Romans, Part 23 Series

Romans, Part 23

Romans 8:10-15

Introduction

- No condemnation has been placed upon anyone who is in Christ

-- Brings strength for the tasks ahead

-- Allows us to be comforted because God is in control

-- The sins of the past are gone, provided we will confess them

- Christ was the only way God could reconcile us to Himself

- The Law (shedding of blood) had to be fulfilled for mankind to be forgiven

-- Hebrews 9:22, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

- Living in the flesh is not the way to please God

- We must be on guard constantly to ensure we are living fully for Him

- It is in this teaching that Paul reaches out to the Gentile

-- Even in our struggles from day to day God is faithful to provide

-- Regardless of how we are feeling, He is still faithful

-- So because of His faithfulness, we have opportunity to live fully for Him

- Read Romans 8:10- 15/ Pray

Point 1 – If Christ is in you … (10-11)

- And – joins words above again as one thought; very imp in teaching as one lesson

- If Christ is in you (affirms v9) – demonstrates cause and effect

-- IF is followed by a THEN … which means that God must be first, THEN …

- There is no longer control over the body by sin; and this is Paul’s testimony

- V11 – Very important to note even who raised Christ from the Dead

-- KJV: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you …” – It is God who does the work, it is to God that we owe the glory

- 1 Cor 6:14, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” – This is a constant lesson and CLEAR example of God’s love for us

- Something very important to note here is that there truly is no condemnation

-- This clearly means that the same God who raised us, forgets our sins as well

- Story:

A young nun once claimed to have had a vision of Jesus. Her bishop decided to test her truthfulness and ordered that the next time she had a vision she should ask Christ what the bishop’s primary sin had been before he became a bishop.

Some months later the nun returned and the bishop asked if she had asked Christ the question, to which she affirmed that she had. "And what did he say?" the bishop asked, apprehensively.

"Christ said..." and the nun paused a moment... "He said, ‘I don’t remember. ’"

We have a God who not only forgives but forgets!

(Analogy from Donald Deffnew, Seasonal Illustrations, Resource, 1992, p. 94)

- Psalm 103:12, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

- TRANS: We were forgiven because we could NEVER do it ourselves

Point 2 – … We have a debt we could never repay (12-15)

- We are not under the control of the flesh nor should we be captive to it

- Gal 6:8, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

- It is the flesh that is put to death through the power of the cross

- But if we continue to live by the flesh and claim to have Christ; are we sure?

- When the Spirit of the Lord is in charge, we are considered Sons/Daughters

- But what about those who are not led by the Spirit of the Lord?

-- John 8:44, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

- There is no fear, no condemnation, and no reason to be slaves to fear

- There is adoption in Christ – there is total fellowship in the Spirit …

-- “Abba, Father” … Dear, Daddy; My, Father; Precious, Father;

-- Sometimes we need to get this honest with ourselves and cry out to Him

-- Gal 4:6, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

- If God is truly (key) in the place of being our Father, then our role is simple:

-- Eph 1:5, “… he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”