9/20/26 AM

Over the next several months, you're going to get very, very used to open in your Bibles to page 1756 to this 8 chapter of Romans are we introduced last week telling us that reminding us that really well? All of God's words are important as this. These are probably some of the most valuable words in scripture. They are really a summary of everything. The Bible says, in just one chapter of the Bible. And so, we have the privilege here throughout September, and October and November of coming to dig deep into this eight chapter of the book of Romans, and now every week afterwards, so that next week, Sunday school lesson for the adult Sunday school at one of the elders is going to go through, what it was that we talked about here this morning. So that's exactly what we did this morning, rod, bosma. Let us through those first four verses of this chapter and and we're going to do that same thing next week and the week after that, I because we want these words, deeply seated into us. And that means that if you have questions, as we're going along, you can always ask us along the way, but then you can come for Sunday school on the following Sunday morning and we're going to have time to maybe answer some of those questions in and dig a little bit even deeper into it. There is really no end to How Deeply we can dig into these incredible words. I'll let you just for those of you who weren't here, we're going to go through those first four verses very quickly because it's really impossible for us to understand the words that follow it without understanding that. The reason that we are here this morning is because there is no condemnation. No condemnation, you know that you're a sinner, you know, that you're guilty, you know, that you deserve that Judgment of guilty. But as you are, being sentenced to hear these words, there is no condemnation. Your sentence has been paid. This is not for everybody, is it? It's for those who are in Christ Jesus, that's really what we're going to be talking about. Now for these remaining nine weeks, what is this mean to be in Christ Jesus? Last week, we were reminded that the law was powerless to save us, not because there's something wrong with the law, but because it was weakened by our flesh. And we're going to be talking about Flash again, a lot today, and we're not necessarily talking about the things that are attached to your bones, the physical flesh, this is the Bible's word for describing our own sinful nature, in the Biblical word that use their is Starks, and that's where it starts. It's a Greek word, but it kind of has a personality, doesn't it? And I think that fits because sorry, it's our our sinful nature are flash is always trying to drag us back from this state of not being condemned to to to thinking that we deserve condemnation and and and and we want to he wants to drag us back into the mud after we've been cleaned off by the blood of Christ. That's what star ex does to the law. It's it's listed all the time and and it says, it's being something. Good for us. We we we tend to think of God's laws being something harsh and it's something that we don't like that's what starts does to the lawn it weakens it did what? We are unable to do. This is really the central, the central verb of the Gospel, if this is, all you knew, if, if this is all you can remember, when it's time to explain what the gospel is to somebody else and you know, all of these different things come flooding into your mind. When you have this opportunity to get to tell the truth or speak the gospel to somebody else. And you can't do that. Comes in there at once and you can't make any sense of it. Just remember these two words. God, did God. Did what we couldn't do? That's for the hospital right there. Isn't it? God did this by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering? Until Christ condensed and In the Flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of a lot might be fully met in us. That's why you are now acceptable to God because he looks at you and sees Christ, he he looks at you and doesn't see you as a sinner who has certainly committed. All of these sins, the consequences of which we might have to deal with for quite some time here in this world. But has he looks upon you? He doesn't mess that you created know. He sees the fact that you have met his cabinet. It's fully met in you through Christ. You see, we are people who do not live, according to the flesh. Know we are people who live according to the spirit, That begs the question. What's the difference? What is a life? Lived, according to the flesh look, like, what does a life lived? According to the spirit? Looks like, that's exactly what we're here to learn about today. As we move on into verses 5 through 8. To open your Bibles page 1756. And let's read these words together. Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse 5 here, now, the word of the Lord

Those who live. According to the sinful nature that is according to the flesh, have their minds set on what that nature desires. but those who live in accordance with the spirit,

they have their minds set on what the spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death. But the Mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature. Cannot, please God.

That is more than enough for us to chew on here today. Let's pray. That God will bless it to his father in Heaven. We thank you so much for Romans chapter 8. Why do we love all of your word? It comes to us in so many different ways, so many different forms and you bless all of those different ways, and all of those different forms unto us in different ways. But it comes to us, the clearest father, in this eighth chapter of Romans, and we want to understand these words. Well, but these words are different than any other words that we ever come across. These are not the words of mad. These are your words haven't been written down by a man, fully inspired by your Holy Spirit. Father, we do pray that you would open our minds so that we can understand the truth. That's being communicated to us in them all of this. We pray now in Jesus name, amen.

