WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.120 Have you ever felt trapped not by iron bars, but 2 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:07.599 by something inside yourself? Paul understood this internal battle in 3 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:12.199 Romans seven. He described this inner struggle, that feeling of 4 00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:15.560 wanting to do good but ending up doing the opposite. 5 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.640 It's like there are two forces pulling us in opposite 6 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:23.120 directions within ourselves. But then comes Roman's eight, A ray 7 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:28.000 of sunshine after a storm. This chapter opens with incredible news. 8 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.679 There is a way to be set free. And this 9 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.240 freedom doesn't come from our own efforts or from following rules. 10 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.640 It comes through the spirit of God, who now lives 11 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:41.679 in us. Let's explore together how this freedom happens and 12 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:44.880 what it means for our lives to day. Paul opens 13 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:49.039 Roman's eight with a game changing statement, Therefore, there is 14 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:52.759 now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 15 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.359 That therefore ties directly to the previous chapter where he 16 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:02.119 described his struggle with sin. Now, Paul announces a turning point. 17 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:05.760 Those who are in Christ are no longer under condemnation. 18 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:09.920 Imagine someone in court waiting for the verdict after committing 19 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:12.959 a crime they are guilty of. Suddenly the judge bangs 20 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:17.640 the gavel and says no condemnation, the relief would be overwhelming. 21 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.920 That's exactly what Paul is saying. If you are in Christ, 22 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:24.799 the verdict has already been given and it's innocent. This 23 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:27.319 scene reminds us of the story of the woman caught 24 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:31.040 in adultery in John eight. The religious leaders dragged her 25 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:35.200 before Jesus, quoting the law that said she should be stoned. 26 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.519 They were trying to trap Jesus either force him to 27 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:43.000 condemn her or go against Moses law. But instead Jesus 28 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:46.519 knelt down and began writing on the ground. Then he said, 29 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.359 let any one of you who is without sin be 30 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.799 the first to throw a stone at her. One by 31 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:55.519 one they walked away, convicted by their own conscience. Jesus 32 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:59.079 then asked her, woman, where are your accusers? Has no 33 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:03.680 one condemned you? She replied, no one, Lord, And Jesus said, 34 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.799 neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your 35 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:11.400 life of sin John eight, ten eleven. This is the 36 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:16.280 same message Paul is sharing in Christ. There is no condemnation. 37 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.280 Paul explains this freedom by referring to two different laws. 38 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:25.520 In Romans eight too, he writes, because through Christ Jesus 39 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:28.759 the law of the Spirit, who gives life, has set 40 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.000 you free from the law of sin and death. These 41 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.080 laws aren't legal codes. They're more like spiritual principles that 42 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:40.120 govern how things operate. Under the Old Covenant, God gave 43 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:44.280 the law through Moses. It was good and holy, but 44 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:46.520 the problem was that we couldn't live up to it 45 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:50.039 because of our sinful nature. So instead of bringing life, 46 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:53.719 the law ended up exposing sin and leading to death. 47 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:57.000 It's like the law says, don't step on the grass, 48 00:02:57.319 --> 00:03:00.400 and suddenly all you want to do is step on 49 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.560 the grass. This takes us back to the story of 50 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:07.360 Adam and Eve in the garden. God gave them one command, 51 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.360 don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good 52 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:14.039 and evil, but the prohibition seemed to spark a desire 53 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.479 in them. The serpent took advantage of that, suggesting God 54 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.400 was holding something back. When you eat from it, your 55 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:22.919 eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, 56 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:27.960 knowing good and evil Genesis three five. This is the 57 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:32.680 nature of sin, turning something good into an opportunity for rebellion. 58 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:37.159 The law, while good in itself, brought death because of 59 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.599 our fallen nature. But under the New Covenant we have 60 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:44.439 something different. Paul calls it the law of the spirit 61 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:48.560 of life. It's not something external like tablets of stone. 62 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:53.039 It's the very spirit of God living within us. Instead 63 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.520 of just showing us what's right, the spirit empowers us 64 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:59.479 to actually live it out. It's like the law of 65 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:04.919 gravity versus the law of aerodynamics. Gravity always pulls things downward, 66 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:08.520 like the law of sin and death, but when a 67 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:12.560 plane operates under the law of aerodynamics, it can soar 68 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:17.319 overcoming gravity. In the same way the spirit lifts us 69 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:21.040 above the power of sin. Paul summarizes this freedom plainly, 70 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:24.720 the law of the Spirit of life. In Christ, Jesus 71 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.000 has set you free from the law of sin and death. 