The Christian's Struggle and Glory
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 14 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning, It is such a pleasure and honor to be able to be up here this morning. Thank you Pastor Steve and Pastor Mike for the privilege and for allowing us men to be able to get out of our comfort zone and share what the Lord has been teaching us. In fact, it is quite terrifying for me to be up here, especially after going up after men that I regard as giants in our church. And that is not just a height joke when I stand next to Ken....in fact my wife pointed out that I may be the shortest man in the church....but seriously I do consider you men to be more eloquent in speech and far more superior in knowledge than I. But at last, I will endeavor to do my best this morning, by the grace of God.
It is difficult to say that there is a greatest book in Scripture. Or that there is a greatest Chapter or Verse in all of Scripture. After all, ALL OF SCRIPTURE is the very Word of God. So therefore, I will not say it. I will allow the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon to say it for me:
Charles Spurgeon says this about the passage of Scripture I would like to turn to this morning. He quotes:
This wonderful chapter is the cream of the cream of Holy Scripture. What a grand keynote the apostle strikes in the first verse! What glorious music there is here!
What chapter and verse are is Spurgeon talking about here? It is none other than the Apostle Paul’s great book of Romans, found in the great chapter of 8. If you will, please turn with me to Romans 8. We will read it shortly.
The Struggle:
The Struggle:
Romans chapter 8 is, in my opinion, the greatest placed chapter. It comes at the perfect moment. There is a massive build up throughout the whole book of Romans up to this point. It is almost as if the pressure valve is waiting to burst. In fact I can never stop reading at chapter 7. I always have to carry it on through chapter 8.
Time would fail us if we were to dissect chapters 1-7, so I want to set up the scene with the end of chapter 7 if you would permit me.
Romans 7, beginning in verse 14 reads:
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 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.
First let me admit that this is a deep passage beyond my ability. So I would like to break it down into 4 simple points.
First we see in verse 14 a description of the law. We see that the law is spiritual and we are of flesh. There is a form of struggle and separation with the law.
The Reformation Study Bible says this about the verse:
Far from repudiating the law (3:31), Paul declares that it sets forth the standard to which life governed by the Spirit should conform. By contrast, he calls himself “of the flesh” because he cannot fully reach this standard. As a moral ruin, now under reconstruction, he displays the marks of what he has been as a result of Adam as well as of what he is already becoming as a result of Christ.
Secondly, Paul begins to try to explain the Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin. He talks about being sold under sin and not understanding his own actions.
It is very important to note that we have a real spiritual battle with sin everyday. And we will continue this battle till we finish the race.
I believe it was either R. C. Sproul, or John MacArthur, or perhaps both that stated that the older they got and the more they grew in sanctification, the more they agonized over sin. And that should be true of all of us. We must not get complacent and comfortable in sin.
Another thing to note is that Paul is not describing being DOMINATED by sin. We know this because of Romans 6. were he states:
10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Thirdly, when Paul says he doesn’t understand, he is recognizing a real contrast between himself, as a true christian, and the “sin that dwells within him”.
Again the Reformation Study Bible states this:
There is a real and bewildering conflict between the energies of sin and of grace in his life. He intimates, however, that indwelling sin is a temporary and unwelcome lodger in him. While sin still accompanies his new identity in Christ in this life, the new identity will result in the final triumph over indwelling sin
Lastly, Paul summarizes the state of his frustration that he has been describing with the “So then” statement.
Paul totally approves God’s good law and yet, his “flesh” still serves sin. The New life in the Spirit is experienced by Christians in their minds, bodies, and spirits that continue to bear the marks of sin.
Now the scene has been set. We are aware of this spiritual warfare raging inside of us between the flesh and the spirit. We know it will be agonizing and painful. Let us now get to the glorious promise and affirmation! The “cream of the cream of Holy Scripture” as Spurgeon puts it!
The Promise!
The Promise!
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Paul here, is changing his tone in a huge way. After the reminder in chapter 7 of the Christian’s ongoing struggle with sin, he now directs their hearts to their glorious salvation. He wants to bring joy to his readers hearts.
For the Christian, this is a statement of fact. There is, therefore, right now and forever NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ.
Before we dive a little more into what glory there is here, first we must be assured to as why there is no condemnation for us. After all, we are sinners saved by grace, and yet we know as a matter of fact that the struggle with sin is very real and can FEEL debilitating at times.
