our lives?

Will we follow our fallen human nature, which pulls us toward sin?

Or will we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who leads us toward godliness?

Our actions—both good and bad—flow from within.

So if you're looking for seven steps to holy living—seven things you can do that guarantee you will no longer struggle with sin—you won't find that in the Bible.

Instead, Scripture points us to what God has done in Christ and to the transformation of our hearts and minds.

Living in the Spirit is about our relationship with God: our hearts turned toward Him, our attitudes shaped by the Spirit, and our minds focused on Christ.

b. Our Source of Power (vv. 9–11)

But the key to doing this is found in verse 11.

Romans 8:11 NKJV

11 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.

Paul says this several times and in several ways throughout this passage.

If you are a Christian—if you believe in Jesus—you have not only been forgiven. You have not only been promised eternal life. You have not only been set free from sin.

You also have the Holy Spirit living within you.

You have access to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Illustration: Forgetting to Pass

I think we often forget this.

If you've ever watched elementary or middle school soccer, you've probably seen it happen.

The players have practiced. They've trained. They've worked on their speed and ball handling.

But under pressure, it's easy to forget one critical skill:

Passing.

A defender comes running toward you, and instead of passing to a teammate who is wide open, you try to dribble past everyone yourself.

And the people on the sidelines are yelling:

“Pass the ball! You've got someone wide open!”

But when you're the one under pressure, it's easy to forget that you don't have to do everything yourself.

And I think that's how we often live the Christian life.

We know the Holy Spirit is there. We know God has given us His presence and power.

But when temptation, conflict, grief, fear, or stress comes running toward us, we try to handle it in our own strength.

We try to dribble past the problem ourselves.

But Paul reminds us:

The Holy Spirit lives in you.

You are not on your own.

You don't have to depend on your own power.

The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is the Spirit who dwells in you.

So the key to living in the freedom God gives us is learning to turn to Him for power.

You are empowered by the Spirit to live a new life in Christ.

3. The Identity of Life in the Spirit (Romans 8:12-17)

Transition

As we continue to verses 12-17 we see the Identify of Life in the Spirit.

Romans 8:12–17 NKJV

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 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.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.

a. Fulfilling Your New Identity (vv. 12–17)

In both our old life in sin and our new life in Christ, our identity has implications for how we live.

Paul describes our old life in terms of obligation—or debt.

But notice what he says:

“We are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”

We are not obligated to live according to the flesh.

Sin still calls out to us. Our old patterns still try to pull us back.

But in Christ, that has changed.

We have been set free.

And we have been given a new identity.

Paul says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. We have received the Spirit of adoption. We can cry out, “Abba, Father.”

We are children of God.

And if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

That is who we are.

So the question is not simply, “What do I want to do?”

The question is, “Who am I?”

I am no longer a slave to sin.

I am a child of God.

And because I am a child of God, I am called to live like a child of God—to follow where the Spirit leads, to love as Christ loves, to forgive as Christ forgives, and to put to death the deeds of the body.

We don't owe sin anything.

We have been set free.

We have been given a new identity.

And we are called to live as children of God.

b. What Does This Look Like? (vv. 12–17)

So what does that look like in practice?

How do we move from knowing that we have a new identity to actually living by the Spirit?

Exercise Yourself Toward Godliness

Our soccer illustration might help us here.

Simply telling the players to try to pass more isn't the solution.

They need more than good intentions.

They need training.

They need a coach and teammates who help them practice passing until it becomes more natural.

In the same way, we need be trained by God to depend on the Spirit.

Paul tells Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:7–8

“Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

The goal of training for godliness is not that we somehow earn God's love or save ourselves through spiritual disciplines.

The goal is that, as we continually turn toward God, the Holy Spirit transforms our attitudes and character to become more godly.

The Spirit produces in us the fruit of:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So how do we train ourselves to live this way?

Prayer

One of the most important ways we train ourselves to depend on God is through prayer.

We pray to God in adoration as we meditate on His goodness, grace, love, and majesty.

We confess our sin to God and turn to Him daily for forgiveness.

