The Daily Christian Life II
Power for Living, part 2
Wildwind Community Church
David K. Flowers
August 5, 2007
Text – Romans 8:9-17
Do you know what I think is the number one problem with Christians today? I think it is they do not grasp what Christ has done for them, and how he has done it. This leads to an improper understanding of salvation, which necessarily leads to Christians who are uninformed and immature. I think of the main questions I deal with. How come I still struggle with sin, even though I am a Christian? What does it mean for me to grow in my faith? Why do I feel myself pulled in so many directions? How come I still feel so UNChristian at times? If God is living in me, why am I still drawn toward things that don’t please him, or how come I don’t automatically know what God would have me do in every situation? The answers to all of these questions, and more, are right here in the first 17 verses of Romans 8. And again, I’m not seeking to convince you of anything. As I preach through the message today, I’m simply going to ask you to be looking into your own heart and life, checking your own experience, to see if what I say is true. If this does not resonate with your own experience, disregard it. God will not have me bludgeon you into his kingdom. When it’s your time, you will see the truth of this for yourself.
Last week we covered verses 1-8 of Romans 8. This week we’ll look at verses 9-17. Let’s get busy and start by looking at our text. We left off last week dealing with what Paul called the “sinful nature,” or the “law of sin and death,” and how it keeps people under its control.
Romans 8:9-17 (NIV)
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Now don’t be overwhelmed by these large portions of scripture – remember, we’ll just be going verse by verse!
Verse 9 contains the word “however.”
Romans 8:9-17 (NIV)
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature…
Any time we see a “however” in scripture, we should look carefully at what has come before. And in this case, what comes immediately before is:
Romans 8:8 (NIV)
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. “You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” Now whether we’re talking about the sinful nature or about the Spirit of God, we’re talking about control here, aren’t we? The question is what controls you!
So let me just ask that question for a moment. What controls you? Lust for power, for money, for sex, for admiration, for success? Your circumstances? Your appetite? What controls you? Desire to know God, to follow a purpose for your life, to grow in virtue all your life? Something controls you.
Now when we think of being controlled by something, we often think of not having any choice! After all, if I’m under the control of alcohol, alcohol is making me do things, right? Certainly that is true. But do you know what else is true? In the case of alcohol, there was a time when I had a choice to make – a choice about whether or not to go to the party, whether or not to drink when I got there, whether to drink in moderation or to excess. Those are all choices, aren’t they? If I choose to go to the party, to drink when I get there, and to drink to excess, THAT is the point where I am now under the control of alcohol. I have placed myself under its control.
What controls you? At some point, you made a choice to give yourself over to whatever controls you. Those under the control of sin have sinned until they are now under its control. Those under God’s control have sought to do right until they are under the control of righteousness. Hear this my friends – what eventually comes to control you is up to you. But something will. As Bob Dylan said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody – it may be the devil, and it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
2 Peter 2:19 (GW)
19 … A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to.
That sounds terrible, but what the Apostle Paul is telling us in Romans 8 is that since this is true, give in to God and to right things instead of to God’s enemy and to sinful things. Place yourself under the control of God.
Romans 8:9 (NIV)
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
See, the issue is control. If God’s Spirit lives in you, you are to be controlled by God’s Spirit. This option is not available to those in whom God’s Spirit does not live. Why? Because remember:
Romans 8:8 (NIV)
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
My friends, this is a great place to begin today. If you are a believer, if God’s Spirit lives in you, then you are to be controlled by God’s Spirit. In other words, you are to allow yourself to live and make choices under God’s control.
It’s not robotic. Either way it is a choice, and it is a choice every day. Christians often think, “I’m a Christian and God gave me a new nature – why do I still desire to sin?” The answer is because you have to choose to live according to that new nature. Before you came to Christ you weren’t able to make the choice to please God. Now you can!
Verse 10:
Romans 8:10 (NIV)
10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Your body is dead because of sin? What does that mean? This is quite simple. Every time you sin, where does it happen? If you think about sinful things, where does it happen? In your body, specifically a place in your body called your brain. If you steal, where does that happen? In your body – in your hands. If you gossip, where does that happen? In your body, with your mouth. If you commit sexual sin, where does that happen? Obviously, in your body!
The Bible teaches that your body is used to sinning – it sins by force of habit. But your spirit is another story. If Christ is in you, your spirit is alive! God has taken a dead thing in you (your old dead spirit of sin) and raised it to life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP)
17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!
We are a new creation! That, my friends, is incredible news! So that’s verse 10.
