I tell you, there are times when you just don't want to stop singing.
! What a great time of worship.
Reminders of what Jesus has accomplished for us.
The victory, and you probably have seen this, a victory that we have in Jesus.
That has been the theme of our singing and the theme of this morning's message
as we look into his word in Romans chapter 8.
It might not seem apparent what the connection is to Father's Day,
but there cannot be a better one.
Because you cannot be a father, and you cannot be a mother independent of the power
and the victory that Jesus has obtained for you,
and the victory that he wants to accomplish in and through your parenting.
Psalm 127.
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.
That's the message.
Essentially, repeat it again for us in Romans chapter 8
that we're going to see this morning as we look into the word.
Victory in Jesus.
I was reminded of a story related to victory
and kind of related to kind of the impossibility of victory.
Several years ago, back in actually the 1980s,
there was, and I think continuing on even to this day,
there is a race that takes place in Australia.
I don't know the specific name, but essentially,
this race begins in Sydney and goes all the way to Melbourne, Australia,
which is 544 miles away.
A race that usually takes about seven days to complete.
They're running over 77 miles in a given day.
So like three times the length of a marathon they're doing every single day.
Well, in this race, of course, as you would expect,
there were the big names.
There were those who had these big sponsors, corporate sponsors.
They were the elite racers.
They came prepared.
They had all the right gear.
And one guy in particular who was racing this race
had already just previously won a 1,000-mile race in South Africa earlier that year.
He was kind of the favorite to win this 544-mile race in Sydney, Australia.
And up to the line, along with these elite athletes,
comes this old man, older man.
I want to be careful.
Older man.
I'm getting there myself.
So I got to, you know, age is relative, and it's not so old anymore.
So he was 61 years old, and he comes with his boots,
and he comes with his overalls,
and he is stepping up to the line ready to race.
His name was Cliff Young.
Well, these elite athletes look over at Cliff Young and say,
you've got to be kidding me.
Has anyone informed him that this is a race?
We're not in the pasture land.
This is Cliff Young.
He was a shepherd in Australia.
And one of the things that he would have to do oftentimes
was he would have to run after the sheep,
and he had this huge amount of property,
and no horse and no vehicle to get him to where the sheep were.
So his only mode of transportation was to run after the sheep
and to try to herd them before a big storm would come.
And he would literally run for two consecutive days
just trying to round up these sheep and get them to the right spot.
So he thought, hey, I am well equipped for this race.
Well, they got started, and as you would expect,
the elite racers left Cliff Young in the dust.
And the strategy was we race for 18 hours and then rest for six
so that every day you could maximize your speed and also your rest
and so compress the number of hours of rest
and maximize the hours of running,
and that was the strategy.
Well, no one told Cliff Young what the conventional wisdom of this race was.
He had absolutely no idea.
He had never raced a day before in his life.
Well, Cliff Young, of course, lumbering along
and more of a shuffle than a run,
he is making his way and never stops
except for a couple of hours the first night
and only one hour the second night.
He just kept running and running and running.
And after that first evening where everyone else was resting,
in the morning of that second day,
he ends up passing this group of elite racers.
Well, that wasn't a problem because, you see,
by the second day they had taken off
and they had covered that ground and increased that gap once again.
But after the second day and then the third day
and now into the fourth day of racing,
Cliff Young had put enough distance between him
and the rest of the racers
that he was beginning to create a measure of fear in their lives.
Hmm.
Maybe he's not going to stop after all.
Maybe we need to get a move on
and try to cover this distance as fast as we can.
And on the fifth day,
Cliff Young shattered the record of seven days
by crossing the finish line,
ten hours before the second place runner.
It was a feat that was incomprehensible,
impossible in everyone's opinion.
It was something that was never considered to be a logical conclusion,
but in fact, Cliff Young had victory in that race.
As we've been talking about no condemnation in Romans 8, verse 1,
it begins with,
there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free
from the law of sin and death.
For God did what the law weakened by the flesh could not do.
By sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,
he condemned sin in the flesh.
In order that the righteous requirement of the law
might be fulfilled in us
who walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
As we've been walking through this passage,
we have been realizing that the declaration of no condemnation
is not because you do not deserve condemnation.
