Holy Spirit: The Power of the Spirit, Unleashing The Lion Within
Romans 8:1-17 NLT
INTRO:
This morning we take a look into one of the most important passages in all of Scripture.
Its subject cannot be overemphasized: The power of God's Spirit in the life of the believer.
If the believer needs anything, he needs the power of God's Spirit.
We live in a world that is at best unsettling…
We recoil in horror at the brutality of the crimes that are committed all around us.
> Senseless murders: 80 Y/O woman in church.
> People killing and abusing their own children.
> Drug use and spouse abuse are rampant in our homes today.
> Alcoholism and Gambling are taking food from the tables in the Land of Plenty.
We enter into relations knowing that 50% of them are going to fail.
We live in a society where we can’t let our kids out of our sight for a moment.
We hold our breath every time the doctor comes into the room…waiting for the shoe to fall!
We watch as our once stable and seemingly indestructible economy teeters on the brink of insolvency.
We watch the news in sorrow at the deaths of those this week in the Ouachita mountains.
We hide behind locked doors, fearing to even go out and to minister to those in need.
Content to just take care of ourselves…
If there is anything the believer needs today, it is peace and security.
I don’t know about you, but I sure would feel better if I could just get a Lion to go everywhere with me???
Story of hearing the lions and tigers growling and roaring at the Big Cat Rescue Farm.
I’m pretty convinced that if I had one of them with me everywhere I went, no one would mess with me!!!
Scripture tell us that we have within us a power that is even greater than the lions.
Imagine if you will the difference that it would make in your lives to unleash that power…to be able to bring it to bear against every situation you face…would that change how you face each day??? Sure it would.
Scripture tells us in Rev 5:5 that Jesus is the Lion of Judah…and in Proverbs 28:1 we are told how to use this power in our own lives.
Proverbs 28:1 (NKJV) 1The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
Forcefully, Scripture spells out point by point what the power of the Holy Spirit is.
READ TEXT Romans 8:1-17
1. The Holy Spirit has the Power to Deliver us from Condemnation!
1. "No condemnation" (ouden katakrima PWS: 2664) means that the believer is not doomed and damned, but is freed from the penalty and condemnation of sin; he is not judged as a sinner, but is delivered from the condemnation of death and hell; he is not judged to be unrighteous, but is counted to be righteous.
2. Notice what the inverse of this scripture states…befor Jesus came…all men were condemned..
3. But since Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, the Holy Spirit has the power to deliver us from condemnation…IF…IF…we belong to Him!!!
4. But those who do not belong to Him…will die in their condemned state and spend eternity in hell.
2. The Holy Spirit has the Power to give us Life…
What do you mean by that? Very simply, life is in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. Whatever life is—energy, being, spirit, love, joy, peace—it is all in Jesus Christ and nowhere else. Within Christ, within His very being is the Spirit of life, the very energy and being of life.
John 1:4 (NKJV) 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 5:12 (NKJV) 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Now for the critical question. How does the Spirit give life? How does a person go about securing "the Spirit of life" so that he may not die but live forever?
1. The Spirit gives life by freeing the believer from sin and death, that is, from the "law of sin and death."
The Holy Spirit frees the believer to live as Christ lived, to actually live out the life which Christ lived.
2. The Spirit gives life by doing what the law could not do. The law could not make man righteous because man's flesh is too weak to keep the law. No man has ever been able to keep the law of God, not to perfection or even close to perfection. All flesh has miserably failed—come far short of God's glory and law. Consequently, all flesh dies physically and spiritually. Therefore, righteousness and life just cannot come by the law. But what the law could not do, the Spirit is able to do. He can provide righteousness and life.
3. The Spirit gives life by Christ condemning sin in the flesh
4. The Spirit gives life by Christ providing righteousness for us. He provides righteousness for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. This is a most marvelous statement, a glorious truth.
a. The Spirit "fulfills righteousness in us." He credits righteousness as being in us. When?
⇒ When we believe that Jesus Christ is our righteousness, the sinless and perfect Son of God.
