I'm really fortunate, as I've said before, to have some depth of preaching here at Christ Family Church.
It was so nice to take a little break as Sam and I had Judah to get to focus a little bit of energy on that,
but also to get to hear some great gifted men come to us and speak about the Spirit of God.
We're bringing that to a close.
We're starting to get to the end of that subject matter, although we're not there quite yet.
Let's read together verse 12 and verse 13 of chapter 8.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.
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.
And so we see Paul draw a conclusion in verse 12 that we are no longer indebted to live by the flesh.
He's made that argument to us leading up to this point.
Chapter 8, verse 10 and 11.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
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.
Previously, in chapter 6, verse 17 and 18, he wrote,
But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
and having been set free from sin have become slaves of righteousness.
So the conclusion that he's bringing us to after he's said all this is that the bondage of sin has been ended.
We're no longer debtors to the flesh to live according to the flesh.
And the implication, then, is that we're debtors to righteousness, to the Spirit.
As he says in verse 18 of chapter 6, we have become slaves of righteousness.
In verse 13, he expands upon that idea a bit.
And I want to give to you this morning five observations from verse 13.
We see that a duty is given to a specific person for a certain promise to be fulfilled by certain means,
if it is fulfilled at all.
But I think it's best for us to look at those things, those things we can see in the text,
in the order given to us in the inspired text.
And so that's what we'll do this morning.
So number one, we see the conditions of the duty, the promise, and the means.
You see the little phrase halfway through verse 13,
But if.
This phrase can denote one of two things to us.
One, the uncertainty of the thing promised.
The thing promised in this case being that you will live.
It could denote that.
But how could that possibly be the case?
We've seen in verse 1 of chapter 8,
there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
The second thing that it could denote, and it does,
is the certainty of the thing promised.
As we would say to a sick man,
if you take this medicine, it will make you well.
Certainly we don't mean it might make you well.
I think possibly this medicine will make you well.
But rather we intend to express with certainty the connection between taking the medication and the health,
the means and the end.
Now God determines the end.
For those who are found in Christ Jesus,
we will finish this race.
We will be sons and daughters of righteousness.
But that doesn't negate the means by which that happens.
Our perfection is obtained by means.
There are many gifted athletes in the world,
and we use that term fairly regularly with athletes,
that they're gifted.
They have some ability that others may not have.
I've never really been a gifted athlete.
The few activities that I've had any success in at all,
I had to work really hard at being even mediocre at.
But there are athletes that are gifted.
Take sprinters, for example.
Those men are amazing at how fast they can run.
Did you know that all sprinters have a particular type of foot?
Their gait is what you would call a supinating foot.
And simply all it means is that their foot acts more like a springboard
than the typical human beings does.
That was given to them as a gift.
But they have to employ it, don't they?
They have to work at that.
You know what?
My feet supinate.
I'm not all that fast.
I think I could be.
But I would certainly have to work at that.
I would have to work out and have those ginormo quads,
you know, to be a sprinter.
It takes effort on our part,
even though it was given to us as a gift.
And certainly, as we look at this little phrase,
but if, no one has ever won a race,
ever that they didn't compete in.
If you're going to win the race,
you must compete in the race.
And we can take rest and have joy in the fact
that the race,
the end of the race,
has been determined already.
We know we win.
We just must run.
Get there.
So the conditions of the duty,
the promise,
and the means.
Number two.
We see the duty is given
to a specific person.
And that person is
you.
You to whom there is therefore now no condemnation.
In verse 1, chapter 8.
You who are not in the flesh,
but in the spirit.
Verse 9, chapter 8.
You who have been given life
by the spirit of Christ.
In verses 10 and 11.
Those of you who have placed your faith in Christ.
This is who Paul is talking to.
All of us,
I hope and pray,
is who he's talking to.
If you is not you in this case,
if you are not found in Christ,
don't have the spirit of God dwelling within you,
get that right this morning.
Turn from your sin.
Turn to God.
Repent and believe
that he is the only way to life.
But if you have placed your faith in God,
this is who he is talking to.
