Romans 8: Our Obligation
Romans 8 • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 762 viewsIf we are living under the Spirit, we are obligated to fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back.
I hope that everyone has had a good afternoon and maybe even got a nap in during this rainy old day.
This evening we are going to continue our series in Romans, and turn our attention to verses 12-17.
And tonight we are really going to be continuing on pretty much where we left off this morning.
Because at this point, we have gotten the point of Paul admonishing us and challenging us to live by the Spirit.
And I hope that this morning I was able to clearly communicate the message that Paul was trying to get across to the Christians in Rome...
Which is the same message that I believe God is trying to get across to us.
And that message is this…The Holy Spirit is a requirement of our relationship with God.
The Holy Spirit is not just an add on or an extra, but rather as the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is essential to our salvation and our walk with God.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no walk with God.
The Holy Spirit has to be present and active in our lives.
And sanctification, or what we call entire sanctification is not so much the reception of the Spirit, as it is the submission of ourselves fully to the Spirit.
Willingly turning ourselves over to the Spirit.
So, Paul here has established the necessity of the Spirit, Paul is going to start to talk about now our obligations under the Spirit.
So, if you have found , ’d invite you to stand with me.
Again, we will be reading
Paul writes . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We Are Obligated
We Are Obligated
Now, it is almost as if Paul is repeating the same thing that we covered this morning.
And in many ways he actually is.
The point that Paul is trying to make is so important he is continuously repeating it over and over again.
He is trying to make the work of the Spirit in the lives of believers abundantly clear to these people.
And the reason why is because they are like we are many times.
They are stubborn and stiff-necked.
They are so head strong and their own self-will is so powerful that they are having great difficulty submitting themselves to the Holy Spirit.
Their mindset is that they are not going to submit to anybody, including God and that they will not bow down to anyone, including God.
“Nobody is going to tell me what to do” is their motto.
And people are no different today.
They are stubborn, head-strong, and self-willed; and nobody is going to rule over them.
And that is also why people do not experience victory in their lives.
They are so consumed with being right and getting their way, that they completely disregard God direction in their lives and things turn out to be a mess for them.
Paul here though tells them to hold on and wait just a minute.
He has talked at length about the sinful nature and the Spirit, now he tells them . . .
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
So, we do have an obligation, and if that obligation is not to the sinful nature, or not to ourselves, then who are we obligated to?
What exactly is that obligation then?
And this morning I sort of gave the answer away.
Our obligation is first and foremost to God.
And that obligation is fulfilled by loving and serving others.
That obligation is fulfilled by fulfilling the Great Commission.
An when we go and make disciples, we are fulfilling our obligation to God.
We are loving God with all our heart, mind , and soul
We are loving our neighbor as ourselves.
We are doing what God has called us to do.
So, tonight the first challenging question is, are we living up to our billing?
Are we doing as Paul instructs us in Ephesians?
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1-
And many of us may say, “I don’t know if I am or not,” what does this sort of thing look like?
Glad you asked! Paul writes this . . .
Ephesians 4:2-
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
So, it is being humble, gentle, patient, and bearing with one another…loving one another.
So, it is being humble, gentle, patient, and bearing with one another…loving one another.
Sounds a whole like like the Fruit of the Spirit that we talked about this morning.
And again, back to the main point, it is only possible when we are living according to the Spirit.
And the reason is because within ourselves, we have no power.
We can’t do this stuff within ourselves.
Jesus tells us . . .
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
It is the power to overcome, the power to endure, the power to be the people that God has called us to be.
The power to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that any of this is possible.
And tonight if we are just putting along and feel stuck, then is the Spirit in control?
Because if the Spirit is in full control (which all of us struggle with at times), then where we are stuck, God will un-stick us.
But we have to decide what we really want.
We have to decide which way we really want to go.
Life or Death-It’s Our Choice
Life or Death-It’s Our Choice
Paul lays out our options for us next in verse 13 . . .
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
And that puts it in perspective how important our choice really is.
It is literally a matter of life or death.
And Paul is not talking so much about physical life in the here and now, but he is talking about eternal life.
And the decision is very, very similar to the same thing Moses told the Israelites.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Deut 3_15-20
Listen carefully to what Moses tells them . . .
I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. Choices that we have to make.
16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
He is not only commanding them but begging them to open their eyes to the truth.
Because if they do not change their ways, if they do not follow God . . .
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
And I wonder how many people today are sitting in church pews all over our land, who’s heart has turned from God.
Deut 30:17
They sit there week after week, year after year, going through the motions but their heart is so far from God.
Just like Jesus said, quoting Isaiah . . .
8 “ ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
Matthew 15:8-
They are good at following all the rules but their heart is far from God.
And if you are here tonight and this describes you, then why?
Why are you continuing down this path that leads to destruction?
I tell you like Moses told the Israelites . . .
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And you may be sitting there thinking, “it’s hard....it’s so hard....” and you are right.
It is not easy, but listen to the words of Paul the Apostle . . .
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:14
By accepting Jesus Christ and following Christ, we are the children of God.
God’s children with full access to the full measure of the power of God, granted to us by the Holy Spirit.
All we have to do is reach out and take what God has already given us.
Paul goes on . . .
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15
If you are struggling in life, don’t be afraid.
Don’t live a life of fear.
Tap into the power that God has granted to you and cry out to God.
Cry out to your Abba, your Father!
Cry out and He will answer.
He will be there.
And even if you don’t have any idea about what to pray our how to pray cry out because . . .
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
And as God’s children . . .
Romans 8:26-
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
If you are God’s child.
If the Spirit resides in you.
And if these things are true, here is the hope that Paul offers us . . .
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We cannot even imagine what that would be like, to be co-heirs of the Kingdom of God with Jesus himself.
Think about that…That is how special we are to God.
That he offers us everything.
But only if Jesus Christ is our Lord and our Savior.
Altar Call
Altar Call
So, tonight we are not going to tarry long, but I am going to give you an opportunity to reflect on what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and then to respond.
We are going to put some music on and I would encourage you to pray.
Come to the altar and pray.
Pray at your seats, but wherever you are, quiet your spirit, and listen to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.
What is He telling you tonight?
Tonight has been about obligations…Your first obligation is to respond to the Holy Spirit. Will you do that tonight?