I Feel Free Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. We all know that when we see the word therefore, we need to inquire as to what the writer is referring to, and in this case the writer is Paul, and he s referring to what he was talking about in chapters 6&7 of Romans. In chapter 6, we learn from Paul, that through Christ, we have victory over sin. Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. The old man Paul is talking about is our sin nature (before Christ). Chapter 7 deals with our relationship with the law. Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, You shall not covet. Paul then uses the marriage relationship to illustrate our relation to the law. Paul talks about by saying, if a woman is married to one man and he dies, she is free to marry another man. Here the two husbands represent the Law and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1
Before we gave our life to Jesus, we were bound by the law and condemned by it. Warren Wiersbe; To be under law means that we must do something for God; to be under grace means that God does something for us. The thing for us to remember here, is, that salvation does not mean that God changes our old nature, He cleanses it. Our old nature is just as nasty and against the Holy Spirit today, as it was the day you were saved. Warren Wiersbe; The law of sin and death is simply the operation of the old nature, so that when the believer wants to do good, evil is present. Even the good things we do are tainted with evil. Paul ends chapter 7 with, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. (or, In my mind I really want to obey God s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin). The Bottom line is, that Jesus Christ delivers us from this body of death, our sin nature. So, we read in verse 1 of Romans 8; There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. What is condemnation? Condemnation conviction, sentence, judgment, a guilty verdict. If you are in Jesus Christ, none of these things will happen to you. 2
Remember back when you were a kid did your mother ever say to you right after you did something wrong, Just wait till your father gets home, you re gonna get it. The it mom was talking about is, you father s condemnation. But, if you belong to Jesus, you re not going to get that eternal spanking of a lifetime, that condemnation. For believers, all of our sins have been forgiven, our sins from the past, our sins of today, and our sins in the future. So, we will not face any condemnation from God. Perhaps that is why Dr. Donald Barnhouse said, That whenever a believer s bible accidently falls on the floor, it should automatically open up to Romans 8. Chapter 8 of Romans should be cause for great celebration, especially after reading chapter 7. John has been teaching on Wednesday nights in the book of Genesis, and how sin entered the world. About how Adam & Eve disobeyed and sinned in the garden of Eden. Rom. 5:15-18 But there is a great difference between Adam s sin and God s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man s sin. For Adam s sin led to condemnation, but God s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 3
For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Now in Christ we are free there is no condemnation for those in Christ. We are no longer under the sentence of the law, but we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for Christ. Rom. 8:1b,2 Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Those walking according to the flesh, are those who are still a slave to sin, (B.C. before Christ). Walking according to the Spirit, are those who now have new life through Jesus Christ. It is also possible that the word Spirit refers to the Spirit in us that has now been brought to life. I Cor. 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. John 6:63 Jesus says, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 4
Because of what Christ Jesus has done, you are free. You are now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit who gives you life. The law of the Spirit frees you, from the law of sin that brought you death. Gal 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (NLT) We have been called to freedom why not live it, and enjoy it. Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, What the law did was pronounce judgment on sin it called it for what it was sin, an offence against God. The law didn t have the power to put sin to death in a person s life. Who has the power to put sin to death, God does. Listen, from eternity past, God had a plan to send His Son Jesus to this earth in human form like ours, except that Jesus had no sin. Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Although Jesus was tempted, He never gave in to temptation, and Jesus never sinned, that s what qualified Him to be the pure spotless Lamb of God, who would be the sacrifice for our sins. 5
Rom 8:4 That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Who could fulfill the righteous requirement of the law? Only Jesus. God did this for us, so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied, for those who no longer follow the ways of the old man our sinful nature, but instead follow the Spirit. The key for us is, listening and obeying the Holy Spirit when He speaks to our heart. How do we listen to the Holy Spirit? Well that s the million-dollar question. This skill or ability comes to us by having an active and living relationship with God. Simply put, As Jon Courson likes to say; Read your bible and pray, read your bible and pray everyday. I might add, don t just read your bible study it, meditate on it. Then the voice of the Spirit will become louder and clearer to you. Rom. 8:5 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, the things of the Spirit. Let s look at the phrase; 6
Set their minds on here, the Greek word for minds is, frone'-ō (fra na o), meaning a person s will, their thoughts, and emotions. It also includes their values, desires, and purposes. Another words, the person is fixated on the things of the flesh. Let s examine the meaning of flesh a little bit The flesh is the earthly part of man-kind, representing his lusts and desires. Paul gives us quite a list of examples; Gal 5:19-21 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (NLT) A little side note, when we trace the root meaning for sorcery, it can be defined as drugs. So doing illegal drugs is on the list. Gal. 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Walking in the flesh, wars against the Spirit, there is a constant battle doing on inside us you know about this, you feel it every day. Gino likes to describe it as two bull dogs fighting inside you, a white dog, and a black dog. The question becomes, who wins the 7
