If you guys ever played on a really good sports team, let's say basketball for instance, sometimes you know that you get up by a really, really large margin, let's say 50 points.
And when that happens, the first stream comes out and the second stream goes in. And that's kind of the way that I feel this morning.
Romans seven, it was a neck and neck game. We're going back and forth, the flesh and the sin versus the law of God.
And then we got the old man versus the new man. And of course, Romans eight, it seems like it kind of go up by like 50 and they put the subs in.
So consider myself the second stream. In light of that, let's just pray to the Lord for making this substitution.
Father, we thank you so much that Christ is real. Christ is alive. Christ is in us who know him.
God, we pray that your word would just be opened up to us this morning in a great and marvelous way.
We pray that it would just change the way that we think, the way that we live our lives, Lord God, so that you would receive more glory through us.
And we would, Father, just have the right parts that are filled with joy.
We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
In psychology, I learned that you tend to remember the first thing and the last thing that you hear from somebody more than all the middle stuff.
So I just want to start with kind of the general outline of Romans eight versus one through four, just so you guys can have a have the structure in your mind as we're going through it.
I'm only really teaching. I'm supposed to really only teach three and four because Nathan taught one and two a couple of weeks ago.
But we're going to we're going to go through all of it really briefly and just focus in on the last two especially.
So and I have these kind of, I guess, segmented by ours.
All the all the names of these things start with our.
So the first verse is really the reality that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
OK, it's about our need for righteousness.
Verse two is the reason why we have no condemnation.
And the buzzword there is justification.
And it deals with how God provided us with his righteousness.
OK, verse three.
Is the route.
That God took to alleviate from us this condemnation.
And the buzzword is substitution.
Route and substitution.
And it really has to do with Christ being our righteous sacrifice.
And then fourthly.
It's the result.
This is verse four.
Of our salvation and Christ substitutionary work on our behalf.
And the key word here is sanctification.
And this is going to be talking about our demonstration of God's righteousness.
OK, so these are massive topics that obviously I'm not going to be able to touch fully.
This is a very abridged version of what these things actually deal with.
It's this is I mean, literally the whole scripture is kind of being summarized in these four verses.
So you can pretty much go anywhere to teach this.
But I'm going to try to stay in Romans as much as possible today.
Just so you guys aren't flipping all over the place.
Let's begin with a review of verses one and two.
Let's just read the passage to start with.
OK, this is Romans eight, one through four.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did.
Sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.
In order that we that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
OK, so verses one one through four here, it really functions as a summary of the previous seven chapters.
It's kind of a hinge point.
OK, so it's the previous seven chapters, but it's also the subsequent thirty five verses to follow in chapter eight.
It's really a summary of all that's all that that's going on.
And again, the first buzzword that we had was the reality of no condemnation.
This is verse one.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
We see that earlier in the text in Romans in verses 18 through really chapter 118 through verses 20 in chapter three.
Paul is talking about condemnation.
And the reality of man is guilty before a holy God who was also a judge.
Of the worst kind of treason.
OK, man is guilty of treason against God.
And treason is a violation of a violation of allegiance to one sovereign or a betrayal.
I like this definition better.
A betrayal of a trust or confidence.
It's a breach of faith.
We have committed treason against God.
And with treason, commonly there's no tolerance, right?
Crimes often result in the death penalty.
There's been a recent thing, I think, happening in the past couple of years.
I just learned about this recently from Josh, in fact.
A lot of you guys in the military probably heard about this WikiLeaks thing.
It's a young, private first class soldier.
A couple of years ago stole a lot of confidential documents and some video footage from the government.
And somehow he posted it on the Internet for anyone and everyone to see.
I mean, that's enemies and friends alike.
And some of the content was very disturbing.
It exposed actually a mission that had gone wrong overseas.
And needless to say, the man was arrested and is actually awaiting trial and potentially the death penalty.
This is just a young man who put some stuff on the Internet.
But the severity of the crime is determined by the scale of the offense.
The severity of the crime is determined by the scale of the offense.
So, you slap your brother or sister on the face, you get time out.
You slap the president, you get time in jail.
There's a difference between slapping your brother and slapping the president.
