"There is No Condemnation"
The Valley of Calamity • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsOne of the greatest markers for recovery, whether it be from addictions, or from cancer, is spiritual well-being. Studies show that there is direct correlation between how one views their standing before God, and recovery from disease. In other words, if a patient feels that their wrongs can be forgiven by God, then recovery is swifter, and the patient is more likely to recover. However, if the patient feels that his/her wrongs are too great for even God to forgive, then recovery is longer, or nonexistent. This series will explore the lessons learned from the Book of Hosea to lay the groundwork to appreciate Resurrection Sunday in a new and greater way. The fear of punishment for wrongs is a great one - especially if God be the judge. The grace of the Cross helps us battle that fear, and hear the words, "do not fear" in a whole new way.
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Transcript
The Era of Grace begins
The Era of Grace begins
For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.
For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!
And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.
The big question...
The big question...
What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?
Grace overcame more than our sins...
Grace overcame more than our sins...
Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives?
For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband.
So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.
Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us and bore fruit for death.
But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.
WE ARE SINNERS NOT BECAUSE WE BREAK THE LAW;
WE BREAK THE LAW BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS.
WE ARE SINNERS NOT BECAUSE WE BREAK THE LAW;
WE BREAK THE LAW BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS.
What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.
And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead.
Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life
and I died. The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death for me.
For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
The power of sin
The power of sin
Therefore, did what is good cause my death? Absolutely not! On the contrary, sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power.
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me.
For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.
For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.
Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.
For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law.
But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.
The sum of all our fears...
The sum of all our fears...
Then came grace
Then came grace
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,
because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering,
in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.
For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, there is no condemnation…if
Therefore, there is no condemnation…if
So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh,
for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,
and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Choices, like the Garden of Eden, but better. So, choose freedom.
Choices, like the Garden of Eden, but better. So, choose freedom.