So how can Paul make such a statement? Let us continue reading the chapter.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Again, I would like to try to be simple in my wording here. For it is spelled out plainly for us right here and time would fail us to exhaust all the amazing truths and doctrines found here.
From the book of Romans, we know that we are separated from God by our sin. We know none is righteous, no not one. We know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We know from chapter 7 that the law is spiritual and we are flesh sold under sin. And we just read that the law weakened by flesh cannot do it.
BUT THANKS BE TO GOD OUR FATHER AND LORD JESUS CHRIST!
It was God who sent His Son. It was Christ who condemned sin in the flesh. But the Scripture, for our assurance of the promise found in verse one, continues:
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, this is our assurance of why there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ!
Our sins, past, present and future have been imputed to Christ. They have been paid for perfectly! But that is not enough. There is more. Christ’s perfect righteousness has been imputed to us! We are clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness.
Let us then jump down to verse 11 so that we can see our trinitarian God at work.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So we see again, it is God who sent His Son. It was Christ who condemned sin in the flesh. And it is the Holy Spirit who gives life to our mortal bodies. Signed, sealed, delivered. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ!
Let me make this statement: God is as pleased you, brothers and sisters in Christ, who still struggle in their sins, God is as pleased with you as He is with Christ. And why is that? Because we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Because there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ!
Present Suffering and Future Glory!
Present Suffering and Future Glory!
Next I would like to talk about the present suffering and future glory we see in verse 18. But before we do that we must briefly look at the result of the promise that we now have in Christ to better understand verse 18.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
In addition to the justification and freedom of condemnation we have received, we find out that we are also adopted and joint heirs with Christ. The cry of Abba! Father! that we here now make displays the incredibly close union with God the Father. It is the same cry used by Jesus when addressing His Father in prayer found in Mark 14:36.
Mathew Henry states this:
Christ, as Mediator, is said to be the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and true believers, by virtue of their union with him, shall inherit all things, Rev. 21:7. Those that now partake of the Spirit of Christ, as his brethren, shall, as his brethren, partake of his glory (Jn. 17:24), shall sit down with him upon his throne, Rev. 3:21. Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst thus magnify him! Now this future glory is further spoken of as the reward of present sufferings and as the accomplishment of present hopes.
The spirit of adoption is fitly placed before our next verse found in 18 because it is that which entitles us to that glory. These are truths that we must hold dear to our heart.
Now to verse 18:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
To me, this is a most beautiful verse placed in the middle of the chapter. It binds and connects what came before it, to what comes after it.
Do we struggle with our sin? Do we struggle and toil in our decaying bodies? Is our world engulfed in pain and trials from time to time? Do we feel like we are in the pit of despair when an unexpected trial comes our way and we don’t understand why? Do we feel helpless at times with nothing but questions and agony at points?
Brothers and sisters, we will suffer in this fallen world. All of creation itself groans and yearns for the restoration that is to come. But remember, the suffering we will face is only for the present time.
Here in this verse is a word picture. A picture of two scales. On one side is our present suffering. As difficult as it may feel at the time. And on the other scale, the future glory that is to be revealed. The verse says it is not even WORTH comparing. It doesn’t come close. Let us rejoice in this hope. Let us hold to this truth.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
This is why Paul can make such a bold statement that comes next
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So in conclusion I want to finish the rest of the chapter so that we can see how glorious it is to be heirs with Christ and how amazing it is that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The cream of the cream of Holy Scripture begins with the great promise of now no condemnation and ends with a great promise of that nothing can separate us again NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ!
Brothers and sisters, all of this put together is why there is no struggle in life that we go through that can compare to the future glory that we await. Nothing can separate us from it. Nothing can take it away. Though we still struggle with sin and fall from time to time, nonetheless we are right now more than conquerors THROUGH CHRIST WHO LOVED US!
Now let me change my tune towards the friend who has yet to accept Christ. This chapter equally speaks to you in another form. For you dear friend who has yet to accept Christ, there is therefore right now much condemnation. For you are outside of Christ. And also, your present suffering, like ours does not compare either. Your present suffering will not compare to your future suffering that awaits on judgment day. And you right now are separated from Christ. Turn to Christ. See and repent from your sins and look to Jesus and you will be saved!
Amen!