Who is the Holy Spirit? - (W. 2 - Romans 8:1-11)

“The Spirit at Work in Our Life”

last week we began a series called “Who is the Holy Spirit?”

We discuss that the Holy Spirit is:

God

A Gift

A Comforter - He is with us!

Important Principles:

“The Holy Spirit’s work in us is a work of creating life, continuing that life, and of completing that life.” - Dr. Malcolm Yarnell

Romans 8:1-12.

Is the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

1. The Freedom with the Spirit

Romans 8:1–4 KJV 1900

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Notice a couple of key truths in verses 1-4:

a) Position of Freedom

Jesus made eternal life available to us through His cross and resurrection. The Holy Spirit creates eternal life in us by uniting us with Jesus Christ.

I love the first few words of of verse 1: “No condemnation in Christ...”

Paul has been talking in the chapters before about our standing in Christ.

Therefore is there for a reason.

Chapter 7 is all about how bad of sinners we are. So how can a sinner like me, not have condemnation?

How can we not have any condemnation?

faith

upon Faith, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us!

Romans 6:8 KJV 1900

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Romans 6:9–11 KJV 1900

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But when we know Jesus, God does not see us in our sin. He sees us as just, He sees us as innocent!!

He sees Christ in us! Us in Christ!

• redeemed (Rom 3:24),

• alive to God (Rom. 6:11),

• possessors of eternal life (Rom. 6:23),

• free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2),

• members of one spiritual body (Rom. 12:5),

• sharers in Christ’s work (Rom. 16:3, 9),

• sanctified (1 Cor. 1:2),

• recipients of grace (1 Cor. 1:4),

• secure in death (1 Cor. 15:18),

• bold to speak the truth (2 Cor. 2:17),

• new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17),

• free (Gal. 2:4),

• justified (Gal. 2:17),

• recipients of the blessings given to Abraham (Gal. 3:14),

• sons of God (Gal. 3:26),

• one with others regardless of race, gender, or social condition (Gal. 3:28),

• recipients of every spiritual blessing in heaven (Eph. 1:3),

• seated in the heavens (Eph. 2:6),

• created for good works (Eph. 2:10),

• brought near to God (Eph. 2:13),

• partakers with Jews of the promises (Eph. 3:6),

• forgiven by God (Eph. 4:32),

• encouraged (Phil. 2:1),

• at peace (Phil. 4:7),

• provided for (Phil. 4:19),

• anticipating the resurrection of our bodies (1 Thess. 4:16),

• overseen by providence (1 Thess. 5:18),

• alive (2 Tim. 1:1), and

• saved (2 Tim. 2:10).

Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, pp. 247–248). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

b) Practice of Freedom

Romans 8:1 KJV 1900

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Because we are not condemned, we should walk after the Spirit.

What does it mean to “walk after the Spirit”?

How we walk is how we behave.

Because I’ve been set free and I’m not condemned, I will want to walk and behave ways that are Godly.

Why would I want to walk/behave in the Spirit?

the rule of the Spirit (verse 2) made me free from the rule of sin and death.

you’re telling me I don’t have to live in a worldly way?

You’re telling me I don’t have to keep sinning and feel this guilt? Yes!

Look at verse 3 - what the law could not do (make you live perfect, save you), God sent His own Son to come and live a perfect life so that the demand of living perfect in the law would be fulfilled.

This is what we mean when we say “He took my place.”

He took my place!

So what does it mean for me to practice freedom?

Walk and live in the power of the Holy Spirit! Desire the things of the Spirit

Illustration

Imagine being convicted of a crime you deeply regretted – intentional or unintentional – and being offered a pardon to absolve you of any penalty. Would you accept it? Let me tell you about a man who did not.

In 1829 two men, George Wilson and James Porter, robbed a United States mail carrier. Both were subsequently captured and tried in a court of law. In May 1830 both men were found guilty of six charges, including robbery of the mail “and putting the life of the driver in jeopardy.” Both Wilson and Porter received their sentences: Execution by hanging, to be carried out on July 2.

Porter was executed on schedule, but Wilson was not. Influential friends pleaded for mercy to the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, on his behalf. President Jackson issued a formal pardon, dropping all charges. Wilson would have to serve only a prison term of 20 years for his other crimes. Incredibly, George Wilson refused the pardon!

