Introduction
Review
Main idea: Paul describes two spiritual realities that should give the Christian joyful confidence in their salvation.
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My name is Brian Sayers. I'm not the regular preacher. I am pastor of counseling here our lead pastor is on a sabbatical for a few months in London resting getting refreshed, doing some academic work over there, he and his dear wife, Linda, so be praying for them as they continue to get that refreshment. Stand with me for the reading of God's Word. This morning, we're going to be continuing in our series and Romans kind of an overview of Romans called the power of God. And this morning brings us to Romans chapter eight. And I'm going to be reading verses one through 11. Romans chapter eight. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death, For what the law could not do, week as it was to the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, for those who are according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the Spirit, for the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for does not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, He does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through His Spirit who dwells in you. This is God's Word. God, we would ask your help this morning as we come to this great text reminding us of the glories of Your redemption. Thank you, for the passage, pray our hearts and minds would be receptive and responsive to what you have here for us this morning to the glory of your name, amen. You may be seated. I have a friend in New England with the Latin phrase, a Latin phrase tattooed to his forearm, the Latin phrase is civil justice, at Picador civil justice at Picador that that phrase translates roughly to simultaneously justified and a sinner or simultaneously righteous and sinful. It's a Christian doctrine from the Reformation, I believe a phrase made common by Martin Luther, the states that people are both sinners and saints. At the same time, it's a paradox of the Christian life that we can be sinful before God and sinful before man in practice, and yet be declared and to be made righteous in the sight of God at the same time. Our study of Romans to this point has found us learning and reviewing the realities of both sides of this paradox. We've seen the sinfulness of sin and of our need for saving from that sin from its power from its consequences. And that saving from sin that rescue that deliverance, it can only come to us through the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, how God himself came down from heaven as a man Jesus Christ in order to rescue mankind and to save us from sin, the sin of Adam. Genesis three resulted in all mankind inheriting a condition of sinfulness. One that we can't escape or change on our own. It becomes our our nature. Romans five, verse 19, says through the one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners. That's you, me, all of us. By nature. Jesus came to overcome that dilemma to rescue us from being condemned for our sin to rescue us from our sinfulness. That's the rest of Romans 519. Though we've been made sinners to the one man's disobedience even so through the obedience of the one that is Jesus, the many will be made righteous. And it was the sinless obedience of Jesus that guaranteed that that ensured that he who didn't deserve death in any sense, but willingly died on the cross willingly offered Himself as a substitute, dying a death that we deserve, absorbing the wrath of God against our sin. He was His sinless obedience, that guarantees we can be saved from sin. And we learned last week that, that salvation from sin, it's not only being saved from from death and hell, it's actually a rescue and a deliverance from both the penalty and the power of sin. That's what we saw last week in Romans chapter six thank you in because we are united to Christ because we become ONE with Him in salvation, we are Romans six to dead to sin, and Romans 611, alive to God. And we Christians are called to believe that, embrace it, consider it to be true, and live. accordingly. Romans 611, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, and therefore, don't let sin reign in your mortal body. So that you'll be it's less don't go on presenting the members of your body to sin, as instruments of unrighteousness. present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and we are alive from the dead alive to God, we've been spiritually joined to Christ and to his victory and power over sin so that we can walk in newness of life not enslaved to sin, that's our new spiritual identity. It's not that we're righteous on our own. It's not that we're better than other sinners. Christians, we ought not think that. But we are righteous because of what Christ has done. And because of what God has declared, We can be civil justice at Picador, that one in the same time, justified and yet sinful. But here's the rub. We don't, we don't feel or act as righteous, as what Paul seems to describe. In Romans chapter six. We don't always feel freed from sin or dead to sin. Instead, we far too often feel an act the way Paul describes us in Romans 715 through 20, which is why we read that in our confession time, this morning. I do not do the good I want. But the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. We all know that experience Christian, you know that experience. I know that experience. Well, the end of chapter seven, and here in Romans and, and into Chapter Eight of Romans, Paul is, is helping us understand that painful paradox of civil justice, the Picador because of the reality of having a new spiritual heart, alive to God. But having an encased in this unredeemed, sinful bodily existence, we have this ongoing struggle. The struggle is in our minds, in our hearts and our desires. It's in our behavior. And so Paul says, I find this principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. In my heart of hearts, the real me wants to do good, but dang it. evils they're staring me in the face, lying to me. I joyfully concur with the law of God and the inner man, he says. But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against that love mine of my mind and make me a prisoner to a love sin. That reality of battling sin in our heart, and our mind, our desires, our behavior. It's awful and it's painful, but the Bible says it's not permanent.