Verse 11 is where this gets really amazing. You might think, “Great, if my body is dead but my spirit is alive, now what do I do? I guess I’m screwed, right, because my dead physical body happens to be the home for my alive spirit?” Look what Paul says:
Romans 8:11 (NIV)
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Your body is dead because of sin. Your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And because of that same righteousness, your body will also live again. Your body will serve another purpose. Your body will not always be a slave to sin. Your body will not be dead weight that you drag around with you all your life. There is a second chance not only for your spirit, but for your body as well! That’s why Paul wrote:
Romans 6:13 (NCV)
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to serve sin, as things to be used in doing evil. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used in doing good.
Back to choices, isn’t it? We must choose to come under, and live under, the control of God’s Spirit. And we must choose to use our bodies in a way that will fulfill God’s good purposes in us. Offer the parts of your body to God. “Want my hands, God? I will serve your children with them. Hey God, want my lips? I will speak of your grace with them. Want my feet, God? I’ll go wherever you want me to go. God, could you use my mind? I’ll clean it out and fill it with your Word.” Choices. Choices. Choices. Love that verse 11.
Verse 12 –
Romans 8:12 (NIV)
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
Because of what Christ is willing to do for us, raise our spirits and bodies to life, we have an obligation. “Obligation” from the Greek “opheiletes” (off-ee-LET-hayz), meaning “debtor.” In other words, we owe something to God. We are in his debt and have an obligation to him, but that obligation is not to live under the control of the sinful nature.
Verses 13 and 14 –
Romans 8:13-14 (NLT)
13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Last week we talked about Christ as spiritual water. If we neglect to drink, the outcome eventually will be death. Then there’s this critical sentence that could almost be our theme for last week and this week. “If through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
My friends, we miss this at our peril. What does it mean to live by the Spirit? It means putting to death the deeds of the sinful nature through the power of the Holy Spirit. That means a life lived in intentional denial of some desires that seem natural to us. Denial of pride, of greed, of lust, of anger, of emotional extremes. If through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
What is the way to spiritual life? Simply through praying a “salvation prayer?” Though just going to a church, just believing in God, just being a good person? Nope. The way to spiritual life involves putting to death the deeds of the sinful nature through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because who are God’s children? Those who are led by God’s Spirit – in other words, those who continually place themselves under the control of God’s Spirit living in them.
Romans 8:12-14 (NLT)
13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
What is really said here? Go with the flow and die. Do what comes naturally and die. Drift along all your life doing whatever you want to do, and die. Fail to live intentionally and die. Follow the path of least resistance and die. Choose the easy way and die. All of those things are the dictates of the sinful nature. The sinful nature, remember, is the habits of sin we have developed all our lives. It’s what comes easiest and most natural for us.
But if on the other hand we allow God’s Spirit inside us to direct our lives, if we learn to be sensitive to what God would have us do, if we practice denying ourselves of things that are contrary to his purposes for us, we will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. In other words, God’s children are the ones who call him Father. You and I both know not everyone calls God Father.
Verse 15 –
Romans 8:15 (KJV)
15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father"
My friends, some of us really need to hear this this morning. Christians have not received a spirit of bondage. Now Paul writes this knowing that there is a bondage that every human being understands. It is the bondage to fear. Fear is a universal human emotion. Think of the fear that haunts us hour by hour. Fear of suffering. Fear of disease. Fear of unemployment. Of loss of livelihood. Of not measuring up. Of failure and disapproval and blame. Of death and traumatic trials and loss of position and loss of spouse and falling short and punishment and condemnation and rejection.
Our text tells us we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear. If that isn’t good news, and news we need to all start acting on right now at this moment, I don’t know what is. That means that any fear you experience – any time you are fearful – that is not from God. Fear does not come from God. Not ever. Fear keeps us in bondage. Fear moves us into a world of dreadful possibilities where there is something awful around every corner. Some of us have made fear such a habit that the time when we are the most afraid is the time when the least is going wrong. We think, “Oh man – things are way too good here. That’s a bad sign.” And we dread what is to come.
It really does come down to a choice between faith and fear. We must choose what spirit we will live under the control of. Will we choose faith, to live under the control of God’s Spirit? Because if not, then we will live under the control of our sinful nature, and that will make us slaves to fear. Jesus said:
Luke 12:24 (MSG)
24 Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.
That’s how God wants us to live. Carefree in the care of God. God wants us to live with simple trust and faith in him. For too long I have allowed fear to dominate my life. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of illness, just fear of life. But fear is not of God and those of us who choose to place our lives under the control of God’s Spirit should be learning to live carefree in the care of God – to be delivered from the bondage of fear. Because we have not received a spirit of fear, but we…
Romans 8:15 (KJV)
15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father"
Abba, as I’ve taught here before, is a Hebrew word that means, “Daddy.” We have not received a Spirit of fear, but a Spirit that allows us to come to God and address him as Father, as daddy, as a child addressing a parent, knowing all is well when Dad is around.
