 Here we are in chapter 8. We're going to be looking at verses 1 through 11 as the Apostle Paul is beginning to awaken us, his readers, to the fact that there's no condemnation for us because we're in Jesus Christ. So beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 4, Paul writes, Romans 8, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Now Paul has been giving us insight as we've been going through Romans. We saw it in chapter 7. Paul has been giving us insight into the war that rages within us, and he had made some statements to emphasize this war in verse 18 of chapter 7. He said, I know that in me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells, for the will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find, for the good that I will to do, I do not do, but the evil I will not to do that I practice. He said in verse 23, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. So he gave us insight concerning the war that rages within us. Made it very clear that any Christian truly desiring to please the Lord will encounter internal conflict. The desire to please the Lord is going to battle with our inclination to satisfy the flesh. Paul had said that to the Galatians in chapter 5 verse 17 when he said the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. So there's a war within a battle that is a conflict between our desires to please God and the inclinations of sinful human flesh and this battle is continuous and because it is it can begin to wear us down. We can grow tired of the continual conflict. We can become discouraged because the war does not end and this reality had had drawn him to the word said he wrote in verse 24. Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. So that's what happens. There's this war. What's going to happen? How can I be set free from this and so this conflict can reside within a believer? Like John was referring to it in 1st John 3 20 when he says if our heart condemns us because our heart can because we haven't reached perfection because we haven't attained because we're still pressing toward the mark there's still wars within battles that continue and discouragements that can be produced because we're not always victorious not at least not as much as we'd like to be not as completely and So I says our heart can condemn us but he goes on to say but God is greater than our heart. He knows all things He knows that his iris to please him, but the war rages within You see every person who ever entered into the world entered in the same way we entered in with the sin nature No one other than Jesus Christ has ever been exempt of this because all of us are born with the fallen nature The Bible makes it clear Psalm 51 5 Surely I have been a sinner from birth sinful from the time my mother conceived me Psalm 58 3 even from birth the wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward spreading lies It's it's sinful human nature. And so that answers a question. Why do people do evil things? Why is there evil in the world? Aren't people born basically blank slates and they are written on by the culture the parenting and everything else and The Bible's answer to that question is no We're not born as as pure souls are born with a sinful capacity a sin nature And we simply do those things that are natural for us to do we do those things that are we're inclined to do We're simply working out the the inclinations of the sinful human nature And and they're worked out in a variety of things which Paul speaks of for example in Galatians 5 19 through 21 And begins to describe what human beings who are unregenerate are are basically in habit of doing He says the the acts of the sinful nature are obvious sexual immorality impurity and debauchery idolatry and witchcraft hatred discord jealousy fits of rage selfish ambition dissensions factions and envy Drunkenness orgies and the like and then he goes on to say I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not Inherit the kingdom of God and So the natural inclination as is revealed in scripture is to sin and it's finding its expression in a variety of ways Now Paul's already made it very clear because of all of this that that unbelievers are under God's righteous and just condemnation And that judgment will come even if we don't believe it actually really will happen There are a lot of people who think that they're going to be exempt from judgment. They don't think that it's going to happen in their life They they have dug a hole and placed their head in a sand And don't notice what's going on around them it It's expressing a variety of ways But I think sometimes you can see this because sometimes we don't heed the warnings that are given to us even though by not Heating those warnings. We may end up paying a very severe price like those who have on occasion in in Florida when a hurricane is making its way to the shore and and I've read of this where Where people will actually have hurricane watching parties and They invite their friends up to their apartments and they watch as As a hurricane approaches the shore and and their partying as this takes place and then the hurricane hits the hotel and Devastates them many dying if not all the warning was given But nobody heeded the warning Years ago. There was a tsunami that took place in Southeast Asia and it hit the shore there and in Thailand in various other places and I saw a film where an individual was on a rooftop and was filming as somebody was on the shoreline there and The water had receded and as the water had receded there was somebody there with a basket who saw all the fish that had been stranded and They were out there picking up the fish and putting them in in their their basket and you could hear the person who is videoing this Screaming and saying get off the shoreline get off the beach The wave is coming because the person who was picking up the fish did not realize that the reason the water receded is Because it was building up to the wave that was going to crash And this person was screaming a warning get off the shoreline You're about to die get off the shore and was screaming and you can hear his voice as he's screaming to this person Get off get off the beach run for your life when you see the wave crashing