That's because the scale of offense is greater.
If we betray one's country, we get death.
If we betray God, we get death and hell.
It's greater.
Understand in the present predicament of sinners.
They are under the condemnation of the King of Kings.
Jesus, therefore, says rightly in Matthew 10, 28,
Don't fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul.
Rather, fear Him who is able to send both soul and body into hell.
There's a reverence that God was speaking up there.
And so you may ask, what have we done to deserve condemnation?
What are we guilty of before God?
That would sentence us to death and then eventually hell?
Turn to Romans 1.
Again, beginning in verse 18, He's dealing with this.
Going through chapter 3, verse 20.
What have we done?
Read verse 18 with me.
For the wrath of God, that's the condemnation, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and all unrighteousness of men who do what?
Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Then skip down to verses 21 through 23.
For even though they knew about God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools.
And they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God
for an image in the form of corruptible man
and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
And you might substitute anything there.
Any false god or idol that you may serve.
A lifestyle, a status, an image, a relationship, etc.
They worship and serve and men worship and serve.
And we used to worship and serve things that were not God.
That's treason.
That's betrayal of God.
Look at verses 24 and 25.
Therefore, God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity.
That their bodies might be dishonored among them.
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
And they worship and served the creature rather than the creator.
Okay?
Just a note.
Immorality is normal as a symptom of depravity.
And normally, within a certain society or a certain country or a certain region
where you have gross immorality or growing immorality,
normally that means soon the destruction of that society or nation or whatever.
This happened to Rome a long time ago.
There was just a growing homosexuality, a growing heterosexual sin throughout the region.
It was corrupting everybody from the inside out.
And Rome fell from the inside out.
So immorality is a normal symptom of depravity.
So imagine what condition our society and our country is in today.
Furthermore, look at 28 through 32.
Now, he's kind of speaking, okay?
He's writing to the church, so he's speaking to Christians.
But these things that he's saying are all, or once were all, true of us.
This is going to help us compare what Christ has done better.
So look at verses 28 through 32.
And just as they did not see fit, this is unbelievers,
as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer,
God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things that are not proper.
What things are not proper?
Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil,
full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice.
They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful,
inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding,
and trustworthy, and loving, and merciful.
And although they know the ordinance or the commandment of God,
that those who practice such things are worthy of death,
they not only do the same,
but they also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
So that's a laundry list of indictment against us.
And that's just chapter 1.
This is the condemnation of God that is coming upon people
that this is characteristic of.
But for those who are in Christ Jesus,
there is no condemnation.
So we were all once these things.
And yet there's no condemnation.
There's no condemnation at all.
No penalty to be paid.
No judgment to fear.
No hell to suffer.
All of our guilt absolved.
So the question then becomes,
well, how do I get in Christ, right?
Because the first verse of our text says
that those that are in Christ have no condemnation.
How do I get in Christ?
That's the beauty of verse 2.
He rescues you by the power of the gospel.
Let's read it.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free
from the law of sin and death.
Has set you free.
What does that imply?
That you were once in bondage to something, right?
You were freed from something.
You were incarcerated in something.
Now you're freed from something.
So again, the second key word was justification.
This is the reason why condemnation
is no longer applied to us.
Man is justified,
which really means to be declared innocent
or to be holy or to be blameless,
by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That's how.
Before Christ saved you,
you were held in captivity to the law,
it says,
of sin and of death.
And in many ways,
this refers to the principle of sin
that we see Paul struggling with
in chapter 7,
verses 23 and 24.
Let's read that.
It's regarding a principle.
He says,
but I see a different law
in the members of my body,
waging war against the law of my mind
and making me a prisoner
of the law of sin,
which is in my members.
So something's inside of Paul.
Then he says,
wretched man that I am,
he cries out,
who will set me free
from the body of this death?
So something was inside of Paul.
Something was true of Paul
that he hated,
that he despised.
It was a principle
that was inside of him.
This thing that he couldn't
rid himself of in this life.
And they that are not in Christ
are in the devil.
That's a strong comparison.
But they that are not in Christ
are in the devil.
What does that mean?
John 8, 44.
