Romans 8: 1-13.
Studying the Doctrine Of Holy Spirit:
First: The Person Of The Holy Spirit Is God Himself:
Jesus Promises The Holy Spirit: John 14: 15-27:
I. We Are Not Alone: The Holy Spirit Dwells Within Us.
II. We Are Linked To Christ: Makes Sure We Grow Spiritually.
III. We Are Made Righteous: Right Living That Pleases God.
Then: The Presence Of The Holy Spirit Is God With Us:
The Birth Of The Church: Acts 2: 1-41:
The Coming Of The Holy Spirit: Evidence Of His Coming.
Peter's Sermon At Pentacost:
The Witness Of The Spirit.
Peter Speaks To All Who Are In Jerusalem.
Peter Proclaims The GOSPEL With Power.
Death, Resurrection, And Exaltation Of Jesus.
A Call To Repentance For Our Sins.
A Call To Receive The Gift Of The Holy Spirit.
Now:
THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Romans 8: 1-13:
GOD FOR US.
THE HOLY SPIRIT REASSURES US OF THE GOSPEL PROMISES: These Promises Are Ours In Christ By Faith.
During The Ups And Downs Of Life,
During The Joys And Struggles Of The Day,
During The Doubts And Fears In This Fallen World.
THE HOLY SPIRIT SUSTAINS US All THE WAY TO GLORY.
One Possible OUTLINE Of This Section Of Scripture:
1. DELIVERANCE THROUGH THE SPIRIT:
ROMANS 8:1-4:
THE BLESSING OF JUSTIFICATION BY HIS ARRIVING SPIRIT:
Think On These Major Questions:
Did You Know You Have Been Released From Condemnation ?
Do You Recognize The New Power Of The Spirit ?
Do You Remember What Christ's Death Did For You ?
Do You Realize Your Responsibility ?
2. WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT:
ROMANS 8:5-13:
THE BLESSING OF SANTIFICATION BY HIS INDWELLING SPIRIT:
Think On These Major Questions:
The Walk Of The Saved And The Walk Of The Unsaved,
What Is The Practice Of The Unsaved ?
What Is The Position Of The Saved ?
Why Is There A Practical Command To Perseverance ?
1. DELIVERANCE THROUGH THE SPIRIT:
ROMANS 8:1-4:
GOD HAS GIVEN THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP YOU LIVE A LIFE OF PROGRESSIVE VICTORY OVER SIN?
PROBLEM:
Christians Are Always Learning Because This Victory Is A Process:
Paul Struggled As Well.
He Had To Grow Through The Process Of Victory.
He Had To Learn How To Trust in The Holy Spirit Instead Of Self.
HOW ? After He Was Saved, Paul Still Loved The Mosaic Law.
For The Law Had Been His Whole Life For Over Thirty Years When He Was A Self-Righteous Pharisee.
When He Became A Christian, He Soon Learned That He Had Died To The Law As A Way Of Life.
(Rom. 7:16),
But He Still Respected And Loved The Law Because It Was A Reflection Of God's Holiness.
Therefore, He Desired To Keep The Righteous Requirements Or The Spiritual Principles Of The Law.
He Was Convinced That As A Saved Man He Could Make His Flesh Obey The Law.
As He Sought To Do This, He Found That He Simply Could Not.
He Had A New Nature From God.
That New Nature Gave Him A Desire To Keep The Spiritual Principles Of The Law.
BUT HE DID NOT HAVE THE POWER.
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF WALKING IN DEPENDENCE UPON THE HOLY SPIRIT ?
Paul Was Brought To An End Of Himself.
He Discovered Within Himself:
The Principle Of Indwelling Sin.
The Helplessness Of His Flesh.
It Could Not Keep The Law In His Own Strength.
This Caused Him To Cry Out.
O Wretched Man That I Am!
Who Shall Deliver Me From The Body Of This Death?
Having Become Disgusted With His Own Life.
With His Sinfulness, His Hypocrisy, His Attempts At Holiness.