We pray in thanksgiving for every good thing in our lives.

In our celebrations, we thank God.

And even in our dark moments, we look for reasons to thank God.

And we bring our supplications—our requests—to God.

We ask for His help.

Prayer is not simply a religious activity we perform.

It is an act of dependence.

We are turning to God and saying, “I need You.”

Bible Study

We train by turning to Scripture.

We read it.

We listen to it.

We meditate on it.

We study it, growing deeper in our understanding of its context and meaning.

But the goal is not simply to accumulate biblical information.

We read God's Word so that we can know God, hear His voice, understand His will, and allow His truth to shape our lives.

Service

We train by serving God.

Serve in your local church.

Be active and engaged.

Serve in your community by looking for the needs of others and asking how you can help.

Serving others teaches us to look beyond ourselves.

It trains us to love as Christ loves.

Worship

We train through worship.

Some of these other things we can do by ourselves.

But there is something powerful about coming together with other believers to lift our voices in praise and prayer and to listen together to the Word of God.

We were not created to live the Christian life alone.

We need one another.

Everyday Living

And finally, we train by doing everything we do for the glory of God.

One of the biggest ways we fail to follow the Spirit is by dividing our lives into two categories: spiritual and practical.

We address the spiritual on Sundays.

Maybe we have a morning quiet time.

But then we separate those things from the rest of our lives.

But Paul tells us in Colossians:

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Col 3:23)

So in your job, your school, your parenting, and your hobbies, do everything as if you are doing it for the Lord.

Because you are.

Rely on the Holy Spirit

So that is what we do.

But like all training, how we do it is just as important as what we do.

It is possible to exercise incorrectly.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but when I was in high school, I was not big and muscular.

But I wanted to be.

And as I trained for wrestling, I did work out a fair bit.

My goal was to get biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger—or at least Jean-Claude Van Damme.

So I would try to curl heavier and heavier weights.

[Mime slinging heavy weights with bad form.]

Fortunately, I had coaches who helped me realize that lifting heavy weights with bad form doesn't accomplish what you think it does.

The goal of a bicep curl is not simply to move a weight from one place to another.

The goal is to exercise a particular muscle so that it becomes stronger.

When it comes to working out, cheating can make you feel like you are lifting more.

But in reality, you may not be accomplishing what you think you are accomplishing.

So what about exercising for godliness?

The goal is not simply to perform spiritual activities.

The goal is relationship with God.

The goal is dependence on the Holy Spirit.

We need the Spirit's presence.

We need His guidance.

We need His comfort and encouragement.

We need His power.

You can become like I was when I was lifting weights.

You can read a lot of Bible verses, but never pause to listen to God or depend on His power to understand and apply Scripture.

You can sign up for a lot of ministry teams, but do the work in your own power without ever following the Spirit's guidance.

You can pray, worship, study the Bible, serve, and do all the right things—and still try to live the Christian life in your own strength.

The goal of all our spiritual activity is not simply to become better religious people.

The goal is to grow closer to God, to depend on Him, and to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our attitudes and actions to become more like Christ.

And because we are children of God, we don't have to do this alone.

The Spirit who lives in us is the Spirit who leads us.

The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is the Spirit who gives us life.

You are empowered by the Spirit to live a new life in Christ.

Conclusion

If life in the Spirit sounds overwhelming, I understand.

On the one hand, we recognize that we cannot depend on our own power. On the other hand, we are called to live all of our lives for God.

It's easy to hear all of this and make a big list of things we should do:

I should do this. I should do that.

But I want you to zoom out and hear Paul's argument once more.

We should have lived for God—but we could not.

We deserved death and judgment.

But God loved us, and God rescued us.

We have been set free.

And because of Jesus:

We can look forward to eternal life.

We can live without shame because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

We can call God our Father because we have received the Spirit of adoption.

We can live as children of God.

And we can live in the Spirit.

So don't leave here thinking, “I need to try harder to become the kind of person God wants me to be.”

Leave here remembering:

You are already a child of God through Jesus Christ.

And the Spirit of God lives in you.

You are not on your own.