Jesus himself
says to the Pharisees,
you are of your father,
the devil.
In Ephesians 2, 3,
Paul says
that we are children of wrath.
And in 1 John 3, 10,
John says,
you are children of the devil.
That's how he describes
the unbelieving,
the unregenerate.
Children of the devil.
And not being in Christ,
they have not Christ in them.
And therefore,
no power to resist sin
or combat Satan.
They are slaves of sin.
They are entirely governed
and influenced
in every decision
by their fallen nature.
This is who you once were.
This is who some of you
may still be.
You are totally
controlled by sin.
There is nothing
inside of you
that is pleasing to God.
You are filled with sin.
One cannot escape
what one is.
Okay?
If you are an ant,
then you can only
work with the faculties
of an ant.
If you are a lion,
then you can only work
with the faculties
of a lion.
If you are not in Christ,
then you can only work
with your fallen faculties.
Meaning what?
You can't please God.
This is so important
to understand.
Okay?
Romans 8 says that.
We are going to get to that
in a little while.
That those who are
not in Christ,
who are not in the Spirit,
cannot please God.
Have no ability to.
Now that means something.
That puts people
that try to work
to be good,
to get God's approval,
in a very,
very desperate place.
because you can't
earn God's favor.
There's no outweighing
the bad with the good.
This is exactly
what the truth
of Scripture says.
Just turn to Romans 8.
I just want to see,
I just want to read this
with you.
Romans 8.
Those who are in the flesh
cannot please God.
So I'm not just making this up.
This is truth from Scripture.
If you are a Christian,
however,
you can certainly
please God.
Because there is now
a new principle
in you.
The law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus,
as our verse says.
This is how the Gospel works,
okay?
By faith,
a man believes
that he has sinned
against God.
And is indeed
in a state
of just
condemnation.
So I sin
against God,
I recognize that,
and I admit that,
and I believe that.
That God is not
pleased with me,
for me.
Know this too,
God never refuses
or despises
the man who is broken
in spirit,
and who is contrite
in heart.
Psalm 51.
And therefore,
God saves
this poor man,
God has saved you,
being justified,
made holy,
right?
As a gift
by His grace,
as a gift,
that's a key word there,
by His grace,
through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus.
And that's straight out
of chapter 3,
verse 24.
And this person
who's been saved
has what's called
positional righteousness.
Positional righteousness.
Meaning that if a man
were to die
the second after
he were saved,
and he had lived
a life of constant sin,
let's say that he was
the worst of men,
and he died
one second after
he was saved,
he would still
be seen by God
as if he were as holy
and as blameless
as Christ.
Positional righteousness
is awesome.
Holy and blameless
before God,
pure as Christ,
and I did
one second
of good things
and 45 years
of sin.
He would then
be loved by God
for the rest of eternity
as a son
because of this position.
And he would not
be condemned to hell
as a sinner.
And that is what it means
to be justified.
Now,
you say,
where is that
in Scripture,
right?
That's an awesome
reality.
Where is that
in Scripture?
I want to read
more about this.
Luke 23,
39-43,
is the thief
on the cross.
That's a great
example of that.
He was on the cross.
He was literally
nailed to the cross.
And Christ
gave him and said,
today you will be
with me in paradise.
But I want to read you
from Romans 5.
Look at Romans 5.
Just turn over
one page.
Another good example
of this.
Romans 5,
6-10.
For while we were
still helpless,
at the right time,
Christ died
for the ungodly.
God died
for the Romans
one people.
For one will hardly
die for a righteous man,
though perhaps
for a good man
someone would dare
even to die.
But God
demonstrates
His own love
toward us.
And that while
we were
yet still
sinners,
wicked,
evil,
hating God,
rebellious,
Christ died
for you.
In your sin.
Not when you
cleaned yourself up
and made yourself
resentable,
but in your sin,
in the worst
of the worst
circumstances,
when you were
doing nothing
but sin,
when you were
hating God
and betraying Him
with all the heart
that you possibly could,
that's when He
died for you.
much more
than
having now
been justified
by His blood,
we shall be
saved from the
wrath of God,
from condemnation
through Christ.
