Nothing Can Separate

Get Happy

lays the ground work for us understanding that there is absolutely nothing we can do to save our own selves from the punishment that we deserve = death.

Righteousness: doing what God says is right

Unrighteousness: suppressing the truth of God

How can you know the truth if you haven’t searched it out? Need to read your bibles!

At the end of chapter 4, we have come to this understanding that the only way to overcome death, is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith: It’s an assurance of something we hope for (life), and it gives us a security about the things that we cannot see (God).

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

We Have Peace with God

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1

The Practical Benefits of Putting Your Faith in Jesus

Peace with God

Grace with God

We Rejoice with God

we rejoice even in times of affliction!

Why would we rejoice in affliction?

Affliction > Endurance > Character > Hope

Mourning in affliction:

If we chose to mourn in affliction instead of rejoicing, we will reap the consequences thereof - instead of HOPE, we will produce DESPAIR.

How did we get this peace with God?

Romans 5:8–10 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Romans 5:8

(5:9) Not only did He save us, His blood declares us righteous

Because of His sacrifice our life was spared, and we actually received promotion! This has to be the best deal ever made in the history of history.

Sin vs. Grace

(5:12) Sin enters the world through one disobedient man, Adam

Paul goes on to describe how, life enters the world through one obedient man, Jesus

Abounding Grace

Romans 5:20–21 ESV

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Literally, the phrase abounded all the more means “super-abounded.” God makes His grace super-abound over abounding sin!

This does not make any sense - based on how we operate as humans, I would expect for an abundance of sin to create an abundance of God’s wrath!

But God’s love is so amazing that grace abounded all the more where we might have expected wrath.

Living in Grace

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:

For those of you that might be thinking, if I sin more, it makes God’s love spread more - stop thinking like that!

Although it is true that God’s love is more powerful than sin - using sin to let His love be known is an abuse of grace and mockery of the Cross.

This is the essence of the saying, “beating a dead horse”

When we chose to follow Christ, our sins were washed away, as in, they no longer exist.

Why would you clean a stain off a shirt and immediately go stain it again?

(6:4) We have been baptized with Christ into death, in order that we can be RAISED TO LIFE

(6:9) Since we have already died to sin with Jesus, death no longer has power over us. The new man not only has life; he has eternal life.

Deep Roots

(6:19)

Romans 6:19 ESV

19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Lawless - living against the Law will only lead us to do more things against the Law

Righteousness - leads us towards holiness which puts us in RIGHT standing with God

Four Trees in a Row: the first at one year of growth, the second at five years, the third at ten years, and the last at 15 years.

the first at one year of growth, the second at five years, the third at ten years, and the last at 15 years. Which tree will be the most difficult to pull up out of the ground? Obviously, the longer we are rooted in a behavior the harder it is to uproot it—a principle that works both for good and evil.

Which tree will be the most difficult to pull up out of the ground?

Obviously, the longer we are rooted in a behavior the harder it is to uproot it—a principle that works both for good and evil.

Paul sums things up by saying this...

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Life in the Spirit

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

You no longer have to live in condemnation BECAUSE the Spirit has set your free THROUGH Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:5–9 ESV

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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Flesh thinks about flesh; Spirit thinks about Spirit

Mind-set: Flesh = death; Spirit = life & peace

Flesh = death

Spirit = life & peace

Flesh is hostile towards the things of God, it CANNOT please God

The Spirit Lives in You...

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

The Spirit is closer than you realize, the question is are you tuned in?

Media can tune out the voice of the Spirit as we distract ourselves.

…because you are adopted!

Romans 8:15 ESV

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Romans

i. “In the Roman world of the first century ad an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature.” (Bruce)

ii. Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family; the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out, with all debts being canceled, with nothing from his past counting against him any more.

(8:16-17) We get the understanding that we are children of God - we shouldn’t have to wonder is we are really Christians or not, we should know who we are.

Adoption comes with Perks!

As adopted sons and daughters we are privileged to have access to all that is in our Father’s Kingdom while still here on Earth.

One of those gifts is the Holy Spirit - as Jesus calls Him, the Comforter or Helper

Grace in the Groans

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Next time you go through suffering, remember and that the suffering in the moment is nothing compared to the glory that we will receive one day!

The sufferings that we go through may be unexpected, but they aren’t impossible to get through.

The Earth is Suffering

(8:10-21) Even creation is waiting for the return of Jesus Christ.

Creation wasn’t meant to operate the way that it does. There weren’t supposed to be storms, fires, earthquakes.

Animals weren’t supposed to be hunted for food.

^ This is all a result of the sin of one man.

The choices you make in one moment can have a lasting impact long-after you have left this world.

Ask yourself, “How would this decision effect the people I love?”

Strength in our Weakness

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

If you haven’t already experienced this, there will be times that you have no idea what to pray.

The Holy Spirit will help you pray

Groans: This could be speaking in tongues (, ) or possibly literal groans. There is something freeing when you are so pressed about just groaning to the Lord.

The Holy Spirit’s Help is Perfect

When the Holy Spirit helps you pray, it is perfect because He can communicate the depths of your heart.

All Things Work Together for the Good

Romans 8:28–30 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

(8:28) The good and the bad will work ultimately for good for every person that walks in the purpose God has for them.

Predestination - God's destination for you before

God's plan has always been for you to commune with Him in Heaven and be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Before you leave your house, you have a pre destination in mind.

The eternal chain of God’s working is seen in the connection between foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. God didn’t begin a work in the Romans simply to abandon them in the midst of their present suffering. (DGCB, David Guzik)

God’s Everlasting Love

Paul closes this section of the letter with the following stance...

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:

You can run, you can hide, you can steal, lie, cheat, fornicate - all of it...

None of it will ever be able to separate you from the Love of God.

You cannot outrun the love of God - it will always abound more than any sin in your life.

If God’s love abounds more than sin when you are sinning, why not skip the sin and live in the abounding love of Jesus Christ?!