Life In The Newness of The Spirit

Transcript

GRM 810
9/22/2002
Life in the Newness of the Spirit
Romans 8:1-17
Gil Rugh

We’ve been following, really, a pattern of Christian life and Christian living and somewhat of a miscellaneous series. We taught last week out of the book of Romans, chapter 6 on our death with Jesus Christ as the foundation and heart of not only God’s provision for our forgiveness, but God’s provision for us to live new lives, godly lives, lives that are pleasing to Him. Turn in your Bibles to the Book of Romans. Romans is one of those books, perhaps the outstanding book. As a preacher I’ve thought what I would like to do some day in my elderly years, and some of you think those elderly years have arrived, I would like to just teach the Book of Romans, follow it with the Book of Revelation. Then when I get done go back and teach the Book of Romans, when I get done go back and teach the Book of Revelation. In my elderly years they’ll be saying Gil will be doing his study in Romans in classroom #3 on Tuesday night. All of that to say I’ve been amassing commentaries (that’s not what I was going to say), I have over 60 commentaries on Romans. I’m planning for the day when I won’t have anything to do but teach Romans and wade through my commentaries on Romans. Tremendous book. Gives you the scope of the gospel from beginning to end in a fuller and clearer development than any other book of the Bible. Its completeness makes it a precious book in and of itself. When you come to chapters 6, 7 and 8 he’s talking about the Biblical doctrine of sanctification. We who were sinners, redeemed by grace and have the righteousness of Christ bestowed upon us as Paul talked about, first sin then righteousness. Then in chapters 6, 7 and 8 he talks about living out this new life. We looked into chapter 6, and we died with Christ, we were buried with Christ, and we were raised with Christ to newness of life. So now we are to live as people who are new. We have been set free; the power and bondage of sin has been broken, we died with Christ. Now we’ve been raised to newness of life. I mentioned in our consideration of the first part of Romans chapter 6, that death is the theme there. In fact, in verses 2-13 I believe the word death is used in every verse, emphasizing we died, we are dead to sin and so on.

When you come over to chapter 8, where I want to focus our attention together this evening, the emphasis is on life, and life is the dominant theme in this chapter. Talk about life, he’s going to talk about the Spirit of God, and the work of the Spirit in enabling us to live holy and godly lives. You know up until chapter 8 of the Book of Romans, the Spirit has been mentioned very few times. In fact, the Greek word for Spirit has only been mentioned a total of five times through the first seven chapters, and not all of those refer to the Holy Spirit. So, we come to Chapter 8 of the Book of Romans, and we say, well what about the Holy Spirit, the part He plays now in my new life in Christ and that’s what will be developed in Romans, chapter 8. Fifteen times in the first 17 verses the Spirit is mentioned. Five times in the first seven chapters, 15 times in the first 17 verses, a total of 21 times I believe in chapter 8 altogether he refers to the Spirit. The key emphasis here will be on the Holy Spirit of God.

Well, what about chapter 7? Well, chapter 6 he talked about we died to sin and we’ve been raised to new life. Now we are to live as those who are dead to sin, yielding our bodies and the parts of our bodies to God to conduct ourselves to accomplish righteousness. The first six verses of chapter 7 talked about the Law, the Mosaic Law. We not only died to sin, but we also died to the Law, and so the Mosaic Law does not have authority over a person. But identification with Christ sets you free from the obligations to the Mosaic Law. The end of verse 4 says that we were joined with Christ, we were "raised from the dead that we might bear fruit for God." Before we bore fruit for death. Similar theme out of chapter 6, you’re familiar with the last part of chapter 6. But now we have been freed, verse 6, "released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound so that we might serve in newness of the Spirit and not oldness of the letter." For some there was confusion. They were under the conception that even though they have placed their faith in Christ they were still to try to live under the authority of the Law. But the Law was like an old wife, a former wife that has died. Obligations in that relationship are over. That was the analogy in verse 2. A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If the husband dies, she’s free. In marriage we are bound to one another, but if one of the partners in a marriage relationship dies then there is freedom from any obligations to that former relationship. We don’t try to continue to live in that relationship, because that relationship does not exist as it once did. Doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate some things from that relationship, but now things have changed.

