Life in the Spirit

Main Point

The indwelling Holy Spirit is how we have assurance of salvation.

Introduction

Share struggle as a child/teen with assurance of salvation. We long to know, are we truly saved. Do we “do it” right? Do we pray the prayer right? These passages bring clarity to Christian assurance and teach us to ask the right questions when examining ourselves. This will be a roller coaster of both assurance and warnings.

No Condemnation

Therefore; harkens back to Romans 7 where Paul is dealing with the indwelling sin of Christians.

The struggle with sin and the weight we feel because we still sin is universal among Christians.

The fact that you still sin does not make you unchristian, it makes you an honest Christian (1 John 1:8-9).

The Law of the Spirit of Life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

The law of the Spirit of life = God has done

The law of sin and death = we could not do

For those who are IN Christ Jesus.

Remember what Christ Jesus has done, and understand that if we are in him then we receive all his work on our behalf.

God has done what the law could not do (save us).

He sent Christ to become a man (likeness of sinful flesh) to take all of our sin upon himself so that he could condemn it on the head of Christ and not us. (Isaiah 53)

The righteous requirement of the law, God’s standard, had to be fulfilled. (Both in the death of Christ and the life of Christ).

App: We must accept the fact that if we are in Christ, we are wretched saints.

You will still feel the sting of sin.

But let your mind be fixed on this fact, there is no righteous wrath left for you, it has all been poured out upon Christ.

God did not do all of the gracious work just to leave you feeling condemned, he wants you to walk in the victory and the salvation he has purchased for you.

The Flesh and The Spirit

This assurance is only for those who walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.

There is work to be done to understand this, but Paul is a great guide.

How you live is attached to where you have set your mind.

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. (death)

Those who love according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (life and peace)

The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God.

Does not want to submit to God and is unable to submit to God.

The mind set of a person reveals their eternal destiny.

Romans 7 reveals that we will struggle with sin as Christians, but it also reveals that even then, we will not have our minds set on the flesh (Romans 7:18-25).

The mind set on the flesh does not “delight in the law of God” but is hostile to God. The mind set on the flesh hates God and his law.

The mind set on the flesh cannot submit to God or please God in any way.

App: Where is your mind set?

What is most important?

Are you able to see past the temporal?

Assurance By The Spirit

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Paul is writing to Christians)

Anyone who does not have the Spirit, does NOT belong to him.

If you have the Spirit of God in you, though the body is dead because you are a sinner, you have life and there is no condemnation for you.

If you do not have the Spirit of God in you, you are not a Christian. (Doctrinal clarification against the modern charismatic movement)

Closing

The ultimate assurance we have as Christians is the change wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. This indwelling Spirit of God creates in us a new desire for the things of God. We will still have sin and struggle, but the assured Christian will be confident because the Spirit has given them a 20/20 vision of the beauty of Jesus, and he is where they will set their minds.