For if
while we were
enemies,
we were reconciled
to God
through the death
of His Son,
much more than
having been
reconciled,
we should be
saved by His
life.
He's like,
if God saves you
while you were
in your sin,
while you were
hating God,
while you were
rebellious,
then certainly
He's going to
keep you
once you've
been given
the Holy Spirit,
once you've
been transformed,
once you've
been given
a love for
Christ,
there's nothing
you can do
to get out
of that.
It's awesome.
Thirdly,
verse 3,
Romans 8,
3,
says,
for what the
law could
not do,
weak as it
was through
the flesh,
God did,
by sending
His own
Son in the
likeness of
sinful flesh,
and as an
offering for
sin,
He condemned
sin in
the flesh.
The key
word here
is substitution.
And this
is again,
for the R
words,
the route
that God
took to
alleviate us
from condemnation.
The route
that God
took to
justify you.
Substitution.
Meaning,
the righteous
demands of
the law,
and the law
does have
demands,
are satisfied
in Christ,
and thusly,
in those
who are in
Christ.
The law
here,
the word
law,
is the
word nomos
in the
Greek,
and it's
a generic
word meaning
basically any
law whatsoever.
Any law
whatsoever.
So it's
therefore anything
that accurately
reflects the
moral character
or moral
nature of
God.
It can be
as explicit,
as obvious,
as the
Mosaic law,
the Ten
Commandments
that were
written in
stone,
or it can
be as
implicit as
the moral
law,
written in
and on the
hearts of
people,
bearing
conscious
witness of
God to
even the
indigenous
tribesmen
who's never
heard the
name of
Jesus Christ
or read a
Bible.
The law
of God
is still
written on
their hearts.
That's
Romans 2.15.
Romans 2.1
says no
man is
with excuse.
No man's
got an
excuse before
God.
There's
nothing you
can say
to him
because
there's
moral laws
written on
your heart,
which is
why somebody
in an
indigenous
tribe
elsewhere
still feels
the same
conviction
for committing
adultery
or for
killing
somebody.
It's the
moral law
of God
written in
the
heart.
So it
can be
explicit
or it
can be
implicit.
But all
of that
and everything
in between
is the
law of
God.
And the
law, as we
see in our
text,
couldn't do
something.
It was
incapable of
doing
something.
What?
If we read
further on in
verse 3,
condemning sin
is what it
couldn't do.
that's what
God was
sent for,
right?
That's why
Christ was
sent, was
to condemn
sin.
The law
cannot
condemn or
destroy or
render powerless
Sin.
It can only
expose it.
Romans 7,
7, look over
just one column.
Paul says,
what should we
say then?
Is the law
sin?
May it
never be.
On the
contrary,
I would
not have
come to
no sin
except
through the
law.
The law.
That's its
function.
It can only
make a person
privy to
their offense
of God's
law.
It can only
make a person
realize or
understand that
they have
committed a
transgression
against God.
That they're
rebellious.
purpose.
That's what
its purpose,
its function
is.
It's to
tutor you
basically.
To lead
you into
the knowledge
of your
sin.
Look at
Romans 3.
The end
of, I
guess,
19 and
20.
Look at
this.
Romans 3,
19 and
20.
Now, we
know that
whatever the
law says,
it speaks
to those
who are
under the
law,
that every
mouth may
be closed.
So,
everybody's
mouth is
shut up.
And all
the world
may become
accountable
to God.
Everybody
is.
Because by
the works
of the
law,
that means
by trying
to achieve
God's
favor
through
working
or doing
good works.
So, by
the works
of the
law, no
flesh will
be justified
in his
sight.
For
through
the law
comes
the
knowledge
of sin.
So,
it's
clear as
day.
Now, I
need to
make a
point here.
The
problem is
not with
the law.
The
problem is
with us.
Okay?
The
verse says,
weak as
it was
through the
flesh.
What the
law could
not do,
weak as
it was
through the
flesh.
Okay?
Our sin
nature is
the flesh.
That's the
issue.
We are
born with a
predisposition
towards sin
and towards
lawlessness.
We hate,
as sinners,
the rigidity
of the
law.
