Romans 8:12-17
Welcome!
Would you open your Bibles to...
Pray
Intro
√ New life in Christ
In our opening study in Romans 8 we found that Paul declared that we have a New Life in Christ!
When Jesus saved us He gave us a new life, not a new law.
As I yield to that life I find the power to obey His law.
√ Continuing our study in chapter 8 we find that Paul now share with us another benefit of walking in the Spirit vs. trying to live under the Law.
Freedom!
Liberty! (vs. 12-17)
Rom. 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
Rom. 8:13 For 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.
Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Rom. 8:15 For 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.”
Rom. 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Rom. 8:17 and 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.
√ We’re in debt!
Interesting that Paul begins this section with a…
“Therefore”
That is, in light of what he spoke of in the first part of chapter 8 – our “new life” in Christ, Paul says that we are debtors!
Not to our “old nature”
Rather, to the “new nature”
You see, before we came to Christ we were debtors to our flesh. The flesh ruled our existence.
Ex. “Feed me”, “clothe me”, “make me feel good”, everything we did, everything we wanted was for the satisfaction of SELF. The problem however was that the flesh…
…was never satisfied. So, we became slaves to our flesh – in debt to our flesh.
But now – praise God – we are under no obligation to our flesh! No longer slaves.
Why?
Because we now have a new master – Jesus Christ – Who has made us alive to Him by the resurrection power of His Holy Spirit Who now lives within us!
So, we are debtors – not to our the Old Nature – but to the New Nature in Christ Jesus.
√ Choices
One of the things which captured my attention as I studied this section of scripture is Paul’s repeated use of the “if/then clause”
Ex. You remember Algebra don’t you!
“If A = B, and B = C, then A = C”
It’s an inescapable mathematical principle – no getting around the logic.
Spiritually speaking Paul points out the inescapable truth that whatever way you chose…
Flesh or the Spirit
…is the end to which you’ll arrive!
Note:
Vs. 13
“For if you live according to the flesh (then) you will die;
“but”
“ if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, (then) you will live.
Vs. 17
“and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,”
“if indeed we suffer with Him, that (then) we may also be glorified together.”
The point is that we all make choices in our life – that which we chose ultimately determines where we end up.
Only two roads…
Life or Death
Spirit or Flesh
Freedom or Bondage
Love or Fear
The path of life is found only in Jesus!
Joh. 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
√ Children of God
We hear a lot of talk today about everyone being a “child of God.”
In one sense that’s true, we’re all a unique expression of God’s infinite glory as we are each created in His image.
However, in another sense it’s not true – not every human being is a child of God in the important sense of enjoying a saving relationship with Him.
Ex. Before we came to Christ we were “children of wrath”!
Eph. 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph. 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
Eph. 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Those who are saved by faith in Jesus move from being “children of wrath” to become “children of God” as described in our text in Romans 8.
Paul now lists for us characteristics, or traits, that define a child of God.
Led by the Spirit of God – vs. 14
Not in bondage to fear – vs. 15
Intimate relationship with God “Abba” – vs. 15
Witness of the Holy Spirit – vs. 16
Heirs of His Eternal Glory – vs. 17
Wow!
Ap. Which describes your relationship to God – fear of love?
Christian, are you still walking around with the attitude that God is mad at you and that He’s just waiting for you to blow it one more time so that He can hurl a lightning bolt at ya?!
Listen, that’s the relationship we had under the Law – not the relationship we have now by the Spirit.
You’re free from that trip – free from fear – because you’ve moved from a relationship based upon Law to one that is based upon love.
Check out…
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
And…
2Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Close
√ We enter that relationship by faith, faith that the work of Jesus on the Cross satisfied the debt of isn.
√ How we be sure that God really loves us?
1) He gave His Son before we loved Him.
2) He raised Jesus from the dead – sign that the Father accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.
3) Gave us His Holy Spirit to help us live for Him.
4) Made us co-heirs of His glory!