on top of that person and Destroying them right in front of us and The church is filled with with believers who who stand up and say get off the shoreline You're picking up fish. They're doing you no good when you're dead. You can't eat them and Yet people they just they're oblivious there There's a warning that's being shouted out and and there's a an ignoring of that warning and and Paul speaks concerning that Judgment is coming even if people don't believe it In Romans chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 he had said what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect certainly not Indeed let God be true But every man a liar as it is written that you may be justified in your words and may overcome when you are judged God speaks it man disbelieves it does that make God wrong? No, it makes man a liar For not listening to what God has said you see many have found ways to explain away behavior That has always been known as sinful And you've heard this where they'll make their excuses. They'll say things like like everybody's doing it When they say everybody's doing it. It simply makes popular sins Acceptable sins or they'll point to somebody and say well, they're just as bad Which is another way of saying don't judge me. I'm no different than anybody else There are those who will argue that their sinful behavior actually resulted in good. We live together We're happy mind your own business somebody else will say well it isn't illegal So bad laws make bad behavior ethical and you have a morality that is based on legality Somebody will say well, I was following orders You know my boss said if somebody calls light of them tell him I'm not here So I'm following orders. I had a boss who tried that with me before I was in ministry Many of you have had the same thing and I'm there and he says if that's a phone call from so-and-so Tell him I'm not here and I said no I'm not gonna lie for you tell him yourself that you're not here You don't pay me enough to lie for you You see but there are a lot of people who will say well, I was ordered to do that. That's exactly what the Nazis said We were ordered to do that. We were just following orders and there are a lot of people who base their behavior on Being ordered to do something. There's that biblical rationalization that people will have well the Bible says don't judge me But bad behavior is judged and ought to be John 724 Jesus said it like this. He said do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment There's got to be discernment and yet there are a lot of people who will make these excuses for their sinfulness and they say it's okay Well, the final results of living in habitual sin is very clear in scripture. It's condemnation final judgment Paul stated at Romans 118 the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness so With all of that said here's the amazing thing Chapter 8 verse 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh But according to the spirit amazing people can live with no sense of anticipation of Condemnation, I don't live as a believer afraid because God is taking care of that on my behalf through Jesus Christ The scripture says perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment you fears has not been made perfect in love fear has torment The fear the anticipation of condemnation is a tormenting experience But I can live and you can live as a believer's and this is what Paul is bringing for us right now in verse 1 I can live with no fear no anticipation of condemnation I can live with no fear of judgment Because I am as he is saying in Christ Jesus this phrase in Christ Jesus is used about 164 times in the New Testament When it speaks about us being in Christ Jesus it speaks of the fact that we by one spirit have been baptized into one body And thus we are the body of Christ. We are in Christ It's a common way of expressing the sentiment or the theological teaching of salvation. I've been born again I'm in Jesus Christ and he says I can I can live with no sense or anticipation of condemnation Because I am in Jesus Christ Now obviously being a Christian is more than just an outward form of identification It's a spiritual union with the Lord and it's a spiritual union that took place because of faith Jesus had stated in John 15. He had said I'm the true vine. My father is a husband man and in Verses 4 and 5 of John 15. He said abide in me and I in you as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except It abide in the vine. No more can you except you abide in me You went on to say I am the vine you are the branches He who abides in me and I in him the same brings forth much fruit for without me You can do nothing and so a believer is an individual who is in Christ We're abiding in him and the result of being in Christ is that we no longer walk According he says to the flesh When you're in Christ your life is different you walk according to the power and leading of the Spirit of God We don't walk or which would speak of living or ordering your life We don't walk in the flesh we walk by the Spirit of God like it says in Galatians 5 16 walk in the spirit You'll not fulfill the lust of the flesh and so when you're walking in the Lord Jesus Christ You're walking what is called a spirit filled life Then there's going to be evidence that you have a relationship with God and that condemnation isn't something you deal with Because it's been passed because you passed from death into life When you're walking in the spirit, it's going to be evidenced by obedience. It's going to be evidenced by love for others It's going to be evidenced by faith It's going to be evidenced by a love for the truth The Bible tells us we walk by faith and not by sight The Bible says we walk in obedience to his commands as you've heard from the beginning his command is that you walk in love The Bible says I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth We've been set apart sanctified by the truth and we walk in the truth And this is an evidence that you know the Lord you have a hunger for his word You have a hunger for his fellow for fellowship with him and with others You have a desire to be in prayer and communication with him you want to talk to other people about Jesus Christ You