HE CRIED OUT FOR A DELIVERER!
Paul Was Then Able To Give A Cry Of Victory.
I Thank God Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
He Had Learned That Sanctification As Well As Justification Is Found In The Person Of Jesus Christ.
THE ANSWER TO INDWELLING SIN
IS THE INDWELLING CHRIST.
THE ANSWER TO SELF- EFFORT IN CHRISTIAN LIVING
IS DEPENDENCE UPON CHRIST,
THROUGH THE SPIRIT,
INSTEAD OF SELF.
Do You Struggle And Feel This Frustration As Christians!
It Is Not Always That We Do Outwardly Sinful Things,
But We Do Not Do The Things We Should,
Even If We Do Them It Is Often Out Of Fear Or Habit: NOT LOVE.
Then We Become Baffled And Frustrated.
AT THIS POINT WE MAY BE TEMPTED TO QUIT TRYING !!
Here We Are At The End Of Self And Will Cry For Help.
God Does Not Rebuke Us For Our Failure.
God Do Through Us What We Have Struggled To Do,
He Will Teach Us To Live Christ's Life Through Him.
Romans 8:1-4 Paul Tells Us About The Secret He Learned:
That God Had Sent The Holy Spirit,
The Holy Spirit Will Make Real In Our Experience This New Life,
God Provided Supernatural Power To Live A Supernatural Life.
He Learned To Turn To Christ Through The Spirit For His Power.
Paul Never Was Perfect In This Life.
But He Began To Enter A Life Of Liberty And Freedom From Sin.
The Holy Spirit, By Working On The Inside Of A Christian,
Can Produce The Righteous Requirements Of The Law In Him.
The Responsibility Of The Christian:
To Be Rightly Related To The Holy Spirit,
To
Submit To His Guidance And Will.
ARE
WE RELEASED FROM CONDEMNATION: VERSE 1:
BEING JUSTIFIED BY THE IMPUTATION OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS, There Is Therefore Now No Condemnation To Them Which Are In Christ Jesus.
Paul Believed In The Security Of The Believer ( Eph 4:30).
That Once He Was Saved He Could Never Be Lost.
A Struggling Saint Brought To The Point Of Defeat And Despair:
He Never Doubted His Salvation.
He Had Great Confidence Even Struggling With Self-Effort.
He Knew There Was No Condemnation By God In Eternity.
He Knew That He Had Genuinely Trusted Christ.
He Was In A Living And Vital Union With The Lord.
What A Comfort It Is To Know:
Even With All Our Sins, Struggles, And Defeats:
God Loves Us And Sees Us In His Son And Will Never Leave Us !
DO WE RECOGNIZE THE NEW POWER OF THE SPIRIT:VERSE 2:
Paul Recognized The Power Of The Spirit In His Life.
Paul Realized That He Had Been Operating Under The Sin Nature: That Law Of Sin and Death:
THE SIN NATURE ACTS AS WITH THE RIGIDITY OF A LAW.
NOTE: What Is The Essence Of The Sin Nature ?
The Sin Nature Has An Area Of Strength In Which Human Good Is Produced.
That Is, Those Good Deeds And Thoughts Which Are Acceptable To Man.
But Which Are Unacceptable To God For Purposes Of Salvation Or Spiritual Growth.
BUT NOW HE WAS OPERATING UNDER LAW OF THE SPIRIT:
For The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus.
This Could Be Translated,
For The Law Of The Spirit,
Namely,
The Life Which Is In Christ Jesus.
The Christian Need Not Fear Condemnation.
The Law Of The Spirit Or The Life Of Christ Is Now In Us.
Giving A Progressive Victory Over The Flesh.
The Holy Spirit Has Taken Up Residence In Us.
The Holy Spirit Reproduces The Life Of Christ In Us.
WE ARE BEING FREED FROM THE POWER OF THE SIN NATURE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO PRODUCE THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN THE CHRISTIAN.