Or even if you didn't know what it was, it weird to talk about here this morning. It would be very clear to you. I hope as we read the same word over and over, and if these four versus today and we're going to be talking about what's called your mind, set your mindset and this is something you probably haven't thought much about. But it's really the most important thing in your life because it calls the shots. Everything that you do, everything that you think everything that you feel is controlled by your mindset. Look, how Paul uses these words, we see it all through this passage mindset. Mine said it's which is a little bit there to minded governed, but it means the same thing mind-controlled there at UC, at the end. I what is this word mindset mean? Let's just look at a few synonyms for it. All of these are good synonyms but but not not really the word that I'm looking for, this is such a fascinating word that Paul uses here to describe this very, very important element of us. And the problem with the word though is it so hard to find a good English word that we can just plug in there and and capture all of the meaning of the word that Paul used to maybe you think of your mindset, sort of your governing attitude. The one that you'll hear the most, in our circles in the Christian world is world. Did we talk about our, our world and life you often and really what we're talking about there? Is this insect that Paul introduces us to hear and Romans chapter 8 of it as your perspective. Why is it that you as a Christian come to such different conclusions then then somebody who is either just as smart as you or maybe even smarter. But yet is not walking in the Lord while it's because you have a different mindset, you have a farm, Different perspective than that, other person. This is what we're talking about here. You're mine, said it is is vitally important. It literally controls everything about you, what, you think, what you feel and what you do? If we're to use for a little bit more academic types of words are it? We would say that it controls your left, it controls your ocean and it controls your bullish in the decisions that you make on a daily basis. Don't often recommend movies here in this capacity because he have something far better to talk about. However, maybe you've seen as the old Pixar movie, I think it's it's got to be several years old by now, it was called inside out, and it actually is about a girl from Minnesota who moved out to San Francisco. And that's a traumatic experience for her. As you might imagine and the whole country. Cast of the movie. It is in this little girl's mind. We're kind of brought into her brain, and we see all of these different emotions, kind of vying for control over the decisions that she makes. And that's really a pretty good understanding of how it is that we think all of these different elements that are kind of at worker or intellect. We we, we have good rationale of some of us for why we do this or that other people are wholly controlled by their emotions, right? And and often times, I'll make poor decisions because they're only thinking about how they feel in the moment. What I want you to take about your your mindset as, and this really wasn't the character in that movie. This was kind of an enhancement of it. Your mindset is sort of your brains, c, e o. Sort of a governor all of the different facets of your Humanity. Your your intellect and your emotions in your volition, all of those things they come and they make their case about why you should do this or why you should do that, but somebody's got to make the decision, right? And that's what your mindset does. It's a vitally important part of who and what you are, you're mine set your minds. It makes the decision even when your intellect in your emotions and your desires, your your volition can't get along with one. Another your mindset is the one who sets the direction and makes a decision vitally important than isn't it. We will counter the same word and another very important passage of scripture. This of course, is Philippians chapter 21 of the greatest sex positions of who and what Jesus Christ is Anna Begins with these words and your relationships with one another, you must have this same mindset of Jesus Christ. Maybe when you memorize this verse years ago, you memorized it in a different translation where it says You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Using the same exact word here that were using in Romans chapter 8, who were people who are called her live and look like Jesus Christ. That's what's the processes of sanctification. Is US looking more and more like the one who saved us? What does that mean? Does that mean that you need to have the same exact and collect that Jesus had? It does that mean that every moment of every day? Your emotions must match Christ, emotions. Well, then you would ask her which emotions Christ. Demonstrates. All sorts of emotions for us. As we read about him in the gospel, which is it, that we are called to match. He's angry at times, isn't he hits him? He lashes out in that anger it in a way, that doesn't cause him to send is that how we must be? Or we must be the contemplatively. I'm like, what he was, or, or should our emotions be the way that they were when Jesus was on the cross of Santa's pushing down upon him and and all of that pressure is welling up inside of him. Is that the emotion that we must have? How is it that we that we can have Christ emotion? How is it that we can desire? What Christ desire to spend the night as a goal in life with. But in the decisions that he may does that mean that you and I have to set our lines of sight is a sacrifice to everybody else that's and take their sins upon us. A course. That doesn't make any sense. Does it priced already? Did that on our behalf. So what is it then? Is that it means when we are called to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ, the same mindset Oh really. We have to be making our decision the same way that Christ it. It doesn't mean like, you need to that. You need to feel like he did every day, doesn't mean that as a Christian you need to be on this in the state of Happiness, all the time that's impossible, isn't it? Nor do you need to be in a state of sadness all the time because of the sin of the world. Do you need not to have the same emotions as Jesus? You need to have the same mindset. You need to know scripture, well that you're never going to know it as well as the one who wrote it. Your intellect will never match his That's not what you're called to have. You're not called to have the same intellect as Jesus Christ, you're called to have the same mindset. Hey, look at this mindset. Jesus who is in the very nature of God that something you and I could never ever emulate were made in God's image, but that's very different than being in the same nature as God. He did not consider equality with God, something to be used to his own advantage. And then, you know, how this passage is goes on to describe the beauty of how Christ live. That's what you and I are being called to emulate this house. John Stott explains with his mindset is. It's that thing that preoccupies you, if the Ambitions that drive you the concern that engrossed you because I want to see it governs, how we spend our time, and our energies did covers what we concentrate on and what we give ourselves up to