At the end of this message today I’m going to give you a chance to come forward and pray. You can pray about anything you want, but my guess is that a lot of you today have issues with fear. We have not been clearly taught that fear is sin that we are not to tolerate in our lives. We have not been taught that fear is contrary to God’s Spirit and at the times we indulge fear, we have chosen not to live under God’s control. We need to choose God’s Spirit not only with regard to our sexual and financial and employment choices, but also our emotional lives. What will we choose to allow ourselves to think about, to dwell on, and to make a reality in our minds? I want to encourage you this morning to reject fear, as we ought to reject everything else in this world that does not come from God.
Verse 16
Romans 8:16 (NIV)
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
I have lived in quite a bit of confusion about what this means for many years, but recently I realized how simple it is. When a person comes to me and says, “How do I know if I have God’s Spirit in me?” I say, “Have you asked God to live in you, have you committed your life to Christ, have you declared your intention to serve God?” If they say “yes,” I say, “Are those things still your desire today?” If they say “Yes,” I say, “That’s how you know.” Only a person with God’s Spirit in them will want to live for God. That’s what Paul means when he says,
Romans 8:16 (NIV)
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
The desire to please God comes from only one place – God himself. So the desire in your Spirit to serve God comes from God’s Spirit alive in you. God’s Spirit testifies with your Spirit.
Finally, verse 17 –
Romans 8:17 (NIV)
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Makes sense, right? If Jesus is God’s son, and God adopts us as his children, then we are God’s heirs, and co-heirs with Christ, God’s son. A Father gives to his children all that he has. As God’s children we can expect him to give us everything he has, and everything Christ has. This means eternal life – a spirit that will never die. What’s that mean?
If you are Christian, eternal life does not simply mean going to heaven for eternity. Eternal life means a never-dying spirit that has already sprung to life in you! In other words, eternal life starts NOW! Your life that lasts eternally in the next world is the same life that begins here in this one. When you die, only your body dies. Your spirit – your eternal spirit that is the essence – the deepest reality – of who you are – never stops existing. Never. You pass from one life into another one, with not a moment’s gap in existence.
It does a great disservice to Christian ideas when heaven is simply some abstract place after death where we sit on clouds playing the harp. If I really thought that was heaven, I think I’d sign up for the other place. (I mean, forget harps. For me surely heaven is the place where the electric guitars are.) No my friends, eternal life begins here on this earth when God’s Spirit breathes into our Spirits the breath of life and our spirits spring to life for the first time, suddenly capable of living without sin. At that moment they take on a completely different quality and kind of life. Plants are alive, but not in the way cats are. Cats are alive, but not in the way human beings are. Human beings without Christ are alive, but not in the way human beings with Christ are. There are different levels of life and when Christ comes into our lives, he gives us the best kind of life – one that starts at that moment and never ends! It could be said that the Christ-follower is in heaven already, because they have already begun eternal life with Christ. And it could be said that the person without Christ is in hell already, because hell is simply the absence of God. Life with Christ is heaven. Life without Christ is hell. And those things are true, no matter which side of this world you’re on. Christians will inherit everything Christ has been given by God – including spirits that are alive to God and will spend all eternity with him, starting right here in this world.
John 10:10 (MSG)
10 …I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
Whether you are Christian today or not, have you ever considered that one of the most important things about you is that it is not within your power to stop existing? You were created with an eternal spirit, and you will exist forever in one form or another, regardless of what you choose to do. The only question is in what state you choose to exist, and in what relationship to God, your creator. And that is the most important question.
Romans 8:17 (NIV)
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Now what does “sharing in his sufferings” mean? That is where we’ll pick up next week.
I hope you are seeing why it’s critical for us to look so closely at this chapter. Without a good understanding of Romans 8, I don’t think a Christian can understand what it really means to live the Christian life. I hope if you are a Christian you will continue coming for the other messages in this series and that if you are not a Christian you will continue listening, asking questions, and investigating. God desires to know you, and for you to know him. It’s worth whatever time it takes to have your questions answered! Let’s pray.
Father, I thank you that I don’t have to change lives because that’s something I can leave in your hands. But as I leave it in your hands, God, I ask you to do it. Please do what I cannot do, work where I cannot work, be to people what this church cannot be. Hear the cries this morning of those seeking for you, and may they find you when they seek you with all their hearts. Amen.
