2022 Advent Series -Romans 8 - Citizens Of The Kingdom

Well, good morning.

Turn with me, if you will, to Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

And today we will be looking at verses 12 through 17.

Romans chapter 8, verses 12 through 17.

Romans 8:12–17

So I'm excited to preach today for two reasons.

First, this is, I think, my first Advent servant sermon, so I'm excited about that.

And secondly, this is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible.

And of course, I'm not alone in this conviction.

Many Christians love this chapter.

In fact, Ligonier Ministries, those of you who are familiar with them, on their website it says that Romans 8 is the greatest chapter because it has almost everything in it.

John Piper says, I quote, that Romans 8 is the greatest chapter and the greatest joy.

So this chapter is truly amazing.

But what makes this chapter so amazing, I believe, is the backdrop of chapter 7 in Romans.

So Romans 8 is this bright shining light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Romans chapter 7 is that dark tunnel because in that chapter, Paul brings us so low.

Romans 7 · chapter mention

He, in short, tells us that we are unspiritual sinners.

He says that we are rebellious lawbreakers and that we are totally powerless to do anything about it.

The things that we should do, we don't, the things that we shouldn't be doing, we do.

So he paints this gloomy reality that we are guilty criminals before a holy God, hopelessly enslaved to sin and doomed to destruction.

So it's in this dark reality, then, that Paul cries out in verse 24, O wretched man that I am, who is there anyone out there who can deliver me from this body of death?

And in his despair, he turns his eyes to Christ and he cries out, I thank God for Jesus Christ.

It is he who can deliver me and save me and change me.

And so this brings us to Romans 8, which spells out for us all that we have been given by God in Christ Jesus.

And what we saw last week in Rick's sermon in verses 1 through 11 is that we have been given a new life.

We've been given a new kingdom and a new citizenship.

Because of Christ's first advent, we who believe, we now have no condemnation, verse 1.

We have freedom from sin and death in verse 2.

We have imputed righteousness that comes from Christ in verse 4.

And we have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We see that in verses 5 through 11.

So if you are in Christ Jesus this morning, this is your reality.

This is your new domain, if you will.

It is Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, Behold, if anyone is in Christ, all things are made new.

You serve a new master, you have a new identity, you belong to a new world, and you have a new destiny.

And this was all made possible by God, for God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son.

And so the Apostle Paul, he points to the beauty of God in the face of Christ, and he says, This is what Christ has done for you.

This is what you have access to.

Look at the blessings that you have in Jesus.

But Paul, like the rest of his epistles, he doesn't stop there.

He never shows us the glories of God and says, The end, good luck.

No, he always points to God until we are awestruck by God in wonder.

And then he points to us, saying, Therefore, live this way.

You see, it's not enough to say, this is who God is and this is what God has done.

What we need is follow-up, someone exhorting us, therefore, live this way.

Like the women, the woman who was caught in adultery.

It's not enough to just say, your sin is forgiven.

There must be the imperative.

Now go and sin no more.

And so this is exactly what Paul does this morning in our passage.

After telling us about the amazing benefits that we have in Christ, he now turns his attention to the recipients of God's salvation, us.

And he says in verse 12, therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh to live according to it.

And so Christians are people who live under obligation.

We have a duty, a commitment, a debt of gratitude because of what God has done on our behalf.

That is the meaning of obligation.

It means that we are bound to something, we are motivated to action because of a driving force.

Before Jesus saved us, our obligation was to the flesh.

And by flesh here I mean the sin nature.

So before Christ, we had only one obligation, and that was to serve our sinful appetites.

Apart from Christ, we have only one obligation, and that is to serve ourselves, to feed our flesh, and to chase after every sinful impulse.

But since Christ has entered our life, we owe the flesh nothing.

We don't have to obey its desires, nor do we have to listen to its demands.

We have the ability now in Christ to deny the flesh.

So let me give you an illustration.

There is this story about a woman who was abducted and held captive by a psychopath for ten long years.