Cuz I can think of nothing more practical to spend time focusing upon. Then, then our mindset adopting, a criticism of Christianity, isn't it? We just come in here and and we focus on all sorts of things that that really have no bearing outside of these walls and then we go out there and and the world just run us over because we're not prepared for it. No, it's quite the opposite. When we come to understand a mindset like Christ, look how intimate eminently practical, this can be together until you spend your time, your energy. What you concentrate on? What you give yourself to, you need to understand this concept of Christian mindset. There's nothing more important.

Practical is this is another valuable as it is to come to understand. It's not even the ultimate reason that you want to understand what your mind set it is currently set upon because your mindset reflects your Eternal destiny. Make sure you understand that point correctly. Your mindset does not control your Eternal Destiny. And other words, you're being accepted by God doesn't depend upon you, getting it together in between your ears. First of all, so that you can present yourself to him. That's not how it works at. All is actually quite the opposite having been saved by Jesus Christ. You will think differently than those who are not. This mine said does not control your Eternal Destiny, but it certainly reflects its It's certainly reflects it. Look at the contract that we are here. In verse 6. The mindset, the Mind governed by the flesh by sarx is

contrasted with that, which is governed by the spirit life and peace. We're talkin about to completely opposite ends of the spectrum here, aren't we? Just on the one side life in pieces on the other? I mentioned during the congregational prayer, that's at our class is meeting this past Thursday. We had the privilege of identify of interviewing this candidate that we had to be our classes advancement. Director's name is Chris Vogel, and I can't wait for you guys to meet him. If you got to love him, he spent his life and various aspects of business. And, and saw some success in that, and now he wants to take what he's learned in the business World in and applied to the church, disciple, shipping and growth. And even though he's been in business his whole life, he has a very theologically oriented mind, and he said something that was really striking to me in that interview, he went through a period of his life where he, he sort of pushed back against Christianity that he grew up in, he grew up in Luverne Minnesota. He went to Southwest Christian. High School in Edgerton. He went to dordt University after that. I mean he's hitting all the high water. There is a need as far as a good solid Christian Reformed young man but but he rebelled a bit against that for a while because over and over. He was properly told you as a Christian must have a life that looks like Jesus Christ. And he's a very artistic man. He was, he got a master's degree from the Berklee school of music. I mean, this guy is so talented and every aspect of lights but then he looked at that through his artistic lens and he said, how boring is that? That were all being groomed in the church. The sort of look the same, the sort of look exactly. Like Jesus did boring is Mana if you deform, it's the opposite. Really of what we want to be. And so that's what's in Dustin, was it hit the truth. Like the fact that you and I must look like Christ in every regard of our life and it begins to twist that truth Hudson was at work in his mind for a number of years but then he began to realize just how wrong. He what? you see, if it says not to, It's not the the life in the flash life in Starks is is so Dynamic and exciting, actually the opposite life and the Flash live with a mindset of sark's is Dad. It's all funneling to the same exact conclusion.