So, it is with the relationship to the Mosaic Law. Having been released from the Law, "we serve in newness of the Spirit not in oldness of the letter." There is a new pattern of life. Now understand this. This means that Christians do not live under the Ten Commandments. Doesn’t meant that some of those commandments are not repeated and are part of God’s plan for us now as we live in newness of the Spirit. But we are not trying to live under even portions or parts of the Mosaic Law. The analogy, it ought to be clear. If the husband of a woman dies, she isn’t free from some of her obligations to him but continues to live other areas of her life as though he was alive, and she was under his authority. That’s the point of the comparison, the relationship is over. So, we serve in newness of the Spirit not in oldness of the Law.

Now there’s nothing wrong with the Law, the Law is not sinful. Don’t misunderstand. We are freed from the bondage to sin in chapter 6, but the Law is not sinful. Rather the Law is good. Down in verse 12 you can see this, "the Law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." The problem is with us. But nonetheless, we had to be freed from those obligations and that relationship and the authority of that Law which only could condemn us. The Law could require and demand righteousness, but it did not enable me to meet its righteous requirements.

Verses 7-25 of chapter 7 are an elaboration, if you will, and I call it a digression although it is part of the development on the Law. But the connection really goes from verse 6 and we have been freed that we might serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter, 7:6. Then you jump to chapter 8, verse 1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." That theme, and the explanation and development in verses 7-25, is helpful. We’re moving on to talk about now, serving in the newness of the Spirit. We are not under the condemnation of the Law. "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." When he says no condemnation all the condemnation, the judgment that came upon us as those who were guilty before God’s holy and righteous law. This word condemnation, this particular word condemnation is used two other times by Paul in Romans. Back in chapter 5, verse 16, "the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression," note this, "resulting in condemnation." In verse 18, "So then through one transgression there resulted condemnation." So now he talks about there is no condemnation, referring to the judgment we were under because we were the descendants of Adam, we were guilty by birth, and we were guilty by action. We were doubly condemned, you understand. In sin did my mother conceive me, I am born a sinful being and I demonstrate my sinful character by my readiness and willingness to sin from the beginning. I am thus condemned by birth and by action.

There is no condemnation of any kind. This condemnation would include all that’s included in the penalty for sin, being under the wrath of God as he started out in Romans, chapter 1. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. No condemnation, strong emphasis there, no condemnation of any kind, absolutely no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Again, keep in mind what has come in Romans up to this point. Those who are in Christ are those who have turned from their sin and placed their faith in Him and received by faith the free gift of life in Christ.

"For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." The law here, the word law, is not only used of the Mosaic Law in the New Testament, but the law as an authority and power exercised over us. He talked about the specific Mosaic Law and its power to condemn in chapter 7. But there is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has set you free. That refers to the authority and power of the Spirit, who is the Spirit who gives life; so, He is the Spirit of life. It’s that work of the Spirit in concert with the work of Christ that brings to our heart and life redemption, that work of the Holy Spirit in identifying us with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, the baptism of the Spirit. Paul discussed that relationship in chapter 6. The law of the spirit of life, the life-giving spirit has set you free and that refers to a past event. When you believed in Christ, that’s when you were set free; Romans 6 has developed that. We died with Christ, we’ve been set free from the authority and power and rule of sin in our lives. The Law of sin and death; sin and death go together, the wages of sin is death. The power and authority of sin in our lives, back in chapter 6, verse 6, "our old man was crucified with Him that our body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. We have been set free from the Law of sin and death, the power that controls us and would ultimately lead us to hell apart from the grace of God."

"For what the Law could not do weak as it was through the flesh." Talking about here the Mosaic Law. I was under the control and domination of sin, enslaved to sin, its power and authority. The Mosaic Law could not set me free from the law of sin and death, because the Mosaic Law could demand righteousness, could require holiness. There’s nothing wrong with the Law, we saw that in chapter 7, verse 12, it’s holy and righteous and good, but there’s a major flaw. chapter 8, verse 3, "it was weak through the flesh." The Law did not make provision to enable me to do what it required. So, we’re not condemning the Law, it was fine, but there is a major difficulty with the Law. I can’t keep it, I can’t do it. I am enslaved and controlled by sin to demand perfection of me, to require holiness of me. It is fine, but I can’t do it. That’s the weakness of the Law, "it was weak through the flesh."

