What a great comfort, what a blessed assurance to read the phrase: “but God” in the Bible. It tells us of a bad situation but God in His unfailing love has time and again demonstrated His mercy by an act of deliverance. The servants of God in the Old Testament were in distress with a threat of possible harm but God delivered them. Jacob was about to be harmed by his father-in-law Laban but God protected him (Genesis 31:7). King Saul pursued David relentlessly but God protected him. In both events Jacob and David remained calm and did not take matters into their own hands because they trusted that God would protect and help them.
We too had our troubles and adversities in this life. Some of us have lost their homes, we have lost our loved ones, some of us lost their jobs, and many more unwanted burden and troubles but the greatest loss a man can ever suffer is when he loses his soul. “What profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?”
Mark 8:36-37
36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
What can one give in exchange for his soul? Can our own righteousness or good works cover our sins? The Bible does not say so. Rather, it is the love of God that He demonstrated by giving us His Son Jesus Christ to save our soul.
Romans 5:6-8 – God demonstrated His love by giving us Jesus Christ.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Titus 3:4-7 (We were saved by His mercy and grace and not by our own righteousness)
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
What a great salvation we have in Christ! Apostle Paul announced: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! “
There are more blessings that follow our salvation. Let us discuss just a few of them found in the Book of Romans 8:1-17:
In this passage of the scripture Paul writes about the freedom from sin that one finds in Christ. I hope that after reading this article, you can truly appreciate the blessings we have in Christ more fully. I want you to focus your attention on these two important things:
1. In Christ we have freedom from the condemnation of sin.
2. In Christ we have freedom from the bondage of sin.
Main Points
I. IN CHRIST WE HAVE FREEDOM FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN
Romans 8:1-4
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c]And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
A. WE WERE ONCE SINNERS
1. Everyone is guilty of sin
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
1 John 1:8
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
2. A single sin separates us from God.
James 2:10-11
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[a] also said, “You shall not murder.”[b] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
3. Unforgiven sin separates us from God
Isaiah 59:1-2
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;0n
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
4. The ultimate condemnation is death
- Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:8
8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
B. BUTTHERE IS NOW FREEDOM
1. From condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is the Good News. In Christ we were declared NOT GUILTY.
Romans 6:23 - the punishment for sin is death, but the Spirit says: there is ETERNAL life in Christ Jesus.
a. For in Christ there is propitiation, redemption, and justification.
Romans 3:24-26
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
b. For in obedience to the Gospel there is death to sin and newness of life.
Romans 6:3-8
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
2. This is confirmed by:
a. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:2
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a]free from the law of sin and death.
b. Made possible by the death of Christ
Romans 8:3
3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[a]God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[b] And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
a) Doing what the Law of Moses could not do
b) Condemning sin in the flesh
c) Fulfilling the righteous requirement of the Law for us
3. Who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit
Romans 8:4
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
B. Under the Old Testament order:
1. Attention was directed to specific commands of “Thou shalt not do this, thou shalt not do that” Wheras in the New Testament, the believer lives a life of love, and harmony with the Spirit of God.
2. The Old Testament Law is written on tablets of stone. The Law of the Spirit is written on our hearts.
3. When we make the commands of Jesus into a set of rules and regulations that we are compelled to follow, the sinful nature of the flesh springs up. The flesh does not like to submit to rules and regulations. This is what it means when we can only fulfill the righteous requirements of the law when we walk in the Spirit.
4. Observe: that one who walks in the Spirit bears the fruit of the Spirit..
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
II. IN CHRIST WE HAVE FREEDOM FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN
Romans 8:14-17
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] 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.
A. WE WERE SLAVES TO SIN
1. When one commits sin, they become a slave of sin (John 8:34)
2. Paul vividly depicted his life under the bondage of sin
Romans 7:14-25
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
The testimony of apostle Paul:
a. He was "sold under sin"
b. He could not do what he wanted, and what he did not wish to
do, he did
c. He found that "sin dwells in me"
d. Though he desired to do good, "how to perform what is good I
do not find"
e. He was brought "into captivity to the law of sin which is in
my members"
f. It made him "wretched", crying out for deliverance from
"this body of death"
Do you share the experience of apostle Paul? Was there a time in your life when you wanted to do good but ended u[ doing evil? Were you once overwhelmed with guilt and hoped that you can start all over?
Were you overcome with sorrow for your sins that you decided to seek for divine help from God? Did your sorrow lead you to repentance?
B. IN CHRIST THERE IS FREEDOM FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN
Romans 7:24-25
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[b] a slave to the law of sin.
1. For those who live according to the Spirit, not the flesh.
Romans 8:5-8
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
The Holy Spirit in our inner being makes Christians different from the rest of the world. Some believers simply ignore him. Still others go to the extreme of claiming miraculous power compared to the miracles performed by Christians during the early days of Christianity. To be sure, these miraculous powers were given from above so that they may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and thereby hasten the proclamation of the Gospel. When the perfect thing, the Bible, has come, miraculous powers have ceased ( 1 Corinthians 13:10). I do believe in miracles – the providential miracle of prayer. God gives me anything I ask in accordance with His will. Here in Chapter 8 in the book Romans we find the true purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives..
a. By setting their minds on the things of the Spirit, not the
things of the flesh
b. Whereby they can enjoy life and peace, not death
1. For those who have the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:9-11
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] 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 because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
a. A blessing for those who belong to Christ - Acts 2:38; Titus 3:4-7
b. Providing life to our mortal bodies that were dead because
of sin – (Romans 6:12-14)
3. For those who by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body
Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
a. Who are no longer indebted to live according to the flesh
Romans 6:16-19
1 6 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
b. We were made Holy when we obeyed the Gospel. We were sanctified (I Corinthians 6:11). Therefore we do not obey the commands of Jesus in order to be Holy. Rather, let us work out our holiness, by obeying his commands as we are led by the Spirit.
c. Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
John 4:15
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
4. For those who are children of God are joint-heirs with Christ
Romans 8:14-17
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] 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.