Because it
feels
incarcerating,
doesn't it?
All these
do's and
don'ts,
all these
things to
do,
all these
things not
to do,
it feels
incarcerating
to us.
We want
to rebel
against it
and to be
freed from
its
requirements.
And when
the unbelieving
feel that
way,
it's simply
the law
doing what
it's supposed
to do.
simply doing
what it's
supposed to
do.
This helps
us very
much in
understanding
why
unbelievers
hate the
gospel.
Why some
of you
hate the
gospel.
Why you
hate hearing
this.
Why?
Because the
law exposes
your failure
to meet
God's
standard.
Anybody
and nobody
likes to
dwell on
their weaknesses
and on
their deficiencies.
But you
are weak.
if you
are not
in Christ,
you are
very weak.
Very
weak.
We all
were once
weak.
It exposes
you.
It makes
a mockery
of you.
You can't
live up to
it.
It's like a
father that's
never pleased
with you if
you do
something good
in the
house.
Never gives
you any
kind of
encouragement.
The law
doesn't know
how to show
encouragement.
It only beats
you down.
That's its
function though.
It's meant
to do
that.
The law
is weak
only because
our flesh
is weak.
But our
Savior's
flesh was
not,
however,
weak.
Was it?
Notice
our verse
says,
what the law
could not
do,
weak as
it was
through the
flesh,
God
did.
God
did.
What the
law was
incapable of
doing through
us,
that is,
rendering
powerless,
sin,
and Satan,
and death,
and reflecting
God's perfect
moral righteousness,
it mightily
achieved through
Christ.
What the law
couldn't do
through us,
it achieved
victoriously,
triumphantly
through Christ.
Notice how
our verse here
is phrased,
right?
God did,
sending His
own Son.
God the
Father then
chose willingly
to send
Jesus.
And let me
tell you this,
He was
compelled by
nothing in
you or
nothing in
me.
we have
no value
apart from
that which
is given
to us
by God.
We are
the same
as grass
apart from
Christ,
creation.
That's all
that you
are.
That's all
that I
am,
is creation.
God
sent
Christ.
Why?
turn to
Isaiah 53.
This is
awesome.
Isaiah 53.
We are
going to read
verses 4
through 6
and then
we are
going to
read a
little bit
from verse
10.
Isaiah 53,
4 through 6
and a
little bit
from 10.
Listen to
this.
This is
so awesome.
It says,
Surely our
griefs He
Himself,
that is
Christ,
bore.
In our
sorrows He
carried,
yet we
ourselves
esteemed
Him stricken.
We didn't
recognize Him.
Smitten of
God and
afflicted.
But He
was pierced
through for
our transgressions.
He was crushed
for our
iniquities.
And the
chastisement
for our
well-being
fell upon
Him.
And by
His
scourging
we are
healed.
All of
us like
sheep have
gone astray.
Each of
us has
turned to
his own
way.
We're
all
sinners.
But the
Lord has
caused
the
iniquity
of us
all to
fall on
Christ.
Verse 10.
But the
Lord was
pleased to
crush Him,
putting Him
to grief.
So why
did God
send Christ
to die
this gruesome
death on
the cross
to save
us from
our sins
simply
because it
pleased Him.
He wanted
to.
It pleased
Him.
to crush
Christ.
God does
what He
pleases.
And the
Son,
likewise,
does what
He pleases.
Let me read
you this.
A little
Trinity passage
here.
Check this
out.
Jesus
says,
for this
reason the
Father loves
me,
because I
lay down
my life
that I
may take
it up
again.
no one
has taken
my life
away from
me.
Nobody.
But I
lay it
down on
my own
initiative.
I have
authority to
lay it
down and
I have
authority to
take it
up again.
This
commandment
I receive
from my
Father.
That's
Jesus
saying,
the
Father sent
me,
but I
sent
myself.
I do
what I
want to
do.
So it
pleased
Christ to
die on
the cross.
God
enjoyed the
death of
Christ.
Why?
Because
through it,
Christ killed
the power
of sin
that had
for thousands
of years
held sway
over all
creation.
In His
triumph,
He conquered
sin,
Satan,
death,
and hell.