God did what the Law could not do. The Law was never intended as a means of salvation, and no one was ever saved by keeping the Law. He’s dealt with that in chapters 3, 4 and 5. Abraham believed God, chapter 4, God credited it to him as righteousness. That’s how anybody, Old or New Testament, is saved, by faith. The Law was there to reveal the sinfulness of man, as well as its purpose with the nation Israel as the people of God to control their conduct in certain areas.

God did. What did God do? He did what the Law could not do by sending His Son, His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. He condemned or judged sin in the flesh. Emphasis that God is sovereignly the one who brings about salvation. That will become a dominant theme in chapters 9, 10 and 11. What the Law could not do, God did. Not God and me, God did. How did He do it? He did it through His own Son, He sent His own Son, emphasizing that word own, the uniqueness of the Son. This was His own Son. In the likeness of sinful flesh, very important and precise statement. He does not say in the likeness of flesh, implying that He was less than truly human. He did not say in sinful flesh as though Christ was tainted by sin. No, it was in the likeness of sinful flesh, but He Himself was without sin, but He was completely man. He came to be an offering for sin, He came for sin to deal with the issue of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He condemned or judged sin in the flesh. He Himself in His body on the tree bore our sin that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, Peter said in I Peter, chapter 2. God sent His Son so that He could pay the penalty for our sin.

Verse 4, "in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." God’s purpose in dealing with sin in the body of Christ by His suffering and death was so that the requirement (that word translated requirement of the Law is the basic word we have translated righteousness), that the righteous "requirement of the Law," if you will, "might be fulfilled in us." You’ll note, God did something, He sent His Son to deal with sin so that the righteous "requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us." You see the sovereign work of God through it all? By what He did in Christ on our behalf, it fulfilled the demand for righteousness in us. Who is the us? He’s talking about the one who walks according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. Might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the Spirit. Those who walk according to the flesh are those who live under the control and domination of their fallen, sinful nature. The flesh is what I am as a fallen, sinful being. Those who walk according to the flesh walk under the control, authority and domination of their fallen, sinful nature. Those who walk according to the Spirit live their lives under the control and domination of the indwelling Spirit of God.

The contrast is between those who belong to God and those who don’t. You’ll note that. The righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in those who walk according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh." The contrast developed here in Romans chapter 8 is not a contrast between two kinds of Christians, fleshly Christians, carnal Christians, and godly Christians. It’s a contrast between unsaved and saved people. This will become very clear. A very important chapter. You can say, what is a Christian? A Christian is one who has believed in Jesus Christ; that is a saved person. An unsaved person is one who has not believed in Jesus Christ. You know another way you could say it? A saved person is one who walks according to the Spirit, an unsaved person is one who walks according to the flesh. He’s going to go on and develop this crucial contrast. There’s a radical transformation in the way we live. We make an artificial distinction or separation, perhaps I should say, when we separate our justification from sanctification. There is a distinction between justification and sanctification, but there is not a separation to be made. The transformation is remarkable. It’s like the birth of a baby into the human family. You can emphasize the event of the birth, but there is no radical separation between the birth into the human family and now living as a human being. I mean birth is the beginning of a life, and that has been the very picture. We died with Christ so that we could be raised to newness of life. That’s why chapter 6, the death/burial with Christ, is followed by resurrection and newness of life. It is not possible to die with Christ and be buried with Him and thus have the penalty for sin paid, but not be raised to newness of life. So that event has been dealt with in chapter 6 very clearly. So now he’s just drawing that out in chapter 8, what that means in this new life that is lived by virtue of the Spirit’s power and authority in our lives. But we no longer live according to an external standard like the Mosaic Law. We live by the power of the indwelling Spirit who has made us new.

