8:1 There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.
8:2 For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
8:3 For what the law could
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
8:4 That the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
This has got to be one of the most
beloved chapters for myself, that Paul ever wrote.
So much promise and hope for following after our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because of His love
for us, we do not fear the condemnation of a Holy
God. We walk after the Spirit, the life of our
Savior as our perfect example. Because we could not
keep the Law of God perfectly, as God knew from the
beginning that we could not. God became man and took
on our likeness in the flesh, so that all who
believe in Him, are not condemned through the
breaking of His Law, but are saved by grace, as a
willful, glorious act of divine love and mercy. We
are clothed in His righteousness when we will stand
before the Father in heaven, as God the Father will
see nothing but the righteousness of His Son in us.
We must die to this life in the flesh as
demonstrated by the act of baptism, and become new
creatures following after the Spirit.
8:5 For they that are after
the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the
Spirit.
8:6 For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
8:7 Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God: for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8:8 So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God.
8:9 But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
8:10 And if Christ be in
you, the body is dead because of sin; but the
Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Man by himself, cannot follow the ways of
God as expressed in His Laws and written down on
tables of stone, called the Ten Commandments. Being
the author of those laws that were written by His
own finger, God became man and stood on a mountain
top and in this sermon gave His instructions on what
was prior the letter of the law or a legalistic
approach to His law. By giving us the spiritual
intent of what it meant to keep the law of God by
our actions, our focus, and spiritually dying to
this world through belief on Him, the only Begotten
Son of God, Jesus proclaimed what those laws meant
to each of us.
People who call themselves
Christians fail to understand that there MUST be a
change in nature, in habits, and in the way you
conduct your daily life. We see so called
“Christians” today that you can't tell any
difference in them and the rest of the world. Does a
truly converted, saved individual return to the pig
trough of this world and continue in the same
behavior that God was willing to save you out of? I
had a conversation with the hosts of Rapture Ready
Radio and we all were in agreement that the
direction of the “modern Emergent church” is
anathema to what God ordained for His church to be
an example of. The church is not a building, not a
denomination, not your favorite speaker on the
Prosperity Gospel, but each and everyone of us that
have Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit residing
within our hearts and dwelling within each of us, as
a deposit of future glory and total redemption. We
follow the Bible only, not some new feel good gospel
that emphasizes personal growth in this world, but
of the world that is coming....sooner than you may
even think.
I had a gentleman who called
expressing sorrow for not being able to quit sinning
concerning a particular distressing manifestation of
the flesh that kept occurring in his life. I had to
remind him, “welcome to the human race.” Paul, the
apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, complained
the very same thing when he wrote: Romans chapter 7,
7:18 For I know that in me
(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me; but how to perform
that which is good I find not.
7:19 For the good that I
would I do not: but the evil which I would not,
that I do.
7:20 Now if I do that I
would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin
that dwelleth in me.
Dropping down:
But I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of
sin which is in my members.
7:24 O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
7:25 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.
God knows that we are still in mortal
bodies, subject to sins of the flesh, but that
doesn't mean He doesn't want us to try through faith
and trust in His power, His strength, and that not
of our own. When we fail, we come to Him in
repentance and confess our sins :
“If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1st John 1:9.
A RECIPE
FOR VICTORY IN THIS LIFE
We are to arm ourselves with the whole
armor of God, which is the only way we can stand up
to the wiles of the devil. Paul detailed what it
takes to be a Christian in the spirit in the times
we live in. Ephesians chapter 6,
6:12 For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
6:13 Wherefore take
unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done
all, to stand.
6:14 Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
6:15 And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16 Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
6:17 And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God:
6:18 Praying always
with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints;
There is a difference in being weak
in the flesh and seeking God to deliver you from
temptations or sinning unintentionally because of
being mortal, but a truly regenerated Christian does
not continue in willful sin. He doesn't lie, doesn't
steal, doesn't commit sexual immorality, doesn't
continue to live like the rest of the world. The
Christian comes out of this world, even though the
are in the world, they are not of it any longer. A
TRUE follower of Jesus Christ, picks up the sword as
a warrior by learning to put on the whole armor of
God, as found in the pages of your bible, and
stamped on your soul in times of prayer. Paul
explains this very clear principal in the follow
verses, as we return to Romans chapter 8.