72 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.600 Notice the Word has set you free. It's past tense. 73 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.079 This isn't a promise for the future or something that 74 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.399 will happen if you try harder. If you are in Christ, 75 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:43.839 you are already free. The prison door is wide open now. 76 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:47.040 Paul goes on to explain why we needed this new approach. 77 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.680 In Romans eight three, he writes for what the law 78 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:54.199 was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh. 79 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:57.839 God did by sending his own son in the likeness 80 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.439 of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering, and so 81 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:05.160 he condemned sin in the flesh. The law itself was 82 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.959 good and perfect. The problem was us. Paul uses the 83 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:13.199 word weakened to describe the law, but really the weakness 84 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:16.959 was in our flesh, our fallen human nature. It's like 85 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:19.800 handing someone without legs a perfect guide on how to 86 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:23.639 climb Mount Everest. The manual might be flawless, but the 87 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:27.319 person lacks the ability to follow it. This reminds me 88 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:31.920 of the Israelites in the wilderness. After God rescued them 89 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:35.959 from Egypt with a mighty hand, they came to Mount Sinai. 90 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:41.319 There God gave Moses the law. It was holy and just, 91 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.759 but even before Moses could come down the mountain with 92 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:49.120 the tablets, the people were already worshiping a golden calf. 93 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.199 The law didn't have the power to transform their hearts. 94 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:58.360 Moses was so furious he smashed the tablets, a powerful 95 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:01.920 symbol that the people had already broken the law. This 96 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:06.319 pattern repeated throughout Israel's history. God gave the law, the 97 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:09.839 people promised to obey, and then quickly returned to their 98 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:14.639 old sinful ways. The law revealed the standard, but didn't 99 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.199 give the power to live by it. So, why does 100 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:21.120 the flesh weaken the law? Because our sinful nature fights 101 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:24.360 against God's commands. Even when we want to do good, 102 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:29.279 we feel an internal resistance. Paul already described this struggle 103 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:32.279 in Romans seven twenty two to twenty three. For in 104 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:35.600 my inner being, I delight in God's law, but I 105 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:38.759 see another law at work in me, waging war against 106 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.279 the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner 107 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.800 of the law of sin at work within me. Faced 108 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:48.720 with this seemingly hopeless situation, God did something radical. He 109 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:53.199 sent his own son. Notice how Paul describes Jesus in 110 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:57.439 the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus came as a human, 111 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.600 just like us in every way, with one crucial difference. 112 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:06.439 He was without sin. He experienced our temptations and weaknesses, 113 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:09.920 but never gave in to sin. The story of jesus 114 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:14.360 encounter with Satan in the wilderness illustrates this perfectly. After 115 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:18.399 fasting for forty days, Jesus was physically weak and hungry. 116 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:23.360 Satan tempted him three times, appealing to physical needs, the 117 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:27.360 desire for admiration, and the ambition for power. These are 118 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:30.959 the same temptations that often cause us to fall but 119 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.920 Jesus responded to each temptation with the word of God, 120 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:38.720 showing us how to live in obedience, even in the 121 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.199 most difficult circumstances. Where Adam and Eve failed in a 122 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:46.959 perfect garden, Jesus triumphed in a hostile desert, where Israel 123 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:52.079 repeatedly failed throughout its history, Jesus remained faithful. He didn't 124 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:55.120 just show us the way, He became the way. So 125 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:58.319 what was the purpose of his coming because of sin? 126 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.160 Jesus came specifically to deal with the problem of sin. 127 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.079 He didn't come just to be a good example or 128 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:10.399 a great teacher. He came to resolve humanity's fundamental issue. 129 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.439 The result of this mission is that God condemned sin 130 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.639 in the flesh. Think of it like a courtroom sentence. 131 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.800 Sin was judged and condemned, not in some distant heavenly court, 132 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:27.839 but in the flesh, that is, in the humanity of Jesus. 