Spirit of Adoption

We're going to have the Bible reading now.

So this morning we are reading from Romans chapter 8, verses 12 to 17.

Romans 8:12–17

Romans 8 and verse 12.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,

but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.

Provided we suffer with him, in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Good morning, my name's Dave. I'm one of the pastors here.

I just need to get something out of the way, otherwise Simon and Matt won't listen to a word of this sermon.

Yes, I've got a new polo shirt.

They say I've got a preaching shirt. It's $15.

Now these guys can listen. That's great.

All right. Why don't we pray as we come to God's word.

Lord, as we just sung, my prayer is that for each one of us,

you would increase our vision of you.

We need spiritual eyes to see you as you are.

Lord, we spend our days trying to prove ourselves to others and even to you.

I pray that you would show us the folly of that and how we don't need to do that.

And Lord, other times, and for some, this is a daily battle where we're just barely hanging on,

thinking you can't be pleased with us.

Lord, I pray that you would deeply assure us of your love today through your word.

I know my words are weak, but I pray that your powerful word would speak to each one of us.

Give us ears to hear.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.

Well, I'm going to try and remind us of what we've seen in Romans 8 so far with a scenario.

It's not real, but imagine you lived in a time and place that wasn't in a democracy,

but under an absolute monarch, a king who is good and powerful.

But you've spent your days murmuring against this king, his right to rule you,

just murmuring, publicly breaking his laws.

You've spent your days inciting others and applauding others who break his laws.

You've spent your days harming his citizens.

You're a real bad egg.

And one day you're caught, and this good and powerful king has all authority

to send you to be hanged for permanent, solitary confinement.

You've got no excuse.

You've got no defense.

There's no path to appeal.

He is the Supreme Court.

Tomorrow you've got to face him to give an account.

I doubt you'd get much sleep, would you?

Your only plan is to plead for a second chance.

Give me a second chance to prove myself that I can be a law-abiding citizen.

The charges are read out against you, and you forget some of the things you've done,

and they're read out.

Some of the horrible words and deeds, and finally the king says,

no, I won't give you a second chance to prove yourself.

As of that moment, as of this moment, I forgive all your crimes.

I will pay any debt myself.

Before all my kingdom, I declare you innocent.

No one is to harm you.

I will never condemn you.

Now that's something.

I know this is a pretty poor illustration, but that's something of the picture of our justification.

It's a pure gift.

Now this king is so good and so powerful, he can even change your heart,

the seat of your deepest desires, your will, your hopes.

In place of your rebellious spirit, I give you my very own spirit.

He will empower you to freely choose, freely choose, to walk in my ways.

That's something of our sanctification.

We are under this new influence in our lives.

We don't have to fear being on the wrong side of the law again,

because the law is helping us.

The one in charge is with us, empowering us.

A new way of thinking.

Now if that's all the king had done for you,

you would spend your days owing him your love, your devotion, your gratitude.

You would have so much reason to tell anyone about the mercy of this king.

You'd have every reason to praise him.

But he's got more to say.

I don't want you to only be a loyal, law-abiding citizen.

Today I adopt you.

Where'd that come from?

I adopt you.

You have every legal right and privilege,

including my inheritance as my heir.

Treat my palace as your home.

You are always welcome to come speak to me day or night.

My entire kingdom I share with you.

Go, live, work, representing me as a son.

We come today to the most wonderful reward that Jesus' death and resurrection has purchased for us.

Our adoption.

It is from this status of being adopted,

which we receive any and all privileges and blessings from God.

It is the best gift and it's the gift that we get everything else with and through.

So those who live according to the Spirit,

set their mind on the things of the Spirit,

and the Spirit changes how we think.

And what we're going to see today,

the Spirit changes how we think about ourself,

our old life,

our old fleshly life.

And the Spirit changes how we think about God.

The Spirit leads you to be killing your flesh

and the Spirit assures you

that the Father has adopted you.

You share the Son's life.

Now I believe

the first happens by the second.

We're going to come to this.

But leading us to kill the flesh,

I think happens by the assurance

that we really are children of God.

I hope you've got your Bibles open, by the way.

And if you're on your phone

and some notifications are popping up,

shut it off.

Listen to God's Word.

Listen to God.

There's a scene in the movie

The Best of Enemies,

which I just found really confronting.