But if the Spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that
dwelleth in you.
8:12herefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the
flesh.
8:13 For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.
8:14 For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God.
8:15 For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father.
8:16 The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:
Think for a moment here about your life.
Have you ever done something that instantly pricked
your spiritual heart, and unsettled your mind? You
knew immediately that you had done wrong, and that
God was in plain view and seeing your sin. You can't
hide it from Him and it brought an instant sadness,
or at least when you had a chance to think about
what you had done. You can't rest until you confess
that sin and ask forgiveness and when He does, (and
He always does) instantaneously we are back in
fellowship with Him and a weight is suddenly lifted
from our shoulders and off of our mind.
The bible is not a smorgasbord that we can
pick and choose what we like and discard what is too
hard, is not popular, or doesn't fit our
“lifestyle”. I am distressed when I hear that we can
do whatever we like, after believing on Jesus Christ
and God will keep us in His family, even if we live
like the devil. How serious were you when you made
that commitment to follow after Jesus Christ.
Christian means follower of Jesus Christ, as a
disciple, a believer in what He said, by taking on
His likeness. Know one thing, my friend, even the
demons believe in Jesus Christ. James chapter 2,
2:19 Thou believest
that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils
also believe, and tremble.
2:20 But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is
dead?
That's not to say that works save you. No,
not at all, but it does say that works is a product
of being saved....you change and you are not the
same as you were before. You belong to Jesus Christ.
He purchased you and you are no longer you own, but
are waiting to born into the Kingdom of God. We have
that promise, we have that deposit of His Holy
Spirit. It's time that we live like it.
We all are in “bible school” and being
taught, learning the ways of our God, the Father and
His Son. As we grow in spiritual maturity by
reading, memorizing and hiding His Word in our
hearts, the acts of sinning that we once committed
will become less and less. Oh, the temptation will
be there, as the devil never gives up, but the
desire will be buffeted with the knowledge of God's
way, by His Word. We rely on His strength, His
power, and His Holy Spirit to lead us away from the
temptation and hold firm to the thought, “no, I'm
not ever going to allow myself to grieve my Lord,
again.” We learn, we overcome, and in the end, we
win.
WHAT A GLORIOUS PROMISE
8:17 And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together.
8:18 For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us.
8:19 For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God.
Can you fathom what verse 17 is saying?
“Heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” is what
it says. What does it mean? What Jesus is right now,
what belongs to Him as inheritance and what Family
He belongs to, we will share in the same. We will
belong the family of Jehovah, (Yahweh), the
Almighty. We will be of the same essence, the same
spiritual body, the same power of the mind, and
endued with unspeakable power and glory, all to the
glory of the Father because He imparted it to us
when we are changed into spirit beings with a new
body, just as His Son has a new body. It will be a
glorious body full of potential. We will begin by
reigning with Jesus for 1000 years as Kings and
Priests during the Kingdom of God on earth, and
further into the vast expanses of eternity. We will
have a life of power and glory without end. Right
now we can only imagine...we cannot fully comprehend
it, till it comes to pass. Our minds could not
handle the realization and the scope of what awaits
us. 1st Corinthians,
2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him.
2:10 But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things
of God.
God has promised all
things. Nothing will be withheld from us. He will
lead us to a glorified life that we cannot even
begin to imagine. I reminded of a song “I Can Only
Imagine.”
“Surrounded by Your glory, what
will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of you be
still
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will
I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at
all ? I can only imagine.
Yes, I can only imagine”
Continuing in Romans,
8:20 For the creature was
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
8:21 Because the creature
itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God.
8:22 For we know that the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now.
8:23 And not only they, but
ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body.
8:24 For we are saved by
hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what
a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
8:25 But if we hope for that
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Notice
how he lays the foundation by turning our attention
to our hope. He reminds us that God purposefully
made life subject to futility. Futility is a
frustrating quality that wears away at one's
confidence. It can produce a sense of hopelessness
that leads us to think that nothing will work out.
Sometimes our pilgrimage seems so long and arduous
that we take our eyes from our Savior, and
hopelessness builds. However, Paul reminds us that
God does everything in love and wisdom and for our
good. Futility is an obstacle that we must overcome
through faith in God. Yet, He has willed that
futility be present, intending that we use it as a
prod to use our faith in cooperation with Him
despite its presence.