There is a tremendous, radical difference between a believer and an unbeliever. Look at verse 5, "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh." The according to the flesh goes back to chapter 4, those who are walking, living their life according to the flesh. They set their minds on the things of the flesh. "Those who are according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit." There are people who are occupied, who live their lives in the realm of the flesh. That’s what they think about, that’s what controls them, that’s the focus of their life. There are those who by the grace of God have been redeemed, who have been set free, made new. They now live in the realm of the Spirit, their minds are set on things above, not on things on this earth as Colossians says. Their minds are set on the things of the Spirit. "Those who are according to the flesh set their mind on the things of the flesh, those who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit." You wonder what some of these things include, you can go back and read Romans, chapter 1, the last part of Romans 1 talks about the characteristics of the flesh, the people that are controlled, that have their minds on the flesh. Galatians, chapter 5, "the works of the flesh are these things, the fruit of the Spirit these things." Again, we ought not to be surprised. You look at the characteristics of fallen men, the works of the flesh, that’s what you see in the world around you; godlessness, immorality, lying, deceitfulness, greed, on it goes, and the ugliness of where he started in Romans 1. The world is consumed by those things, because their mind is set on the flesh, they are according to the flesh.

Those who are according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. Look at verse 6, "the mind set on the flesh is death. The mind set on the flesh is death." The unbeliever is spiritually dead, and he is on his way to what the Bible calls the second death. For the wages of sin is death. Physical death, spiritual death and the second death are eternal death, separation from God for eternity. "The mind set on the flesh is death." That has been brought out repeatedly by Paul. But, in contrast, "the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." He is the Spirit of life. That’s what we saw back in chapter 8, verse 2, the Spirit of life in Christ. He’s the Spirit who brings the life of Christ to us. We have eternal life in Christ and it’s the Spirit who imparts that life to us by virtue of our identification with Christ.

Chapter 5, verse 1 said that "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Chapter 8 began, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ." So as those who are no longer under condemnation, but we have peace with God, we also experience the peace of God in our lives. Jesus told His disciples as He prepared them for His departure, and He spoke much of the coming of the Spirit in that context. In John 16:33 He says, "In the world you have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." It’s the believer’s privilege to have peace, peace with God and the peace of God. Philippians 4 promises, "And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall stand guard at your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Something’s terribly wrong when so many people who profess to know Christ are consumed with fear, have no peace. Their lives are churning, they are full of inner turmoil. But they say, oh no I know the Lord. You understand He is the Spirit of life and peace. You cannot divide Him; He is the Spirit who brings peace to our lives. For the peace that surpasses comprehension there is no rational human explanation for it. This world and its turmoil, confusion, anxieties, but we live in a bubble, if you will, with the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds.

Verse 7, "because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God." He’s explaining the mind set on the flesh is death, the first part of verse 6; "because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God." You see we’re talking about the enemy of God, the one who has his mind set on the flesh is one who is hostile toward God. We’re not talking about a neutral person because there are no neutral people. He who is not with me is in the middle, said Jesus. No. He who is not with me is against me. So "the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God." That’s a strong expression. Those people see God as their enemy. Here is an active hatred toward God. We’re not going to take the time to look at some parallel references to this concept. Now this is sometimes covered over because they’ll talk about God, and they’ll acknowledge Him. There seems to be a warmth. The clear evidence comes when you sit down and explain clearly the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. What happens? Pretty soon the hostility comes to the surface, and the more you emphasize the gospel the more antagonized they are. Why? Because they are hostile toward the one true and living God. They want the God of their making, their creation. You understand, those who are hostile toward God are very religious. Starting out, they’re in Romans 1. So those who have their minds set on the flesh are hostile toward God. That mind is hostile toward God.

Note what else he says in the last part of verse 7; "it does not subject itself to the Law of God." He refuses to submit himself to the authority of the living God, who will not bow before the rule of God, will be his own person, come up with his own conclusion. Just caught about a 3-5 minute blurb, I believe it was last night, of a popular musician being interviewed. He had a tragedy in his family, I believe his son died. I don’t remember if it was suicide, I didn’t get that part of the interview. This person was saying you know I’m always troubled by this idea that it’s all going to come to the end and either a heaven or a hell, didn’t seem right to me. I have come to believe and understand that the answer is reincarnation. He talked in a very appealing way. But you know what he was demonstrating? Hostility toward God, refusal to submit himself to the law of God. Why? I’ve ruled out, I never did like that idea of it’s all going to end in either heaven or hell. I’ve come to place my full confidence in we’re just going to recycle, reincarnation. That may make him feel better, but it is a manifestation of one who is hostile toward God and refuses to submit himself to the authority of God.