I don't know what the word is.

But The Best of Enemies,

it's based on a true story.

North Carolina in America in the 70s.

So racism was rife.

And after the Ku Klux Klan leader

speaks against,

in this public meeting,

speaks against a proposal

to let black children

integrate into white schools,

an African-American man

stands up

and says,

brother.

Now everyone is shocked

that he called him brother.

And the African-Americans in the room

are enraged.

How dare you call this man

who hunts and persecutes his brother?

Now,

I think there's something of,

when Paul says in verse 12,

so then brothers.

Like he's a Jew

speaking to Jews and Gentile Christians.

And the division between Jew and Gentile

was as heavy a hostility

as we're seeing in Israel, Palestine.

There was utter hatred.

So Paul,

let's just,

I don't want to skip over the word brother.

It's not a filler word.

There are no filler words in scripture.

He means it.

He uses brother

every time he addresses his readers

in this letter,

19 times.

It's a very serious

and wonderful word.

So this part of God's word,

it's addressed to brothers and sisters.

If you love Jesus

as your life,

your hope,

this word,

and I'm going to be speaking

this sermon to you.

But I just want to say

at this point,

if you're still searching for God,

can I just invite you

to please listen?

Listen,

I think

this passage

will show you

the heart of God.

He hates religion.

The heart of God,

he wants to give his life

as a pure gift,

all his life.

So I invite you to listen.

So brothers,

sisters,

the Christian life

is a supernatural one.

It's a supernatural experience,

24-7.

It doesn't feel like it

all the time, does it?

It feels pretty ordinary.

What we're doing now

feels pretty ordinary.

Our sufferings feel like

we're being ground

into the dirt.

But the Christian life

is a transcendent life,

24-7.

The third person

of the triune God

dwells in you.

You are in him.

It is a supernatural life.

As I've seen,

the spirit creates

a new mindset,

a new way of thinking.

And it results

in a new lifestyle

that actually produces

real love.

Not an imitation love.

It's not us

pretending to be God

because it's God

actually producing it in us.

It's real love.

It's not full yet.

We want it to be.

It's partial.

But it's real.

It actually fulfills

his law.

The Christian life

is a supernatural experience.

And it doesn't often

feel that way

and we don't automatically

think that way

which is I think

why Paul starts

with a warning.

So then,

brothers,

we're debtors.

We've got an obligation.

It's not to the flesh.

It's not.

It's not to the flesh.

Our flesh makes us feel like

we have to obey it

to be satisfied,

to be who we are.

But we've got no obligation there.

It's the Spirit

who sets us free from sin.

The Spirit indwelling us.

Setting our minds

on spiritual things,

real things.

Enabling us

to fulfill the law of love.

It's the Spirit

who leads us.

It's the Spirit

who puts to death

the deeds of the body

so that we live.

It's the Spirit

who will one day

resurrect our physical bodies.

It's the Spirit

who testifies to our adoption.

Our life

is in the Spirit.

Our obligation

is in the Holy Spirit.

That's where life is.

Life and peace.

Flesh,

no obligation.

Only leads to death.

Now, flesh,

I don't think it's about

physical bodies

per se,

although

the body

is like a diseased

body

where sin is

in it

and we need

a new body.

But it's

a deeper concept

than that.

Paul seems to use it

that

the flesh

is more to do

with a universal

human nature,

a disposition

where we're hostile

to God

as we saw

in previous verses.

We can't submit

to God.

His law comes

and it incites

us the more sin.

So the body

isn't

bad.

God created

the body good.

We're told in chapter 6

to offer our members,

offer your mind,

offer your eyes,

offer your hands

as instruments

for righteousness.

So it's not,

we've got to be clear,

the body isn't bad.

So this flesh

is more about

being hostile

to God.

Now I think

when we think

about hostility

to God,

I think there's

two ways

this can

show itself.

One is

the more obvious

kind of

self-reliant

way.

I think

it's summed up

pretty well

by the song

you hear

at a lot

of funerals,

Frank Sinatra.

I did it

my way.

Regrets?

I've had a few,

but then again,

too few

to mention.

Really?

Too few?

Are you talking

about yesterday

or are you talking

about a lifetime?

Too few to,

anyway,

sorry.