want them to know the Lord? That's the evidence that you've been saved. You're producing fruit of the spirit. You're walking in his spirit And so with that knowledge because I'm in Christ There's no condemnation and I don't walk according to the principles of the flesh anymore But I walk according to the leading of the Holy Spirit Now he says in verse 2 the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death So we have liberty in Jesus Christ in the spirit of God and I'm not in bondage to the law of Moses I have freedom through Christ whom the son has set free. He's it. He's free indeed And like it says in second Corinthians 3 17 where the spirit of the Lord is there's liberty You see according to verse 3 the law could not do certain things because it was weak. He says through the flesh So in the law of Moses God it's at standards that no human being could achieve on their own Like the scripture said I'll have sin and fall short of the glory of God and because we couldn't fulfill this demands Jesus did it on our behalf and he did so completely Jesus Christ came to fulfill the demands of the father to do that which I couldn't do to do that Which you couldn't do in order that I might by faith trust him the one who was able to do that So that I could have a relationship with God. It's not by works of righteousness Which I have done according to his mercy. He saved me by the wash in a regeneration the renewing of the Holy Spirit That's Christianity There are all kinds of systems religious ritualistic systems that that put the the Responsibility of doing certain things on your shoulders in order that you might somehow qualify To be placed in a position where God might welcome you in But Paul has been arguing and has been saying that's not the case at all The law of Moses revealed to us our sinfulness and our need for a Savior and in revealing the Savior actually Let us to Jesus Christ so that we would be able to Define our our salvation through the grace of God by faith and thus cease our attempts to try to be pleasing to God By adhering to those things that were written on tablets of stone Because when we got saved he now wrote his law on the tablets of our hearts and so from the inside out We now live for Jesus Christ So the law of the Spirit of Christ has made me free from the law of sin of death Now how did God deal with that notice verse 3? He did it by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh in the outward appearance It speaks of the incarnation Jesus took upon himself human flesh and Lived out a life for us and thus in then complete obedience to his father was able to satisfy him And in doing so it says he condemns sin in the flesh. So it speaks of Condemncing in the flesh. That's his substitutionary death on behalf of all sinners That was prophesied over 700 years before Christ by Isaiah a prophet found in the Old Testament in Isaiah 53 verses 4 and 5 He writes surely he took up our infirmities carried our sorrows yet. We considered him strickened by God Smitten by him and afflicted But he was pierced for our transgressions He was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds We have been healed He says in verse 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled The requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us through faith in Jesus Christ the one who fulfills it We are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ We have trusted him and he has given to us his righteousness We are made righteous by faith and not by activities Like it says in Galatians 3 12 the law is not of faith that the man who does them shall live by them So you couldn't have become righteous by keeping the law because the law already condemned you Jesus is the one who kept the law Now it says in verse 5 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh But those who live according to the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death But to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God Nor indeed can be so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God So a person who loves the Lord is going to be that person who wants to please him A man doesn't go out on his wife for fear of her divorcing him necessarily A man doesn't go out on his wife because he loves his wife If my Marie every time I got up in the morning and came to the office of Marie every day said look at I'm writing you a Little note and and I open up the paper and it says thou shalt not commit adultery. That's really not going to Do much other than irritate me and I don't want to hear that every day Thou shalt not commit adultery. You're gonna be around a lot of women Thou shalt not commit adultery, then I'd write my own command. Thou shalt shut up. Leave me alone I don't want to hear that stop it You don't have to be nagging me about that You don't have to be constantly aware you don't have to follow me around You don't have to hire an investigator to see where I'm going at lunch time You don't have to do that on me. Well, why not because my love for you and my fear of God Keeps me from doing those things that are displeased into both God and man. That's why well, how'd that happen? I was born again. The Holy Spirit is residing within me. He's written on the tablet of my heart his law So no, I'm not gonna commit adultery. I'm gonna love you. I'm gonna follow God and care for you That's how it works. No law can legislate my behavior There are laws against certain things that I might choose to do so what if it's the law I don't care. I'm gonna do what I want. That's human nature But but I'll follow the law based on my inclination to be a good citizen. I'll do that and So if it says stop that doesn't mean slow down That doesn't mean look for a cop to make sure that he's not there watching You know if it's a yellow light. That's not the start of the Indianapolis 500. Let's see how many we can get through You know, I mean you just stop because it says stop You you go the speed limit because it's not suggested because it's a command and and that's what you do it's just that way and And it's not that difficult in some ways it can be but it's not that difficult We simply do that which is right to do because we have something greater within us that that drives us on it