Title: “Liberated” Scripture: Romans 8:1-8
Type: Series Where: GNBC 5-30-21
Intro: On June 22, 1940, the French capitol of Paris began being occupied by the German Army. For the next four years it would remain occupied by the Germans and their puppet government. On Aug. 19, 1944, members of the Free French resistance, hearing reports of the coming of the French 2nd Armored Division and US Third Army, commanded by Gen. George Patton, rose up in battle. This band of men and women fought the German garrison for five days and suffering heavy casualties before the arrival of the French and American armor. In an act of valor, German General Dietrich Von Choltitz, the commander of Nazi forces in Paris, deliberately disobeyed Hitler’s direct orders to blow up and burn the city. The end result is that on Aug. 25, 1944, Choltitz, the German military governor of Paris, surrendered the garrison. Paris was a liberated city. Parisians were a liberated people. The liberation of Paris is an example of one of the great liberations in history. However, there is an even greater liberation spoken of in Romans 8:1-8. There are important truths for the liberated Christian to realize in Rom. 8:108.
Prop: Examining Romans 8:1-8 we ‘ll notice 2 fundamental truths all believers enjoy.
BG: 1. Romans 8 is the “highpoint” of the book. Lloyd-Jones/Godet even called in the “greatest chapter in the Bible.” 2. In Rom. 8 we see God is committed to rescuing us from the consequences of our sin. 3. Is a great chapter on sanctification. It is also a great chapter on Divine sovereignty.
Prop: Exam. Rom. 8:1-11 we’ll notice 2 fundamental truths all believers enjoy.
I. The Believer’s Liberation. Vv. 1-4
*The believer’s liberation is seen in 2 great privileges.
A. 1st Privilege: Salvation - “No Condemnation” v. 1
1. A Wonderful Assertion is Made by the Apostle.
a. “Therefore/Now” – We see in the use of the word “Therefore”, that the apostle is summing up his argument. However, don’t think that this is just a carry over from chapter 7. I believe this is the summation of the entire first 7 chapters of the book of Romans. For months as we worked through the hard statements of the first several chapters in Romans I told you: “Just wait, it’s gonna get a whole lot better!” Well, guess what? It just has! “Now” - refers to the great change that came about in salvation history when God sent His own Son to bear our sins on the cross. Now that Christ has come, we no longer need to bring the blood of sacrificial animals over and over again to atone for our sins. Once for all, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect and final sacrifice (Heb. 10:1-18)
b. Illust: On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. When he met his Cabinet on May 13 he told them that “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” He repeated that phrase later in the day when he asked the House of Commons for a vote of confidence in his new all-party government. For the first time, the people had hope but Churchill commented to General Ismay: “Poor people, poor people. They trust me, and I can give them nothing but disaster for quite a long time.” I beg to move, That this House welcomes the formation of a Government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion.” Five years later, on May 8, 1945, VE Day (European Liberation and Defeat of Germany) became the reality. The war had ended. Hostilities had ceased. Those years of conflict made the celebration of VE Day all the sweeter. Seeing our condition in the first 7 chapters of Romans makes the grand pronouncement of Liberation in chapter 8 all the sweeter for the believer.
2. The Believer’s Experience: “No Condemnation in Christ”!
a. “condemnation” – katarima. The first privilege of salvation is NO CONDEMNATION! This is essentially the same as “justification”. (Compare Rom. 5:1 w/ Rom. 8:1) The first chapters of Romans have declared us guilty under the Moral Law of God. We have sinned. The wages of that sin is death. We have no inherit righteousness. We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Yet, in Christ, all is forgiven, all is forgotten. You and I are freed from the curse of condemnation!
b. All too many Christians live defeated lives. They live under the heavy yoke of condemnation from past failures: broken relationships, immorality, addiction, lies of the enemy. If the devil can’t keep you from coming to Christ, he wants to keep you living in your prison on “Condemnation Row”. Let me encourage you, believer: “Change your address!” Illust: Think of the guilt and condemnation the author of this great epistle must have had! He had despised Christ. He had arrested and persecuted the Church. He was a witness and participant in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54ff). He arrested, imprisoned, and oversaw the murder of Christians. Consider the weight of guilt he must have carried! He was a heinously guilty sinner. I cannot imagine the joy with which he wrote: “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