Maybe your life

is a lot

better than mine.

For what is a man?

What has he got?

If not himself,

then he has

naught.

Let the record

show

I took all

the blows

and did it

my way.

Okay,

there's that spirit.

There's that

hostile to God.

But I think

hostility

toward God

has to also

include

Paul's

religious

zeal

that he

wants

to

prove

himself.

I think

it's hostile

because if

God says

you need

his son's

blood

and you

throw that

in his face

and say,

I've got

this,

I think

that's

hostility.

I think

Colossians 2,

at the end

of Colossians 2,

it's a really

amazing verse

where it

just goes,

you think

religion

can make

you good?

All these

rules,

do not

taste,

do not

touch,

and then it

finishes with

this verse,

these have

indeed an

appearance,

an appearance

of wisdom

in promoting

self-made

religion

and the

severity

of the

body,

but they

are of

no value

in stopping

the indulgence

of the

flesh.

That's

incredible.

All these

rules,

no value

in stopping

the flesh.

You might

not commit

adultery,

but the

fantasies

and the

lusts of

your thoughts

you might

not yell

and use

swear words,

but it's

bitter

resentment

against

another

image-bearer

of God

in your

heart,

filling

your soul.

So I

think there's

a religious

hostility,

self-reliance,

and the

more obvious

just get

rid of

God,

self-reliance.

self-reliance,

self-ratifying,

self-protecting

flesh,

and it

feels like

we must

satisfy its

desires to

be content.

But

brothers and

sisters,

however strong

the demands

feel,

we owe

nothing to

it.

It only

leads in

death,

leads to

death,

verse 13.

As John

Owen famously

put it,

be killing

sin,

or sin

will be

killing you.

Be killing

sin,

or sin

will be

killing you.

Now do you

find verse 13

terrifying?

How on earth

does this

condition,

based on what

you do or

don't do,

in order to

get life,

which in

context here,

I think has

to mean

eternal life,

how does that

fit with the

assurance of

verse 1?

There is

therefore now

no condemnation

for those who

are in

Christ Jesus.

Now if

you're

overwhelmed by

fear at

this point,

whenever you

hear a

warning in

scripture,

can I

encourage you,

don't try

and handle

that by

moving away.

I think the

answer is go

further into

the passage,

make sure you

understand it

in its

detail.

Look at

those little

words for

in verses

14 and

15,

they are

giving the

reasons,

why?

So for

all who

are led by

the Spirit

of God

are sons

of God.

And sons

here,

just think

firstborn

inheritance,

so that

captures sons

and daughters.

All who

are led by

the Spirit

of God

are sons

of God,

for you

did not

receive the

spirit of

slavery to

fall back

into fear.

The Spirit

given to us

is not like

living under

the covenant

of law,

based on

what you

do,

you live

or die.

It's one

of assurance

and security.

So however

you read

verse 13,

it can't

be to

incite

that kind

of fear.

So we're

going to

ask,

how does

the logic

work?

I don't

think it's

immediately

apparent how

verse 13

fits with

verse 14.

all who

are led

by the

Spirit

of God

are sons

of God.

And I

think we

get ourselves

into trouble,

maybe we

have false

assurance if

we give our

own definition

of led

here.

What does

being led

by the

Spirit

mean?

I think

we just

insert our

own definition

rather than

letting Scripture

tell us.

Some look to

supernatural gifts

like speaking

in tongues,

others might

think of

led as

in guidance,

the Spirit

is telling

me to

call so

and so

this afternoon.

Now the

Spirit

might,

he might

do that,

but is

that what

the definition

of led

is here?

The Spirit

is guiding

me to

marry this

person,

to invest

in this

whatever.

The most

obvious

definition

of led

is the

preceding

verse,

verse 13.

The Spirit

leads us

to put

the deeds

of the

body

to death.

So whenever

our minds

and our

eyes and

our tongue

are about

to be

offered to

sin,

the Spirit

leads us

in violence.

Violence

against

ourselves.

If you

want eternal

life,

you must

be violent.

That's a

weird thing

to say,

isn't it?

You must

be violent.

Not

against

other

people.

If you're

online,

slandering

people in

the name

of Jesus,

like,

no,

don't say

the Spirit's

leading you

to do

that.

Not

against

other

people.