The opposite of that that spent that time life, that that, that seems so monolithic and end. So boringly uniform of looking like Christ, that's actually where the beauty is at. It says the Mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. It's this opportunity for us to come to now and reflect the creator of all things in whom we are imaged and come to see how it is that his beauty is reflected in Art and Science and literature and history and all of the the disciplines that we are able to learn about and we all reflect that beauty and such different ways even though we all are modeling our life after Christ. It's in this difference here, it's in our mindset that we can fully. Then become the people that God created us to be. So different than what the world is telling everybody isn't it? The world is pushing everybody against living a life in Christ. Know, the excitement is over here. The world says Pretend, as you begin to detach yourself from the truth. Everything is being funneled towards death. It's a It's a sloppy. Afternoon outside, right? Is this isn't the afternoon that you're going to spend on the lake or sitting on the patio or anything like that, you're going to be cooped up inside, you're going to get bored this afternoon. This would be an excellent afternoon for you to open your Bible at home, to the Book of Ecclesiastes. Read through Solomon's conclusion, Solomon, King Solomon, who is the richest man to ever live had every resource available to him to try the things of the world, has he tried them all? And he came to this conclusion, The Book of Ecclesiastes is quite short. It's easy to read and add. You read through, what's Solomon concluded and passed on to the rest of us. He said everything. Under the sun is meaningless. It's like the fog that's outside right now. You can see it. It's there, but you can't ever grabbed it. It just disappears in your hat. And this is exactly what being explained to us here and Romans 8:6. It's all deaths outside of Christ. It's all black and white. It's all uniformed. It's one thing. It's death, but the Mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. That's what we want, isn't it? That's the thing. That's what we want. Calling the shots in our mind, governing over our intellect, in our emotions and our volition, we want life in peace in control between our ears and your mindset calls, the shots. It's the most important thing about you, so you need to know it. Well and you need to know, then if there's only two types of mine sets, those of you who are taking notes here, probably going to be able to fill out the two lines below this, even before I put them on the screen, because our text makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? There is a mindset according to sharks, to the flash, your sinful human nature. We read that there in 58. Those who live? According to the flash sharks is the one making all of their decisions and their minds, their sinful human Nature is in charge, their mindset is set on. What starts desires, Starks gets what starts once it's set on the flesh has desire. And look at this... Might seem somewhat attractive to you as we look at what the world has to offer. You say one maybe it's not so bad but then Paul begins to elaborate here near the end of the passage. He said his mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. I'm always a hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law and not only that, it's completely incapable of doing so. Has no ability. For a desire to live in the way that God created us to live. Do I could give lots of examples. We could literally fill up the remainder of the day, talking about examples of aspect of our society of people that we know who are sold out to a mindset of what the flesh desires and the implications of its. We see this ugliness everywhere in our world, it seems so much worse than what it's ever been. That's not necessarily the case, it's always been that way. It's just we have access to it. Now on an instantaneous to Tammy is based in a way that we never did before. We don't need to spend time talking about that this morning. I think that you all have a good idea of of where this leaves because with so evident and the world around us living according to what the flesh desires.

I don't want you to consider this morning that might be a bit more surprising to you. Is that these people who are having their mind set on what the flesh desires are not necessarily what we would consider to be outright pagans. In fact, quite the opposite of that. These are the people who who live in your neighborhood, maybe even that you're related to. These are the people that you're going to go to work with tomorrow morning. These are the people who are going to be on your team throughout the week, the people who are hard-working The people who are law-abiding.

The people who want a good life, good life in every sense of the word, Sprint for their families and for their children for their grandchildren. These are people who vote, right? According to your version of what it means to vote. Right there are people who in every other regard of Life seem just like you.