133 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:32.279 On the cross. Jesus took upon himself the condemnation that 134 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:35.919 our sins deserved. What the law was powerless to do 135 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:40.120 because of our inability to fulfill it, God did by 136 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:44.200 sending his son. This is the difference between religion and 137 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:49.200 the Gospel religion says, do this to be accepted by God. 138 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:52.960 The Gospel says, because of what Jesus has done, you 139 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:57.120 are already accepted. Now you can live differently. Paul then 140 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:00.840 explains the practical result of God's work in Christs. In 141 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:04.440 Romans eight four, he says, all of this happened in 142 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:07.639 order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be 143 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.039 fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh. 144 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:14.639 But according to the Spirit. The ultimate goal wasn't just 145 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:18.279 to free us from condemnation. It was to empower us 146 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:23.279 to live as God always intended, fulfilling the law's requirement 147 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:29.279 not through external obligation, but through an internal transformation worked 148 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:32.080 by the Spirit. Paul goes on to contrast two ways 149 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:35.879 of life, walking according to the flesh or according to 150 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.600 the Spirit. He explains in Romans eight five, for those 151 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:42.200 who live according to the flesh set their minds on 152 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:45.039 the things of the flesh. But those who live according 153 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:47.279 to the Spirit set their minds on the things of 154 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:51.720 the Spirit. The word translated as set their minds speaks 155 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:55.879 to our mindset, what fills and occupies our thoughts. It's 156 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.639 a matter of focus and values. Those who live according 157 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:03.480 to the FLEs, lesh are consumed with earthly and selfish desires, 158 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.679 but those who live according to the spirit focus on 159 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:10.360 what pleases God. This difference in mindset reminds us of 160 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.480 the story of the twelve spies sent to scout out 161 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:17.039 the Promised Land. When they returned, ten of them were 162 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:21.360 focused only on the challenges. The land we explored devours 163 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:24.320 those living in it. All the people we saw there 164 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:27.759 are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our 165 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:31.039 own eyes, and we looked the same to them Numbers 166 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.879 thirteen thirty two thirty three. They saw only problems and danger. 167 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.919 But Joshua and Caleb had a different mindset. They focused 168 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:44.919 on God's promises. The land we passed through and explored 169 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:48.399 is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, 170 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.480 he will lead us into that land, a land flowing 171 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.960 with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 172 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:57.240 Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not 173 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.000 be afraid of the people of the land. The law 174 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.639 God is with us. Do not be afraid of them 175 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:06.879 numbers fourteen seven to nine. That's the difference between the 176 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.519 mind of the flesh and the mind of the spirit. 177 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:14.360 One sees only obstacles. The other sees God's promises and power. 178 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:18.080 And this isn't just a life style difference. It's a 179 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.919 matter of life and death. Paul makes it clear in 180 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:23.759 Romans eight six, for to set the mind on the 181 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:26.600 flesh is death, but to set the mind on the 182 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:31.279 Spirit is life and peace. A mind governed by the 183 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:35.799 flesh leads to death, not just physical death, but separation 184 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:39.879 from God, which is true death. But a mind governed 185 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:44.159 by the spirit leads to life and peace, communion with 186 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.679 God and the inner harmony that only He can give. 187 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.879 Why does the mind of the flesh lead to death? 188 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.960 Paul explains in Romans eight seven to eight the mind 189 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.639 governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does 190 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:03.200 not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 191 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:06.080 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot 192 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:10.159 please God. A mind ruled by the flesh is fundamentally 193 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:13.399 in rebellion against God. It's not just that it makes 194 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.960 occasional mistakes. It is at war with God. It rejects 195 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:21.919 God's authority and wants to be its own God. That's 196 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:25.519 why it can't submit to his law, and it doesn't 197 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:29.320 even have the ability to try the result. Those who 198 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:33.399 are in the flesh cannot please God. It's impossible. But 199 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.919 the good news is we don't have to stay in 200 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:40.000 that state. Through the spirit, we can have an entirely 201 