No Condemnation

Well, good morning or good afternoon. Good afternoon. Welcome to coffee and devotions. This is where every day you and I, we get together, we get into the Lord's word and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2022, we'll make it all the way from the book of Acts to the book of Philemon. And we are at Romans chapter eight, the first 17 verses. Let's have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into the Lord's word.
Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your word. Thank you for Jesus Christ and for your spirit. Lord, we pray that as we read your word this morning, that you would teach us. Lord, we pray that we would follow after you. Father, please give us hope in Jesus's name. Amen. All right, here we go. Romans chapter eight, the first 17 verses.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be cardinally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.
If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, Now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, 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.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. And if children of the Spirit himself bear witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.
Oh man, what an amazing passage. It's just good news, right? We just need to kind of take a road trip together this morning and remember where we have been and why this is so amazing. In chapter one, Paul, the apostle, writes to the Romans. And he tells them that he's not ashamed of the gospel of God, of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. For the Jew first, and also for the Gentiles. And he starts with this indictment.
I mean, he's throwing everybody under the bus. In chapters 1 through 3, I mean, it's saying that everyone is a sinner. There's there's no escaping it, no matter what class you're in, whether you're a Jewish person or whether you're a Gentile person. All of us have gone astray. There is none righteous. No, not one. Not one seeks after the Lord. Right. We're all under that condemnation. Why chapter four? Because we have Adam. As our sinful head. But then we get into chapter four and five, but then we get into chapter six.
And we find out that we're no longer slaves to sin, but alive in Jesus Christ. In chapter five, he told us that God demonstrated his own love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. See, it was God who saved us. It is God who justified us by faith, the same type of faith Abraham had. And now we've wrestled in chapter seven with, OK, so we're free from that slavery to sin, but yet we still find Sin in ourselves because the law condemns us But they're still in dwelling sin.
So what do we do and he throws himself at the end of chapter 7 at jesus's feet Oh wretched man that I am who will save me from this bondage of death What's his answer? Thanks be to God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. His only answer is Jesus Christ. And here in chapter 8, we're picking up on that. Therefore, So with all that in the background, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. See, you have a new master.
Who is your Lord? This really is setting it up in the two different realms, right? It's no longer circumcised and uncircumcised Jew and Gentile, but the question is, are you in Christ or are you outside of Christ? Are you living according to the carnal man or are you living according to the Spirit? Has the Spirit of Jesus Christ so been poured out into your hearts that now you are striving for holiness? Or are your thoughts, affections, emotions, time, money, energy, everything else going to the sinful desires that you want, that old man, Romans 1, 2, and 3? Has he poured out his spirit into your heart where you desire him?
Not saying you don't struggle with sin. Romans chapter seven is real, but you are no longer shackled to it. You're no longer a slave to sin. Do you come to Jesus Christ and is his spirit alive and working in you? When you come to Jesus Christ, is his spirit working in you?
Read the law. The law couldn't do it for it was weak because of the flesh. But God did it by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. On the account of sin, He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh. Abikvai, the spirit, right? The law could only point out sin. It could show us where we fail, but where the law could not bring righteousness, God sent his son and Jesus earned that crown of righteousness, being tempted in every way like we are yet without sin. And now he's poured out his spirit into our hearts and we walk after Christ. His spirit is in us. He did the work. He has saved us.
For to be cardinally minded is death. But. Verse six, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. See, when we were those of the flesh just living for this world, living for our own desires, living for our own sinful natures. We were at enmity with God, enemies. But God has saved us. God has transferred us, redeemed us out of the kingdom of darkness and brought us into his kingdom of marvelous light.
And so he says, So you're not. Right. But you are not in the flesh, but you are in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. And if Christ is in you, this is verse 10. I love this. And if Christ is in you. The body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Reckon yourselves dead to sin. Count yourselves that way. Cling to Christ and walk in Christ because the spirit of Christ is in you. And so as he's saying this, he says in verse 11, I love, oh man, there's just so much good in here, right? But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.
See, we walk in our lives now in the reality of the resurrection. The same spirit who rose Jesus from the dead, who raised Jesus from the dead, is the same spirit who is alive in us. And we walk in the resurrection of Christ. This is why we need to know the power of His resurrection. This is why we have hope. This is why we have peace.
Because Jesus Christ is not dead in the grave, but He was raised for our justification and He lives for our sanctification. You are holy because the Spirit of Christ has been raised from the dead. Or the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. And that same Spirit is in you. So walk in holiness.
And this is why he says, therefore brethren, we are debtors, right? We owe God everything. And so we live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Because if you live according to the flesh, he's reiterating this in verse 13, if you live according to flesh, you're going to die. But if you're living according to the Spirit, what ought we to do to put to death the deeds of your body?
And you will live. You will live, and not just for a little while, for eternity. For as many, oh man, it's just so good. These are the types of words that you frame up on your wall and you remember in your hardest of days. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Who's leading you in your life? What voices are you listening to?
Is it the spirit of this age, a spirit of destruction, death, chaos, anarchy, selfishness, pride, or is it Jesus Christ? We didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, right? We don't need to fear death if we have Christ. But you receive the spirit of adoption.
Cries out, Abba, Father. It's Jesus himself. On that last night when he was praying to his father in heaven. As he knew the cup of God's wrath was coming. And he pleaded with his father, Abba, Father. If it's possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will be done, but yours. The same way in which Jesus is able to have a relationship with his father in heaven, we are able to because we are adopted.
Isn't that a beautiful picture? We have hope because we're not slaves, but we're children by adoption. We who were once sold over enemies of the cross, Paul himself one who tried to stamp out the church Saying God's poured out his spirit into our hearts and his spirit testifies to our spirit that we are his children Not because things we've done but because of the love he has shown us. We're not redheaded stepchild children. You're no kid who gets nothing to be treated badly. You're not an orphan. But if you are in Jesus Christ, then you are the beloved of God.
What's the best verse to summarize these sections? Good luck with that. Let me know what would you underline in your Bible, because once again, I have verse 3, verse 4, verse 6, verse 8, verse 10, verse 11, and then basically all of 14 through 17 underlined. So let me know in your Bibles, what would you underline? What do you think is getting at the heart of this passage? Maybe even verse 1. There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
What do you call it to do? What is it in your life? How does this apply to you? Are you walking in the spirit? Or are you walking in the flesh? I'm not, I'm not talking about, you know, are you, are you of so heavenly mindedness that you're not of any earthly good? But my question is, who is your Lord? Do you walk according to the desires of your heart? Or do you walk according to Christ? Do you love him? Has a spirit been poured out into your heart when your heart condemns you? Does the spirit testify? No, no, no. No, Jesus did it. Jesus was the sin offering. Do you run to Christ and do you pursue her holiness?
This is God's love demonstrated for you. cling to the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Don't get sucked back into lawlessness or sucked back into legalism. But focus on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. Walk in his spirit. Let's pray.
Father, thank you. What a wonderful God you are, full of compassion and mercy. Lord, we pray that we would follow you. Lord, when our hearts condemn us, thank you that you are greater than our hearts. Thank you. That we fail, but you have never failed. Lord, please teach us to follow you. Make us always to love you. In Jesus's name. Amen. Oh, may the Lord bless you. with a joy that wells up from the deepest part of your body, from the deepest, not even of your body, of your soul. May you love Jesus Christ and walk in his ways. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye.
Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith and your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue. Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.