Not

violent

against

society

and the

world

at large.

Some

fundamentalist

churches

just want

to cut

themselves

off.

Oh,

society

is the

problem.

problem.

No.

The leading

here is you

get violent

against

yourself.

The Spirit

influences you

to be

violent

against

yourself,

to have a

wartime

sensitivity

that you

hear yourself

cough and

you're ready

to pull the

trigger.

Your

attitudes,

your words

that are

about to

leave your

mouth,

where your

eyes are

going.

You're

gouging

out

eyes,

you're

cutting

off

hands.

Like

this

world,

we would

have so

much more

peace if

people were

more violent

against their

violence.

If we

were critical

against our

critical spirit

of others,

we need

to get

mean

against

our

meanness

towards

others.

The

tense of

the verb

here of

putting to

death is

it's present.

It's not

past tense.

It's saying

putting to

death.

It's

assuming an

ongoing

present

war.

It's not

saying you

have done

it, you've

completed this.

And there's

nothing here

saying how

much progress

you need to

make within

a week or

a month or

a decade.

We can

say I'm

nowhere near

where I

want to

be, but

I look

back on

the years

of being

a Christian,

I'm not

where I

was.

Nowhere

near where

I want

to be, but

I'm not

where I

was.

It doesn't

say how

much progress

you need to

make.

The important

thing is you're

fulfilling this

verse if you

hate your sin

because of

Jesus' sake.

You can hate

your sin for

social disadvantage

reasons.

That's still

fleshly thinking.

But if you

hate it for

Jesus' sake,

you can

know you're

fulfilling

verse 13.

He's leading

you to

violence

against the

flesh.

So let me

summarize.

Here's how I

think the logic

between 13 and

14 works.

If you hate

that old,

self-obsessed,

hostile to God

self that you

feel as though

you're just in

this constant

war with it,

that's not

evidence that

you're not in

Jesus.

That's evidence

you're being led

by the Spirit.

And if God

is at work in

you to make

war on that

old self,

you're a

son.

And if

you're a

son, God's

children live

because of

Jesus.

how does

verse 13

fit with

verse 1?

You must

be fighting

to put the

flesh to

death.

If you're

in Jesus,

if the

Spirit's in

you, he

will ensure

you will.

You've just

got a totally

different mindset

now.

Is it

total?

No, it's

not.

But it is

different.

And you

can only

get the

victory if

you are

trusting in

the full

assurance of

verse 1.

I really

love how

John Piper

puts it.

The only

sin you

can kill

is a

forgiven

sin.

I think

that's

wonderful.

It's forgiven.

That's the only

one you can

conquer.

The only way

you can

fulfill

verse 13

is if you

believe

verse 1.

Whatever sin

I'm tempted

or doing

right now

is forgiven.

Then

you can

fight.

Well, what

does by the

Spirit mean?

Is that

some spiritual

method or

steps?

of changing

your habits?

There's

heaps of

worldly

advice on

how to

change

your

habits.

There's

self-help

videos,

there's

programs,

there's

silver

bullets,

but they're

all based

on rules.

They're all

based on

what you

do.

The

Christian

war is

different.

It's one

of utter

dependence.

It's by

the Spirit.

We're

active in

it.

It's us

doing it.

But it's

one of

in

myself,

I'm

helpless.

I can't

do it.

But with

you I

can.

It's that

kind of

attitude.

So what

does it

mean?

What does

by the

Spirit mean?

I'm surprised

Paul doesn't

define it for

us.

I really

want him

to.

Come on,

this is so

important,

Paul.

Why didn't

you give

us the

definition?

Now some

look to

Ephesians 6

where you've

got the

picture of

the armour

of God

and the

sword of

the Spirit

is the

word of

God.

Now that's

helpful because

how do you

fight lies?

With truth,

with God's

word.

So that's

helpful.

I think

you'll get a

long way if

you're convinced

of that

definition.

Now I

think there's

actually

something that's

true,

something that

fits that

and more,

something even

deeper and

closer to

Romans 8.

You don't

have to jump

to another

book of

the Bible.

I think

it's not

fighting by

a particular

method but

fighting with

your new

identity.

Not a

method but

identity.

Now I'm

going to give

you an

illustration and

then I'm

going to

try and

show you,

try and

convince you

that it is

actually here

in the

text.