It is not because I don't deserve condemnation,
but because there was a declaration of God of righteousness on you
because of Jesus Christ, His Son.
And what He accomplished for you,
He continues that work with the Holy Spirit,
creating a whole new law in your life,
a whole new power,
a whole new principle,
that that law of the Spirit of life
turns you loose
and sets you free
from the law of sin and death.
You no longer have to succumb
to the sin that is in you.
And this morning,
as we look at the Scripture,
we look at verses 3 and 4,
we will begin to see
what is truly incomprehensible
in relationship to how victory was obtained.
It was a logical impossibility
that Jesus Christ Himself,
God, would become flesh
and dwell among His people
in the likeness of sinful flesh
and then conquer sin in His flesh.
This morning, I want to look at three,
three ways that Jesus Christ
claimed victory for Himself
and makes victory possible for you.
But before we do that, let's pray.
Lord, this morning,
as we look into Your Word,
at the amazing truths that we will see,
we pray that You will impress those truths
on our heart and life
and that You will make them true for us
to Your glory.
That the victory that You have obtained
through Your Son, Jesus Christ,
is a victory that would be realized in us.
Not just a victory that You declare,
not just a righteousness that You give,
but a righteousness that we live
through the power of the Holy Spirit,
working victory through us for Your glory.
We pray that You would be pleased
with all that is communicated this morning
through Your Word.
In Jesus' name, amen.
First, I want you to see in verse 3
that we have victory
because Jesus fulfilled the law.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
It says in verse 3,
For God has done with the law
weakened by the flesh,
could not do
by sending His own Son
in the likeness of human flesh.
Jesus fulfilled the law.
And He did that two ways.
First, He fulfilled the law
through His humanity.
He fulfilled the law
through His humanity.
God has done with the law
weakened by the flesh,
could not do
by sending His own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh.
We've seen that there is no condemnation.
We have come to realize
that God has given us this gift,
this declaration of righteousness
over those who are in Christ Jesus.
That is the condition.
It is not over the world in its entirety,
but over those who are in Christ.
Those are the ones who get to enjoy
the benefits of this gift.
No condemnation.
Paul wants us to understand
that it was not because
the law was not good.
It was not because God did not give us
something that was perfect
and right and helpful in the law.
But the law could not be fulfilled
because it was conditioned upon
the weakness of human flesh.
because of humans' sinfulness,
because of our tendencies
through Adam to sin.
Even though the law was good,
it could not do for us
what it was intended to accomplish.
Just turn back with me for a moment
to Romans chapter 7,
and I'll just walk through this
briefly for you.
Beginning in verse 7.
Romans chapter 7, verse 7.
If you're a guest with us,
you'll find that on page 943 and 944.
That's Romans 7 and Romans 8.
Here's what Paul says.
He says,
What shall we say?
That the law is sin?
By no means.
Yet if it had not been for the law,
I would not have known sin.
Now verse 8.
But sin, seizing an opportunity
through the commandment,
produced in me all kinds of covetousness.
For apart from the law,
sin lies dead.
Now down to verse 10.
The very commandment that promised life
proved to be death to me.
Verse 12.
So the law is holy,
and the commandment is holy,
and righteous, and good.
Verse 13.
Did that which is good
then bring death in me?
By no means.
It was sin producing death in me
through what is good,
in order that sin might be shown to be sin,
and through the commandment
might become sinful beyond measure.
Paul's point is this.
The law is not the problem.
You and I are the problem.
It was not that God didn't communicate
or give the perfect standard,
and that perfect standard
being very good for us to receive.
But the law couldn't accomplish
its intended objective
because the law was weakened
by the tendencies
and the sinful corruption
of those who were seeking
to carry out the law's demands.
So,
what does God do
to address the weakness
of sinful flesh?
What does God do
to help correct the sin problem?
Well,
He decides
to send His Son.
To send His Son
in the likeness,
and that's a really important word,
to send His Son
in the likeness
of sinful flesh
so that He could conquer sin
once and for all.
He accomplished it
in a way
that defied all of logic.
God became man.
