Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans

Romans 8:1-11 Part 2

Intro: A man who drank heavily was converted to Christ and lived  alcohol free for several weeks.  One day as he passed the open door of a tavern, the pungent odor drifting out aroused his old appetite for liquor.  Just then he saw this sign in the window of a nearby cafe: "All the buttermilk you can drink -- 25 cents!" Dashing inside, he ordered one glass, then another, and still another.  After finishing the third he walked past the saloon and was no longer tempted.    He was so full of buttermilk that he had no room for that which would harm him.  What's the lesson? To be victorious over our  sinful desires, we must leave no opportunity for them to repossess us.

EXP: Eph. 5:18 says 'do not be drunk with wine but instead be filled with the Holy Spirit'. Paul is saying that if you are going to be full of something......make it the Holy Spirit of God.

         What I  think the illustration and Eph. 5:18 are saying  is that  victory for the child of God does not only come by working hard to eliminate sinful habits, but rather by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession.....again its a matter of focus.

         Is our focus on us, our sin and our ability to deal with it or is our focus on God, His indwelling Holy Spirit and His power to overcome sin in our lives?

I. No Condemnation: God's Spirit brings Life  (Rom. 8:1-4)
          Last week we learned that one of the greatest benefits of being a Believer, a Christian, is that because of the Spirit of Life who dwells in us we are no longer condemned by God.  Now in verses 5-8 Paul tells us

II. No Hostility: God's Spirit produces peace. (Rom. 8:5-8)
        According to our text there are two kinds of people in the world.

    -Those who live according to the Flesh, who have their mind on fleshly things
    -Those who live according to the Spirit  who have their mind on spiritual things

    A. Those who live according to the Flesh, who have their mind on fleshly things

 DEF: Flesh. Paul defines flesh a few ways. It can mean our physical body or sinful nature. But here it is more an attitude and lifestyle. It is one's bent or inclination to reject God's will and instead choose the free expression of anything and everything that will bring about self-gratification.

         What does this look like? Gal. 5:19-21...got the picture? Paul is saying that if this is your bent..any one of them, the result is that you  are setting  up hostility toward God and that means death. The hard truth is , if you live according to the flesh, if you mind is constantly on the things of the flesh, if any of these things govern your life, you are not a true Believer. I know it hurts, but it's what I believe Paul is saying here.

    B. Those who live according to the Spirit  who  have their mind on spiritual things
         The bent or inclination of this persons life is to know and do the will of God. To do anything and everything that will bring honor and glory to their Lord, Jesus Christ. And the place this begins is the mind. This is of utmost importance to those who are struggling with sin in their lives because it is our mindset makesa great difference in our daily lives. What we choose to focus our minds on, what we choose to think about and dwell upon, will not only have an effect on eternity but also on our quality of life today.

         What does it mean to set your mind on spiritual things?  Phil. 4:6-9......got the picture? If anything is worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things...but Paul doesn't stop there. It is not enough to just think about them..he says Practice..do these things and what will happen?  No hostility with God...only peace.

APP: The bent of our lives will either be toward sin or sanctification. If it is toward sin, we will not please God and we are no Christian, if it is toward sanctification, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God and are being controlled by Him....   and this pleases God. Paul really is speaking about Believers and non-Believers here but I think there is still application to the Believer who is struggling with sin, after all this is an answer to the problem in Chapter 7. Listen closely.

         If you are choosing to sin, to be rebellious to God. If you are choosing to be filled with the things of the flesh, there will be no peace in your life until you are filled with the Holy Spirit. And this will not happen until you repent and turn away from your sin and turn  back to God. Until you change your mind and begin to think on spiritual things.

ILL:  Spurgeon water in the glass

         The idea is not to focus entirely on your sin but on God's Spirit. Remember, working hard to sin less is not as important as yielding to the Spirits control in your life and setting your mind on spiritual things. And you can't do this apart from the fellowship of other Believers and the regular meaningful worship of God.

Trans: Those In Christ, will experience No Condemnation according to vs. 1-4 and  No Hostility according to vs. 5-8. In vs 9-11 those  In Christ will also experience

III. No Doubt: God's Spirit indwells the Believer. (Rom. 8:9-11
        We have assurance of  salvation if and only if the Holy Spirit indwells us. And if HE does indwell us, what  great benefits are ours. In vs. 9 Paul  first gives 2 clarifying statements  and in vs. 10-11, 2 benefits of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Vs. 9:
1st Clarifying statement: You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

2nd Clarifying statement: But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

         For Paul, the evidence of conversion is the presence  of the indwelling Holy Spirit. No Evidence  No Conversion.

Vs. 10-11  2 Benefits of the indwelling Holy Spirit

 1. Even if our body is dead (decaying and will turn to dust one day) because of sin, our spirit is given life by God's Spirit
     because of His righteousness dwelling in us.

 2. If you have the indwelling Holy Spirit, not only is your spirit given life, but one day your body too will be given new life.
     It will be restored, glorified and reunited with the spirit to dwell with God for all eternity. Those in Christ have no doubt
     about their salvation or their future because the Holy Spirit dwells within them.

Conclusion
         If you are struggling with sin in your life..take a close look at your assurance of salvation. Not whether you are a super-Christian or an intellectual Christian or even a well liked Christian. But are you a 'born again of the Spirit of life' Christian.

 Has the Holy Spirit made you ALIVE in Christ so that your thinking  and behavior, your bent is toward spiritual things?

 If He has, then are you yielding control of your life to Him? By setting your mind on the things of the Spirit?

         Do you realize that the same Spirit who filled Jesus and led Him to the wilderness to confront and defeat Satan is the  same Spirit who fills and gives you victory over the evil one, over sin in your lives

                      ...isn't that great?

         If the Holy Spirit hasn't made you ALIVE in Christ so that your thinking and behavior, your bent is toward spiritual things,  and you believe that you are a Christian, I want you to consider what  Jonathan Edwards in his book 'Religious Affections' has written about the signs that distinguish between true Christianity and sings that don't.

 Fervor is no sign
 Excitement is no sign
 knowledge of Scripture is no sign
 much time and zealous duty are no sign
 much expression of praise is no sign
 great confidence is no sign

I would add
 regular church attendance is no sign
 having Christian parents is no sign
 being baptized is no sign

         Jonathan Edwards believed that although those signs are good, they are not a true indication that God is working in your life or that you are saved.What is a sure sign?  Whether your mind set on the things above..on spiritual things and whether  you are moving in the direction of holiness and righteousness. Is the fruit produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit evidenced in your life?

         If  it isn't, then you need deliverance from the bondage of the flesh, the bondage of sin and death, you  need Jesus Christ and you need to be born again by the Spirit of Life. When you accept Jesus as your Savior you will be In Christ and Indwelled by the Holy Spirit and you will experience

 No Condemnation from God,
                                                    No Hostility with God and
                                                                                                     No Doubt about your relationship to God.