I Am Crucified With Christ: Nevertheless I Live; Yet Not I, But Christ Liveth In Me; The Life Which I Now Live In The Flesh I Live By The Faith Of The Son Of God, Who Loved Me, And Gave Himself For Me (Gal. 2:20).
THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT:
IT IS THE LAW OF THE INDWELLING SPIRIT PRODUCING THE LIFE OF CHRIST WHICH GIVES A POWER TO REGULATE AND CONTROL THE SIN NATURE.
The Law Of The Spirit Supersedes The Law Of The Sin Nature.
HOW
DO WE CONTROL THE SIN NATURE: TRUST
ON HIM !!
DO
YOU REMEMBER CHRIST'S DEATH: VERSE 3:
The Law CAN NOT Produce Righteousness In A Person Because Of OUR Basic Sin Nature.
BUT GOD SENT CHRIST TO DIE ON THE CROSS TO JUDGE THE SIN NATURE,
And While It Remains In The Child Of God,
It Does Not Reign Over Him Or Have Any Rights Over Him.
Christ's Death Broke The Power Of The Sin Nature,
A
PROGRESSIVE Reality To Those Walking By The Law Of The Spirit.
DO
YOU REALIZE OUR RESPONSIBILITY: VERSE 4:
HOW TO Walk Not After The Flesh, But After The Spirit.
TO WALK BY THE SPIRIT IS TO RESIST FEEDING
THE BASIC DESIRES OF THE SIN NATURE.
2.
WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT:
ROMANS 8:5-13:
A CONTRAST:
The Walk Of The Saved And The Walk Of The Unsaved,
The State And Practice Of The Non-Christian
VERSUS
The State And Practice Of The True Christian.
The Apostle Paul Found Himself In A Mighty Spiritual Struggle.
He Loved The Spiritual Requirements Of The Mosaic Law.
He Had A Genuine Desire To Keep The Law,
Because Of Indwelling Sin Still In Him,
He Found Himself In A Spiritual Struggle.
He Wanted To Do Right,
But Found Himself Sometimes Doing Wrong.
WE DISCOVER THAT A CHRISTIAN LIVES
BY A HIGHER LAW THAN THE MOSAIC LAW,
AND THAT IS “THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS” (ROM. 8:2).
THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Gives The Christian The Power To Live The Christian Life,
Enables Us To Keep The Spiritual Requirements Of God’s Law.
A Saved Man, Indwelt By The Holy Spirit, Can And Does Fulfill The Spiritual Requirements Of The Mosaic Law.
(Rom. 8:3,4).
A Person Who Walks According To The Spirit
Is One Who Is Saved And Dominated By The Spirit.
Does That Mean A Saved Person Is Always Submissive?
NO, BUT:
They Do Have A Leaning Towards Spiritual Things.
The Goal Of Their Life Is Towards Christ.
The
Desire Is To Walk In The Spirit.
THE
SAVED PERSON:
Is Dominated In Their Thinking By The Things Of The Spirit.
God’s Will Is Given Consideration In All Decisions,
They Long To Have Christ As Master Of Their Life.
The Main Thrust Of A Christian:
Is Towards Christ.
Is Towards The Things Of The Spirit.
WHAT IS THE PRACTICE OF THE UNSAVED: VERSES 5-8:
For Those Who Are According To The Flesh
Set Their Minds On The Things Of The Flesh.
The Unsaved Person Is Dominated By The Sin Nature.
The Unsaved Person Walks According To The Flesh Always.
The Predominate Influence In Their Life Is:
How To Feed The Flesh Or Sin Nature.
How To Live For Self.
How To Direct All Actions Toward Building Their Human Ego.
A Person Who Walks According To The Flesh Is One Who:
Is Unsaved And Dominated By The Sin Nature.
Cannot Fulfill The Righteous Requirements Of The Law.
The Non-Christian Shuts God Out Of Their Thinking
Because They Are Interested In Fleshly Pursuits.
They Are Always Trying:
To Get Something They Desire,
To Do Something They Want,
To Pursue Carnal Objects As A Way Of Life.