God Himself
took on human flesh,
the likeness of sinful flesh,
and He was able
to live a perfect life.
Philippians chapter 2, 7
puts it this way,
He made Himself
of no reputation,
taking the form
of a servant
and coming
in the likeness
of men.
Jesus was willing
to subject Himself
to every human emotion,
every human temptation,
every human weakness,
so that He could not only
experience it for Himself,
but so that He could conquer it
once and for all.
He was willing to weep.
He was willing
to be grieved.
He got hungry.
He showed compassion.
He displayed righteous anger.
He depended on God the Father.
He was guided
by the Holy Spirit.
He was tempted
in the wilderness
and also before the cross.
He needed to be strengthened.
He was limited in knowledge
and He limited His knowledge
based upon what the Father
gave to Him access to.
He had friendships.
He built community.
All of the things
that we would experience
in life as humanity,
Jesus was willing to embrace
so that He could then
conquer sin
once and for all for us.
but in His humanity,
He did not submit
to human sinfulness.
We find from Hebrews 4, verse 15
that He was tempted
in all points,
just as we are,
yet without sin.
And that leads us
to this next point.
He fulfilled the law
in His humanity,
but He also fulfilled the law
through His holiness.
God did what the law
could not do.
God was able
in holiness
to meet the standard
of the law.
He says in Matthew,
chapter 5, verse 17,
this is Jesus speaking,
Sermon on the Mount.
He says,
Do not think that I have come
to abolish the law
or the prophets.
I have not come
to abolish them,
but to fulfill them.
For truly I say to you,
unless,
until heaven and earth
pass away,
not an iota,
not a dot,
will pass from the law
until all is accomplished.
Because,
Jesus came
to fulfill the law.
To do
what no one before Him
had ever been able
to accomplish.
There had been no man,
no woman,
no priest,
no prophet,
no king,
not even Moses
or Daniel
or anyone
was able
to fulfill
the law
as God
had prescribed.
Only Jesus
was able
to do this.
Only Jesus
was the fulfillment
of the law.
And we see
even in the earliest
stages of Jesus' life,
this conformity
and compliance
to the requirements
of the law itself.
even His parents
on the eighth day
circumcising Him
and then on the
fortieth day
bringing Him
to be consecrated
in the temple.
That's where we find
in Luke chapter 2
He's brought
in the company
of Simeon
who sees
the future Redeemer
right there
in His hands.
He took pilgrimages
with His parents
to Jerusalem
on Passover.
He honored
His parents.
He obeyed
the commands
of the Sabbath.
He spoke the truth.
He paid
the temple tax.
And even in healing
on the Sabbath
He conformed
His life
to the standards
of the Sabbath
and that was mercy.
Mercy for those
who needed it.
He confronted sin.
He washed feet.
He served the crowds.
In every way
Jesus was the
composite
of perfection.
And as Jesus
describes in
Matthew chapter 5
and 6
and 7
it wasn't just
the outward expression
of the law
that was important
it was also
the secret intentions
of the heart
the motives
that were also
significant.
And so Jesus
didn't murder
but even more
Jesus did not
get angry
at His brother.
Jesus did not
commit adultery
but He also
did not lust
after another person.
He did not
demand eye
for an eye
or tooth
for a tooth
and He also
was willing
to turn
the other cheek.
When reviled
He did not
revile in return
as we find
in 1 Peter
chapter 2.
He did not
curse His enemies
but loved them
and prayed for them
and asked
the Father
to forgive them.
He did not
perform His righteous
deeds
out in the open
so that people
could revere Him
but He prayed
in private
and even
so many of His
prominent miracles
were done
in privacy
of home.
He concealed
His glory
in the
transfiguration.
The glory
that He
had access to
He was willing
to conceal
for the sake
of humility.
He honored
the law
to the letter
both internally
and externally.
And by fulfilling
the law
Jesus then
positioned Himself
to condemn
sin
in the flesh
as we find
continuing on
in this passage.
Jesus not only
fulfilled
the law
but He
condemned sin
as we see
in the second part
of verse 3.
Jesus
condemned
sin.
It says
by sending
His own
Son
in the likeness
of sinful
flesh
and for sin
He condemned
sin
in the flesh.
