Do you want other people to like you?
I think the answer for all of us is yes. In our heart, we all have a desire to be approved – to be liked. Often we allow our sense of self-esteem to be based on the opinions others have of us.
Why is it that we so often feel or think badly about ourselves?
Is it because deep down we have a sense that we have failed in some way – failed either to please those around us, ourselves – or our God?
If you have read the book of Romans, The Apostle Paul in the first seven chapters, seems almost to strengthen our notions of failure, especially when we realize whatever shred of self-reliance, self-sufficiency, or self-justification we have created is useless in the quest for acceptance.
Paul tells us In our flesh, that is in our old nature, dwells no good thing. In fact, Paul tells us when we try to do good we do bad, and when good needs to be done, we do not do it.
Paul sums it up at the end of Romans chapter 7 by saying: in verse 24 “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Then, he answers his own question in the same breath: Romans 7:25 “ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. ”
As we continue in our series, dare to be different, this month across our group of churches our theme is 'different family'. If you are in Christ, if you have repented and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then the Bible says you are a child of God. Your relationship with God has been restored, you are reconciled to our Heavenly Father.
Your acceptance by God is not through your own efforts, not through your family line, not through your associations or deeds. You are accepted, adopted if you will, by God the Father because of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.
The message of Romans chapter 8, which is what I want us to focus on this morning is in Christ we are rescued, cleansed, loved, then empowered and changed.
There are three points to the sermon this morning, Different Freedom, Different Father and Different Faith.
First point: Different Freedom
Romans 8:1, So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Trusting Jesus brings us freedom from condemnation. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, how you’ve acted,
who you are, how much you think you have failed, if you are in Christ, you are NOT condemned anymore. If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished.
Paul then tells us why this is a reality. Verses 2-4,
2 And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
So in Christ we are not condemned, we are not punished because we have been set free – but set free from what? Verse 5-8,
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
How much control do you allow the Holy Spirit to have in your life?
Maybe it seems a little odd to talk about control when I’m speaking about Freedom. But the truth is God has given us free will, He has given us the choice to choose between our own sinful nature or allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in God’s ways. Paul is telling us here that we have been empowered and set free so we can now choose which mind will control us.
Jesus said, “You cannot serve two masters.” Before I was a Christian my sinful nature controlled my mind. As a Christian, I chose to allow the Holy Spirit to take control.
Maybe we like to think of ourselves as independent, different from the crowd, masters of our own destiny, the reality is we are not. All of us are controlled – either by our sin or by the Spirit of God. Verse 9-11, 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
A life controlled by Jesus has order and purpose. This truth becomes more evident in our lives the more time we spend in Christ. Our Different Freedom comes from us choosing to give constant control of our lives to Jesus.
There is another wonderful promise in these verses, for now, we continue to live in bodies and live with a nature that is opposed to God but one day our perishable bodies will put on an imperishable nature. Like Jesus, we will have a perfect, indestructible body without a sinful nature. Perfect, no aches, no pains, no problems, perfect – won’t that be wonderful?
Verse 12-14, 12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 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.
Paul says we have no obligation to sin, the word Paul uses here refers to owing a debt.
We have no debt to sin, Christ has paid our debt in His perfect sacrifice on the cross.
I would suggest, we do have an obligation to someone, we have an obligation to Jesus. God the Father forgave us because of the death of Christ, and now we live empowered by the Holy Spirit. Yes, salvation is a free gift to all who trust in Jesus, He has purchased us with His blood, He owns us, the debt we owe Him is a debt we could never pay. Out of our love for Him, our obligation to Him is a spiritual reality which needs to be evident in our lives.
2nd Point: Different Father
Verse 14-17, 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share his suffering.
Father God is always there for us. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. In every man made religion man tries to reach God and never succeeds. In Christianity God is the one who reaches out to us. He is the one that provides us with the way to reach Him. In His love, He draws close to us and we must draw close to Him. We need to surrender control of our lives to our loving Heavenly Father.
