Life in the Spirit: Part 1- A Child of God MIndset

Welcome/Prayer/Intro

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning?

We are continuing our series in Romans and going into a 3 part series on Rom 8. There is so much to cover in this chapter

Pray-

Spirit may you come and fill this place, may you blow through the caverns of our souls! Wake us up Lord. May you open our eyes to your word. Jesus, as you met humanity once before meet us again this morning. May you work in our hearts! May we walk out transformed by the presence of Yahweh this morning. Amen.

Introduction: Teeter Totter

How many of you know what this is? Picture of teeter (slide). How many of you have gotten hurt on one of these?

Today we are going to look at “flesh” and “Spirit” and when we think about these two forces we think we are on a teeter toter. Some days we have “ups” and “downs”.

Sometimes sin just wants to weigh the teeter totter- down like the kids did to jess at VBS (Slide)

We also sometimes think of the relationship between “flesh” and “spirit” as a tug of war, where there two apposing forces. (Slide). Sometimes we think the Spirit is winning and other times we feel like we are being dragged in the dirt by mud?

This up and down back and forth can produce in us two forces, insecurity and pride. Our highs are high and our lows are low.

But, what if Paul is not talking about the spirit and flesh in this way at all? What if the struggle was not about the ups or downs and back and forths.

Transition: Today, I hope that we will see that Paul invites the readers to embrace a “Child of God mindset” that is empowered by the Spirit and Rooted in Truth. Please turn to Romans Chapter 8 and follow along as we dive in!

Scripture Speaks: Child of God Mindset Rooted in the Truth.

No Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus- this is perhaps the most important therefore in the entire bible! it means, in light of all this! Based on what I have said about people and Jesus the past eight chapters. if you follow all that I have said thus far, Therefore....

Someone read what he says.... What does that mean?

it means that even though we sin, we fall short of what God had for us, even though we are broken, even though we are coerced by and create evil, we are not condemned by God.

It means we are loved by God and not hated. It means we are accepted and not rejected, it means How often or much we fail doesnt change how God views us. It means even though we are broken, he wants to recreate us.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Amen?

But, lets be honest this can be hard to actually believe? That God always loves us, that we are good enough, that we are accepted despite our failures. How many of us struggle with this? We have low self-steem and turn to self pity. Until we actually believe it, our feelings wont change. But we arent the only ones

There once was a girl who was part of a royal family that had one of the biggest ugliest noses ever! She decided to get plastic surgery. The doctor changed it and shaped it. When the doctor removed the bandages the ugly contours were gone the incisions were not visible and swelling decreased. The doctor showed the girl in the mirror and she screamed! I knew it wouldnt work! Im hideous! Her view of herself was so imbedded in her that even when she physically changed she couldnt see it! It took her 6 months to accept the fact that she had changed, and once she did she could see herself as beautiful! After she accepted that, her behavior changed immediately.

Until we can accept the fact that we are not condemed, but loved and accepted by God our view of ourselves wont change! In order to have a child of God mindset we must accept that reality.

How can we be so confident that we arent condemned?

Because Jesus took on the same flesh as us, became human and did what no human could took on the powers of sin and death. God condemned all sin in the body of Christ

Lent is the time where we reflect on that. its a time of prayer, reflection and repentance- as Sue said last week. its a time where we reflect on our brokenness and God’s ability to take our smashed pieces refine them and create something beautiful.

This reality is rooted in the that truth that Jesus set us free from sin and death. That on the cross God condemned not Jesus, but all sin. For those who are in Christ, there is nothing left to condemn! No matter how we think or feel this is what God did in Jesus. Having a Child of God mindset means, we accept it and it changes us, it not only changes us, but everything!

Now we must remember that just because there is no condemnation and we can have confidence in Christ it doesn’t mean we can get cocky or proud. I think the opposite side of self-esteem is pride. Remember the teeter toddler? We must equally fight against pride as a child of God.

no condemnation does not mean there is no sin or we no longer sin

it also does not mean we are above correction or that we are always right.

Pride comes before the fall, and it is the root of flesh. Right now, pride has hidden itself in the mask of opinion. We have become so insistent in our opinions lately. its because we feel insecure and uncomfortable so we turn to pride to defend what we think we know.

Paul ends vs 4 by saying a Child of God mindset lives based on the Spirit, not on flesh (or Selfishness)- within the word selfish, you find everything you need to make the word flesh.

We must live based on the spirit not on flesh or selfishness.

Now what does that mean? Does Paul mean we should live apart from our bodies? Flesh is our sin nature, our fallen state. its our desire to define good and evil for ourselves apart from God.

Does that mean, we cant control it? if its in our nature what can we do?

CEB: hits this word that means flesh on the head by calling it selfishness.

Paul says we can live by the spirit or live driven by selfishness.

Paul says those who live by the flesh think about selfish things or the niv says have their minds set on sinful things. What paul is saying here is this is a mindset issue!

You know when someone has rolled out of the wrong side of the bed? you can tell right? Well its an attitude issue.

Paul says the attitude that comes form selfishness leads to death. Why? because our attitude leads to action- and our selfish actions lead to death.

Paul then gives us a litmus test to check if our attitudes are coming from flesh or spirit

He says the attitude that comes from the spirit brings life and peace

But the attitude that comes from the flesh is hostile toward God.

Paul says in the next paragraph that we have assurance in the Spirit. For although the flesh brings death and our physical bodies will die, but the spirit brings life. Just as Jesus body was given new life, so will ours.

Paul concludes this section with another therefore in verse 12, which again means in light of all this or So now, We have an obligation- or debt. Not to the flesh or to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness.

But to who? - God! Remember slaves not to sin anymore, but to God.

That means this change of Beleif or Mindset, must change our behavior. We are not the same anymore! We are a new creation.

The Spirit we have recieved is not one of fear that leads us back into slavery to sin. But, we are now children of God with a children of God mindset!

What does God want?

C.S. Lewis writes in mere Christianity, Christ says, “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”

In turn, we must like Jesus did on the cross, put sin to death in our lives. Not by us but through the Spirit!

Application: What does this Change?

Question: Where are we at on the teeter todder?

Struggling with Self-esteem: feeling like God doesnt love us or we are not accepted or too broken?

Struggling with Pride: Because we know we are not condemned do we let that confidence turn to pride and live out of selfishness?

The two ends of a teeter todder are connected so maybe you struggle with both: Your insecurity is feeding your pride?

Question: How are we forming our minds? By selfishness or the Spirit?

What is our spiritual food right now?

How are we engaging in prayer

How are we diving in Gods word

How are we studying God- this means theology!

How can we work to make ourselves more spirit focused and spirit concious?

When we have this mindset we have an obligation! it means we have to take actions in our life to cultivate this Child of God mindset!

What ways do we need to let the Spirit put to death the actions of selfishness in our lives? if we go home and live the same way we have we not only waste our time, my time, but God’s time.

Prayer focus: Holy Spirit come, come enter into our lives in fullness and in truth. Uncover the lies in us that we too easily believe: we are not loved, not good enough, and not worthy. Humble us where we have fallen into a mindset of selfishness where we have put ourselves and our opinions at the center. Spirit help us to fix our minds on you. May the same Spirit that raised our King and brother Jesus from the dead bring us new life and recreate our brokenness into something beautifully new every day.