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Right. We heard Josiah read it. After Paul describes this battle with sin. Wretched man that I am Who will set me free Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ. My Lord. He says, it's not hard to see or imagine that the Paul of verses 21 through 23, seeing the evil present with him within him, not doing what he would like to do but during the very thing he hates. It's not hard to imagine that that Paul or maybe you, in your daily fight, battling sin in such a way in such a degree, maybe you he might even question the reality of your conversion. A wretched man that I am. Man, I don't think Paul was questioning his salvation, but he's, he's certainly lamenting his condition, with a kind of exasperation, who will set me free. But the Paul a verse 25, thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. He has no doubts, despite all that he's described. The plague of sin, the battle that's raging in his heart, he has no doubts, absolute utmost confidence that even in the condition that he describes, in a constant battle with sin, that he has been delivered, he has been set free from sin and from the body of this death. Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, my Lord, he has joy and gratitude and confidence. And he wants every true Christian to enjoy that same joy and gratitude and confidence that should be our experience. I believe the Spirit of God inspired polar write these words so that it would be our experience. God wants the reality of your salvation Christian, to be something that you are confident in, even though you still experience the persistent remnants, and effects of sin. And we know that because even in light of everything Paul has said about the persistent remnants and effects of sin. He begins this section right on the tail end of that inspired by God, to declare confidently therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That is Paul's encouragement to people who are looking forward to being delivered finally, and completely from this battle against sin and temptation of a battle that looks constant. A battle that is rife with temptation and spiritual pain and the disappointment of sin, a battle that's described as doing the very things that I hate where's that? temptation and sin and disappointment located in your life? Maybe to the degree that it even causes doubt and desperation causes you too crowded wretched man that I am. Is it is it a battle with laziness, the lack of ambition in life, work, home school, your you feel like you're just getting further and further behind digging, digging a hole deeper and deeper. And you know, you know, it's because of the choices that you're making or not making? Or is it a battle with lust being being drawn to, to porn, or just gazing at or dreaming about anything? Beautiful, forbidden. And modest, maybe it's a lack of self self control involves what you put in your mouth, whether it's food and some more foods, sweets, some more sweets, or the numbing effect of a drink or two or three. You know, you're not making those choices with thanks to God. You know, you're making those choices for the purpose of forgetting something or comforting your self or numbing yourself to something else or just finally experiencing a little bit of pleasure in life because I can't get it where I want it. And so you put more in your mouth, maybe it's maybe it's anger. Maybe you're constantly frustrated, bothered, irritated with someone or anyone in your life, coworkers, an unreasonable boss, your crazy kids, your spouse, that family whose expectations are so unreasonable. Or maybe it's just indulgence Do you love your comfort, you love your recreation, you love your entertainment, whether it's sports or gaming or weekends or shopping, and you indulge and you do those things and you know, you're doing it at the expense of responsibilities or the expense of relationships. That's that battle was sin doing the very things I hate, uh, you know you better than I do. I know where I am in this list, and I hate it. You know how it is that maybe you are most prone to not do the things that you want, but are doing the very things you hate. But here's the thing. If, if we are right in the middle of what Paul is arguing here, and what God is trying to teach us here in this letter, it is exactly in your situation, that situation if you're a Christian who hates your sin, He wants you to know in that situation, there is no condemnation. By the time he gets the end, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That's what he wants you to learn. When you're saying, oh, wretched man, that I am. We're going to, we're going to try to qualify this a little bit. We're going to make sure we understand everything Paul is saying. There's a difference between sinning and still being fleshy at times doing things you hate. Feeling that distaste and that disappointment in life because of your sin. There's there's a difference between that and living in your sin and loving your sin. Paul won't be giving confidence and helping people who love their sin to overcome their doubts. Those that are living in the flesh, that aren't really hating that sin. We will need to see the difference. But I think Paul paints the difference for us pretty clearly here. That said, the primary purpose of chapter eight, the entirety of chapter eight really, is to encourage and uplift and edify those of you here who truly know and love Jesus, and truly hate the sin that still plagues you. For for you, Paul wants you to have joyful confidence in your salvation despite your ongoing battle with sin. He's described our spiritual position in chapter six. We saw that last week he's described our