Note the last part of verse 7, it is crucial. I have it underlined in my Bible; "it is not even able," (it is not even able) to do so." The mind set on the flesh, the mind that is hostile toward God, that refuses to submit to God is not even able to submit to God, His power and authority. This is a crucial matter. That is why it is an exercise in futility, and worse, to try to get the unbeliever to live in godly ways. The unregenerate mind is not able, it is without the power. The word originally comes from power, we get words like dynamite, dynamo from this word translated able. It’s not able, has no power, cannot do it. Fallen man in his own power, in his own strength, in his own energy, his own abilities is unable to submit to God. It’s a terrible situation. He’s totally depraved, completely enslaved to sin and its domination, not able to submit to God. That’s why moral reformation is of no value. That doesn’t mean we don’t see people clean up their lives. I was watching another interview (I like to watch some of these interviews, biographies), yeah, got off drugs, got off alcohol. How wonderful! It does help your life to avoid certain sins, but it doesn’t move you any closer to heaven. Remember the Pharisees? They had their lives cleaned up as good as you could do. Paul said he was doing as good as you could do humanly speaking in his testimony writing to the Philippians. But what was he? He was lost. In fact, Jesus said they were the lostest of the lost, they were the worst off because there is nothing like self-righteousness to make higher walls and greater barriers to the truth. Is not even able.

“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," verse 8; "those who are in the flesh cannot please God." It doesn’t mean they don’t do good things, nice things, kind things. Talking on the human level I know some very nice unbelievers, and they are very thoughtful and considerate and do good things humanly speaking. But those who are in the flesh, have their mind set on the flesh, cannot please God. They cannot please Him. They can adjust and alter their behavior, but all in the realm of sin and their rebellion against God. There is nothing they can do to please God. So, we as believers need to be very careful that we don’t add to the lie of the devil. I get very concerned about this and some of the moral reform movements Christians get caught up in. If they would stop doing this, they wouldn’t do that somehow, we would be more pleasing to God, our nation would be more pleasing to God. In light of Romans 8:8 I don’t see how that can be. Are we saying that those in the flesh can be pleasing to God? The Bible says they cannot. The only way to not be in the flesh is bow before the living God, repenting of your sin and believing the gospel, the good news, concerning His Son. Anyone who has not bowed before the living God, repenting of his sin, believing in Jesus Christ as his Savior cannot please God. I don’t want to get caught up in any movements, any activity that is going to be declaring the lie of the devil, that God will be more pleased with you if you give up drinking, God will be more pleased with you if you’re not involved in pornography, God will be more pleased with you if……….. I think your life will go better, you will enjoy it more if you don’t indulge in certain sins, even as an unregenerate person. But let me be honest with you. There is nothing you can do to please God. In your condition there is nothing you can do to please God. You are a hopeless, lost wretch. I’m trying to figure a nice way to say this, but there’s not one good thing in you. Isn’t that what the Bible says, Romans 3? "There is none that does good, not even one." I mean am I going to imply something else? Oh you’ve quit drinking, you stay home at nights with your family. I’m sure God is pleased with that. I think there are advantages to not going out drinking and staying home with your family, but you know what? That doesn’t make you pleasing to God. We want to be careful that we don’t go around declaring our allegiance to the gospel at the same time we proclaim the lie of the devil. Good intentions don’t make any difference. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Do you have verse 8 marked, fixed in your mind, rooted? I don’t want to start to clean up a life. There’s no moral reform in Romans, there is regeneration.

However, verse 9. Let me read you a verse from Proverbs 28:9, "He who turns his ear away from listening to the Law" (there in the context of Proverbs talking about the revelation of God there in the Mosaic Law), "he who turns his ear away from listening to the Law even his prayer is an abomination." How often do we see people going to church and we say oh it’s good you go to church. You know what happens when they go to church? It’s an abomination to God if they haven’t bowed before His word and believed His truth. Even the prayer of that person is an abomination. We say well I think it’s good that people are religious. That’s why I’m bothered by these movements that join us together in conservative activity with other religious people. But we really have nothing in common with the most religious unbeliever and the most disgusting wretch in the gutter who lives only for drunk and immorality and drugs and vileness. The Pharisee doesn’t please God.