An official report stated Wilson chose to “waive and decline any advantage or protection which might be supposed to arise from the pardon….” Wilson also stated he “…had nothing to say, and did not wish in any manner to avail himself in order to avoid sentence….” The U.S. Supreme Court determined, “The court cannot give the prisoner the benefit of the pardon, unless he claims the benefit of it…. It is a grant to him: it is his property; and he may accept it or not as he pleases.” Chief Justice John Marshall wrote, “A pardon is an act of grace, proceeding from the power entrusted with the execution of the laws…. (But) delivery is not completed without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered, and…we have no power in a court to force it on him.”

George Wilson committed a crime, was tried and found guilty. He was sentenced for execution, but a presidential decree granted him a full pardon. When he chose to refuse that pardon, he chose to die. Reading this amazing story, we might wonder, “How could anyone refuse a pardon for the death sentence? The man was a fool!” But what if you also are refusing a pardon, one enabling you to spend eternity in the presence of God rather than eternal separation from Him in a place the Bible calls hell?

I hope you have heard me encourage you to rely on the Holy Spirit a lot while you’ve been in the youth group. But sometimes students feel like they either have to try super hard and then begin living in their flesh doing religious things, or you think that your way is better and more fun.

This next point should help all of us understand the vast difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit.

2. The Comparison of the Spirit

Paul contrasts the result of walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16–25 KJV 1900

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Those Who Live in Accordance with the Flesh

Those Who Live in Accordance with the Spirit

What they think about doing

Minds are set on the desires of the flesh

Minds are set on the desires of the Spirit

Ultimate end

Leads to death

Leads to life and peace

Attitude toward God

Hostile toward God

Receptive toward God

Attitude toward God’s standards

Does not submit to God’s law

Seeks to fulfill God’s law

Ability to keep God’s standards

Unable to submit to God’s law

Able to submit to God’s law

Ability to please God

Cannot please God

Able to please God

There is no comparison.

Questions:

Verse 5 - Do you desire the things of God?

Verse 6 - Are the decisions you are making leading to life or death? Do you have peace about the daily habits of your life?

Verses 7 - Are you receptive toward God? Or do you enter into the church with a heart hostile to what I preach and God’s Word says?

Verse 7 Do you seek to fulfill God’s standard?

Verse 7 - Are you able to live out what Scripture teaches?

Verse 8 - Are you living a life that pleases God’s standard?

Romans 8:9 KJV 1900

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

If you aren’t sure or you realized right now that you are lost and don’t have the Holy Spirit alive in you. In just a minute, come and see me and I’ll show you how you can be saved.

If you were able to see evidence in your life that the Holy Spirit is alive in you, and you realized that there is no comparison to the Holy Spirit, let me remind you of this last thing:

3. The Obligation to the Spirit

Romans 8:9–13 KJV 1900

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

I don’t want “obligation” to come across as a negative thing. Because walking in the Spirit isn’t a nagging experience. It’s joy!!

But we have a moral obligation to the Holy Spirit. Why?

Romans 8:12 KJV 1900

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Why are we “debtors” or “obligated” to the Spirit?

He is the proof that we are christians

He is what raised our spirits from the dead

He is what will raise our body from the dead one day!

What are we obligated to do in the Spirit?

Rely on Him

Let Him kill the deeds of our sin, flesh, body.

Questions:

Verse 5 - Do you desire the things of God?

Verse 6 - Are the decisions you are making leading to life or death? Do you have peace about the daily habits of your life?

Verses 7 - Are you receptive toward God? Or do you enter into the church with a heart hostile to what I preach and God’s Word says?

Verse 7 Do you seek to fulfill God’s standard?

Verse 7 - Are you able to live out what Scripture teaches?

Verse 8 - Are you living a life that pleases God’s standard?

Conclusion

George Wilson is a great example of someone that didn’t receive grace. Some of you in here need to receive God’s Grace tonight.

others have received it, but you are still living in a prison of sin and selfishness.

Here’s the challenge… here’s teh question: is the Holy Spirit at work in your life right now?