fight the dog you feed. This means we all have a choice as believers, which dog are we going to feed? The black dog the flesh Or, the white dog the Spirit. It s time to live according to the Spirit feed the white dog all the time. Then you will be Spirit oriented, which is a good thing. Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. In other words, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Remember back in chapter 7, we didn t cover the verses, but there s a real battle going on, a war taking place in us. Rom. 7:19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. That s a war. But in Rom. 8:6, Letting the Spirit control your mind, that leads to life and peace. Here we see, if we allow the Spirit to influence our thinking, we will find peace instead of war. I don t know about you, but I would rather have peace. How do we get there? Again, it s about letting the Spirit control your mind. 8
Some of you bible students already know where I m going next. Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Don t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT) If you ve drifted into being fleshly, ask God to change the way you think, allow the Holy Spirit to influence your thoughts. Our fleshly ways all begin with a thought. Many preacher like to say, It s our stinking thinking that always gets us in trouble. Rom 8:7-8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God s laws, and it never will. That s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. (NLT) The carnal mind is enmity against God a carnal mind, means a fleshly mind. Enmity and its synonyms "hostility," animosity, it indicates a deepseated dislike or ill will. Enmity (which derives from an Anglo- French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt 9
or concealed. Hostility implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. The fleshly mind is always at war with God, it is an enemy of God. If we add Jesus to the equation things change for the better. Jesus is always the right answer. Rom 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. The fact is, if a person is an enemy of God, they don t have to stay that way we were all an enemy at one time or another. Rom. 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. We have a clarification here from Paul, if you have given your life over to Jesus, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, you belong to Him. You have the Spirit of God living in you, and you can live in a way that is pleasing to God. I Cor. 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all, they are still an enemy of God. 10
Rom. 8:10-11 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Jon Courson writes, How are we to deal with these sinful tendencies, these carnal activities, habits and thoughts? Paul gives us the key: The Spirit of Him that up Jesus from the dead is in us, and He ll live His life through us. The fact that the Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies, is talking about the resurrection. Phil. 3:10 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, Paul doesn t say the power in His resurrection, but of His resurrection. Meaning, that Jesus resurrection was a one time event we too will be resurrected when the time comes. Amen! Rom 8:12 11
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. There s that word again Therefore Now if we ve been paying attention, we know what the therefore is referring to. We ve learned that before we had the Spirit of God living in us, we were at war with God, and we were controlled by our fleshly mind, thus we were a slave to sin. But now we are in Christ and we are free, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. We have the freedom and choice to follow the Spirit, and according to God s will for your life. Rom 8:13 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. Again, our life on earth is all about choices. What choice are you going to live by? Are you going to live just for your own self interests, or do want to live for God? These two questions and how you answer them will impact you for all eternity. Gal. 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Jesus said, Mat 7:13-14 12
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. When we choose to live for Christ yes it can be difficult, yes you will experience opposition, and even prejudice. Jesus says, Difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. That phrase, and there are few who find it, always scared me Am I going to be one of the few Rom 8:14-15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father., Being led by the Spirit is synonymous with walking with the Spirit. I think it has become obvious by now that Paul really wants to drive home the thought, that a follower of Jesus Christ needs to always be pursuing that ever so important living relationship with God. With that in mind, we will find ourselves in a very unique and wonderful position. We are then recognized by God as His sons. Don t worry ladies, you re in this group as well, remember, men have to deal with being part of the Bride of Christ. 13
Those led by the Spirit, simply put, are God s children, and believers in the same way should consider God as their Father. We are adopted into God s family Back in the day, Roman customs exercised a great deal of influence on Jewish family life. Roman law required that the adopter a male and childless; the one to be adopted had to be an independent adult, able to agree to be adopted. In the eyes of the law, the adopted one became a new creature; he was regarded as being born again into the new family. This definition of adoption helps paint the beautiful picture of what takes place for the believer at the moment of conversion being born again. Eph 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, What an amazing privilege it is to be adopted into God s family, where we will one day receive a great inheritance. We ll close with this, By whom we cry out, Abba, Father. Jesus Himself prayed to the Father by using the Aramaic word for Father Abba Father It s a term that you are familiar with, it s a term of endearment, a closeness. As children we called our parents Mommy & Daddy 14
As believers, God wants us to know Him with an even greater intimacy. Enjoy it, get close to your Father in heaven. Tonight we ve learned that as believers, that those who walk in the Spirit, and those who are led by the Spirit, will face no condemnation from God. That in and of itself should cause you to feel free. And now you are free to walk in the Spirit. With that we are going to celebrate with communion. Let s pray 15