And thankfully, at some point, this man was caught and he was thrown into prison.

And after this poor woman had experienced freedom, she went to go and visit this man while he was in prison.

And so she wanted to go visit him and grant him forgiveness for his actions towards her.

So she went to visit him in prison and she sat down with him, and the guy began to tell her.

He said, I want you to come visit me.

You still serve me, you will still obey my commands.

That's what he said to her.

And she went to go visit him in prison.

So he tried to get back in her head, even though he had no power over her anymore.

And so he talked to her as if he did, in which this woman responded to him.

She said, I don't have to listen to you anymore.

You no longer own me.

I'm no longer your slave.

You have been dethroned.

You're the prisoner now.

Your grip on me is gone.

And in the same way, the power of sin in our lives has been dethroned.

Jesus came into our lives, and he not only forgave us of the penalty of sin, but he has given us victory through the Holy Spirit over the power of sin.

Now, this doesn't mean that sin is gone in our lives.

Like the man in prison, sin still has a voice and it still has an influence on us.

But it doesn't have to be our master anymore.

Sin is always hounding us, it's always in our ears saying, serve me, feed me.

But we have the obligation now to say no.

You've been dethroned.

Jesus is the king of my life now.

I'm not obligated to you.

I'm obligated to him who gave his life for me.

Church, this is our obligation.

Negatively, we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh.

And positively, we are to live in the spirit that God has given us.

That's the teaching here.

Because of what God has done for us, we are obligated to say no to sin and yes to Jesus.

We are obligated to put to death the deeds of the flesh and walk in the new life that God has given us in the Spirit.

And what fuels this obligation, it isn't fear, man, I better obey God, or he's gonna strike me with lightning.

And it isn't an obligation of mere duty.

I should go to church because it's the right thing to do, and it will be good for my kids, and all that.

And it's not an obligation for acceptance.

If I do this, then God will accept me.

I'll earn his favor.

These are all horrible reasons of obligation.

What sparks our obligation, what motivates us for Christian living, and what compels us to obedience is the amazing love of God.

We turn from sin because we are thankful for what God has done.

And we live for Christ because of his amazing, unfailing, immeasurable love for us.

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.14, he says, Christ's love is what is compelling me and driving me.

We turn from sin because we are in love with him.

We live like a child of God because he has freely allowed us to be one.

We look at the cross of Jesus Christ, we open the Bible, we see the endless glories of God, and then we look at our own lives, and we see his faithfulness, his mercy, his patience with us over the years, despite our mistakes and our stupid choices, and then we say, wow, God, you're amazing.

Amazing grace.

How can it be that you would save a wretch like me?

I should be dead.

I should be toasting in hell right now, but I'm not.

Here I stand in the love of Christ, and for that, I'm obligated to resist temptation and obligated to repent when I fall.

I'm obligated to walk in the Spirit.

I'm compelled to stop playing around with the murder weapon that killed Jesus.

Church, we are under an obligation.

Do you realize that this morning?

This idea that Christian obedience is optional and that you can go on sinning and you can live however you want and still get to heaven, that is garbage doctrine.

That is not New Testament language.

It's blasphemous.

And as Hebrews 10 tells us, it tramples the Son of God underfoot, perverting his precious blood into a license to sin.

And if that's your mindset, if that is your attitude, you need to seriously consider if you are truly in Christ to begin with.

Friends, we are called to be a people of obligation.

When the world looks at us and says, you know, why did you stop partying?

Why are you fighting for your marriage?

If you're just unhappy, leave.

Why won't you live with your girlfriend?

That's stupid and not practical.

Why would you give so much time to the church?

Our response should be because I love Jesus.

I'm obligated to serve the God of my salvation.

We are the children of God, and we have been given, as Hebrews 2 says, such a great salvation.

We are the only people on earth who have the option to not sin.

We have two choices before us.

We can either feed the flesh or we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

There's no middle ground.

And if someone raises their hand and says, Jimmy, that's way too black and white, that's because it is.

Look at verse 13.

