Sermon Tone Analysis

! Freedom in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-4

Secular: *~*~* Dog Pile* – warm sunny day, playing tag, or catch or on the playground equip.

with friends… then shattered by two of the most feared words… “Dog Pile!”

Suddenly you find yourself buried, ever increasing pile of bodies.

The laughing and giggling turns into sobs as you feel crushed… breath… the weight… and hope and pray that soon this “heap of misery” dissipates… ah, for freedom…

 

Sin crushes us like that… piling up on our soul… heavier, darker, harder to breathe – then Freedom in the Spirit, through Christ.

Biblical: Turn to NIV Romans 8:1

Romans – unvisited church, great, generally applicable treatise…

*v.1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus**, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.** 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.*

Personal: 1st Day of Summer vacation

·         Job

·         School

~*~* Establish the need – why then, why now

Bridge:

- -STATE SUBJECT CLEARLY- -

v.1 The Good News is –  You have Freedom in the Spirit through Christ!

*1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,*

 

*John 8:33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.

How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.*

*John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.*

 

* The Price is paid

* God is a Righteous God ~/ Holy God – demands perfection

-          Sentence served

* No Purgatory

 

* *~*~* Charged twice… VISA*

*  no double payment

!! REPEAT v. 1b

*Col 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.*

Life in Christ…

1)

* Joined with Christ (crucified, died)

* Now our life in Him – who redeemed us

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—(partakers of the heavenly nature)… kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

2)

* Eternally secure

* Out of reach of world ~/ Satan

*/John 10 (not snatched) /**/27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand./*

*/ 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and the Father are one."/*

Because we have freedom in the Spirit through Christ –

The Law Cannot Claim You

The Law Cannot Condemn You

The Law Cannot Control You

 

v.2

The Law Cannot Claim You

~*~* Lien – hold up the sale of you home or your car…

Law of Spirit is Grace…

* Set free… Justified

* The account is clear… balance paid

We cannot be saved by mere obedience… the law (man works…vs.)

we can’t do it!

Saved by faith… the better covenant

Failure to uphold the law means death no longer has its hooks in…

- We are one in Christ

*1 Cor 15:22 **For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.*

* *

1 Cor 55 "Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

The Law Cannot Claim You… You have Freedom in the Spirit through Christ.

v.3

The Law Cannot Condemn You

* Good law – sinful nature

Matthew 5:17 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 22: 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Acts 13:38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

* Righteous law condemns

* God provides himself – solution

Hebrews 4: 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.

John 12: 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

* paid the price

* Christ conquered Satan and Sin

2 Cor 5: 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 53: 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

And who can speak of his descendants?

For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

v.4

The Law Cannot Control You

* True Christian Recognize – God is holy, righteous – will not live contrary * Indwells all – not some

Will produce fruit – Gal 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 23 gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law.24

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

* Not only Imputed righteousness – practical Righteousness Eph.

1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love

 

Romans 6:12 Therefore do *not* let *sin* reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

13 Do *not* offer the parts of your body to *sin*, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.