So our

family, we've

had a bit

of sickness,

I'm feeling

well, just

to put people

at ease.

And there's

temperatures in

the house.

I heard

recently from

a researcher,

they described

the body's

immune system.

Now I'm

going to leave

it to use

science types

and medicos

to actually

understand how

that works.

That's beyond

me.

But I was

fascinated by

the paradigm

he used.

he was

saying the

immune system

when it

attacks

dangerous

cells,

it doesn't

look at

a cell

and go,

is this

good and

I'll let

it live or

is it bad

and I'll

attack it

and kill

it.

It doesn't

evaluate good

and bad.

It goes,

is this

cell foreign?

It sees it

and goes,

that's not

me.

I'm going

to attack

it and

kill it

because it's

not me.

That cell

is me

and helps

me live.

I won't

attack that.

This cell

is not

me.

Attack,

kill.

I think

that's

closer to

something of

what Paul

is getting

at here,

of what

by the

spirit is.

It's

saying be

who you

are now.

Kill

who you

are not

now.

How do

you know

who you

are?

Not

letting

society's

value tell

you who

you are

and who

you're

not.

It's

letting

the gospel

tell you

who you

are.

Now,

okay,

I've

got to

don't be

persuaded by

an illustration.

You've got to

be persuaded by

God's word.

Where am I

getting this

from?

I think

it's from

how Paul

is arguing

in verses

14 to

17.

He doesn't

give us a

particular method.

He doesn't

say pray

like this,

quote this

verse,

follow these

steps.

He gives

us identity.

You're

adopted,

your sons,

your children

of God,

your heirs.

So I

think it's

how Paul

thinks,

how he

argues.

Or look

at this

wonderful

chapter,

which is

all about

life in

the spirit,

chapter 8.

How does

it begin

and end?

Verse 1,

those who

are in

Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Verse 39,

nothing can

separate us

from God's

love for

those in

Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Look at

chapters 5 to

8 of

Romans.

And I've

put the

verses in

the outline.

I'm not

going to go

through them

all.

But in

Jesus,

through

Jesus,

in Jesus,

through

Jesus,

just throughout

these chapters,

it's teaching

us to think,

my life is

bound up in

Jesus.

What's

true of

him is

true of

me.

So I

think,

like the

immune system,

the spirit

helps us

identify anything

that isn't

Christ in

us and

makes war

on it.

Who I am

now in

Christ changes

our view of

ourselves.

We hate

that old

flesh now.

It also

changes our

view of

God and

I think

our view

of God

is the

power to

hate our

old self.

No longer

fear of

his

abandonment,

but assured.

So

verses 15

to 17.

To

appreciate

this

doctrine of

adoption,

we need

to remember

the

precondition

for our

adoption.

There is

deep

personal

trauma

before there

is assurance.

I got in

my inbox

this week,

I didn't

take it as

coincidence,

thank you for

helping with the

sermon again

this week,

an article on

adoption by

an American

lady named

Melinda

Just.

Now,

Americans

just celebrated

Thanksgiving,

so it's in

that context,

and she

starts the

article like

this.

What do

I have to

be thankful

for?

My own

dad

didn't want

me.

That's

brutal,

isn't it?

she

later says,

to be

able to

view

adoption

as

beautiful,

she's

talking

about

a human

adoption,

I

needed to

become

comfortable

with

understanding

how much

of my

life and

my

worldview

was

shaped

by the

trauma

of

abandonment.

So I

think for

all of us

spiritually,

if we

want to

see the

beauty of

adoption,

we need

to face

our

trauma.

I once

did not

belong to

God's

family,

though made

in his

image,

I belong

to Adam's

family tree,

and in

his hostility

to God,

not because

God's the

kind of God

who leaves,

but I

deserve him

to abandon

me.

I deserve

it.

forever.

And

it's on

that dark

backdrop

that verse

15 is

just,

this whole

section

really,

but it's

a wonderful

truth.

You did

not receive

the Spirit,

this is

talking about

the Holy

Spirit,

the nature

of the Holy

Spirit,

not our

Spirit.

You did

not receive

the Spirit

of slavery

to fall

back into

fear.

You've

received the

Spirit of

adoption of

sons by

whom we

cry,

Abba,

Father.

the Spirit

Himself bears

witness with

our

spirit that

we are

children of

God.