But yet, they have a very, very different mindset. Donald hegner explains this so well. He says unbelievers often agree with God's commands. I mean, just think about this, most of the people that you live around and work with and they're not out there murdering people there, they're not, they're stealing that they seem like good honest, people don't, they, they agree with God commands that they want Society structured in this way to But external alignment with Biblical standards. Just going through the motions, just keeping yourself out of trouble. Just just following the rules. That's that's good. But that's not submission to God's law. We're talkin about something very very different. He goes on submission. That's a voluntary Act of yielding yourself to a superior Authority.

And all of us to still have that sin percolating in our lives. We begin to cringe a little bit like this because that's what we don't like oh we want to worry about sordid. Well, we want a world where everybody's following the rules and people aren't murdering each other in the streets. We want the goodness of God law, but we don't want God to see what's going on here. They are able to fully comply with what we call the second table of the law. That is what governs, our interactions with one. Another things like that often and are sexual identities, and murdering in line and ends and stuff like that yet. They want that because they can see the goodness that comes out of that. What they don't want is the first table of God's law. They don't want a superior Authority in their life. If you need unbelievers, may agree with Christian, ethics at times actually quite a bit but that is not submission. The unbeliever cannot submit to God until he or she calls him savior.

That might just seem like words to you that that we understand Jesus. As our Lord, we read on here in the Book of Romans, only a few pages from where you at and Romans 10:9 hit explains the gospel. So clearly you must confess with your mouth. And believe in your heart, that Jesus is Lord. And that God raised him from the dead. If he it was those words Jesus is Lord that got that early church in trouble with the Roman authorities. I could care less who it was that you worship. You can worship one of a hundred, maybe 200 500 different, glad it didn't matter to Cesar, which one was your favorite? What mattered to Caesar is that Caesar was Lord. And Christians would come to realize what a Christian mindset was all about refused to make that acknowledgment, when we confess together, that Jesus Christ is Lord, we are putting his kingship and his authority. We are putting all of his words from Genesis chapter 12, Revelation chapter 22. We are putting it as the highest Authority in our lives that we will submit to in all matters of life and say. That's the difference not just trying to take the good results of of a life lived according to God's law. I just have the good without having the authority know, it's putting ourselves under the authority and lordship of Jesus Christ. AC, because here's the alternative in its ugly. Those who are controlled by the flesh. Cannot please God. Think about that for a moment and think about it in terms of the fact of the one thing that you and I were created to do. At the Westminster. Catechism puts it so. Well we are created to glorify God and enjoy him forever. That's a fancy way of saying, please gone. Those who do not have a mindset controlled by the spirit. Can't please. God's make can't do what they were created to do. Do you wonder that? Was it clear to you? Now why it is that your non-Christian friends and neighbors? Who seem to do everything right? Can't seem to find any true fulfillment in life and they just kind of float from one thing to another to another and find a dead end at the end of every Trail. They've gone down, it's because they can't please. God, it's because their minds are not submitted to Jesus Christ as Lord. And even though their life looks so similar to a Christian is not They're out there for themselves, they're focused on the here and now because they know is all they have no some of them and being focused on the here and now are completely self-centered. And you know those people they're ugly, right? You don't want anything to do with them, they're narcissistic. They they bring all sorts of trouble into everybody's life, that they touch, but other people focused on the Here. And Now genuinely want this world to be better when we are doing things to improve our city and our community, and our neighborhoods. But do you see the difference? They're focused on making life. Good for us here. Now, They're not focused on keeping Jesus. Christ is Lord to very very different things. They're self-centered no matter what not god-centered. Very, very different way to lick when your mindset is controlled, according to sark's know, we want to be people who minds are controlled, according to the spirit according to the spirits. What is that? That's life and peace. Oh, what a difference from what we just looked at? What is this life? That's been promised to us here? If our minds are focused on The Spirit. Well, it's it's fellowship with God. It's living that life that Adam and once enjoyed in the Garden of Eden where he worked hard during the day because that's what we were created to do doing things that spread the image of God throughout this world. And then in the cool of the day, the late afternoon in the early morning, Adam's father, the one in whose image he was created would come and enjoy the sunsets, enjoy the sunrise, those beautiful things that we have in the cool of the day, whether it's the morning or the evening, this is Entenmann fellowship with one another life in full communion with one another, A beautiful thing. This is what we have, when our minds are governed by the spirits know you're not going to have it all the way here in this world, because starts keeps pounding on your brains door and he wants control again. And other people around, you are sick and broken and send yet, and then they're continually dragging you back into it as well. And so are we on for this life that we know that we'll have and comes back? And makes all things new, we get little smidgens of it here now and then we long for peace. This piece is something that you can have fully right now. We're still waiting for that full life, and it will come Right now, you can this piece because of what we've already read together, you can have knowing that there is no condemnation. For the sins that you've committed, you can have peace knowing that God is in control of everything that happens in this world. You can have peace, knowing that no force in this world can separate you from the love of God. You know, all things that we're going to be working our way through here in Romans chapter 8 piece this ability to be content in every circumstance as Paul puts it in Philippians