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.519 new mindset, one focused on the things of God, resulting 202 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:49.759 in life and peace. Now, Paul speaks directly to his readers, 203 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:54.120 including you and me. You, however, are not in the flesh, 204 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.360 but in the spirit. If indeed, the Spirit of God 205 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.519 lives in you Romans eight nine, what a relief. If 206 00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:04.600 you have the Spirit of God, you're no longer in 207 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:08.919 the flesh. You've been brought into a new reality. And 208 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:12.240 how can we know if we have the spirit? Paul 209 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:16.720 is clear, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, 210 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:22.480 they do not belong to Christ. Romans eight nine. The 211 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:26.519 Spirit isn't some optional add on for elite Christians. He 212 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:29.440 is the defining mark of those who belong to Christ. 213 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.879 If you've trusted in Jesus as your savior, the Spirit 214 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:37.960 already lives in you. Paul continues to explain this new reality. 215 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.279 But if Christ is in you, then even though your 216 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:44.679 body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit 217 00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:49.320 gives life because of righteousness. Romans eight ten. Our physical 218 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:52.279 body is still subject to death because of the sin 219 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:56.879 that entered the world, but our spirit has already experienced 220 00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:01.519 spiritual resurrection. This brings to mind the story of Ezekiel 221 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.919 and the Valley of Dry Bones. The prophet was taken 222 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.279 by the spirit to a valley full of dry bones, 223 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:15.159 representing Israel in its spiritually dead state. God asked Ezekiel, 224 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.600 son of Man, can these bones live? Then God commanded 225 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.200 Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and they came together 226 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:27.799 forming bodies, but there was still no life in them. 227 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.960 Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the spirit. Come 228 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:34.919 from the four winds, o breath and breathe into these 229 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.759 slain that they may live. When he did breath entered them, 230 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.720 they came to life and stood up on their feet 231 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:48.480 Ezekiel thirty seven, one to ten. This powerful vision illustrates 232 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.919 exactly what Paul is describing here, spiritually dead bodies coming 233 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:56.279 to life by the spirit of God. But the story 234 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.639 doesn't end there. Paul goes on, and if the spirit 235 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.720 of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living 236 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.840 in you, he who raised Christ from the dead, will 237 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.279 also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit, 238 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:13.799 who lives in you Romans eight eleven. The same power 239 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.960 that raised Jesus is now living in you. And that 240 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:20.200 power does two things. First, it gives life to your 241 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.000 spirit right now. Second, one day, it will resurrect your 242 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.639 physical body, just as it raised jesus body from the grave. 243 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.000 Think about the story of Lazarus. He had been dead 244 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:35.320 for four days when Jesus arrived. His body was already decaying. 245 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:39.720 But Jesus cried out, Lazarus come out, and the dead 246 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:44.360 man walked out, still wrapped in burial clothes John eleven, 247 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:48.799 thirty eight to forty four. That's the same resurrection power. 248 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:52.799 Paul is describing, a power that turns death into life. 249 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:58.879 But until that day comes, we have a responsibility. Paul writes, Therefore, 250 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:02.399 brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is 251 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.399 not to the flesh to live according to it. For 252 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:08.399 if you live according to the flesh, you will die. 253 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:11.960 But if by the spirit you put to death the 254 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.960 misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans eight twelve 255 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:21.480 to thirteen. Paul uses the word obligation. We are in debt, 256 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:24.799 but not to the flesh. We owe nothing to our 257 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:29.679 sinful nature. It doesn't deserve our loyalty or obedience. Our 258 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:32.519 debt is to God, who has set us free. And 259 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:36.080 what happens if we pay the flesh what we don't owe, Paul, 260 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.679 is blunt. You will die. Living according to the flesh 261 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.120 leads to spiritual destruction. On the other hand, putting to 262 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:49.159 death the misdeeds of the body through the spirit leads 263 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.960 to life. Put to death doesn't mean torturing your body 264 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:58.080 or denying basic needs. It means killing sinful desires, saying 265 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:01.200 no to impulses that would take you away from God. 266 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:05.400 And this isn't done by willpower alone, but by the spirit, 267 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:10.119 by relying on the strength God provides. Here's the promise 268 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:15.119 you will live. It's not a vague possibility, it's a certainty. 