He brought
many sons
to glory.
That's you,
that's me.
He made
a fool
of Satan,
which He
liked.
He
perfectly
accomplished
the will
of His
Father.
That is,
He fulfilled
the law
perfectly.
He
condemned
sin in
the flesh.
That's
what the
law
couldn't
do
through
us.
That's
what the
law
mightily
did
through
Christ.
Condemn
sin,
destroy
sin,
and the
power
of it
through
Christ.
The
law
cannot
make
men
perfect,
but
Christ
can.
Turn to
Hebrews
10.
The law
cannot make
men
perfect,
but
Christ
can.
Hebrews
10.
Verse
10 and
14.
By this
will we
have been
sanctified
through the
offering of
the body
of Jesus
Christ once
for all.
The word
sanctification
means to
be set
apart or
made
holy.
So by
this we
have been
made
holy,
by the
offering
of the
body
of Jesus
Christ
once for
all.
Then
14.
For by
one
offering,
that was
Christ,
he has
perfected
for all
time those
who are
sanctified.
The law
can't make
men perfect,
but Christ
can.
Now listen,
okay?
In Christ,
listen to this,
this is awesome,
in Christ we
have been
freed from
the penalty
of sin.
From the
penalty of
it.
Eternity
in hell.
Justly.
Free from
it.
Absolved
from all
guilt
of it.
We have
been freed,
we are
being freed,
excuse me,
daily from
the power
of it.
So we
were freed,
we have
been freed,
once and
for all,
from the
penalty.
We are
presently
being freed
from the
power,
and one
day we
will fully
be freed
from even
the presence
of sin.
In heaven,
when we
see Christ
face to
face.
glorious
truth.
Lastly,
verse 4.
It says,
in order
that,
so he
condemns
sin in
the flesh,
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.
The key
word here
is
sanctification,
and the
R word
is the
result.
We
started
with
the
reality
of no
condemnation,
we went
to the
reason,
which was
justification,
right?
From there
we went
to the
route,
which was
substitution,
and then
on to
fourthly,
the result,
which is
sanctification.
As I
already said,
sanctification
meaning to
be set
apart unto
God,
to be
made
holy unto
God.
Christ
saved us
to make
us holy,
it's
important,
and as,
excuse me,
to make us
holy as he
was and
is holy.
the law
is not
made
void
when you
become a
Christian.
Many
people are
confused about
this.
A lot of
you may
say,
well,
I thought
that I
was released
from the
law.
I mean,
what about
Romans 6,
or Romans 7,
6,
I mean,
just go back
one column,
look at
this,
what does
it say?
But now
we have
been released
from the
law,
John,
and I
would say
keep reading,
having died
to that by
which we
were bound,
so that
we serve
in the
newness.
Serve,
serve,
serve in
the newness
of the
spirit,
not in
oldness
of the
letter.
It's
true you've
been released
from the
law,
but released
from the
condemning
grasp of
the law,
that is the
penalty that
comes from
transgressing
it,
you've been
released from
that,
but not
from the
obligation
to it.
That's still
very much
alive.
Christ
didn't come
to abolish
the law,
didn't he?
He came
to fulfill
it.
And we're
to be like
Christ,
fulfilling
it.
In light
of that,
we were
saved in
him from
the penalty
of the
law to
the practice
of it.
Saved from
the penalty
of it to
the practice
of it.
Be encouraged,
okay?
Be encouraged
by this.
This is cool.
There's
nothing more
satisfying for
the Christian
than keeping
God's law.
There's
nothing more
satisfying for
the Christian
than keeping
God's law.
Why?
Because a
cheetah likes
to run,
a fish
likes to
swim,
a cow
likes to
graze,
and a
Christian
likes to
obey God's
law.
it is
now
natural
to us.
It is
why you
were created
initially
anyway.
Those
animals do
instinctually,
right?
What they've
been given
to do.
Their
faculties enable
them.
Cheetah
to run,
cow to
graze,
Christians have
been given
the Holy
Spirit to
obey.
It's
simply how
God created
us.
Now notice
the key
phrase here
in the
beginning of
verse 4.