Paul says, For if you live according to the flesh, you will die.

But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Christians are the only people on earth who have the God-given ability to resist and forsake sin.

You see, unbelievers have only one option.

They can only sin all the time in everything that they do.

They are in a state of, a condition, a realm of total darkness and depravity.

Even their so-called good works are sinful, as Isaiah tells us.

But as Christians, we have a new God-given ability and power that comes from the Holy Spirit.

It's not that we don't sin, because we do.

Raise your hand if you've sinned as a Christian.

Okay?

And it's not that we can't sin, because that's not true.

But we now have the option to not sin.

We don't have to sin.

We can look at sin and say, no thanks.

So Paul reminds us of this fundamental truth.

Christians still have the flesh, and therefore we are still vulnerable to sin.

But we also have the ability through the Spirit to kill sin.

And I think we can all relate to this.

I love God, but I also at times I love sin.

I want to serve Jesus, but I find myself at times serving sin.

We are bipolar in this sense.

There's this war within us that Galatians 5 talks about between the spirit and the flesh.

And when we serve the flesh, it produces death, says Paul.

And death here refers to spiritual, relational, emotional, and sometimes physical death.

As Romans 6.23 tells us, the wages of sin is death.

And so sin, in whatever form it may manifest itself in our lives, it produces some measure of death.

Okay, listen to this quote.

It says, sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

Sadly enough, this quote comes from Rabbi Zacharias, which validates my point further and should cause us all to tremble.

You see, there's no such thing as secret sin, harmless sin, or small sin.

Sin is nasty and it always leads to some form of destruction.

It's not trying to get you to slip up and fall, it's trying to consume you and kill you.

But Paul reminds us that we don't need to feed the flesh and experience the death that it produces.

This verse was literally what inspired John Owen's famous book, Mortification of Sin in Believers.

It's a great book, you should read it.

For Owen, this verse made it abundantly clear that the believer has a duty to be constantly mortifying or putting to death the sin that still indwells him.

But equally important for Owen was the fact that such a duty is only possible in the strength that the Holy Spirit supplies us.

For he alone is sufficient for this work.

And so if you are a child of God who has the Spirit of God, you don't have to serve sin anymore.

We can, by God's Spirit, kill sin and live.

This is what Paul talked about back in Romans 6, when he says, Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

We've been given power from above that is stronger than sin.

Even more than that, it's stronger than the devil himself.

1 John 4, 4 says, Greater is he who is in me, that's God's Spirit, than he who is in the world.

We need to hear this again and again.

Because we forget that we have this kind of power dwelling in us.

Or we're just spiritually lazy and we fall back into old sins and we don't see a way out, then we become calloused.

We say to ourselves, Welp, I guess uh this is just my thorn.

I guess this is where my sanctification stops and ends.

No.

Have you forgotten that the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you?

The eternal, holy, all-knowing, all-powerful God, his spirit dwells inside you.

So stop making excuses.

Stop acting like a victim.

Stop believing that you are utterly trapped.

And with an open Bible and an active prayer life, with eyes fixed on Jesus, rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit and slay that stupid sin that keeps dragging you down and start being who God already calls you to be: a saint and a child of God.

We forget how much access we have, how much power we have, how much blessings we have in the spirit that God has given us.

We forget.

We believe God in our minds, but we often live our lives like practical atheists.

And what a tragedy that is when God did so much to give us his spirit.

This is what Paul is trying to show us here: the benefits of God's Spirit living within us.

And he elaborates more on this in verses 14 through 17.

He says, For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

The spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again.

But rather, the spirit that you received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by him we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children.

Now, if we are children, then we are heirs.

Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

If indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory.

So here we have some of the richest doctrine on what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer.

The Spirit leads us, he gives us freedom, he rids us of fear, he brings about our adoption, he helps us relate to God as a father, and he gives us assurance that we are saved.

So let's start with the first, verse 14.

The Holy Spirit leads you.

Whenever you get that feeling, man, I really need to pray and get in the word.

