That's Not Me Anymore
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Introduction
Introduction
Passage
Passage
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because 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. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Message
Message
1. End the Old (vv. 12-13)
1. End the Old (vv. 12-13)
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because 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.
Not to long ago, We had a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. For those that have no idea what that is, it’s like the ultimate soccer mom car. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great car. It had leather seats with seat warmers, the stow-and-go seats that could fold down into the floor, and best of all, it had a DVD player which made car rides with little ones somewhere tolerable. We drove that care for about 3.5 years with little to no problem, then the downhill slide started. It seemed like every time we would get something fixed on the hoopty, something else would break. Well after some some time, money, and a lot of frustration, we decided it was time to get rid of the junk.
We got Talor a great new car for an amazing price, then she totaled it a month after we bought it.
But then! We got quite possibly the best car that we have owned to date and rest assured, there is not once little ounce of me that misses the old piece of junk that we got rid of.
I say all that to say, when we come to a saving faith in Jesus, our old habits: sin, brokenness, habits, all get traded in for new ones because we become a new creation.
In most cases though, this is often easier said than done. That struggle with letting go is even acknowledged in passages like this:
17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
Jesus Christ didn’t only come to save us from our old sin, He came to transform us from the inside out in order for us to live fuller and better lives. There is only one issue with that, especially in the beginning. All we have ever known is seeking selfish ambitions and personal preferences. Now, all of a sudden, I am expected to deny everything that I found my peace and pleasure in because it doesn’t honor God.
Is that an easy thing to do? No.
Is it something that we must do? Yes
Paul writes is verse 13 basically saying, “look, you only think that you know what you want. But if you would simply put those things down and listen to the Holy Spirit that is now in you, you will get to live a full and purposeful life.
Man, the devil is more cunning than we give him credit for sometimes. But the reality of the situation is that we don’t get to have the best of both worlds.
Oil and water visual illustration
You want to party and go to church
You want to have pornography and purity
You want to be prideful and humble
You want to be righteous and always right
You want to be comfortable and faithful
You want to be in control and follow Jesus
Friends, you can’t have everything you think you want when you follow Jesus. By the way, Jesus is all you need.
13 No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Let go of what’s worthless so you can hold on to what is priceless
2. Enter the New (vv. 14-16)
2. Enter the New (vv. 14-16)
14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,
Understanding our new identity in Christ as God’s children gives us a better picture of our relationship with God. We now have a heavenly Father who deeply loves us and calls us His own. We are set apart from the rest of the world. Therefore, when we identify with God’s Spirit as His children, it will change how we live and how we fight our sin.
In other words, we have undergone a complete metamorphosis to go from a hopeless, wondering, condemned nomad; to then become an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. Actually, more than that, we are not co-heir with Jesus Christ to the Kingdom of God. In our new found identity, we are freed from any bondage that once trapped us.
But in this new found freedom, we have to remember that it was given as a great gift, nothing that we obtained on our own.
12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
Another part of this spirit filled life we life as Christ followers, we have to realize that have given up our ability to tell God “no”. Trust me, that is just as terrifying for me as it probably is for you because I am the guy that loves to control the outcome of things. But God is also generous by way of taking up residents in our hearts as the Holy Spirit to help keep us between the lines.
This passage is all about the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit which is just a fancy way to say that I have the Spirit of the Living God “dwelling” within me.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
There will be times when you will battle your flesh, but you have something stronger living within you if you call Jesus King.
So what are some examples of the power of God within His people:
Kingdom Advancement
4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.
Wisdom
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Citizenship of Heaven
16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,
Boldness
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
That is what each and every single one of you have living within you. You have power that is unrivaled to confront the enemy, conquer anxieties, and call you to bigger and better.
3. Embrace the View (v. 17)
3. Embrace the View (v. 17)
17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
It is a guarantee that we will experience suffering. However, when we embrace our identity as the children of God and coheirs with Christ, we can understand that we are not suffering alone. We are suffering with Christ, so that we may also be glorified with Him. This should completely change how we approach hard times and difficult circumstances.
I wish we could end on a higher note this morning, but the passage tells us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But that means that there is somewhat of a tunnel. Listen up, I want to keep it real with you because I didn’t have anyone that did it for me when I was in middle school and high school. Following Jesus is the most rewarding thing that you will ever do in your life, but there will be some hardships associated with it. Paul doesn’t pull any punches when it comes down to broaching the subject either.
What I mean is this: When I chose to make Jesus the King of my life, that was an easy choice in the moment. You know what I mean? Music playing, people singing, I was crying, there was no doubt that was what God was calling me to do. Man, people were hugging me, old ladies were kissing me, the girl I had a crush on in the youth group gave me a big hug. Life was good.
But nobody told me that the next weekend, my buddies were going to invite me to a party and I would actually still want to go. Nobody told me that when I was watching a movie with my girlfriend, that I would still want to mess around with her.
I was like, “what the heck”?! I remember talking to my youth pastor and telling him that I still kind of wanted to drink even though I knew that I shouldn’t. I told him that it was still difficult for me to no do things with my girlfriend. I think my exact words were actually, “I thought things were going to be easier”. This man laughed at me. Then he pointed me to Romans 7:18-20
18 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. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
Jesus never promises that following him will be easy, however He does say that it will be worth it. Dying to the desires that don’t honor God and choosing to not give in to them will be a battle that we will fight as long as we have breath in our lungs, but it is not without reward.
12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Response
Response
So for response this morning, where are you at in this identification process?
Do you need to take on a new identity this morning?
Do you need to embrace the New Identity that you have been given, but you have been fighting the Holy Spirit that is within you?
Do you just need to be encouraged today because you are tired and weary?
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.