I read a bit this past couple of weeks.
There is a wonderful book
that I would suggest to you
by John Owen called
Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers.
I really appreciate old books
because the title is always so descriptive
as to what he's talking about.
They don't give some kind of cryptic title.
Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers.
And from this,
he took his thesis statement
for the entire book.
He said,
The choicest believers
who are assuredly freed
from the condemning power of sin
ought yet to make it their business
all their days
to mortify or put to death
the indwelling power of sin.
So, sinners who are assuredly free
have definitely been freed
from the power of sin
ought yet to make it,
even though they should make it
their very business
to put to death
the sin in their life.
So, he is talking to you.
Number three.
The means by which
the duty is fulfilled.
So, how is it
that we fulfill this duty
which we have not yet talked about at length?
But how is it
that we do this?
And that is
by the Spirit.
That is by the Spirit.
The very Spirit of God
that dwells within us.
We have no capability
of our own
to do this task.
To kill the sin in us
is impossible on our own
because we are sin.
Our flesh thrives
off that.
It is our nature.
We inherit it
from Adam
at the fall.
We were born
in sin.
And therefore,
we cannot accomplish
this task
apart from the indwelling work
of the Spirit of God.
John Owen said
in the same book,
Mortification
from a self-strength
carried on by ways
of self-invention
unto the end
of a self-righteousness
is the soul
and substance
of all false religion
in the world.
And I fear
that we often
find ourselves
in that place.
I know I do.
I forget
how desperately
I need
the power of God
to work in me
to put to death
the sin in my life.
And I trick myself.
I become disillusioned
to think
that somehow
I can do it
on my own.
I believe
that's the shared
Christian experience.
I think we all
go through that.
And we all
fail
miserably
time
and time
again.
And you know why?
Because we try
to do it
and we can't.
For the Spirit
of God
dwelling within us
gives us the power
to live this way.
So He is
the means.
Galatians 5.17
Paul writes,
For the desires
of the flesh
are against
the Spirit
and the desires
of the Spirit
are against
the flesh.
For these are
opposed to each
other
to keep you
from doing
the things
you want
to do.
or the things
you are
inclined to do.
The things
you do
by
your
nature.
It's why
we have
the Spirit
because the Spirit
opposes
our flesh.
To fulfill
a duty.
Number four.
A duty
is given
to us
which is
to put
to death
the deeds
of the body.
To put
to death
the deeds
of the body.
And what is He
talking about
when He says
that?
body.
He means
our flesh
which doesn't
mean the
physical
body.
There are
righteous
deeds
of the flesh
preaching to you
with my hands
for example.
My flesh
is carrying
out.
That's not
what He
means.
He means
the sin
nature
part of us.
We're to
put that
to death.
Galatians 5
19-21
Paul says
now the
works
of the
flesh
are
evident.
Sexual
immorality,
impurity,
sensuality,
idolatry,
sorcery,
enmity,
strife,
jealousy,
fits of
anger,
rivalries,
dissensions,
divisions,
envy,
drunkenness,
orgies,
and things
like these.
Those are
the deeds
of the
flesh.
The things
that are
set against
God.
The
unrighteousness
that we
commit
apart from
the work
of the
Spirit
within us.
And so
we're called
to put it
to death,
to mortify
it.
Phenetau
is the
Greek word.
And it
means to
render
lifeless.
To take
away the
very life
force of
something or
the power
of something.
is what
that means.
To find
our sin
nature
powerless
is what it
means to
put to
death
the deeds
of the
body.
How do
we do
that?
Nathan,
how is that
practical?
What must
I do
to use
the Spirit
to put to
death
the deeds
of the
flesh?
I think
we,
in a lot
of ways,
over-mysticize
Christianity.
We're
looking for
the special
key to
tap into
the power
of the
Spirit of
God in
our lives.
He is
ours and
He dwells
within us.
Turn with
me to
Colossians
chapter 3.
1.
If then you
have been
raised with
Christ,
seek the
things that
are above,
where Christ
is,
seated at
the right
hand of
God.