It's the desire to remain right with God So so God has written on the tablets of my heart certain things that that from the inside out now because I'm born again I want to do But a person who hasn't been born again has what is called a flesh and and the person in the flesh indulges They're bent towards rebellion in and everything they do They'll do what they want, but the Christian sets her minds on the things that please the Lord He's saying in verse 6 to be currently minded as death But to be spiritually minded is life in peace You see you can only party for so long until you come to the end and realize that that's not fulfilling You can you can only do certain things for so long until you realize that they're not Meeting the need that you thought they would you can you can do this a lot of us in this room understand this from this practical application You see these pictures of some island that you'd love to go to and you start saving your money And you get ready to go and then it takes you years, but you're able to finally go you're on that island It's a beautiful place But but once you're there and you spend a few days there you realize that it's not what you thought It was going to be that's just how it happens you've been saving your money You want that car that car is the best car you've ever seen and you want that car you save your money You finally have the down payment you drive it off the car lot and and after a while you realize that that thing demands gasoline and maintenance And it's expensive and you start saying to yourself. Why did I get the car? You can do that with a lot of things you started dating somebody you said man if I was dating this person I'd be happy and then after a few dates you realize I Don't think so That's what happens. That's what happened. I remember taking Marie out and one of our early dates and And she sat across we went to an Italian restaurant here and I said you can order what you'd like. Oh, I would just like a salad and some water I Said all right and because that gives me more money for me. I only had 10 bucks that changed soon Now I drink water We're always like that. We have our our appearances. We want to Win people. That's just where we are and then then we discover Sometimes that person that I thought was the right person for me really turned out not to be And you'll never be satisfied With something even if it's a great human relationship even if it's a material thing that you've always wanted And none of that we know that at least I'm speaking to many who do some have yet to learn it You'll discover it You'll discover it if you haven't Nothing lasts Everything perishes with the using You buy that new computer you walk out of the store and a week later. They bring the updated version You stand in line for two days to get that new phone You stand in there talking about how cool it's going to be You get the phone and after a while the new one comes out, you know that I know that it's called planned obsolescence They just constantly are improving but constantly hooking us. That's what happens and we know that but we don't know that and The person who's in the flesh. Well, all they want to do is satisfy their flesh So you think one more party and I'll be happy one more drink. I'll be satisfied one more joint And I'll be there and it doesn't work that we know that Because a flesh is never satisfied how much is enough and the flesh always says a little bit more a little bit more a little bit More something different a little variety something and what happens is ultimately Well, the flesh is craving things never satisfied by those things and the end is death But on the other hand to be spiritually minded is life in peace These are things that come from God We have an abundant life because of Jesus Christ. We have peace with and from God Because we've had a relationship with him. That's why Jesus said peace. I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid I can give you something the world cannot give to you. I can give you peace. I can give you joy I can give you love. I can give you hope. I can give you the things that you can't buy in the store I can give you things that you won't have in a relationship. I can give you those they're gifts from me But you need to be right with me You see to be currently minded is death But to be spiritually minded is life He says in verse 7 the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God. It can't be The cons the constant state of hostile warfare is all a non-Christian will ever experience you are constantly at war with him So then those who are in the flesh can never please him It's impossible to do that. Why because your mind is set on the flesh and not the things of the spirit And you'll never have what you want until you have peace with God and the peace that comes from him And those things are eternal those things matter. I shared this with you before this story It comes to mind how Back in the mid-80s I Received a call that a member of our fellowship was dying in the hospital and asked if I could go and pay a deathbed visitation and And I went and as I was standing outside the ICU Behind the glass I saw the wife Ministry to her husband. She wasn't down. She didn't have a mask. He was hooked up to all kinds of tubes. There was a monitor and I was about to open the door to step into the room a nurse stopped me and I was with my assistant Randy walls who's now the pastor of Calvary upland and The nurse stopped me before I walked in and said if you go into that room You're gonna need to gown and you're gonna need to put a mask on because that patient has HIV AIDS and they're dying of AIDS We didn't know at that time as the early 80s. We did not know exactly how this particular Disease was transmitted. We didn't know there were a lot of theories at that time There was a belief that it could be transmitted through through perspiration There was a belief that it could be passed through Through saliva there were there were different things that were being said at that time And that's why they were treating it the way that they did and so The nurse says if you're gonna go in there, you need to gown up you need to put a mask but I'm looking at the wife and and She's not and So I turned to Randy