Melinda goes

on to say

of her

earthly dad,

I was old

enough for

him to look

at me and

say,

no way.

But he

didn't.

He picked

me.

He gave

me his

name.

He claimed

me.

It took

me 30

years to

fully understand

and claim the

enormity of

my forever

dad's decision

to bring me

into his

home, his

heart and

his life.

We might

be tempted

to think that

adoption is

somehow second

class children.

That is

wrong.

In the

Roman world,

an adopted

son had all

the social

privileges as

an heir,

as a

natural

born.

More

importantly,

in the

Old Testament

context,

Israel was

God's son,

sons.

But what

should have

been Israel's

is now

true of

those with

faith in

the son.

Paul is

transferring

that title to

believers.

But most

important is

that these

are Jesus'

own words.

things.

We can

cry.

Now, I

think cry

isn't so

much about

being really

loud or

crying with

tears, but

we might do

both.

There's times to

do both.

This is more

about we can

cry.

It comes up

from the

depth of our

being.

We can cry.

And what

can we

cry?

The

eternal

son who

used this

little Aramaic

word,

Abba.

Now, Jews

did not use

this about

God.

It is way

too emotional.

It's too

personal.

It's too

intimate.

It wasn't

reverent enough.

This is the

eternal son's

word,

Abba.

father.

We share

the son's

relationship

with the

father.

Not second

class.

We have

his relationship

to the

father.

We share

the son's

inheritance.

We're heirs

of God.

Now, I

think that

means we're

heirs of

all God's

promises.

Maybe it

also includes

God himself

is the

greatest

inheritance.

Jesus,

that's his

inheritance.

He was

obedient.

He deserves

that reward.

But it's

all ours.

Only

legitimate

children

get the

inheritance.

And we

are, by

faith,

legitimate

children.

A guy

called

Tim

Challey

is a

blogger.

He says,

a few

weeks ago

I stood

in the

humblest

of villages

in the

distant

reaches of

rural

Cambodia.

This is a

village that

has not

yet been

reached by

electricity or

running water.

I love

electricity and

running water.

This place

hasn't been

reached by

that.

Yet, it

has been

reached by

the gospel.

They wear the

disguise of

farmers, but

even though their

homes are

tiny and

unadorned,

and even

though they

wear no

crowns or

own no

robes,

they are

most truly

princes and

princesses who

simply await

their full

inheritance.

I wonder if

we see

believers that

way, see

ourselves that

way.

We share the

son's relationship

to the

father, we

share his

inheritance, and

we share the

son's sufferings.

We share in

his life

fully.

Now, what

does this

mean?

Because

unbelievers

suffer.

Let's not

kid ourselves.

It's not

like we've

got a

monopoly on

suffering.

The rest of

Romans 8, I

think, teaches

us more about

this Christian

suffering, so

we'll say more

in future

weeks.

But notice

here that a

key phrase,

we're glorified

with him, but

we also suffer

with him.

It's not

suffer like

him, it's

with him.

When you're

a son of

God, how

you see

suffering, it

changes.

It changes.

It is now

with him.

With him, we

trust that he's

working all

things for good,

for those who

love God, to

be conformed to

the son's

character.

With him, if

we're persecuted

because we bear

his name, we're

honoured.

We're with

him.

If we're with

him, we

choose to lay

down our lives

so that people

hear this

gospel to be

saved.

We choose

suffering, not

just accept it.

with him.

We look

forward to

being with

him and

like him.

We're going

to be free

from this

weak, fleshly

struggle with

our sin.

In that

hope, we

push through

and keep on

fighting this

fight, which

is a form of

suffering.

suffering.

I think that

phrase, with

him, is a

beautiful phrase.

And nothing

shows the

depths of our

adoption if

while he slays

us, we still

trust.

Father, I know

you love me.

Wow.

Wow.

We cry, Abba,

Father, with

him.

So whenever

you don't feel

like you can

see God as

Father, maybe

you're hearing

all this and

it's wonderful,

but it's not

for you and

you just don't

feel it.

And I

encourage you,

look back at

the objective

truth, to

remind you

that you've

got nothing

to prove

here.

There is

therefore now

no condemnation

in Christ

Jesus.