Why? Because a reminder set on what the spirit desires to see how this changes what we want out of this life, is not just accumulating everything we can for the here and now and there's different ways to do that. Ways that don't look up obviously selfish as you accumulate more and more wealth for only yourself, but there's also ways that they look attractive to accumulate stuff for yourself. No, that's not what we're doing. Our minds are setting with a spirit desires to want what we were created to want to live the way that we were design. I have this life. But we would have had had our minds not been warped by the effect of sin.

I understand how important this is understand that you were really only have two choices you can live. According to start, you can live according to the spirits, then understand that the doctrine or the Bible holds, his doctrine of of life in the spirit and life in the Starks. In Tim segret, tea Especially, during the evening Services. We talked a lot about Tim sedraty. He read the Bible reading plan mention it quite a bit at 10 sacred. He is a contracted order, a compounded words, it comes from the word tension on one side and integrity on the other. This is sort of a fun way to understand. What 10 Sega tea is all about, is called attend, segra tea-table. These are the actual Flappy Chainz. Each one of them, I used to have a rubber band in the middle. And now, it has a zip tie because my rubber town, but rubber band broke. But what this is demonstrating is that all of these elements, the chains and the zip tie are all being held in pension right now. Tension is when you're pulling on something, have you ever tried to push a rope that doesn't work doesn't, but you can't push a change. You can pull a rope and pull great weight with it, but you can't push it. It has to be used in tension and all of these elements right now are being pulled and it's a it's a what's the word I'm looking forward and optical illusion. It doesn't look like. It looks like there's something fishy going on with this thing. It's not all of these things are being pulled against each other and because of that, it has great strength. Even though it's actually quite sloppy. Ten secretary is a good thing in the Bible is full of it. It's such a Doctrine over a year that you cannot let go of and it says another Doctrine way over here. Cannot let go of him being pulled in two different directions. By God's work. Seems so uncomfortable. So we seek to relieve the tension by going this way a little bit or by going that way a little bit but then your way out of his secretary, you have no more Integrity. You're just as sloppy as what this chain is. If we were to cut the zip, tie know if you want Integrity in your life you have to live in biblical tension and his Doctrine is full of it. You have been regenerated by God's grace.

We call this Doctrine her, we don't necessarily call it this other people call it. This is often referred to as Calvinism that God is Sovereign over all things. He's the one who picked you up for Dustin, you to be so far, out of sins, misery cleaned you off in the blood of his son and now has set you to live for him and that's all in God's hands. If you're not a calvinist you will be. By the time we get done with Romans chapter 8, this is where we base so much of this Doctrine on.

And the problem is not just a Roman anything though. We go all the way back to the book of Deuteronomy. Let's go, let's start here in Denver 7, the Mind governed by flesh is Han. So we've seen this doesn't submit to God. Life is unable to do so that's how dead in our sins. We are, we can't do this on our own Deuteronomy talks about this. You've heard of that that sacrament of a circumcision that was God's prescribed way of showing his Covenant inclusion in the Old Testament. And here's how it's supposed to say, why that, why? Why that, it's kind of weird, isn't it? If you don't know what circumcision is, you can ask your mother on the way home and it looks like I'm not going to do that now. The Lord your God, Circumcise your heart.