B. 2nd Privilege of Salvation: “Liberation”.
1. The Christian is a Liberated Person.
a. “set you free” - past tense. Illust: “In Adam, we all stand before God as guilty and condemned to eternal punishment (5:16, 18). We’re on death row, awaiting the execution of the guilty verdict that has been passed. If we died in that condition, we would pass into eternal separation from God, the second death. But since Christ bore the punishment that we deserved, in Him we are set free so that we stand before God justified and acquitted, with all charges dismissed.” (Cole, Set Free)
b. From what were you “set free”? – A governing principle: “From the law of Sin and Death”. his refers to the strong principle or authority of sin that dominated your life as an unbeliever. Unchecked, that life under sin’s domination was leading you toward death. Illust: The world’s answer to the law of sin and death is to “fully own it”, “come out”, “come to terms with”…yet all that is doing is slowly killing you and compiling one’s guilt.
2. How can we consider our condition?
a. Illust: “Law of Sin and Death” – I think it is helpful for the believer to think of this not so much as a legislative decree or ruling, but more like a law of nature. “The Law of Sin and Death” is in some ways like the “Law of Gravity” it is working on us all the time, every moment of every day, and it will continue to work on us until a greater law supercedes its power on us. We all can agree that Gravity is a Law of Nature/Science. However, it doesn’t always work on us. How many have flown before? The phenomenon of “Lift” under the right conditions. The airfoil generates significantly more lift than the accompanying “drag”. Some may call this the Law of Buoyancy. This is how a ball held under water, when released, shoots to the surface or how a hot air balloon rises.
b. Theologically speaking, the “Law of Sin and Death” is in some ways like gravity. It is always working on fallen man. However, it’s power has been suspended or superceded by “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus”. When we are “in Christ”, like in an airplane or in a balloon, that alw is negating or overcoming the power of the other law! PTL! What is the effect: “It has SET YOU FREE from the Law of Sin and Death!” Set free! Liberated!
C. Two Key Words that Are Critical to Understand our Condition. Vv. 3-4
1. First key word – “Flesh” -sarx
a. “Flesh” fallen sinful nature (Rom. 7:14ff), Can mean physical flesh (Rom. 2:28), can mean “Human point of view” (Rom. 1:3,9:3). Yet here we see something unique to Paul. (Rom. 7&8). Paul uses the term to describe a contradiction of those not living the Christian life. (vv.4-5). Those in the “flesh” cannot please God. The mind set on “the flesh” is death, hostile to God. (vv.6-8)
b. What does the apostle mean? Human nature, with all is weaknesses and vulnerability to sin. It is the part of man that encourages sin. It’s fruit can be viewed in Gal. 5:19-21 (READ)
2. 2nd Key Word: “Spirit” - pneuma
a. “Spirit” -pneuma. Paul uses 19-20 times in this chapter! In OT word, “Ruach”, in NT is “pneuma” or wind. It is the Divine power of God n the indwelling Holy Spirit.
b. “Religion, no matter how conscientiously we follow it, cannot deliver anyone from the power of sin and death. All the good deeds in the world will not set you free from the law of sin and death. To be set free, you need new life imparted by God’s Spirit. Along with this new life comes complete justification from all your sins (8:1). But also, this new life means that you are now dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11). The new law of life in the Spirit frees you from the old law in which sin held you down, just as the law of aerodynamics frees a heavy plane from the law of gravity.” (Cole, ibid)
C. Applic: What is the end result of the Christian walking in the Spirit? Sanctification. (8:4a): “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, …” (e.g., Thomas Schreiner, F. F. Bruce, Martyn Lloyd-Jones) understand this to refer to the obedience of Christians who walk by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables them to obey God’s law because of Christ.
II. The Believer’s Changed Mind. Vv. 5-8
A. Our Mindset Expresses our Basic Nature. Vv.4-5
1. This is true whether one is a Christian or a non-Christian. Our mindset expresses our nature.
a. People’s minds are set upon what they desire. v.4 – Some walk according to the sinful nature. Some walk according to the Spirit. (v.5) People aren’t that way because they think that way. They think that way because they are that way! In both cases their nature determines their mindset. Our sin nature desires to gratify our own selfish cravings…be they lust, greed, gluttony, pride, avarice. Since the Spirit is the HS Himself, His desires are what ultimately please Him!
b. “set our minds” – phroneo - Our focus. What is the absorbing objects of our thoughts? What engrosses us? What ambition drives us? All of this is evidence of whether we are still in the flesh or if we are now living according to the power of the New Birth by the Holy Spirit.