Well how did
Jesus do this?
How did He
condemn
sin
in the flesh?
And I
just want to make
sure we understand
we're all on the
same page.
When it says
He condemned
sin
it's not just
talking about
the fact that
He proclaimed
judgment
against sin
that He called
it what it was
that it was
wicked
and wrong.
It wasn't
that He just
assigned a label
to it as
being condemned
by God
but that Jesus
in actuality
received the
punishment for sin
and it was
condemned.
The sentence
and the penalty
for sin
was absorbed
by Jesus
Himself.
Of course
our minds
go immediately
to His death
on the cross
as being
the foremost
way in which
Jesus condemned
sin.
But I want to
just back up
for a moment
and I want
to suggest
to you
that Jesus
also condemned
sin through
His ministry.
And He did
that in at least
three different
ways.
He condemned
sin through
His ministry.
First we see
the condemnation
of sin
and even
the purpose
statements
that Jesus
has for
the ministry
that He
had.
Luke chapter
4 verses
18 and 19
says this
Now we'll get
to this in just
a moment.
But I want you
to recognize
that in this
purpose statement
what Jesus
is saying
is He came
to free
oppression.
And not just
spiritual
oppression
but we will
see in just
a moment
that Jesus
wanted to
illustrate the
work that He
intended to do
in a physical
way by reversing
the effects
of sin
and healing
people
of those
very things
that sin
ravaged bodies
experience.
The effects
and consequences
of sin
Jesus came
to deliver.
We'll get there
in just a
moment.
But this
verse
particularly
in pointing
to the
work of
God
in freeing
the real
oppression
that we
experience
not just
in a physical
way
but especially
in a spiritual
way.
His purpose
statement in
Mark chapter
10 verse
45 says
this
For even
the Son
of Man
came not
to be
served
but to
serve
and to
give His
life a
ransom for
many.
And then
in Matthew
chapter 9
verse 13
I desire
mercy
and not
sacrifice
for I
did not
come to
call the
righteous
but sinners
to repentance.
Does that
leave any
question in
your mind?
What Jesus
came to
do
the purpose
of His
ministry
which means
not just
the final
objective
of His
ministry
but His
purpose
of His
ministry
all the way
through
every one
of those
three years
was committed
to this
purpose
and to
demonstrate
it in a
vivid
illustrative
way
to give us
a portrait
of what
God desires
to do
for sinners.
Second
we see
throughout His
ministry
that He
occasionally
says
your sins
are forgiven
you.
He says
to the
paralytic
he says
when the
men bring
him in
the first
thing he
does is
say your
sins
is forgiven
you.
And the
Pharisees
and the
scribes
in objective
say who
is this
person?
Only God
can forgive
sins.
To which
Jesus responds
yeah that's
exactly what
I'm trying
to say.
Is it
easier for
me to
say rise
and walk
or is it
easier for
me to
say your
sins are
forgiven
you?
And to
demonstrate I
have power
to do
both I'm
going to
say rise
up and
walk so
that you
know that
God has
given me
the authority
to do
both.
Jesus
came to
forgive
sins.
He says
the same
to the
blind man
who he
healed.
One of my
very favorite
stories in
the book of
John where
this really
smart mouthed
blind man comes
to faith in
Jesus Christ
and he goes
into the
temple and
he's confronted
by the
Pharisees and
he says
hey what are
you doing
here?
And he has
this little
interaction with
the Pharisees and
he said hey you
want to be
disciples of
Jesus too?
and I
just gotta love
that guy.
He was able
to say what
Jesus couldn't
in some ways.
His sarcasm
really got to
the heart
of the
difficulty that
these Pharisees
had with
Jesus'
ministry.
And Jesus
tells him
your sins
are forgiven
go and
sin no more.
And also
to the woman
who was caught
in adultery
his compassion
and forgiveness
for him
for her
but also
sending her
out and
saying go
and sin
no more.
There was
in Jesus'
life in
ministry a
commitment
to forgiveness.
He was the
friend of
sinners and
tax collectors.
That was the
focus and
the objective
of his
ministry.
But third
he condemned
the consequences
of sin by
healing broken
bodies.
