HOW DO WE LIVE HOLY LIVES
ROMANS 8:11-17
INTRO
I. LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT BEING DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE IN CHRIST JESUS.
A. We (I think) were reminded that SIN does not HAVE to reign in our mortal bodies…But it can!!!
B. This morning I would like to ask three questions…
1. How is it possible to carry out?
2. Why is this principle so vital for God’s Children to Carry out?
3. What are the results of both obedience and disobedience to this command to live holy lives?
Romans 8:11 - 17 (NKJV) 11But 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. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For 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. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and 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.
Question #1…How is it possible for us to carry out the command to “be ye holy”?
Answer: We must first of all be Born Again!!!
I. What Is the Test of a Born-Again Believer?
A. One is not marked as a believer by a mere profession of faith, but rather by being indwelt and led by God’s Spirit.
1. We are told that the Holy Spirit dwells in us as believers in Christ (Rom. 8:9-11).
2. Paul uses this same idea when he speaks of our being “sealed” by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
3. We are consequently led by Him (Rom. 8:14).
4. What does led by mean??? It means all our actions, thoughts, and ideas should be directed by God’s Spirit living in us!
5. Why is that so hard???
6. Because just like Paul, there is another Spirit that dwells in us…and that is the Spirit of sin and disobedience.
B. In Romans 7:17, Paul uses the same words (“dwell in”) to refer to sin dwelling in him as when he speaks of the Spirit dwelling in him.
1. Therefore, Paul is saying that his sinful nature has not been eradicated by the entrance of the Holy Spirit into his life.
2. But…its ability to control his life had ended on the road to Damascus.
C. Paul desired to serve the indwelling Spirit instead of the sinful flesh which struggled against this.
1. A true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will want to be led of the Spirit of God!
2. He or she will not want to be led by the spirit of disobedience.
D. If he had been led ( remembering what led by means…What determines our thoughts, ideas, and actions) by his old nature, one could question whether he were truly saved.
E. This is confirmed by Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
F. The verb for “quicken means shall make alive.” Once we have come to possess spiritual life by means of the implanted Spirit, or after having been “born again” it is impossible for the dead flesh to rule over the live Spirit on a permanent basis.
1 John 3:7 - 9 (NKJV) 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
Question # 2. Why is this principle so vital for God’s Children to Carry out?
II. The Born-Again Believer Has a Responsibility to Follow the Spirit
A. The Lord does not produce in us a static, dormant stupor when the Spirit enters.
1. In fact, just the opposite occurs;
2. He immediately brings to us a Spiritual consciousness that has been dead and dormant in our hearts since the day we were born.
3. We don’t even begin to live until His Holy Spirit moves into our heart and CHANGES us into a Holy, and Supernatural being!
4. We are immediately called into active combat...
5. Not just against our own sin nature…but against the forces of Satan himself…
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of £the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
6. He raises us up to be Spiritual Warriors!
7. He expects us to fight on …even in the face of overwhelming odds…
8. And He expects us to fight the enemy no matter where we find him…even within ourselves.
B. “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh” (Rom. 8:12).
C. We do not owe our flesh One Single Thing…because in our flesh there is nothing good!
Romans 7:18 (NKJV) 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
James 1:16 - 18 (NKJV) 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
D. The expression, “we are debtors” indicates that we are under obligation to God.
E. Because we personally did nothing to merit the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are indebted to God for His presence in our lives.
F. We are indebted to Him as our:
Savior
King
Redeemer
Sustainer
High Priest
Intercessor
Sacrifice
The Giver of Life Itself.
G. The way we repay God for His grace is to follow after the Spirit and not the flesh.
Question #3. What are the results of both obedience and disobedience to this command to live holy lives?
III. There Are Inevitable Consequences of Our Lifestyles…both Good and Bad
1. One of the first lessons we learn as a child is that actions have consequences…and that they are usually related to each other. (First thing we learn is NO)
2. Even as adults know that our actions have consequences.
3. If we follow the laws of the land, the police officers that uphold the law are there to help us. We enjoy their protection.
4. But if we break those same laws…we find ourselves on the opposite side of those who are tasked to protect and preserve…and find that they are now hunting us down.
God’s laws are the same way…
There are consequences for those who fail to follow them…
As well as for those who do not.
A. Paul declares in Romans 8:13, 14 that our way of life clearly demonstrates whether we have been born again into God’s family.
1. Are we to judge each other…no…but Being a fruit inspector is not wrong…
Matthew 7:16 - 20 (NKJV) 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
2. I’m not very good at recognizing what species a tree is…
3. But let it bear fruit and I become an expert!
4. And God’s Word is very clear…if a person knows the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior…there ought to be enough fruit in their lives to back it up!
B. “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die” (Rom 8:13).
1. Such a person clearly does not have the Spirit in him and will be eternally separated from God, no matter what profession of faith he makes…it is not the profession that saves.
2. He is excluded because his life yields the fruits of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).
C. Those who follow the Spirit, on the other hand, grow from the immature state of childhood to the maturity of sonship [Rom. 8:14]),
D. Those who mature Spiritually, voluntarily conform to Jesus Christ.
E. Their conformity to Christ confirms that they were indeed born again and are “joint-heirs” with Christ.
F. In Romans 8:16 the word “children” is used: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” This means “one born,” thus, it refers to the new birth.
G. Afterwards, however, comes the maturation process.
1. However, unlike the physical baby, Spiritual growth is up to the individual.
2. Given food and water…a natural…normal physical baby will automatically grow into maturity.
3. But note this…someone else has to care for the physical baby until it learns to care for itself or it will starve and die!
4. It can’t feed itself…or clothe itself…or bathe itself…it needs care if it is going to survive.
5. It is no different for the Spiritually born!
6. They also need Spiritual Food (God’s Word) and they need water (Holy Spirit) or else they will stave out and fail to grow too.
7. They will remain a Spiritual Babe all their life.
8. And we need to help them until they can learn to help themselves.
H. This growth into sonship is achieved by means of obedience to the Holy Spirit in our lives.
1. It is only…only…as we submit ourselves to the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit…that we truly begin to live what Jesus calls the “abundant life”.
John 10:10 (NKJV) 10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
2. All of us who are gathered here this morning who know the Lord Jesus Christ have life…
3. How many of us here have the “abundant life”?
4. That kind of life only comes about by being led by the Holy Spirit!
5. Remember what led by means…that means that every thought, action and idea is determined by the Spirit of God.
CONCLUSION
A. At the beginning of this message I asked you three questions that I believe we have answered.
1. It is possible to live holy lives ONLY if we are truly born again!
2. It is of vital importance for us to attempt to live Holy lives because we have a responsibility to God to do so.
3. We need to remember, there are consequences no matter how we choose to live our lives…pick the good ones!
B. Here’s the great thing…it’s never too late to start living for God!
