Romans 8:1-11 - Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification Through Union with Christ
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Introduction
Introduction
There is therefore now no Condemnation!
“Therefore” connects to Paul’s whole argument up to this point.
It’s a summary of Paul’s teaching on justification.
It crashes through the fortifications of the Kingdom of darkness like a wrecking ball...
Condemnation: meaning,
both pronouncement of guilt and punishment
…for those who are in Christ Jesus. Two questions from this phrase/the following passage answers them:
Why does being “in Christ Jesus” free a person from condemnation?
Who exactly are those who are in Christ Jesus?
Justification Through Union with Christ
Justification Through Union with Christ
First question answered in verses 2-4
“The law of the Spirit of Life” sets free from “the law of sin and death”
What is the “Law of Sin and Death”?
What gets us condemned!
Some say, the Law of Moses, which is called “law of sin and death” because God’s good law becomes a source of death for us when we live in sin...
Paul speaks of the law this way in 7:7-11
More likely, ‘the force of our own sin nature’ operating in our lives and making us God’s enemies, bringing death...
Paul uses ‘law’ this way in 7:21-25
Fits context/argument better
Will be explained in more detail in vs. 5-8
In either case, same point: the ‘law of sin and death’ is what brings condemnation because of sin and hostility toward God...
What we had to be freed from!
What is the “Law of the Spirit of Life”?
And, why does it say, “in Christ Jesus”?
What frees us from condemnation!
Some say, it means ‘the Spirit’s work in us, to make us more holy’
Unlikely, because context is Christ’s atoning death
Spirit does more than just sanctify
Some say, it refers to the gospel
Fits the context, but doesn’t explain ‘Spirit of Life’ and ‘in Christ Jesus’
Most likely, ‘all the Spirit’s work in us’
Regeneration
Sanctification
Conviction
Comfort
Most foundationally: Union with Christ
5 Solas
Look down at verses 9-11 (read)
Have the Spirit of Christ/if Christ is in you/Spirit is life...
We are united with Christ by the Spirit living in us!
This produces two main benefits which we experience now:
Sanctification
Justification - (read the first part of verse 4)
But, how does ‘union with Christ’ justify us in God’s sight?
(read vs. 3) “God has done what the Law could not do”
Law = the law of Moses - a good law
The problem was not the law, but us
Therefore, whatever God was going to do to save us had to rely totally on his action, not ours
What did God do?
Send Jesus to become truly human
Send Jesus “for sin” - meaning, “as an offering for sin”
Condemn sin in “in the flesh” - meaning, in Jesus
(read vs. 4) Result?
‘Righteous requirement of the law fulfilled’
In Summary: The Spirit of Life enters into us and unifies us with Christ. In our union with Christ, he takes away our condemnation and gives us Jesus’ own righteousness! This is justification through union with Christ.
Several things about the Character of God are evident here:
Holiness and purity
Grace and mercy
Salvation is the work of the whole Triune God:
The Father loving, sending
The Son humbling himself, living, dying, rising, reigning
The Spirit uniting us to Christ and giving life
The warmth of God’s love: he does not justify sinners from a distance!
Holiness Through Union with Christ
Holiness Through Union with Christ
Now second question:
Who exactly gets to say, “I am in Christ”?
Who can claim the promise, “There is therefore now no condemnation”?
(read verse 4b)
Two kinds of people:
Those who walk according to the flesh
Those who walk according to the Spirit
We are about to get into a dangerous doctrine. I do not mean a false doctrine. I mean a doctrine which is like a loaded gun on a battlefield. If it remains unused, the enemy gains an advantage. But if it is used foolishly, it can result in “friendly fire.” It can hurt the very people it is meant to help. I am talking about the doctrine of assurance.
How can a person know if they are really united with Christ? If this question is answered unbiblically, a self-deceived person may rest at ease, thinking that he is saved. Or, on the other hand, a true believer may be caused to doubt whether their sins are really forgiven, thus losing the comfort of their hope in Christ.