All right, look at the next verse, verse 9. "However, you" (and in the way this is structured you gets the emphasis, this is emphatic, strong emphasis, you in contrast to those who are in the flesh), "you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." "You are not in the flesh," that’s not the realm in which you live and conduct your life, but you’re in the Spirit. That’s the realm in which you live and conduct your life. "If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." The Spirit of God must be in you for you to be in the Spirit. There’s another area that we could do a whole series on and that is the doctrine of abiding. We have verses relating to the abiding of Christ in us and us in Christ, yet some kind of silly and harmful doctrine taught that some Christians abide in Christ, some don’t. Trace through John’s writings and see it’s a mutual abiding, we abide in Christ and He abides in us, we abide in the Spirit and the Spirit abides in us. There is no such thing as a person who has the Spirit of God in them who does not also live in the Spirit. There is no such thing as a person who has Christ abiding in them, but they don’t abide in Christ. Mutual reality.

"If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." Look at what this further clarifies; "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Him." You see the contrast is between those who belong to Christ and those who don’t, those who have been saved and those who have not been saved. If the Spirit of Christ doesn’t dwell in you, you don’t belong to Christ. That’s the doctrine we believe, right? Everyone who places their faith in Christ has the Spirit of Christ dwell in them, and everyone who has the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them lives in the Spirit. That’s been the development that he has taken. You are in the Spirit if the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, and you note the interchange here, Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ, both titles used in the same verse. One of those passages you couldn’t ask for any clearer evidence of the deity of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, I mean could I add to that the spirit of Gil? You say that would be blasphemy, I mean we’re talking about the Spirit of God here, we’re talking about the third member of the triune God. Right. If He dwells in you, you dwell in Him, you live in Him, your mind is set on things of the Spirit, and they all tie together. Go down and make the list which I have done, but we don’t have time to go through it, of those qualities here. If your mind is set on the flesh and you live in the flesh, then you are not in the Spirit and the Spirit is not in you, you are lost and on your way to hell. I’m religious, I go to Indian Hills, I come even Sunday evening. Obviously, we have people who are not saved that come on Sunday morning, but surely only saved people come on Sunday evening. Well, that is one sifter, but it’s not a guarantee. You know physical things don’t save people. We went through that with the communion this morning. Partaking of physical elements doesn’t save a person, attending religious services morning and night every day of the week can’t save you. I shared, we used to have dear neighbors, both have passed away, both trusted the Lord before they died, but that dear lady would get up every morning of the week to go to her church and say her prayers and all of that and lost, lost, lost. You can’t be saved by going through physical routines, it’s only by the grace and power of God.

"If Christ is in you though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness." The body is yet to be delivered from that final effect of sin. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. You get to that at the end of chapter 8, we won’t get there tonight. But the glorification of the body is a completion of that process. The body is still dead because of sin, and if the Lord doesn’t come, I am going to experience physical death, but I have been made alive in Christ. Even the effects of that death will be overcome when my body will be raised from the dead, glorified and suitable for the eternity He’s prepared for me.

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ 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." That’s what’s developed in Ephesians, chapter 1; that the Spirit of God is the down payment of God, guaranteeing our ultimate redemption. He’s the seal, our security, He is the down payment guaranteeing God will complete the transaction.

"Then brethren we are under obligation not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you are living according to the flesh you must die." Note that. You see, for Paul there is no distinction here, no separation (I’m going to get myself into trouble) between our justification and sanctification. There is a distinction in meaning, but there is no separation. If you are living according to the flesh you must die, you are under condemnation, you are one who does not please God. Rather you are hostile toward God. People need to understand this. We as parents need to understand this. We have kids who have grown up in the church, made a profession, they are living in sin, and we say, Oh I know they’re saved, I remember their profession, I’m holding onto that. Let it go. It breaks our heart. We do them no favor by pretending that they’re saved, that they can live according to the flesh and belong to the living God, have the Spirit in them and they’re in the Spirit. Get on our knees and pray for God’s grace to break into their lives, not allow them to hold onto the lie, confront them truthfully that the burden of our heart is that you are lost. The children of God manifest the character of God. Not just our children, but these examples that bring it close to our hearts and close to our homes.