By healing
sin ravaged
bodies.
By reversing
the effects
of the
consequences
of sin
Jesus said
I am here
to fix
all of
this.
Raising
Lazarus
from the
dead.
Healing
leprosy.
Overcoming
years of
paralysis.
Restoring
sight to the
blind.
Casting out
demons.
Jesus
states
emphatically
I am here
to resurrect.
I am here
to save.
I am here
to deliver.
I am here
to turn
the effects
of sin
upside down.
But as we
know even
in that
physical way
it was only
temporary.
It was only
meant really
to point
people
to the
enduring
reversal
of sin
that could
only come
through
Jesus'
death.
It was
a picture.
A temporary
picture
however it
was
to point
to the
enduring
picture
of what
his death
was meant
to accomplish.
To totally
and ultimately
and finally
reverse the
effects
of sin
through
his
death
he condemned
sin
in the
flesh.
Jesus
in condemning
sin in the
flesh
through his
death
agrees
with the
father
that sin
is worthy
of eternal
punishment.
Jesus
in submitting
himself
to the
will of
the father
stepping
into
the cross
and into
death
a willingness
to endure
the suffering
and the pain
and the
condemnation
for us
agrees
with the
father
to say
sin
is worthy
of final
punishment
eternal
damnation.
Jesus
willingly
on that
Passover
becomes
the Passover
lamb.
Why death?
Well
because the
wages of
sin is
death
but
the gift
of God
is eternal
life
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord.
Why blood?
Well
because as we
find in
Hebrews
9
22
without
the
shedding
of
blood
there
is
no
forgiveness
of
sin
that
life
would
correlate
excuse me
the blood
would correlate
to life
it would be a
symbol
of life
and as the
priest would
sprinkle their
garments
as they
would sprinkle
the people
as they
would sprinkle
the altar
it would be a
representation
of the
blood
the life
blood
sacrifice
the
costliness
of sin
that Jesus
would ultimately
pay
through
his
blood
and through
his
life
on the
cross
1 Peter
1
2
says this
we are
elect
according to
the foreknowledge
of God
the father
in sanctification
of the spirit
for obedience
and sprinkling
of the blood
of Jesus
Christ
John
3
17
and 18
confirms
that
by saying
this
for God
did not
send his
son into
the world
to condemn
the world
but that
the world
through him
might
be saved
he who
believes
in him
is not
condemned
but he
who does
not believe
is condemned
already
because he
has not
believed
in the name
of the
only
begotten
son
of God
now we
have a
third
point
but we
don't have
time to
get there
this morning
and I
don't want
to rush
it
because
I want
to make
sure
we spend
some time
on this
but I
want to
conclude
just with
some
statements
this morning
if you
are not
one
who
has
believed
in him
you put
yourself
in a
place
of
condemnation
you are
rightly
condemned
as we
all
are rightly
condemned
because of
sin
the wages
of sin
is death
but
because
of the
offering
of Jesus
Christ
because
of his
work
of
death
on the
cross
and
resurrection
life
he
has
obtained
for us
for any
who believe
he has
obtained
for us
the gift
of no
condemnation
so the
call
for us
this
morning
the call
to you
this
morning
are you
one
who can
say
there is
no
condemnation
written
over your
life
because
condemnation
landed
on the
shoulders
of your
savior
it is
an open
call
it is
a
beckoning
of our
savior
come
all those
who are
weary
and heavy
laden
and you
will find
rest
for your
soul
for my
yoke
is easy
my
burden
is light
so come
to me
one song
that has
really
ministered
to me
over the
years
is the
song
alleluia
what a
savior
says this
man of
sorrows
what a
name
for the
son of
god
who came
ruined
the
sinners
to reclaim
alleluia
what a
savior
bearing
shame
and
scoffing
rude
in my
place
condemned
he stood
sealed
my
pardon
with his
blood
alleluia
what a
savior
guilty
vile
and helpless
we
spotless
lamb of
god
was he
full
atonement
oh how
can it
be
alleluia
what a
savior
lifted up
was he
to die
it is
finished
was his
cry
now in
heaven
exalted
high
alleluia
what a
savior
let's pray
miracle