Set your
minds on
things that
are above,
not on
things that
are on
earth.
For you
have died
and your
life is
hidden with
Christ in
God.
When Christ
who is your
life appears,
then you
also will
appear with
Him in
glory.
Put to
death,
therefore,
what is
earthly in
you,
sexual
immorality,
impurity,
passion,
evil desire,
and covetousness,
which is
idolatry.
On account of
these things,
the wrath of
God is
coming.
In these
you too
once walked
when you
were living
in them,
but now
you must
put them
all away.
Anger,
wrath,
malice,
slander,
and obscene
talk from
your mouth.
Do not
lie to
one another,
seeing that
you have
put off the
old self
with its
practices
and have
put on
the new
self,
which is
being renewed
in knowledge
after the
image of
its creator.
Here there
is not
Greek and
Jew,
circumcised
and uncircumcised,
barbarian,
Scythian,
slave,
free,
but Christ
is all
and in
all.
Put on
then,
as God's
chosen ones,
holy and
beloved,
compassionate
hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
and patience,
bearing with
one another,
and if
one has
a complaint
against
another,
forgiving
each other
as the
Lord has
forgiven
you,
so you
also must
forgive.
And above
all these,
put on
love,
which binds
everything
together in
perfect harmony.
And let
the peace
of Christ
rule your
hearts,
to which
indeed you
were called
in one
body,
and be
thankful.
Let the
word of
Christ
will in
you
richly
teaching
and
admonishing
one
another
in all
wisdom,
singing
psalms
and hymns
and spiritual
songs with
thankfulness
in your
hearts to
God.
And whatever
you do
in word
or deed,
do everything
in the name
of the
Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
to God
the Father
through Him.
Now let me
draw your
attention
to a
phrase.
Phrases.
Firstly,
in verse
10,
Paul instructs
us to put
on the new
self.
He's speaking
of our
identity.
We have,
in fact,
been,
our old
self has
died.
Verse 3,
for you
have died
and your
life is
hidden
with Christ
and God.
So we have
to put
on the
new
self,
which is
being
renewed
in
knowledge
after the
image of
its
creator.
It's
being
renewed
in
knowledge.
The way
to our
hearts
is through
our
minds.
So we
must know
how it is
that a
Christian
should live.
And what
is his
instruction
then in
that?
To put
on those
things.
Notice
that he
gives us
a list
of things
to put
on then
as God's
chosen ones
in verse
12.
These
things.
And then
in verse
14 he
says,
and above
all these
put on
love.
So what
does it
mean to
put on
the new
self?
It means
to put
on these
activities
in our
life.
As we're
putting off
the old
self,
putting it
away,
putting it
to death
in verse
5.
We're
to be
putting
on
the new
self.
So for
those of
you who
are visual
learners,
we don't
often do
visuals,
I'm going
to do a
visual for
you this
morning.
We're
to put
off the
old self.
Note that
I'm taking
my shirt
off.
I have
a shirt
on
underneath.
We're
to put
it off.
We're
to take
it off.
That
phrasing
there,
put
off the
old
self on
verse
9,
is much
stronger
than the
language we
see in
English.
The
Greek term
is,
I don't
know,
I forgot
it actually.
Where's
it at?
Oh,
I didn't
write it
down.
It doesn't
matter.
It's a
stronger
Greek word.
And it
doesn't just
mean to
take off
the old
self and
lay it
over the
back of
your chair
as I
come and
do in
my room,
throw it
in the
hamper.
It means
literally to
wholly put
it away,
to cast
it away.
Putting
off the
old self
doesn't look
like this.
Putting
off the
old
self
looks
like
this.
Throw it
away.
Get it
away from
you.
These
things are
not
proper
for one
who is
found
in
Christ.
Now,
all of my
analogies
fall short.
I think
all analogies
do,
and I
always love
to point
out to
you how
they do.
One
way this
analogy
falls short
is I
don't think
there is
any such
thing as
bad
plaid.
That's a
pretty great
shirt I
just throw
away.
The other
way it
falls short
is it
is perfectly
acceptable
for me
to stand
here in
my
t-shirt.