The Unsaved Person Cannot Act Differently
The Unsaved Person Is Operating Totally On The Flesh.
The Unsaved Person Has A Lifestyle Should Not Surprise Us.
All They Can Do Is Sin!
The
Unsaved Person:
Is An Enemy Of God. And Is Alienated From Him.
Is Alienated From God.
Is Seeking To Shut God Out.
Is Not Interested In The True God Of Scripture.
Is A Rebel Toward God's Justice.
Is A Rebel Even Toward God's Love And Mercy.
Is A Rebel Because Of The Idea Of Submission To God.
Is A Rebel Who Does Not Want To Be Ruled Over By Anyone.
An Unsaved Person May Outwardly Seem To Keep The External Letter Of The Law.
While All The Time Hating The God Who Gave The Law.
He Cannot Keep The Spirit Of The Law Without Loving God,
For The Law Is A Reflection God’s Character.
And Those Who Are In The Flesh Cannot Please God.
The Natural, Unsaved Man Has No Ability To Please God.
The Unsaved Man May Be Good, Kind, Nice, And Even Religious, And He Most Certainly Will Please Men,
But The Unregenerate Man Cannot Please God In Any Way.
Man Has No Ability In Himself To Please God;
THE POSITION OF THE SAVED: VERSES 9-11:
However, You Are Not In The Flesh But In The Spirit,
If Indeed The Spirit Of God Dwells In You.
BUT THE MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE.
The Saved Person Pursues The Things Of The Holy Spirit,
The Saved Person Experiences God’s Life And Peace.
LIFE AND PEACE BELONG TO GOD’S CHILDREN ALONE.
SO, When A Christian Stops Submitting To The Spirit,
They Will Experience Submission To The Sin Nature.
They Will Lose A Sense Of God’s Life And Peace In Life.
BUT EVEN THEN:
They Will Never Pursue The Flesh As He Did In Unsaved State.
Because The Mind Set On The Flesh Is Hostile Toward God.
There Are Just Two Mind Sets:
That Of Those Who Are Saved And Spiritually Minded;
And That Of Those Who Are Lost And Fleshy Minded.
The World Is Divided:
All Men Belong To One Or The Other.
Men Are Either In The Flesh And Walk According To The Flesh,
Or They Are In The Spirit And Walk According To The Spirit.
NOW, The Roman Christians WERE SAVED;
THEY WERE NOT “IN THE FLESH” BUT “IN THE SPIRIT.”
THEY WERE DOMINATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
WHY?
THEY WERE PERMANENTLY INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THEY HAD THE CAPACITY AND THE POWER TO PLEASE GOD.
The Distinguishing Characteristic Of The True Christian:
That Which Sets Him Apart From All Unbelievers:
Is That The Holy Spirit Indwells Him.
How Do We See The Indwelling Of The Spirit?
We See The Evidence.
Those Who Are Saved Can Never Be The Same Again,
For God The Holy Spirit Has Taken Up Residence In Them:
If Anyone Does Not Have The Spirit Of Christ
Does Not Belong To Him.
Any Person Who Does Not Have The Holy Spirit
Does Not Belong To The Lord And Is Unsaved.
FINALLY:
WHY THE PRACTICAL COMMAND TO PERSEVERANCE: VERSES 12.
SO Then, Brethren, We Are Under Obligation, Not To The Flesh, To Live According To The Flesh.
The True Christian Is Not A Debtor To The Sin Nature And Is Not Under Obligation To Obey It.
Why?
God Has Positionally Judged The Sin Nature,
Has Indwelt The Believer With The Holy Spirit,
And Has Guaranteed Progressive As Well As Ultimate Sanctification From Sin.
NOTE:
We Are Under Obligation To The Spirit.
Christians Are Under Obligation To Walk In The Spirit And To Be Dominated By The Spirit.
The True Christian Will Not Live Continually According To The Flesh,
But
One Who Is Only A Professing Christian Will.
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