It says,
in order
that.
In order
that.
God saves
us for a
purpose,
as I said.
That's for
holiness.
I want you
to turn to
Titus 2.
I want you
to see this.
Titus 2,
he saved
you for a
reason.
Your
justification
wasn't the
end game.
but your
sanctification
and glorification
were.
Titus 2,
verses 11
through 14.
Listen to
this.
Here we go.
For the
grace of
God,
that's
Christ,
basically.
For the
grace of
God has
appeared,
bringing
salvation to
all men.
For what
reason?
Instructing
us to
deny ungodliness
and worldly
desires,
and to
live sensibly,
righteously,
and godly in
the present
age,
looking for
the
blessed
hope and
the
appearing
of the
glory of
our
great
God
and
Savior
Christ
Jesus,
who gave
himself
for us,
that's the
cross,
that he
might redeem
us from
every lawless
deed and
purify for
himself.
There's that
pleasure thing
again.
A people
for his own
possession,
who are
what?
Zealous
for good
deeds.
That's
clear as
day.
He saved
you to
make you
holy.
you say
that's the
only place
in the
Bible
that says
that.
No,
it's not.
Turn to
1 Peter.
1 Peter 2.
21-24.
Listen to
this.
Another
in-your-face
passage.
For you
have been
called for
this purpose
since Christ
also suffered
for you,
leaving you
an example
for you to
follow in
his steps.
Who committed
no sin
or any
deceit found
in his
mouth.
And while
being reviled,
he did not
revile in
return.
While
suffering,
he uttered
no threats,
but kept
entrusting
himself to
him who
judges
righteously.
24.
Big kicker.
But he
himself bore
our sins in
his body on
the cross.
There's a
cross that
we might
die to
sin and
live to
righteousness.
So he
died.
He saved
you.
Why?
So that you
could die to
sin and live
to righteousness.
That is
literally the
whole chapter
6 of
Romans.
That's
another
massive
proof text.
But he
hasn't left
you to
accomplish
this task
alone.
That's a
very daunting
task,
right,
by itself.
He's
given you
the Holy
Spirit.
He's
given you
the Holy
Spirit.
Turn to
John 14.
I've got to
show you
this.
John 14.
Jesus
introduces to
the disciples
the Holy
Spirit in
many ways.
He hasn't
left you by
himself.
That's what
he's done.
Look at
this.
Verses 16
and 17.
Start there.
And I
will ask the
Father,
and he
will give
you another
helper,
that he
may be
with you
temporarily?
No.
Forever.
That is
the Spirit
of truth
whom the
world can't
receive because
it does not
behold him
or know him,
but you
know him
because he
abides with
you and
will be
in you.
What a
promise.
Listen,
this is how
you get
power over
sin.
you have
to know
this.
Okay?
And so
you may
ask,
right?
How does
the Spirit
aid us?
In what
way does
it aid
us?
How does
the Spirit
do this
in us?
How do
I become
holy?
How do
I walk
in holiness?
How does
the Spirit
aid us?
Look at
this.
Firstly,
by empowering
our faith.
This is in
verse 19
and 20.
Look down.
After a little
while,
the world
will behold
me no more,
but you
will behold
me.
How?
By faith.
Because I
live,
you shall
live also.
In that
day you
shall know
by faith,
I might add,
that I am
in the
Father,
and that
you are
in me,
and that
I am
in you.
He empowers
our faith,
number one.
Number two,
He empowers
our love.
This is
verse 21.
He that
has my
commandments
and keeps
them,
He it
is who
loves me.
And he
who loves
me shall
be loved
by my
Father,
and I
will love
him and
will disclose
myself to
him.
He empowers
our love.
He enables
you to keep
the commandments
of God,
not because
of obligation,
but because
of love.
As you
begin to
taste what
obedience is
like,
really genuine
obedience,
you will begin
to like it.
It's what you
were made
for.
It isn't
burdensome to me
to love God.
It isn't
burdensome to you
if you were a
Christian to love
God.
It is the
joy of your
life to
serve him.
He empowers
your love.
Thirdly,
he empowers
your thought
life.
He teaches
you.