There is so much truth here but the main point is this: When we come to Christ we don’t get condemned, we are welcomed into a different relationship, a special relationship. We are now children of God. We have a special closeness to God
There is something to sharing in Christ’s sufferings that is a part of this process of becoming a child of God
listen to what Paul says about it: Verse 18-25, 18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Having this new relationship means we will be changed
Right now creation itself has been waiting since the fall for the day when we receive new bodies. It hasn’t happened yet – but its coming. In the meantime, “wait patiently” Paul says. How – when we are constantly in this battle between flesh and spirit? Verse 26-27, 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
In the meantime, the Holy Spirit helps our weaknesses, don’t you love that? God’s Spirit searches your heart and then prays to the Father to bring about specific things in our lives that will align us to God’s will. Need a prayer partner? You’ve got one!
Next comes one of the most important concepts in this letter: Verse 28-30, 28And we know that God causes everything to work together or the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. 29 For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself. And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.
There is a lot of theology in these verses – and many books have been written on predestination and foreknowledge. What I want to focus on is verse 28, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
It all starts with that relationship. This promise does not extend to those outside of the relationship. In that case, this Scripture is true: 2 Peter 3:9, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Once that repentance happens ALL things work together for good. The word translated “work together” sunergeo (soon-erg-eh’-o) is a good one – it is where we get the word synergy. Synergy is where more than one thing works together well – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
In your life, an isolated event might seem bad – like being involved in a road accident. But that 'accident' could take you to a hospital where you are able to share Christ with someone who is dying and they turn to the Lord and go to heaven.
It “worked together” for good. The word “good” here means: “benefit.” It’s not “good” like “virtue.” There is an actual benefit that God works through circumstances – yes there will be suffering, but know that part of this relationship you have means, in the end, God will work even the bad to your benefit.
Final point: DIFFERENT FAITH Being a part of God’s family means we are blessed when we face difficulty.
Being part of God’s family means we do not face things alone. God is with us, and so are our brothers and sisters in God. Someone once said to me, “If anything ever happened to me, I know the church would be there for my family”. Family cares for family. God cares for all of us. God loves us.
Verse 31-36:
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.v35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)
God is on our side! We need fear no enemy, not losing our job, or sickness, or hardship, or even death and taxes. What a wonderful picture he is building – accepted into a new family all things work together for good and God, is now on our side, but it gets better. verse 37,
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
The word for “conquer” means “a means of success.” Not only that but it’s a “super” success.
We vanquish our foes, the enemy has nothing on us, we are valiant warriors, not on our own but “through Him who loved us.”
Sin no longer has mastery, trials no longer hold terror, life is no longer something to be dreaded because we ARE more than conquerors. It doesn’t mean we are free from suffering, but we are always connected to the One who works for our benefit – no matter what.
As if that weren’t enough, Paul puts the finishing touch on this wonderful chapter of promises with verse 38 and 39: 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What more could we ask for? –
nothing can separate us from God’s love
Paul lists four areas here:
“death nor life” meaning that nothing in our human existence can separate us from God’s love
“angels or demons” meaning nothing in the spiritual realm can separate us from God’s love –
“the present or the future” – and “height nor depth” suggesting that you can’t go anywhere where God’s love can’t go with you.
What great confidence we have, there is no one, nothing, no event, and at no time that you can be torn from God’s love in Jesus. There is no reason to fear. No reason to say “Oh, God can’t love me anymore after what I’ve done.”Oh yes, He can and He does.
Far from separating from you, He wants to forgive and cleanse you. Paul said I am convinced – are you? Nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Let’s believe it and rejoice in it.
Different Freedom, Different Father & Different Faith - Dare to step out today and face all those doubts, depressions and fears with Him, you are one of His children.
Audio for this sermon is available at: https://sermons.estuaryelim.church/20190324_ram_dean_courtier(freedomfatherfaith).mp3