So, let us be very clear about what Paul wrote here. He wrote that forgiveness of sin belongs to those who walk according to the Spirit, but not to those who walk according to the flesh.
He is most certainly not saying that you have to earn forgiveness from God
He is most certainly not saying that you have to become perfect before God forgives you
So what is he saying?
Paul’s logic: Union with Christ - If you are United to Christ by the Spirit, without exception this causes two things:
Justification (forgiveness of sin)
Sanctification (a life lived in increasing Christlikeness year after year by the power of the Spirit)
You cannot be united to only half of Christ: you cannot have forgiveness of sin without also becoming the kind of person who the Spirit is leading toward righteous living. You cannot have Justification without Sanctification!
This is good news!!!
But: it says “walk according to the Spirit” not, “perfected by the Spirit”
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
A pitched battle…
Not a peaceful life of perfect Spirit-led holiness
But a life of making war against the sin that is in us, by the Spirit’s power, and growing a little more like Christ as each year goes by.
(read vs. 5) Paul’s first point -
“live” = “exist”
“mind” = whole inner person: thoughs, hopes, loves, attitudes, intentions
‘Existing’ according to the flesh shows up as being intent on the things of the flesh.
Things of the flesh:
Possessions: hoping in things other than God
Passions: seeking ultimate satisfaction through fulfilling bodily desires
Pride: thinking that you are “Somebody” with a capital “S”
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
...possessions or desires or self become our “god” so that we follow them instead of Him
‘Existing’ according to the Spirit shows up as being intent on the things of the Spirit
Not the absence of sin...
But a new relationship with sin.
Main point: who you are fundamentally (flesh/Spirit) shows up in what direction your heart is pointed (toward flesh/Spirit)
(read vs. 6-8) Paul’s second point -
“The mind set on the flesh is death”
What does spiritual death smell like?
Flesh oriented heart
Why is this death?
Hostile to God/God’s enemy - b/c does not obey
Cannot obey = death!
Negative statement: You cannot be spiritually dead, living comfortably with your sin, and claim to be in Union with Christ/forgiven.
Positive statement: God forgives our sins by uniting us with his Son: therefore, he always also gives a true believer a new heart orientation toward the ‘things of the Spirit’
“The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace”
What does spiritual life look like?
Illustration: “Is the plant wick?”
Is the person “wick”? Fruit of the Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Future Hope Through Union with Christ
Future Hope Through Union with Christ
So far Paul has written… justification/power for holiness through union...
One more benefit...
(read vs. 9) Summary of warning/distinction
Two groups: you have the Spirit of Christ or not...
If you don’t have the Spirit, you don’t belong to Christ...
(read vs. 10)
Remember: “The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (vs. 6)
what ‘spiritually alive’ looks like
although the body is dead because of sin
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
The penalty for Adam’s sin was death.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Both the sin and death of Adam’s sin have spread to all
yet the Spirit is life because of righteousness
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are restored to life through Union with Christ by the Law of the Spirit of Life
(read vs. 11)
Might be tempted to think… just ‘spiritual life’
Reminder: Spirit = Spirit who rased Jesus from the dead.
Therefore: if you are in Union with Christ through the Spirit, you also will be rased from the dead!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Three benefits from Union with Christ
No condemnation
Power to walk according to the Spirit
The promise of the resurrection
Critical question: are you in Union with Christ by the Spirit?
Some can answer a fearful, “no”.
“I am not walking with the Spirit, and I never have.”
“I seemed to walk with the Spirit for a short time, but for years now I’ve been living in the flesh.”
What to do?
Repent and trust!
Some are not sure.
“When I look back at my life, I don’t know. Have I been walking with the Spirit? Am I in union with Christ?”
“I used to think that I was passionate for Christ. But now my heart has been dull for years. Was it real?”
How can you know?
Do not ask this question alone!
Pursue the answer wholeheartedly
If you find your faith has been a lie, make it true!
Some know that they are.