269 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:19.680 By living through the spirit, we experience true life, the 270 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:23.319 abundant life Jesus promised. That's how the first part of 271 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:27.559 Roman's eight ends, laying the foundation of our freedom. We 272 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:32.160 are no longer condemned, no longer enslave to sin, and 273 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.359 no longer alone in this journey. The spirit of God 274 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:38.480 lives in us, empowering us for a brand new kind 275 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.839 of life. The freedom Paul talks about. Isn't just a 276 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:46.759 nice idea, it's a practical, life changing reality. It's what 277 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.920 Jesus promised when he said, you will know the truth, 278 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:53.880 and the truth will set you free, John eight thirty two. 279 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.359 It's what he confirmed when he declared, if the sun 280 00:17:57.559 --> 00:18:01.119 sets you free, you will be free. Indeed, John eight 281 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:04.799 thirty six. This freedom begins with the removal of condemnation. 282 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:08.119 Think about what it feels like to have a massive 283 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:13.200 debt forgiven, a crushing guilt lifted, a prison sentence overturned. 284 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.000 That's what happens when we are in Christ. Jesus, the 285 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.799 condemnation we deserved was placed on him so that we 286 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:25.440 could receive forgiveness and freedom. But it's not just freedom 287 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:29.039 from condemnation. It's also freedom from the power of sin. 288 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.319 The law couldn't give us that kind of freedom because 289 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:36.559 it didn't have the power to change our hearts. It 290 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:39.359 only showed us how far we were from the mark. 291 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:42.759 But the spirit of God works from the inside out, 292 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:48.200 transforming our desires and inclinations. It's like the difference between 293 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.480 trying to quit smoking through sheer willpower versus having the 294 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.720 craving itself removed. The first is incredibly difficult and often fails. 295 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:02.440 The second makes the change noatural and lasting. The Spirit 296 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:05.960 works on that deeper level, not just changing our behavior, 297 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:12.759 but renewing our minds and hearts. This transformation doesn't happen 298 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.640 instantly or without effort on our part. Paul speaks of 299 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:20.640 putting to death the misdeeds of the body, which suggests 300 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:25.279 a continual process that requires our active participation. But the 301 00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:30.160 crucial difference is this, We're not fighting alone. The Spirit 302 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.279 is with us, giving us both the desire and the 303 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:36.880 power to change. Living by the Spirit doesn't mean a 304 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:41.200 life free from struggles or temptations. It means facing those 305 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:45.119 challenges with a new power, the power of God himself 306 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:48.240 working in us. It means we are no longer defined 307 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:51.920 or dominated by sin. We may stumble and fall, but 308 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:55.079 we don't stay down. The Spirit lifts us up and 309 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:59.119 helps us keep walking. This is the freedom Jesus promised 310 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:02.400 and the one all unpacks in romans At. It's not 311 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:06.079 the freedom to do whatever we want. It's the freedom 312 00:20:06.119 --> 00:20:09.519 to become who we were created to be. Freedom from 313 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:13.799 the weight of condemnation, freedom from sins in slaving power, 314 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.240 and freedom to live in righteousness and in the power 315 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:22.400 of the Spirit. Have you experienced this freedom. It begins 316 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:25.799 when we admit our need for it, when we acknowledge 317 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:29.319 that we can't free ourselves, when we stop trying to 318 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:33.039 earn God's approval and simply receive what Jesus has already 319 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:35.799 done for us. When we let the Holy Spirit take 320 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.599 the lead guiding our thoughts, shaping our desires, and transforming 321 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:43.920 our actions. In a world full of people searching for 322 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:49.680 freedom in all the wrong places, in substances, relationships, achievements, possessions, 323 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:53.759 we have the true answer. Freedom doesn't come from the outside, 324 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.759 but from within. It doesn't come through our own efforts, 325 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.839 but through the work of the Spirit. It's not based 326 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:03.119 on our performance, but on what Jesus has already done. 327 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:07.519 This is the revolutionary message of Romans eight one to thirteen. 328 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:11.319 There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. 