26,
but the
helper,
the Holy
Spirit,
whom the
Father will
send in
my name,
he will
teach you
all things
and bring
to your
remembrance
all that I
said to
you.
Now,
in reference,
in this
context,
he was
talking about
inspiring the
word of
God.
He was
talking about
writing the
scriptures
through the
apostles,
but for
us,
it still
applies,
right?
I mean,
we're
benefactors,
or beneficiaries,
I should say,
of the
word.
So,
thirdly,
he empowers
your thought.
And then,
fourthly,
what's the
result?
What's the
result of that?
Peace and joy
and strength
in life.
27.
Peace I
leave with you.
My peace I
give to you.
Not as the
world gives,
do I give
to you.
Let not
your heart
be troubled,
nor let it
be fearful.
Peace,
joy,
and strength
in peace.
The world
has no idea.
They don't
have access to
this.
No amount
of money,
no amount
of sex,
no amount
of pleasure,
no amount
of nothing
can get
them.
this kind
of peace
and joy.
They try
hard.
They have
nothing.
Lastly,
last thing
that I'm
going to
say.
The word
here in
Romans 8
again,
walk.
In the
Greek it's
peripatio.
It's one
of the
oldest and
most common
verbs in
the
scripture.
It's
used,
this word
walk,
I'll read
it again
in the
context
here.
It says,
who do
not walk
according to
the flesh
but according
to the
spirit.
This is
going to
be
encouraging.
This word
walk is
used to
describe a
person's
bent in
life,
or a
normal way
in which
he lives,
or progress
of one's
life.
Which means
what?
God does
not expect
you to
be perfect,
but he
expects
perfection.
A
growing
perfection
in
progress.
It's
the
direction
of your
life,
not the
perfection,
right?
One
office said
it like
this,
the
Christian
life is
the process
of becoming
what you
are.
It's
already in
you.
It's just
a matter of
working that
out.
In
Christ,
we are
already
positionally
righteous,
right?
We talked
about that.
We are
now
becoming
behaviorally
righteous.
And this
is the
will of
God.
Note,
this is
not a
suggestion
by Paul.
This is
a statement
of fact
saying,
if you
are a
Christian,
this will
be happening.
If you
are not
a
Christian,
then you
won't be
able to do
this.
Or if
you are
a fake
Christian,
or a
false
Christian,
then you
will be
exposed as
not being
able to
progress.
Every
Christian
progresses.
It's a
fact.
There's a
lot of
texts about
that,
too.
But we're
not perfect
people.
We're
struggling.
We're
growing.
We're
becoming
what we
are in
Christ.
If you
are truly
a Christian,
you will
be progressing
in holiness
and spiritual
maturity.
God
doesn't intend
to raise
babies
forever.
That would
be a
horrible
idea.
Right?
He
intends for
you to
grow.
mature.
So what
does walking
like the
Spirit look
like?
Clay is
going to
teach us
that next
week.
But in
closing, I
just want to
give you
guys a
quick
illustration
just to
further
emphasize and
make a
picture for
you of
what we
are in
Christ.
My dad
wrote this
illustration.
Before
Christ,
picture
yourself as
a fish.
fish.
You live
in water.
Your natural
habitat is
the water.
You swim,
you have
gills,
you breathe
in the
water.
That's where
you exist.
That's where
you have
your being.
Let's say
that fish
or you
gets saved.
Now it's
transformed
into a
man.
Its natural
habitat now
is where?
It's on
land.
It breathes
air, not
water.
It eats the
fruit of the
land.
It walks
around.
There's a
huge
difference.
Now, that
human being
can go back
in the
water for
a time.
I can get
wet again
with sin,
can't I?
I can swim
around for a
while sometimes,
but I can't
exist there and
I can't have
my being there.
Even if I go
down to all
my breath,
I've got to
come up for
air sometime.
That's in
essence what
you are.
You are an
entirely new
creature.
If any man
is in Christ,
he is a
new creature.
That word
there,
new,
is kinos,
which is
new of a
totally
different kind.
It's never
been before.
Totally
different.
You are
very different
than what you
want.
Praise God,
right?
That's great.