Or maybe you're watching a movie and you feel that conviction, man, I really should not be watching this.

Or you get that inkling, man, I should really help that person over there.

This is the Holy Spirit leading and guiding you according to God's will.

Okay, this is what he does.

He leads us into truth, he empowers us to do God's will, and he gives us strength to accomplish our kingdom assignments.

And he gives us wisdom and discernment and guidance or conviction as we navigate life here on earth.

Okay, a Christian is never alone and is never in charge.

Of course, there are times when we grieve and we can quench the spirit, but overall, a Christian is someone who is under the Spirit's leadership.

Okay, so what this teaches us then is that there's no such thing as a true Christian without the Spirit.

Okay, there is a doctrine out there that is derived from two verses out of the book of Acts that says you can be a Christian but not have God's Spirit.

Okay, that's silly.

A Christian is someone who has God's Spirit.

It's that plain and simple.

So the second The second thing mentioned here in verse 15 is the Spirit gives us freedom and removes fear.

The Spirit gives us freedom from the demands of the law, from the addiction to sin, and from the sting of death.

The Spirit also removes that fear we had before Christ, which is the fear of dying and facing judgment.

Therefore, the Spirit will never lead us into any form of addiction or unhealthy fear.

As 2 Timothy 1:7 says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

So if you find yourself being led into sin or you find yourself overly fearful, that's not the spirit.

That's most likely your flesh or the evil one.

Because the spirit is all about freedom.

He's about casting out all fear.

Another third thing mentioned here at the end of verse 15 is the spirit is responsible for bringing about your adoption.

Okay, and in addition to this, the spirit is also responsible for helping you realize that you are a child of God and that you can talk to God as your father, in which we cry out, Abba.

The moment God gave us his spirit, we were regenerated.

Okay, and it was he who opened our eyes to salvation.

It was he who helped us recognize that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life, and that we really have been brought from death to life, and that we really are a child of God.

And it is the Spirit who helps us approach God as children, in which we cry out, Father, or more literally, Papa.

No sinner would ever naturally go to God and say, Papa.

That's a spirit-fueled experience.

And then the last thing mentioned here in verses 16 through 17 is that the Spirit gives us assurance that we are genuinely a child of God.

He is the one constantly reminding us that we're forgiven in Christ, we're reconciled to God.

He is the one constantly telling us you are God's child.

God is for you, He cares about you, God loves you with an unfailing love.

And thank God for this.

Because the world shouts at me saying, You're a fraud, you're a hypocrite, where is your God?

And even my own flesh says, I'm a loser, I'm the worst Christian ever.

I've let God down so many times.

And the devil screams at me saying, You don't really love Jesus.

Look at all the mistakes you've made.

Look at how many times you've let God down again and again and again.

But it is the Spirit of God who refuses to let me go and reminds me time and time again in every valley, you are his.

Your debt has been paid.

God has chosen you.

No one can pluck you from his hand.

You are purchased by the blood, and although you have given God countless reasons to stop loving you, he won't.

Because the gifts and the callings of God are irrevocable.

You are his.

It's the Spirit that testifies with my spirit that I am a true son of the living God, born from above and destined for glory.

And beyond this, as if being God's child is not enough, Paul goes further in verse 17 and he reminds us that you're not just children, but heirs.

Co-heirs with Christ.

You're not just a sinner saved from hell.

You're not just a child of God who barely made the cut.

You are someone who has been given the privilege of sharing Christ's inheritance.

In the new heaven and earth, when that day comes, you will be a partaker in Christ's inheritance.

As Revelation 3.21 promises us, and I say this reverently, you will inherit a measure of the throne of Christ.

That is our destiny.

As we look ahead, that's what's coming.

Now, there's a condition attached to this.

He says at the end of the verse, if indeed we share in his sufferings.

Now, this isn't a call to pursue suffering for the sake of reward.

This isn't like other religions where we need to go and die and suffer for our faith so that we can receive special rewards in heaven.