There is
no problem
there.
But,
that's not
how we
function as
humans.
Because what
is it that
we're putting
off?
The old
self,
the deeds
of the
flesh,
so that
we can
put on
the deeds
of the
spirit.
We always
do
deeds.
We're
never
neutral
in this.
I'm
neutral
now in
not
wearing
the
shirt I'm
saying I
should
cast
away and
the shirt
that I
should put
on.
I haven't
put it
on yet,
but that
can't exist
in our
lives.
We will
always be
doing
things.
So as
you put
off,
you must
necessarily
put on
the deeds
of the
spirit.
And that
is the
work that
we are
to be
about.
Not
living by
the
flesh,
but
living by
the
spirit.
it.
I see
a lot
of
Christians
who are
working,
they're
straining
to put
off,
trying not
to do
particular
sins in
their life,
but I
don't see
them
putting on,
replacing
those things
with activity
that is of
God.
If you
are obedient
to Christ's
calling your
life,
you will
be so
busy
doing the
work of
the
spirit,
you won't
have time
to fulfill
the desire
for the
flesh.
If you
set yourself
to all
these
things,
you won't
be able
to sin.
You will
be so
occupied
and caught
up with
God and
his work.
Now,
again,
my analogy
falls short.
Could I
wear two
shirts?
Sure.
Would I
ever?
No.
Does I
put off
the old
self and
put on
the new
self?
The old
self stays
where it
belongs,
not on
me.
Right?
That's your
visual this
morning.
So we
have been
given a
duty to
squelch the
power of
the flesh
in our
life by
the Spirit.
If you
have a hard
time doing
this,
pray that
God will
work in
you and
then get
busy.
We're
running the
race.
God make
me fast
and then
run.
I see so
many of us
pray that
God will
work in
us and
then we
sit and
we wait.
God is
never going
to pick
your hands
up and
carry you
over to
the Bible
and have
you open
it up
and read.
God,
I want to
live for
you.
Start doing
it.
And that's
what Paul's
saying in
Colossians.
Cast off
the old
you.
Put on
the new
you.
Run the
race.
Fifthly,
a promise
is given
if the
duty is
fulfilled.
A promise
is given
if the
duty is
fulfilled.
This phrase
stands in
opposition to
the beginning
of verse
13.
Paul says
if you
live according
to the
flesh,
you will
die.
That is
certain.
if your
life is
characterized
by the
flesh,
then you
are not
found in
Christ.
You do
not have
his imputed
righteousness
and you
will
die.
But if
you're
found in
Christ
and you
have
now no
condemnation
and you
are about
this work
which is
the evidence
of the
spirit of
God
living
within
you,
then
you
will
live.
Now,
I think
he means
this in
two ways.
that will
have
eternal
life.
It
certainly
means
that.
Galatians
6,
8,
Paul says
for the
one who
sows to
his own
flesh
will
from the
flesh
reap
corruption.
For the
one who
sows to
the
spirit
will
from
the
spirit
reap
eternal
life.
The
spirit
is the
seal
of God's
covenant
love with
us.
When we
stand before
the judgment
throne,
the spirit
of God
will be
the seal
that we
have been
found in
Christ.
So,
it means
eternal
life.
But I
also think
that it
means life
now.
The Greek
word is
zao,
I believe,
which means
to have
full vigor.
The word
you will
live is
this phrase
and it
means to
have full
vigor.
So,
the joy
and the
comfort,
the vigor
of life
is ours
in the
here and
now because
our relationship
has been
restored with
God.
That very
thing we
have been
created for,
which is
to live
in abject
worship of
Him.
If we
were incapable
of doing
apart from
Christ,
we can
now do.
So,
we reap
the benefit
and the
reward
now.
The race
isn't always
easy,
is it?
Struggling
against sins,
not always
easy,
but in
it,
we live.
1 Thessalonians
3.8
says,
for now
we live
if you
are standing
fast
in the
Lord.
So,
now
we live.
we're
going to
eat
in the
world.
We
have
a
time
to
!
See you