2. What mindset best defines your life?
a. Is your life controlled by “the flesh” or “the Spirit”? who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Justification (8:1-4a) is the necessary foundation and motivating cause of sanctification (8:4b). Justification frees us from sin’s penalty; sanctification frees us from sin’s power. Because God has forgiven all our sins through Christ’s death and because He has imparted new life to us through the Holy Spirit, we now do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
b. Walk implies steady, gradual progress along a path toward a goal. In this life, we will never walk in perfect obedience. Only Jesus did that and His perfect righteousness is credited to our account so that we stand before God with no condemnation. But as we learn to walk daily in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we make progress in obedience to God’s Word. We grow in holiness. Our lives are increasingly distinguished by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Salvation by grace thru faith alone always results in a life of walking in good works (Eph. 2:8-10). (Illust: If someone was to observe your/my walk, at home, work, neighborhood, family, friends. Which path would they say we were on?)
B. Our Mindset has Eternal Consequences. (v.6)
1. The Apostle outlines these eternal consequences in v.6. (READ)
a. The apostle is saying that the mindset of flesh dominated people is already one of spiritual death and leads inevitably to eternal death, for it alienates them from God thus rendering fellowship with Him impossible in either this life or the next. Illust: Ever notice how conflict just seems to follow some people? Can’t get along with anyone. Can’t get along with spouse. Children. Neighbors. Church members. Mind is set on death. Conflict, broken relationships, death is the byproduct.
b. The mindset of “Spirit” dominated people is focused on “life and peace”. These individuals are “alive to God”(6:11), they are aware of spiritual realities, they are thirsty for God. They seek after God. They have peace with God (5:1) and attempt to live at peace with their neighbor (12:15).
2. Does your mindset exude the appropriate eternal consequence?
a. Illust: Henry Ford once said: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right!” English philosopher James Allen wrote: “As a man thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.” Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote: “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” Author Earl Nightingale said: “We become what we think about,” and Mark Twain wrote: “Life consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever flowing through one's head.” Thoughts trigger emotions. The more mental attention we give to the thoughts the more they influence our emotions. The result is that we emotionally become more and more like the thoughts we are focusing on. This is why some people become more and more depressed, anxious, discouraged, or conversely, happy, confident, or courageous.
b. What are the eternal consequences of each mindset? One is death. The other is life. So as a man thinks, he is. The mindset of Spirit-dominated people is life and peace. The mindset of flesh dominated people leads is already spiritual death and eventually leads them to that death because it alienates them from God.
C. Finally, Mindset Expresses our Fundamental Attitude Towards God. (vv.7-8)
1.The Mind of Flesh is Death Because it is Hostile towards God. “The mind set against God has deep seated animosity towards God. It is antagonistic to His Name, His Kingdom and will, to His day, His people, and His Word, to His Son, his Spirit, and ultimately to His Glory!” (Stott, Romans, p. 224)
2. The Mind of the Spirit is Life Because it Loves and Embraces God.
a. The opposite of the mind set on the flesh is the mind set on the Spirit which delights in God and in His Word (Rom. 7:7) To sum it up there are ultimately two types of people: Unregenerate and Saved. They have two different perspectives which lead to two patterns of conduct with two spiritual outcomes: Death or life. Enmity or peace. Where we set and how we occupy our minds plays a vital role in our present conduct and our final destiny.
b. Illust: So if this is the case, why are so many Christians living defeated lives? I once heard Dr. Tony Evans tell the following story: While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen from its nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it lived w/the chickens. An ornithologist from city heard of this strange circumstance and asked the farmer why the king of all birds was confined to live like the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and it had lived in the barnyard, it had never learned to fly. In all ways it acted like a chicken. "Still it has the heart of an eagle," replied the naturalist, "and can surely be taught to fly." He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused and afraid. It didn’t know its true identity. Seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid of his unknown and jumped down to be with its familiar surroundings. Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the bird high and said:, "You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Fly!" The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the man lifted him straight towards the sun. Slowly, trembling, he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens. The has never returned to lead the life of a chicken. Nothing physically changed about that eagle. However, his mindset did. All too many Christians live defeated lives. We live like still not saved. Raised with chicken and act like chicken even though in Christ, God has made us to soar like eagles. The battleground is in our minds!
D. Applic: Romans 12:2