Not at all.

That's not what Paul means here.

What Paul is saying here is that suffering is evidence that all this is real.

Okay, suffering is to be expected in this present era.

Okay, in fact, the suffering of a disciple arises out of one's loyalty to Christ in all circumstances.

So he is reminding us that suffering must occur.

It's inevitable.

Okay, while we are still on earth awaiting the finality of our salvation, we will suffer.

And thank God for his honesty.

Because he literally tells us, hey, this isn't going to be easy.

Christ suffered greatly on earth.

You're his follower, so will you.

Some people find this depressing.

They think, man, I gotta suffer.

What did I sign up for?

I thought being a Christian would be more comfortable and prosperous.

I guess the prosperity preachers and the TV evangelists lied to me.

But I find this profoundly encouraging because it means that if my body fails me, or I get persecuted, or I'm diagnosed with some fatal disease, or a loved one dies, or my house blows up, it means that I am sharing in the suffering of my Savior.

I'm walking in his footsteps.

He suffered and then was glorified.

And I get to be like him in that way, to experience momentary afflictions that are only building up for me a greater degree of glory in heaven.

If you are a Christian, your suffering is not vain.

It serves a divine purpose.

There is divine objectives.

As Romans 8.28 reminds us, God uses all of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly, for our conformity to Christ and for his glory.

So don't get it twisted.

Being a Christian is the best life you can live.

It's full of abundance and blessing and fulfillment, but it is not easy.

If you are a Christ follower, you will suffer many tribulations.

But as our Lord said in John 16, 33, rest assured, be at peace, for I have overcome the world.

And so will we if we continue to endure and make our election sure through persevering and fighting the good fight and keeping the faith?

And Paul goes on to expound more on this subject of suffering in the next few verses, but that's for Ron to deal with next week.

So, Proclamation Church, as a way of conclusion, I must ask, are you living under holy obligation?

Are you actively fighting sin in your life?

This is our call.

This is our sanctification, and this is the mark of a true disciple.

Are you doing this?

Can you honestly say that you are resisting and combating and slaying sin in your life?

Can you honestly say that you are being spirit-led each day?

Or are you just letting sin have its way with you?

Just embracing any and every desire that comes your way?

And if you're unsure on how to how do I answer that question, I'm not sure where I'm at with that, just look at the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and ask yourself, what better defines me?

God did not kill his son, he did not save you and give you his spirit so that you would remain a prisoner who is a miserable sinner.

God has given you his full armor to fight.

As 2 Peter 1 reminds us, you have everything you need to live a godly life.

You have a God on your side who loves you.

You have Jesus who died for you.

You've been given God's Spirit who never forsakes you, but leads you and empowers you.

You have a church that is in this with you, willing to help, uplift, and encourage.

It's all at your disposal.

Remember who you are in Christ this morning.

Stare at the glories of Jesus until your affections for him are rekindled.

And if there is lingering sin in your life this morning, kill it.

Kill it now, or it will be killing you.

And then go and live accordingly, not indulging the flesh, but being alive in the spirit.

And enjoy the new life that God has given you.

A life where you are loving your family, loving your spouse, making disciples, joyfully serving the church, eagerly helping the community, sharing the gospel with strangers, walking in the good works that God prepared for you before the foundation of the earth.

Church, be reminded this morning of our obligation.

Be reminded of what we have in the Spirit.

And be reminded of who God is, what He has done, and what He's calling you to do.

Let's pray.

Father, we come before you in wonder.

We are so incredibly thankful for what you've done.

Oh, that you would save a wretch like me.

I pray, Lord, this morning that you would stir our affections for you.

Help us to be reminded of how great a God we serve.

Help us to be reminded how much you eagerly want us and desire us.

Father, help us to realize what we have in your spirit, Lord.

The spirit that dwells in us.

For those here, Lord, who are uh feeling like they can't overcome sin, Lord.

Help us remind us of your truth.

Lord, may we be a church that responds accordingly.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Sing one more song, guys.