⇒ When we believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior, the One who died for us.
When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God fulfills righteousness in us; that is, He takes the righteousness of Jesus Christ (which is the righteousness of the law) and credits it to us. He actually places within us the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He places the Divine nature (righteousness) of God in us
It is critical to see this fact, for the Spirit fulfills righteousness in us, not by us. We do not and cannot even come close to keeping the law perfectly, but Christ did!!
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
3. The Holy Spirit has the Power to make us think on Godly things, not worldly
This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture, for it discusses the human mind: "As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).
Where a man keeps his mind and what he thinks about determine who he is and what he does.
If a man keeps his mind and thoughts in the gutter, he becomes part of the filth in the gutter. If he keeps his mind upon the good, he becomes good.
A man becomes and does what he thinks. It is the law of the mind. Scripture says three things about the power of the Spirit and of the human mind.
1. There is the carnal mind vs. the spiritual mind. The carnal mind is the mind of man's flesh or body. The phrase "to be carnally minded" (to phronēma tēs sarkos PWS: 509, Romans 8:6) means the mind of the flesh. It is the mind with which man is born, the fleshly mind which he inherits from his parents.
The carnal mind focuses upon three areas of life, or to word it another way, there are three directions of thought the carnal mind takes:
a. The carnal mind may focus upon the base, the immoral, the violent, the material, and the physical. This is usually the life-style most people think about when a carnal or fleshly person is mentioned. The minds of some are consumed with the lust for sex, power, money, houses, lands, furnishings, recognition, position—concerned and filled with the earthly and the worldly.
b. The carnal mind may focus upon the moral, upright, and cultured life. Some minds are centered upon the welfare and comfort of themselves and of their society. They want themselves and their society to be as refined and educated, as moral and upright as possible, so they focus their minds upon such commendable ends.
c. The carnal mind may also focus upon religion: upon living a religious life of benevolence and good works, of ceremony and ritual. However, note again: a person can be a strict religionist and still live separate from God.
2. There is the spiritual mind. It is the natural mind of man that has been renewed by the Spirit of God.
The words "spiritually minded mean to be possessed by the Spirit or to be controlled and dominated by the Spirit. It means that the man who walks after the Spirit minds "the things of the Spirit" day by day.
And note: it is the Spirit of God who draws the believer's mind to focus upon spiritual things. The Spirit of God lives within the believer. He is there to work within the believer, both to will and to do God's pleasure; He is there to keep the mind and thoughts of the believer focused upon spiritual things.
a. The believer keeps his mind upon developing spiritual character and fruit.
b. The believer keeps his mind upon carrying out the ministry and mission of Christ.
c. The believer keeps his mind upon knowing, believing, and understanding God.
d. The believer keeps his mind upon being conformed more and more to the image of Christ.
3. There is the fate of both minds. The carnal mind is strongly warned, whereas the spiritual mind is assured and comforted.
a. The fate of the carnal mind is death. By death is meant spiritual death, being separated and cut off from God eternally. It means the soul is dead now, while the man lives on this earth; and it means that the soul remains dead (separated and cut off from God) even when the man enters the next world. The carnal mind...
• cannot ignore God now and expect to have thoughts of God in the next world.
• cannot focus upon the flesh now and expect to focus upon God in the next world.
• cannot think as it wills now and expect to think as God wills in the next world.
• cannot have a worldly mind now and expect to have a spiritual mind in the next world.
• cannot choose the flesh now and expect to be saved from the flesh in the next world.
• cannot reject God now and expect to be accepted by God in the next world.
Very simply stated, whatever the mind chooses will follow us into eternity.
If the mind chooses the flesh instead of God, then the choice is made. The mind will continue on without God from now on, forever and ever.
b. The fate of the spiritual mind is life and peace. It is the very opposite of death. The spiritual mind is a state of mind, a mind that is filled with life and peace, with thoughts of life and peace. The spiritual mind dwells in life; it lives all that life was intended to be and lives it eternally. The spiritual mind is full...