spiritual battle and chapter seven. I've read a little bit of it, but you know it all too well. And now we're gonna look at the beginning of chapter eight. And we're gonna see two spiritual realities that should give the Christian joyful confidence and their salvation to spiritual realities that she gives you joyful confidence in your salvation, you should have confidence first, because the work of Christ alone has freed you from the condemnation of the law. The work of Christ alone has freed you from the condemnation of the law. We're going to dive a little bit into verses 11, maybe overview. After that, if we have time, some of the attending blessings that prove and expand and complement and illustrate these two spiritual realities. So so here we go. First, you should have joyful confidence in your salvation because there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. How does Paul describe the way in which Christ alone has freed us from the laws condemnation? Remember, he says it is only for those who are in Christ Jesus. So the promise of no condemnation isn't for every soul of man. But verse two describes the spiritual reality attending this work of Christ on our behalf, there's no condemnation because verse two, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the Spirit of Christ, who lives in us and gives us life Christian, you have the Holy Spirit. This gives to you forever. Life in him eternal life, that life is yours, and it is real. And it is supposed to be vibrant, and spiritual and internally evident in your soul.
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When you have life in God when you are united to Christ by and because of the indwelling Spirit of gives that law Life. If you're spiritually alive, you can also be subject to death and condemnation that belongs only to those who are spiritually dead. You can't have life in Christ and be subject to the condemnation of death. Only those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, who are yet without Christ would know that, that that problem being dead in your sins was the problem that Christ came to overcome, for us was our problem. You couldn't overcome it alone, because sin and rebellion was your nature. We just saw that through Adam sin, the mini remade sinful your sinfulness is why it is so hopeless to think that a man could just keep the law or keep the 10 commandments or try to be a good person or however you want to put it. How hopeless and ridiculous it is to think in our sinfulness that by doing that we could earn a right standing before God before you even begin, you're already condemned. We're too sinful to even begin to crawl a righteous path to God in our own effort. And that's what Paul's saying in the next verse were too weak, in our sinfulness to attain to whatever standard God paints in the law, verse three, what the law could not do week is it was through the flesh, your flesh, your weakness, what the law can do, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. And as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, the law couldn't save you because you're too weak, and you're flushing us and sinfulness to attain its standards. The law can't save you, because the laws demands our perfection. And we can't be perfect when we are of flesh, when we're still subjected to the influence of sin. Therefore will guilty James to 10 says it so simply, whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all you're subject to the laws condemnation, when you break that first commandment before you even know you're not supposed to your hearty, done in. That's why Paul so simply says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 323. And we fall short of that standard to which we would have had to attain in order to earn our salvation, we're already guilty. And once we failed to meet the standard of perfection, we're left in that condemned state, for subject to the awful consequences of our sin, which is condemnation and death. And hell, that's why the law can't save us, then that's why trying to keep the law, the 10 commandments be a good person. That's why that as a means of salvation is so hopeless. And that's why Paul concludes at the end of Romans three, and I think a verse we didn't cover. This is why we maintain Romans 328, we maintain that a man is justified by faith, apart from works of the law we can we can only be justified we can only be declared right before God one way. And that's, as he says, By faith, by faith, by believing and trusting in what who, what the law could not do, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. That's who and what we put our faith in our trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And this is such a rich impact statement theologically, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemning sin in the flesh. Jesus existed as God from eternity past. He reigned on a heavenly throne in some perfect, glorious existence, radiating the fullness of the glory of God and receiving the worship of all the holy angels gathered around him in the throne room of heaven. But the creation that he had made the people that he created in His image, the very people who are the object of his love and fallen, fallen into sin, and fallen into the condemnation of death because of that sin and so Jesus becomes a man God The Father sends his only son he gives up that singular existence as only God and he takes on the very nature of the race of mankind, that he has created. God's own Son comes to earth, sent by his father in the likeness of sinful flesh, taking on humanity, fully God fully man on diminished. Notice, I think Paul very carefully says, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, he, he came in human flesh and weakness. But he didn't relinquish the nature of God when he did that, in every way he was human, but he was still also fully divine. And being divine being fully God. Paul very carefully avoids the mistake of referring to Jesus as coming in sinful flesh. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, fully man, but because he was also fully God, he was able to experience the full weakness of humanity and the reality of being fully tempted to sin in every way, and yet be without sin. Experiencing the weakness because of his humanity, experiencing the fullness of temptation and sin less Ness, because of his divinity. And he lived a life of perfect obedience to God's law, that that perfect obedience that we could not accomplish on our own, because we were only sinful flesh, he did it for us, in order that he could die for us, pay the death penalty for us, and he could stand in our place because he didn't owe the death penalty for himself. And because he was fully God, he could pay them an infinite penalty for all of us. That's the beauty of the work of Christ. This would Paul's describing here sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us what requirement that that requirement of perfect obedience, he transfers it right into our accounts. The moral will of God fully obeyed, granted to us, He perfectly reflects and abides in that image of the righteous God who created us and owns us that requirement accomplished and not only did he fully accomplish the requirement of the laws righteousness, He also accomplished the fulfilling of the laws demands, which includes the soul that sins, it shall die. That requirement of the law has also been fulfilled by Jesus. Paul says it this way in Galatians, 313, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, the laws demands of death, having become a curse for us where it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. We are done forever Christian. If you put your faith in his work, who he is what he's done, you are done forever, with the impossible task of trying to perfectly obey God's law as a means of earning your salvation, as as a means of entering into right relationship with Him. You have it in and through end because of the person and work of Christ alone in whom you have believed. Well, that is Grace isn't not. That is the grace of the gospel, through Jesus Christ, and we should have joyful confidence, because he and he alone has freed us from that condemnation of the law.
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Now, let's notice, Paul says the realities of this amazing promise belong to a certain group, two people described at the end of verse four, to whom does this promise of no condemnation? belongs? Who is it that Paul says, can have this confidence this joy, of knowing the requirements of the laws, obedience and the laws, condemnation have been fulfilled, he says, It is fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. It's another way of saying those who have genuine faith in Christ are described as those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit may One way to say what Paul's describing here is that salvation from sin isn't just a dream for the future. It is to be an increasing reality in the present. It isn't a reality that's perfectly experienced this walking according to the Spirit. But it is definitely a reality for the true believer. And that brings us to the second spiritual reality that ought to give Christians joyful confidence in their salvation. And it's this you can have joyful confidence, because the spirit is empowering and enabling your heart and mind to please God. You can have joyful confidence as you see and experience the spirit empowering and enabling your heart to follow Christ faithfully this pattern of life, the pursuit of your life, the character of your life, of every true Christian, is that they're not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, that's our pattern. That's our pursuit. It's our character because the gift of salvation involves the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the very life giving spirit, who empowers and enables us to live a life that pleases God. And Paul describes this reality and he does so in a way that I think helps us distinguish between those who have truly experienced the gift of salvation and eternal life and those who have not. He uses a few phrases that highlight the difference between being stuck in our Picador sign just being sinful all the time. And those who are simultaneously righteous and sinful. There's a different reality, of being in utter bondage to sin of still being dead in our trespasses and sins, rather than being empowered and enabled to please God because you've received eternal life. How does he describe it? Look at verse five. He describes the contrast between these two groups this way, for those who are according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the Spirit, for the mind set on the flesh is death. But the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. This phrase, describing the according to flush people, means a person whose life and mind is continually consumed and defined by their flesh Enos, by their sin by their desires, people who are consumed and defined by their sinfulness are continually focused in mind and heart. On those things of the flesh. They're continually concerned with their desire, and the pursuit of what their flesh wants, becomes their life, their character. And that contrast the contrast here is with those whose life in mind is consumed with the things of the Spirit. So here's the question. Does the Holy Spirit, heavy, firm and clear grip on your heart, a genuine influence and control of your