And hearts of your descendants, he will cut the flesh. A way he will cut sark's out. This is what circumcision is signify to circumcise your heart and understand that that were too hard to the old testament's not just your emotion. It's it's all of your faculties at work your intellect, your emotion and your volition that's what Hearts represent. He's going to circumcise all of it, he's going to pull the flesh. Rotted away out of your mind. so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, And not only that so that you live. Do you remember what the mindset said on the spirit is its life and peace. It's not just a promise from Romans chapter 8 this is from near the beginning of the Old Testament. This is what God has been shaping. All of history towards that. We may truly live I'll talk about this in Ephesians. Here's Scott sovereignty at work on the goodness and loving-kindness of God, our savior appeared. He saved us. Not because of what we did not because of the words done by Austin righteousness. Know it's all about what price. It's all about God's mercy. He did this by washing by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. opening our minds so that we can think so that we can know the truth that we have been suppressing and send It happened when he poured his Spirit out upon his richly through our Savior Jesus Christ.

This is why is so often the most common healing in the gospels. We just got done reading through the gospels. And what, healing in there that that Jesus did was making a blind man. See, All Because of Jesus. Especially sorry, for people who are blind, but it because it's an analogy for what we are outside of the Holy Spirit, we're blind, we can't think we cannot see. All of this has been done through our Sovereign. God, we played no part in any of this. Did we all of those were things that God did to what I hear is the 10 Sega tea. So we're not going to let go of this side. All of this is about what God has done for us. He is Sovereign in our celebration, in every sense of the word, we are passive in our Salvation And every sense of the word, we're not letting go of this, but the Bible is going to pull us now in a very opposite direction you You me, we must keep our Mind Set On Christ. We are not passive in the Christian Life. We are passive in our experience of Salvation. We are active and living this Christian Life, and keeping our Mind Set On Christ, call maysa explicitly clear in Colossians. He said, if really sent, you have been raised with Christ seek. The things that are above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God set your minds. He uses the same very unique word over again, set your mind on things that are above not on the things of the earth. You see, you have this option, starting this afternoon, and tomorrow and the day after that, you can do on your mind. You can tune in to the things of this world and set it on that or you can do the hard work of keeping your mind set on things that are above not on things of the Earth. Ephesians chapter 4 live as the Gentiles do. But it ain't live that they can't think, right? This is a problem that sent has put upon Humanity. We cannot think, right? It's futile to even try A darkened in their understanding separated from the life of God. A terrible way to go through life. Because of their ignorance that is in them doing due to the hardening of their hearts. But you were taught, you were taught to be made new in the attitude of your mind. This is work for you to do your enabled by the Holy Spirit to do it, but you must do it. What is sore in your salvation? And you are passive. You are active in your sanctification and you must fulfill what you've been commanded. If you want to enjoy this life, that you've been saved to be made new in the attitude of your mind, put on the new self-created be like God in true righteousness and Holiness as you go through this week at random times, maybe set your phone to send you random reminders through the week with this question right now, what My Mind Set On Am I completely enveloped of the things of this world that I forgotten that Jesus Christ is Lord. Or am I seeking to apply his lordship to every facet of every activity and every piece of work that you're called to do in this coming week, two? Very different ways of going to the week. You have to be reminded ask yourself all the time. What's my mind turned on right now. And if it's set on the things of this world, rip it out of there and set it back on Christ and do your work for his glory. How do you do this? While you do what you're doing right now, you come every Lord's day and have God's word for claims to you. It's the best way to keep Your Mind Set On Christ. You're reading the Bible all week long so that you don't drift away from the truth and we have to rip your back here on Sunday. Now we want you tied to it all week long and it's worth it. People of God, it's worth it to live in life. And in peace. Let's thank God for a father in Heaven.

We thank you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Jesus, we thank you that in your sovereignty. You have chosen us but we did not deserve it to benefit from The Life of Christ that the righteous requirements of the law has been fully met in US. By the way, thank you for everything that you have done for our Salvation. We pray as we grow in our sanctification, as we grow to look more and more like the unsurpassed Beauty and diversity of Jesus Christ. That we will keep our Mind Set On the things of the spirit. By the way, thank you for your word which is what guides and governs us and keeps us tied to You. Keep Us close to it all of this. We pray now in Jesus name, amen.