• of meaning, purpose, and significance.
• of assurance and confidence.
• of joy and rejoicing.
• of knowing, believing, and understanding God.
• of spiritual fruit, the fruit of love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23).
The spiritual mind is also full of peace.
The man who is spiritually minded is at peace with God: he knows that his sins are forgiven
He also dwells in the peace of God: he experiences the day by day care and guidance of God.
The spiritual mind, the mind that focuses upon the things of the spirit, knows and experiences life and peace. Life and peace are its destiny forever and ever. Such is the promise of God and the testimony of His saints who have gone on before. To be spiritually minded reaps its reward, and its reward is eternal life and peace.
4. The Holy Spirit has the Power to Dwell within us!!!
1. The power of the Spirit is seen in the word "dwell" (oikeō PWS: 1188). The word "dwell" is the picture of a home (oikos). The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer: He makes His home, takes up residence, and lives within the believer just as we live in our homes.
2. The power of the Spirit creates the glorious truth of the indwelling presence of God within the believer and of the believer within God.
⇒ The believer is said to be "in the [Holy] Spirit" (Romans 8:9).
⇒ The Spirit of God is said to "dwell" in the believer (Romans 8:9).
⇒ The believer is said to have "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9).
⇒ Christ is said to be in the believer (Romans 8:10).
3. The power of the Spirit removes the believer from being "in" the flesh and places him within Himself, within the Spirit of God. Very simply...
• the believer is no longer positioned "in" the flesh: • the believer is positioned "in" the Spirit of God.
4. The power of the Spirit identifies the believer as being "in" Christ. This is easily seen. Whatever spirit a man CHOOSES to allow to dwell within him, it is that spirit to whom man belongs.
If he has the spirit of selfishness within, he belongs to the spirit of selfishness and is known as being selfish. If he has the spirit of complaining, he belongs to the spirit of complaining and is known as being a complainer. If he has the spirit of evil, he belongs to evil and is known as an evil person.
If he has the spirit of caring, he belongs to the spirit of caring, and he is known as a caring person.
If he has the Spirit of Christ, he belongs to Christ and is known as a follower of Christ.
5. The Holy Spirit has Resurrection Power!!!
The idea of the Greek makes this verse clear: "If Christ be in you, although the body is to die because of sin, the spirit shall live because of righteousness.
1. The Spirit of Christ gives life to the spirit of man now, the very moment a person believes. Man's body is to die because of sin: the body is corruptible, aging, deteriorating, decaying, and dying. It is in a process of dying—in such a rapid movement toward death—that it can actually be said to be dead. The body is dying; therefore, its death is inevitable. However, it is in the midst of death that the Spirit of Christ enters. He enters and converts the spirit of man from death to life. How?
John 5:24 (NKJV) 24“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
2. The Spirit of Christ quickens the mortal body in the future, in the great day of redemption. Note two things.
a. The word "quicken" means to make alive, to give life, to cause to live, to renew and remake life.
b. The "mortal body" shall be quickened and made alive.
⇒ The mortal body is the same body that died.
=>The person is the very same person. Acts 1:11 This SAME Jesus…
⇒ The mortal body is given a totally new life; its elements are recreated and remade into a perfect and eternal body.
=> Some of us are going to have to change a LOT!!!
6. The Holy Spirit has the Power to “Mortify”(put to death) our sinful deeds.
Make no mistake about it….Temptation is real…It is one of the most powerful enemies we as humans face…AND…sin is appealing…It looks good…it feels good…It tastes good…It appeals to all of our basic senses…and it is hard to overcome!!! I say hard…but I could say that by ourselves it is IMPOSSIBLE!
However, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit of God it is POSSIBLE to defeat temptation and live for God!!! If a man mortifies or puts to death the deeds of his body, he shall live.
a. "The deeds of the body" mean the evil deeds, the evil lusts and passions, the desires and urges that lead to sin and shame, destruction and death.
b. To "mortify" (thanatoute PWS: 2623) means to put to death. The idea is that of denying, subjecting, subduing, deadening, destroying the strength of.
c. The power to "mortify" (thanatoute PWS: 2623) the evil deeds of the body comes "through the Spirit." However, note this: we deny the evil deeds, and then the Spirit gives the strength to deaden and to subdue their strength. But note…He cannot destroy the strength of sin unless we exercise our will and work to destroy it ourselves
⇒ Our part is to will to follow the Spirit: to mortify the evil deeds and begin to deny them
⇒ The Spirit's part is to deaden and subdue and eventually to destroy the strength of evil deeds.
The conquest of evil deeds is not an immediate, once-for-all thing. It is a continuous struggle as long as we live in the flesh.
7. The Holy Spirit has the Power to lead and guide the believer…
⇒ There is the idea of carrying and bearing along. The Spirit leads the believer and carries him through the trials of this life. He bears the believer up, carrying him over the corruptions of this world.
This is one of the great powers of the Holy Spirit, the power to lead the believer and to become involved in his life.
Now note a crucial point. The evidence or proof that a person is a son of God is just this: Is the person led by the Spirit of God?
⇒ Is the person being carried through the trials of life victoriously, acknowledging God and rejoicing in His strength and eternal security?
⇒ Is the person being led along the way of righteousness and truth?
⇒ Is the person being directed and brought along on the course to heaven, to spend eternity with God?
Very simply, is the person living for God and talking about the things of God? The person who is truly led by the Spirit is wrapped up in the things of God, for he is a son of God. He rejoices in his Father and seeks to please His Father in all that he does.
8. The Holy Spirit has the Power to Adopt us into God’s Family…
1. The Spirit delivers man from a terrible spirit—"the spirit of bondage." Note what the bondage is: it is fear. Man is gripped by the bondage of fear, usually experiencing some apprehension, anxiety, tension, dread, alarm, danger, terror. Man is usually sensing some subjection, some enslavement to some form of fear. The one spirit with which all men are familiar is the spirit of fear. But who do we have to fear when we can call Almighty God Father???
2. The Spirit gives access into God's presence. The believer is a son of God with all the privileges of sonship, especially the privilege of access—of entering God's presence anytime and anyplace. It is this wonderful privilege that enables the believer to break the bondage of fear and to conquer the spirit of fear.
No matter what faces the believer, the believer is able...
• to enter the presence of God.
• to lay his fear before God.
• to cry out, "Father, Father—help me!"
• to know that God will help him, for God loves him as His adopted son.
Even in our society to an adoption can never be undone…an adopted child can never be cut out of the family!!!
9. The Holy Spirit has the Power to Bear witness to our Spirit…
There are 4 things the Holy Spirit will impress upon our spirit…
1. The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are the children of God. Very simply stated, the Holy Spirit quickens our hearts with the perfect knowledge and the complete confidence that we are children of God.
2. The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are the heirs of God. If God is truly our Father, then we inherit what He possesses.
a. We are heirs of eternal life.
b. We are heirs of salvation.
d. We are heirs of glory.
e. We are heirs of righteousness.
f. We are heirs of the grace of life.
3. The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are joint-heirs with Christ. However, this does not mean that we will receive an equal amount or quantity with Christ.
4. The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are conquerors over suffering.
The world and its citizens oppose the believer by their very nature. The believer stands for and proclaims righteousness and self-denial, the sacrifice of all one is and has. The world opposes such a life and message, and they desire to stamp it out
The person who is a true follower of Christ proclaims and stands for Christ; therefore, he suffers the persecution of the world even as Christ did.
And because he does suffer with Christ, he will share in the glory of Christ as well.
CONCLUSION
We have learned a lot about the wonderful Holy Spirit of God in the last three weeks…
Let me ask you a question???
Is there anyone here who would NOT like to have God’s Holy Spirit walking daily by their side?
Is there anyone here who would NOT want to experience the benefits of being filled with the Holy Spirit?
How many here today have sinned against God by quenching, or neglecting the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
How many here today see the need for making that right…submitting to His leadership…His guidance…and His truth?