329 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:14.519 The law of the Spirit of Life has set us 330 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:17.559 free from the law of sin and death. What the 331 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:21.359 law was powerless to do, God did by sending his son, 332 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:25.519 and now through the Spirit, we can live a new life, 333 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:28.240 free from the bondage of sin and full of the 334 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:32.480 life and peace that come from God. This message changed 335 00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:36.279 Paul's life, transforming him from a persecutor of the church 336 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:40.000 into an apostle of Christ. It has changed the lives 337 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.559 of countless people over the past two thousand years, and 338 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:47.079 it can change your life to day if you receive 339 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:49.960 it by faith and allow the Spirit to do his 340 00:21:50.119 --> 00:21:55.799 transforming work in you. True freedom is available right now, 341 00:21:56.440 --> 00:22:00.319 not through rules or rituals, but through a life living 342 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.880 relationship with God by his spirit. This is the good 343 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:07.359 news of Romans eight. We are no longer condemned, no 344 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:12.880 longer enslaved, no longer alone. We are free, truly free 345 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:17.119 to live the abundant life God always intended for us. 346 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:21.279 Paul continues his letter to the Romans by explaining how 347 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.839 we can know that we are children of God. In 348 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.359 Romans eight fourteen, he writes, for those who are led 349 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:32.200 by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 350 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:34.880 This is a clear sign being led by the spirit. 351 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:38.119 It's not just about having spiritual moments now and then, 352 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:42.640 but about living daily under the spirit's direction. Being led 353 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:46.039 by the Spirit brings to mind the story of the 354 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.839 people of Israel being guided in the wilderness after God 355 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.880 delivered them from slavery in Egypt. They didn't know the 356 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.759 way to the promised land, so God led them in 357 00:22:55.799 --> 00:22:59.759 a very visible way. The Lord went ahead of them 358 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:03.279 in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them 359 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:06.759 on their way, and by night in a pillar of 360 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:09.640 fire to give them light, so that they could travel 361 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.119 by day or night Exodus thirteen twenty one. When the 362 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:17.519 cloud moved, they moved. When it stopped, they set up camp. 363 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.960 They didn't need maps or compasses, just to follow God's presence. 364 00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:25.359 In the same way, the Holy Spirit guides us to day, 365 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:28.240 not with a pillar of cloud, but through the Bible, 366 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.359 an inner piece wise counsel from other believers, and the 367 00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:37.880 circumstances he orchestrates. Sometimes the path isn't clear, but the 368 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:42.559 guide is always present. He knows the destination and exactly 369 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:47.119 how to get us there. Paul then speaks about a 370 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:51.680 radical shift in our identity in Romans eight fifteen. He writes, 371 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:55.680 the spirit you received does not make you slaves so 372 00:23:55.799 --> 00:23:58.759 that you live in fear again. Rather, the spirit you 373 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:02.640 received brought us at your adoption to sonship, and by 374 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:07.839 him we cry, Abba, Father, what a contrast. We were 375 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:11.519 once slaves to sin, living in fear of punishment. Now 376 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.799 we are beloved children This shift from slaves to children 377 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:18.960 reminds us of the story of Moses, who was born 378 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:23.799 a slave but became Pharaoh's son. Pharaoh's daughter found him 379 00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:27.039 in a basket on the Nile and decided to adopt him. 380 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:31.319 She adopted him and raised him as her own son. 381 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.839 She named him Moses, saying I drew him out of 382 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:39.279 the water Exodus two ten. Suddenly a baby destined for 383 00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:42.920 death became a prince of Egypt with all the privileges 384 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:47.240 of royalty. What an incredible change in destiny. In the 385 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:50.759 same way, when God adopts us into his family, our 386 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:58.920 identity and destiny are completely transformed. D Ye word adoption 387 00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:02.680 that paul uses carried a special meaning in the Roman world. 388 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:06.119 When someone was legally adopted, they received all the rites 389 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:10.599 of a biological child. All debts and obligations from their 390 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.480 previous life were erased. They began a completely new life, 391 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.039 with a new name, a new identity. That's exactly what 392 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.599 happens when we are adopted into God's family, and as 393 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:27.440 adopted children, we can call God Abba father. Abbah is 394 00:25:27.480 --> 00:25:31.759 an Aramaic word, the language Jesus spoke. It's an intimate, 395 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:36.279 affectionate term like Daddy in our language. In Jesus time, 396 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:38.880 it would have been unthinkable for a Jew to call 397 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:43.799 God by such a familiar name, But Jesus changed that. 398 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:47.599 He himself called God Abba and taught us to do 399 00:25:47.720 --> 00:25:50.839 the same. In the garden of gethsemone, on the night 400 00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:57.160 before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed, Abba, Father, everything is possible 401 00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.160