You do not have to live this new life in your own strength.

The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.

So today, depend on Him.

Yield your choices to Him.

Yield your attitudes to Him.

Yield your responses to Him.

And remember the good news of Romans 8:

You are empowered by the Spirit to live a new life in Christ.

Invitation

Song: Spirit of the Living God

As we sing this song of response, I invite you to ask the Holy Spirit to fall fresh on you and to commit yourself to depending on Him each day.

Will you stand as we sing and respond?

Sermon Notes & Further Study

1. Romans Resources

Introduction to Romans: https://www.havenfellowship.org/introduction-to-romans/

Commentary Recommendations: https://www.havenfellowship.org/romans-commentary-recommendations/

Reading Plan: https://www.havenfellowship.org/romans-reading-plan/

Choosing a Bible Translation: https://www.havenfellowship.org/choosing-a-bible-translation/

2. References & Citations

Life Application Commentary

HOW DO WE KEEP OUR OBLIGATION TO THE SPIRIT?

The Scriptures provide a picture of active response to God. This works out as we:

• Train ourselves in godliness. Our response to the gospel does not involve trying to live a certain way, but training to live in the way of the Spirit. Much of the training schedule is created by God, through suffering, perseverance, and development of self-control. But God’s Word gives training disciplines for us to do. Prayer, study, meditation, service, confession, and worship are all chosen actions that demonstrate spiritual growth and form the basis for further spiritual growth.

• Constantly rely on the Holy Spirit. Even our efforts in training are not independent acts. Along the way, we need the Spirit’s presence, guidance, comfort, and encouragement. One way or another, no matter how far we have travelled in life, the Holy Spirit will always bring us back to an awareness of the grace we have in Christ Jesus. There we find no condemnation.

Bruce B. Barton, David Veerman, and Neil S. Wilson, Romans, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 155.

Images from High Definition Commentary

Steven E. Runge, High Definition Commentary: Romans (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), 139-144.

3. Additional Scriptures

For more passages on walking in the Spirit read:

Galatians 5:16-25

Ephesians 5:15-21

Colossians 3:1-17

1 Corinthians 2:10-16

4. From the Study: Questions the Passage Raises

What actions can we take to grow in walking in the Spirit?

Growing in walking in the Spirit involves both receptive and active dimensions. The Holy Spirit takes the initiative, asserting desires against those of the flesh and forming holy aspirations within us, yet we must yield to His direction and control.[1] However, passive submission alone is insufficient—we ourselves must actively and purposefully walk in the right way.[1]

This active response takes several forms. As we reject the flesh by crucifying it, we must simultaneously discipline ourselves toward spiritual things with equal ruthlessness.[1] This means deliberately setting our minds on spiritual realities—whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious.[1] Practically, we can assess our progress by examining whether we sing to the Lord with heartfelt praise, give thanks in all circumstances, and submit willingly to others.[2]

Community proves essential to this growth. Fellowship with other believers in local churches or small groups is critical, as they help us realign with the Spirit when we falter.[3] Churches also provide orthodox teaching for discerning the Spirit’s guidance and allies in pursuing the outwardly-focused good that God intends.[3] Additionally, the primary evidence of walking by the Spirit appears not in private mystical experience but in practical, loving relationships with others.[1]

When we stumble—and believers will struggle to live in the loving, community-building ways God desires[3]—recovery follows a clear pattern. We should acknowledge our sin, ask God’s forgiveness through Christ’s death, and get back in step with the Spirit.[3] Walking in step with the Spirit is not merely self-improvement; since the Spirit is a real and powerful person, He actively aids us in this task.[3]

[1] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians: Only One Way, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 152–153, 155. [2] Benjamin L. Merkle, “Ephesians,” in Ephesians–Philemon, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 11:97. [3] Frank Thielman, “Galatians,” in Romans–Galatians, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 10:645–646.

5. About Haven Fellowship Church

Haven Fellowship Church is a non-denominational, Bible-believing church in Conyers, Georgia where we experience the love of God, grow in His Word, and share His love with others.

https://havenfellowship.org/