and and I have to be honest with you There was a certain sense of this could be dangerous I don't know what I'm stepping into and I'd been doing my reading and my research on that subject It was a new disease and and I wanted to know was where it was coming from and all of that and So I turned to Randy and I said to Randy listen, I'm gonna go in I'm not gonna gown up But you stay out because we don't know How this is transmitted So you stay here and I'm going in and he looks at me and he says no, I'm gonna go in So I looked at him and said if you want to okay, I'll stay out here and pray for you I'm good with that So he and I went in together and this man's eyes were closed and the wife whispers to him pastors here He opens his eyes and he sees me. He has tubes down his nose and his throat hooked up on his arms He can't speak so he motions to his wife for a pen and some paper and he writes and Hands paper to his wife who in turn hands it to me And I open up the note and I'll never forget what it said. It said I am eternally Grateful to you The reason that it was so touching as he had come to faith in Christ in our fellowship The words that stood out were I am eternally grateful Because he went home to be with the Lord shortly thereafter died of AIDS We've had three members of this church died of AIDS three One man was found on the side of a road in the desert died of AIDS in his car Another man died in a hospital bed and this brother died in a hospital bed died of AIDS I Am eternally grateful to you He died in hope He died with peace, but the word eternally stands out in my mind You cannot be eternally grateful for anything If it's not hooked up to real eternity You can be eternally grateful because Jesus Christ makes it possible There's there for now no condemnation for those who were in Christ Jesus who live not according walk not according to the flesh but the Spirit You can have a sense of brightness with God and that's what Paul's talking about oh Wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. Thanks be to God Who gives us victory through Jesus Christ there's therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus You see the flesh wars against the spirit and the spirit against the war and the to our contrary They're in console constant hostile opposition one to the other But he says when you realize that the flesh cannot please God but those who walk in the spirit can Then the thing is we ought to walk in the spirit if we walk in the spirit Then we have relationship with God and the joy of God in his presence floods our soul And we're able to do those things because of Christ who strengthens us He says in verse 9 you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you now If anyone doesn't have the spirit of Christ, he's not he's not his you're not going to be saved by simply trying to keep Rules and regulations you need the spirit of God dwelling in you He says if Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin the body is is constantly dying It's dying until it finally does but the spirit is life because of righteousness You will continue on into eternity because of the life that you have of Christ within you 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 God's spirit dwells in you and he gives you life the spirit of God dwells within you The spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives within you God's spirit gives life we can walk in the abundance of life by the power of his spirit who dwells within us We can't do all things through Christ who strengthens us We can I'm sorry to somebody said you've gone through a few things, haven't you? Yeah everybody does I've had three types of cancer I've preached last Easter not this but previous preached the Easter Good Friday Easter services with pneumonia My father dies Not only do I do his funeral, but I before his funeral I Have a leadership class do my Sunday morning services do my Sunday night service on Wednesday when I bury my father on Wednesday night I give a Bible study lose my memory. I'm hospitalized. I come back. I'm in the pulpit I do a lot of things that the Lord Has given me to do and they say you do a lot of things How do you do that I? Can do all things through Christ who strengthens me God gives you power the spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead gives life to my mortal body What is greater than serving Jesus Christ? What is more important than giving his message to people a message of life that transforms people What is more important than modeling faith before people who may need an example of what God can do in somebody's life? So I can go and do a memorial service for my mom on a Wednesday and be here on a Sunday A lot of people wouldn't be here But I am one because Jesus Christ gives me life. He gives me strength. He gives me joy He gives me peace. He gives me hope and I didn't lose my mom. She's with Jesus I know exactly where she is so we can do these things in hope because God is alive. That's how it works. That's Christianity That's Christianity That's how it works. I Was telling somebody just yesterday somebody did us great harm private pain but deep great harm Sitting in my office and as they were sitting across from me And they did tremendous harm to us I looked at them and I said I want you to know something. I want you to know I love you and They looked at me and said Can you say that after what I've done? And I laughed I said because that's what Christians do Christians love Christians forgive God gives us the ability to do that You see guys based on the fact that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead gives life to us and Because God says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Why don't we just start doing that? God gives us life. Let's give life to others. Life is too short For us to be mad all the time It's just too short and it is so blessed by his presence Why not just enjoy him? There is no condemnation my heart can Accused me but God is greater than my heart. He knows all things and He forgives me and he strengthens me and he directs me and he directs you to Let's just follow Jesus and watch what he'll do with a life that has turned over to him Watch what he'll do in your life. Isn't God good? Yes. He is