heart? Does your life your heart your mind, reflect the reality that the realm in which your soul truly lives and where it truly desires to live? is the one where you're striving to love God, and to love your neighbor? Where righteousness is your aim and your pursuit where you were when you sin, it's the thing you hate. And you lament the fact that you're not doing the good that you want to do. Even though the outworking of it is imperfect, is that how you are defined? Does love for God define you? Or does your sin define you? Is it is it evident to you? Is it even to those around you? Again that the spirit is empowering and enabling your heart and mind to please God? The contrast and the answer to that question couldn't be more important because he says in verse six, the mind set on the flesh is death. But the mind set on the Spirit, His life and peace because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God. It doesn't subject it Self to the law of God it is not even able to do so. The answer to the question, who's controlling you, your flesh or the Spirit of God couldn't be a more important question. A mind that is consumed and controlled by sinful desire is a mind in a heart that's destined for eternal death. Don't, don't miss that very plain point. But if your mind has life, spiritual life, your heart longing, desiring to please the Lord, to love him to love others. Paul describes that as a mind set on the Spirit. It is a mind that knows as it is experiencing that life and peace, that life and peace that comes from knowing that you're forgiven and have peace with God, that life and peace that comes from knowing that you desire to please Him, to love him. A mind set on the Spirit. That's where the I'm dialed in. And I'm not changing the setting doesn't just spiral into an unrelenting pattern of sinful thoughts and pursuits. It will fight. It will fight like a mad dog. If need be, it will hate it sin, it will lament with exasperation, I'm, I'm doing the very thing that I hate, I find the good that I want to do I do not do. What does that look like you have a sinful thought. You have a sinful thought or a pang of conscience, the guilt of your sin rushes in. You don't brush that off the mindset and the spirit doesn't brush that off. It turns to God for forgiveness that confess is right there. Right then in the quietness of your heart. God forgive me for that thought helped me. Help me do away with that, that attitude and that, that thought it wants that enabling power. The polls describing how my mind be set on the things of the Spirit. Again, we're we don't do that perfectly. But we do that as quickly as we ought to. Every time we see it, that's the pattern that should be your character. That's what you should consistently pursue. Go back to your struggle. Whatever it is, you know, you better than I know, you go back, laziness, lust, self control, indulgence, anger, despair, worry, however, that plagues you. Whichever is your mindset. I hate my sin. God, forgive me, thank you for being gracious, thank you, Christ, for bearing the penalty of that sin and help me Lord, in my pursuit. To overcome that weakness of my flesh helped me set my mind on the things of the Spirit in many ways, and I risk oversimplifying it here, I understand that but in many ways, that's the difference between being in the flesh. And in the spirit, the mind set on the flesh, the heart that is set on living its own way, does so undeterred by conscience, and the Spirit of God. And that person who's in the flesh does not impulses cannot submit itself to the law of God. There's no spiritual power there. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, verse eight, a, Paul uses the phrase here according to the flesh, and in the flesh, again, to refer to a life that is lived completely within the realm of your sinfulness. That's the world. That's my world. That's what consumes me.
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That's what defines me a life consumed and defined by that pattern of sinful desire and pursuit of sin. That is a different thing than what Paul describes in Romans seven. When he says, I am of flesh. I'm made of that sinful stuff, so to speak, but I don't live according to it. I don't live in the flesh. I'm of the flesh, I'm fleshy, but it doesn't define me what defines me is this pursuit of Christ of righteousness of pleasing Him, and basking in his in his grace. You know, again, we all know this experience. It's right. No one. No one really cares about my golf game. I'm sure of that. But I had a miserable game recently. Don't bother hitting. Yeah, honey, my ball hasn't reached your tee. Five times. Only five. Yeah. Well, thank you. You've seen me play. So yeah, you know how hard it is to not be frustrated to not get angry to not say something you should not say. It's it's not it's, it's hard. You all know, the experience of being frustrated, and having a short temper. And your wife says, Remember, it's just a game, we're having fun. Don't send like that again. You're right, honey, you go ahead. We all know it. But here's the deal. When your mind is set on things of the Spirit, and those moments come up, they're short. Because you I hate it too. I hate it to. Plus, it's expensive. There's a sandwich and a pine tree in Vermont that still hasn't come down. And my wife was very gracious to let me replace it. Christian, you know the reality. You Christian, you know the reality of the Spirit of God dwelling in you, and convicting you of sin and empowering you to understand it and overcome it. And that is where our joy and our confidence comes from. As Christians that we know. He's enabling and empowering us to please Him. Verse