Romans 8:1-11

Sermon

When you became a Christian, some things happened.

Jesus made you righteous before God v3-4

The holy spirit came to live inside you. v9

Jesus gave you the ability to live by the spirit, not the flesh v9

Jesus gave you the commandment to live by the spirit, not the flesh. v5-8

So since those things are true now, if you are a christian, if you are in christ,

lets take a look at a couple things from the passage that need to be addressed.

If you are a christian, you are no longer considered guilty for your sins.

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Do you understand the gravity of this statement? The world hates this statement. This is what makes you sick at your stomach if a nice person dies and goes to hell, but a scum of the earth dirt bag accepts christ before they die.

We spent 7 chapters getting to this one statement!!!

Emphasize the importance in this.

This might have made you feel uncomfortable because it almost felt like a license to sin.

Its so important that Paul spent a ton of time in Romans telling you and me that NO ONE CAN EARN SALVATION!!

You cannot do enough good to earn it.

But the gospel is not only important for someone thats about to come to faith.

the gospel is important in the fight of sin.

GUILT CYCLE - Explain it again.

Sin-------> Guilt -------> Depression --------> Sin -------->Guilt ------> Depression-------->

This depression may not be clinical, but theres almost always an emotional response to sin.

To break the cycle, you have to break a link in the chain. Any link.

explain Faith amnesia

may try to find a funny video of something breaking

This is the way it should work.

Sin-------> Conviction-------> Repentance------> Restored fellowship with God------->

2. Because the spirit is now inside of you, you should:

A. start naturally walking in the spirit

B. Start working like crazy to walk by the spirit.

Romans 8:4–6 ESV

4 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. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Theres a two fold reality here. The spirit will start causing you to walk with him

Ezekiel 36:24–28 ESV

24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

This has been the goal of God for his people all along.

But also the reality is, that your flesh still exists.

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

No where in scripture do we see the promise for God to honor your laziness or your refusal to grow in Christ just because the spirit is inside of you. No where in scripture do we also see where you have to do this thing alone.

Exegete

Romans 8:1–11 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 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, 4 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. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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.

verse 1 is so important. Its important for us to understand it. Its also very important in the fight with sin. Guilt drives sin. Sin drives guilt.

This is the guilt cycle all over again.

I will probably go back over that on Wednesday night.

Sin ------> Guilt ---------> depression ---------> Sin

The cycle has to be broken at some point. Then another point, until its gone.

The spirit lives in side of us. He is life. He sets us free from sin. STOP SAYING YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS SIN! If the spirit lives inside of you, you already have beat it. Its now time to live that out

Jesus has already fulfilled the requirements that are upon us to be righteous before God. Theres literally no pressure.

This almost makes me think of a student that has all the answers to the test, shows up with those answers, is right for having those answers, then doesnt feel like reaching down to pick them up from their bag to take the test.

Maybe we can back track why that student did what they did with verse 5.

What does the pages of history of my life reflect? Walking by the spirit or the flesh?

I may need some time to explain what the flesh is.

flesh=death spirit=life

Verse 8

Jesus’ work to save is void if you refuse to stop walking in the flesh. Im not sure how far i would be willing to go with this point. I may be overstating what is said. Im not talking about humans having the ability to overturn the sovergnty of God. But we please God through the work of Christ. Thats what makes us righteous to God. The verse is pretty clear. Romans 8:8

Romans 8:8 ESV

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So if we dont please God, its because of a lack of God seeing Jesus in us. We are doing everything in our power to flush out the work Jesus has done for our lives.

verse 9

Are you a christian? The spirit lives inside of you. Are you born again? The spirit lives inside of you.

So you are not in the flesh. Ive heard some say this passage is proof that Pauls arguments in chapter 7 were how he felt in his pre-christ time. Im not sure, but this is pretty straight forward.

Romans 8:9–11 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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.

Verse 10 must be the reason that we must die a physical death even though we are forgiven of sin. To finally purge the last of sin out of us. Its probably also why we are still disappointed with our bodies like Adam and Eve were, even after we become christians and get the holy spirit.