8:26 Likewise the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what
we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.
8:27 And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God.
8:28 And we
know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
These are powerful,
positive statements concerning our struggles . Why
should be be fearful that God cannot take care of
us? Does God ever fail to succeed in whatever He
does? Did you say never? Correct, never. These
verses flatly and dogmatically state that, if we
want to cooperate in faith to bring God's purpose
for us to its intended conclusion, we must, I
repeat, must, believe that His watchfulness over us
involves every circumstance of our lives.
Now
this does not mean that God gives us everything we
want, but gives us what is in His perfect will? God
will always give what is best for us. That's why the
Prosperity Gospel is so offensive, as it goes
against the will of God. It holds God hostage and
says that we know what is best for ourselves, and
God just needs to give us whatever we desire. A
serious breach of Biblical principles of God's
sovereignty and His perfect wisdom.
8:29 For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren.
8:30 Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified.
8:31 What shall we then say
to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?
God knew before the foundation of the
world, who would respond to His call, and who would
not. I came down to an individual's will. God would
not force His will on anyone to save them. He would
give them a choice, either life or death, light or
darkness. We can choose to be with Him for all
eternity, or choose to be separated from all forms
of joy, happiness, or hope by being banished from
His presence because of unforgiven sin. To me, that
truly is hell. We are commanded to keep the charge
of what Jesus Christ told us to do with our lives.
John chapter 14,
14:15 If ye love me, keep my
commandments.
14:16 And I will
pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
14:17 Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but
ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall
be in you.
The Holy Spirit given on the Day of
Pentecost was the start of God's focus on His
church. That same Spirit is with us today, giving us
strength, hope and resolve to finish this race and
become Sons of God.
Notice the last verses quoted above of
Romans 8, put a cap on why we should never be
fearful of missing out on the provision of our God.
“If God be for us, who can be against us?” God has
the power and the will, and He does not make
mistakes or empty promises. Paul then lists what God
has already done for all concerned. Our
responsibility is to choose to put these facts to
work in our specific circumstances.
8:32 He that spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?
8:33 Who shall lay any thing
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth.
8:34 Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Satan is already defeated when we say “yes,
Lord” and believe in our hearts and our minds, that
Jesus is God, that He was raised from the dead, and
that He lives forevermore. Satan makes charges
against His saints every waking moment. He hates the
children of God and accuses them mercilessly before
a loving God, but Jesus stands at God's own right
hand and is our Kinsman Redeemer, who bought that
which was lost by shedding His own blood in
sacrifice for what we could not do, save ourselves.
Jesus saved us and brought us into His family as
sons and daughters to God the Father, and brothers
and sisters to Himself, God's only begotten Son,
that through one supreme act of love, dying in our
stead and receiving of what we deserved....death. He
was our substitute, our sacrifice to satisfy a Holy
God.
8:35 Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword?
8:36 As it is written, For
thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
8:37 Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.
8:38 For I am persuaded,
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come,
8:39 Nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
But
notice that nothing can separate us from
God...nothing, my friend. Nothing in this material
life, in the spiritual life to come, any creature,
or any calamity can take us out of God's hand, or
separate us from His love.
You who
have been reading these powerful words of promise,
of hope, and eternal security found in Jesus Christ
and Him alone, you ask yourself, am I also included
in these promises? There is only one way that you
can claim the promises that Paul wrote in this most
glorious description of our future, eternal
existence and being found in His presence, in His
love, and close fellowship with the One who made
you. How, you say, do I claim it?
It's so
easy, a child can do it. Jesus said,
Matthew 18:3-4
Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted and become as little
children, you will by no means enter the kingdom
of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as
this little child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven.
John 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.
3:17 For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
3:18 He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
Like I said, a child can
do it. I did it when I was 10 years old and
still soft and tender to the calling of the
Holy Spirit. Does that mean, as an adult you
can't do the same? No, it just takes a spirit
that humbles itself, and says
“I can't do this alone. I am a
sinner, born into sin. I want to live for
eternity in your presence. Cleanse me from
all unrighteousness, and I accept Jesus
Christ, as my Redeemer and believe that
Jesus is God, come in the flesh, and chose
to die in my place. I believe now that you
are alive and are coming again to gather
unto yourself, the Sons of God.”