nine, Christian, you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. He's saying this defines you. If indeed, the Spirit of God dwells in you, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, He does not belong to him, he highlights again, the importance of seeing the difference. But if Christ is in you, verse 10, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness, you know, the experience of being alive and God, even as you deal with the remnants of indwelling sin, again, not going to deal with it perfectly, though the body is dead because of sin, but you're gonna, you're gonna deal with it truly, because the spirit is alive, because of righteousness. That's the promise. And that's the experience of those who have received the gift of salvation from sin, eternal life through faith in Christ, verse 11. And if the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you one day, you'll be done with this fight. Because of that same resurrection power that's enabling you today, you'll be truly and fully resurrected and glorified. Are you experiencing that life? Are you experiencing that enabling power? Or are you thankful for it, even as you're dealing with the Bible of of sin? The promise and experience of those who know Jesus in a saving way, is that you're going to know that power, varying degrees at different times, but you're going to know that power. And this is why we should have joyful confidence. The work of Christ alone has freed us from the laws, condemnation, and the Spirit of God is empowering and enabling our hearts and minds to please God now, I don't think that the intention to overcome doubt and inspire confidence in God's deliverance and love and redemption is limited to what Paul says in verse verses one through 11. He goes on this entire chapter, I think, and is encouraging us to see the implications and the benefits that are ours because of that salvation. Look at verse 15. Salvation comes with the confidence of, of sonship privileges. You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba, Father. The confidence of sonship privileges with a righteous Heavenly Father. Salvation comes with the confident hope of, of glory, even in our suffering. Verse 18, Paul said, I consider the sufferings of this present time aren't worthy to be compared with the glory that's to be revealed in us. I may suffer now. But perfections coming. So I'm going to I'm going to be able to look at my suffering with a view of eternity and changes everything he says. Salvation comes with confident intimacy of relationship with a spirit, not just Abba, Father, but The Spirit also helps us in our weakness, verse 26. When in our sinfulness and despair, we don't know how we how to pray. but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words because the indwelling Spirit knows your heart, knows your heart deeper than you do. And it's its deepest dive the Spirit of God understands and intercedes for us. What a, what an amazing promise. Salvation comes with the confidence that God has divine purposes to conform us to the image of Christ in everything that passage we're all things work together for good to those who love God, what is that good that we be that we're predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, verse 29, that he's at work in our trials. He's at work and all things pleasant, unpleasant, good or bad. And salvation comes with confidence, as we've heard a couple times already today that nothing can sever our relationship with God. What shall we say to these things of God as far as who is against us? Verse three to eat, he who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all holy, not also with Him, freely give us all things. Nothing can separate us. Verse 38, not death, life, angels, principalities, things present things to come, powers, height, depth, or any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That's what he says, He's given us the ultimate gift of not sparing his own son, from absorbing His wrath against sin for us. If you didn't spare son from that, there's nothing he would not give us. And there's nothing that could separate us from a love that is that deep. This is such a great chapter. And I'm praying, praying that we will all know that joyful confidence that we ought to have when we see and understand and experience these realities as a fruit of saving faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let's pray. God, we thank You. We thank you for the gospel. We thank you for your love for us. That has sent your one and only Son who even crying on therapy any other way. And yet, his love your love, drove him to the cross, to bear that condemnation for our sin to bear the condemnation that the law and your very character declares this just thank you for this. So great. salvation, God help us to see more clearly what it was that we deserved, so that we can see more clearly. How great you have loved us and all that you have spared us from God help us see more clearly how certain it is that your spirit will enable and empower us to live lives that please you help us to, to hate our sin and every way we need to hate it. Help us to cry out for your grace, in every way that we need it. Knowing that it's it's your power alone that can enable us to please you, all of your grace, we worship you. We thank you and pray that you would accomplish these things in our hearts and minds for your glory. Amen.
Brian is the Pastor of Counseling & Equipping at Faith Bible Church. He is passionate about the local church, and equipping the saints to effectively serve one another. Before coming to Spokane, he spent 14 years serving God's people as a pastor in rural New England (Vermont & New Hampshire).
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