"If you’re living according to the flesh you must die; if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body you will live." Doesn’t mean we don’t have battles, doesn’t mean that we don’t fail, but there is a life that is lived by the power of the Spirit, and we are putting to death the deeds of the body. This is what was dealt with back in chapter 6 that in verse 12 you don’t let sin reign in your mortal bodies. We now present our bodies as instruments of righteousness. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." You see it’s indistinguishable in that sense. Who are the sons of God? Those being led by the Spirit of God. Here you see a person living a life of sin, no interest in the things of God, they're a burden even when He is involved, something to get over with. The things of this world consume that person, and not just the things that are clearly sinful, but it’s just the absorption of his life, the things of this world. We need to be careful as parents, what’s most important? Oh, I want him to get a good education, oh I want him to get a good job, oh I want him to do well and what? Go to hell.....and matter. Lord, make them poor if that’s what’s necessary. Lord, give them a life of difficulty and hardship, take away their health.

Verse 13 says if you’re living according to the flesh you must die, if by the Spirit you’re putting to death the deeds of the body you will live. Whatever, Lord, it takes for them to come to you is what I want. I mean we want them to do well, and we do. We don’t want them to suffer. But above everything else we must want the salvation of their soul, and I would far rather have them have physical misery. I used to pray for my kids, Lord make it as bad as it must get for them to turn to you. I mean I don’t want them to get caught up to be successful, do well, and lose any concept of their wretched condition and the greatness of their need. We want to gloss things over just so life is comfortable; don’t want people to just feel good as they go to hell. It’s a reality of God’s truth. It’s those who are being led by the Spirit, who are putting to death the deeds of the body who live. You see it’s a life here. Salvation is by grace through faith, but salvation by grace through faith leads to a life of grace, leads to a life of grace.

What is a Christian? A Christian is someone who is putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Oh, I thought a Christian is someone who lives, who has their faith in Christ. It is. Same thing. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." Couldn’t be any clearer. Who are the sons of God? Those who are being led by the Spirit of God. Oh I thought it was those who made a decision at some point in their life. Well, you were wrong. Multitudes of people have made decisions, but it’s only those who are being led by the Spirit of God who are the sons of God. There was a beginning point of that life, don’t want to ridicule the concept of a decision of bowing before Christ, but genuine salvation is a life-changing experience. It is a death, a burial and a resurrection to newness of life. "the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. If children, heirs, heirs of God, fellow-heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." God has prepared for us glory.

The provision for our life now is the Spirit. Now I know we died with Christ, were buried with Christ and raised with Christ to newness of life. You know what? The Spirit of God Himself now dwells in me and I dwell in Him, I live in that new sphere of the Spirit, under His control, under His power. It’s by the grace of His enablement that I can live for Him. The tragedy in it all is that I am not more perfect than I am. God’s provision is sufficient. Paul could say, I have not yet arrived, I am not yet perfect. But one thing I do, I forget the things that are behind, and I am stretched out for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing, but nothing, consumes me but being more like Christ, living that life. God’s provision is complete. He died to set me free from sin, the devil, the world. He doesn’t then tell me now I’ve set you free, give it your best. No. Now I’ve set you free and my Spirit dwells in you, now you belong to me and my power, my life, my enablement is yours. We live by the Spirit; we draw upon the enablement of the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh. We have a responsibility and an obligation, but it’s not in our own strength, it’s not in our own energy. We don’t need all these programs of ten steps to victorious living, we just need the truth of the Word of God and submit to it and live by it and our lives will demonstrate and do by His grace.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your grace in saving us. Lord, a salvation that is so great, so complete, so all-encompassing that the more we grow, the more we learn, the more in awe we are. Lord, it goes beyond our comprehension to know that your Spirit dwells in us, in all His fullness, in all His power so that we, by your grace, might live as sons of the living God. Lord, may we not play games with this great truth, may we not cover up and make excuses for ourselves or for others. May we rejoice to know that those who have been saved by Your power and Your grace demonstrate in the lives that they live. Lord, it is a great honor to live our lives displaying your character. We praise You for it in Christs name. Amen