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The vaults of heaven are contained in this one chapter. It refers to a regulating principle, like the law of gravity. “No” is actually the first word of the sentence in the Greek manuscript, which means the primary emphasis is placed upon “no.” Translators have moved the word in order to make the sentence read better, but Paul is strongly declaring that there is absolutely no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You see, they make the mistake of going back under the law, trusting in their own ability. Romans 8:4 tells us: "in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Paul continues in verse 4, “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.” “So that” (hina) means ‘in order that.’ It denotes the purpose. The following are sermons and messages Dr. Steven J. Lawson delivered through various the books of the Bible. This is a potent statement. The weakness is in us. The Spirit is now the operative, dominant, ruling force in our lives. From 6:14 to 7:25 we saw how Paul shows us why it is that people who are free from the power of sin are still defeated by it. It is the Spirit of God who gives us the assurance of salvation. The law of gravity says that if you throw a rock up in the air, then the rock will plunge toward the ground. We need to ask God, both in our personal prayer life and consciously throughout the day, to give us the power of His Spirit to live in a way that glorifies Him and honors the Lord Jesus Christ. I. Justification in the Son (8:1) Verse 1 begins with the word “therefore.” Paul reaches back and pulls forward the entire book of Romans to this point. She’d barely said "hello" when suppppppppp... Chippie got sucked in. The "requirement of the Law" refers to the acts of righteousness that the law demands. Jesus has always existed and always been God. FREEDOM IN THE SPIRIT (Romans 8: 1-4) There is not a single human being in this world who wants to be enslaved! "Therefore now nothing of condemnation is to them that be in Christ Jesus, which wander not after the flesh," (Wycliffe). There are several things it is good for and can do. We are to honor our father and mother. 4 1 “For indeed the day 2 is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. What amazing pardon God has given us in Christ Jesus. What was exactly like ours was He was totally God in the flesh. God intervened and made provision for our sanctification. Therefore no condemnation now exists - A beautiful phrase, but we tend to skip by the negative aspect of this phrase. The noose that was once around our neck was removed by Christ. Then maybe a few years later, you will finally decide to be committed and change your life. Jesus gave His life—no one took it—"and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh." You may have been in need of additional biblical teaching about what God had done in your life, but the reality of this change, nevertheless, began in that moment of justification. So, what the law could not do, "God Himself did." True,… It is so rich, and yet so practical, as the whole chapter is about our daily Christian living. As Paul begins verse 2, he uses the word “For” (gar), which introduces an explanation of what was just said in verse 1. Equipping and energizing a new generation of Bible expositors. We must walk according to the Spirit. Not with a sense of coercion or against our will. Moreover, he is Professor of Preaching and oversees the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary, where he also serves on its board. We are not on a performance treadmill trying to gain God’s eternal acceptance. He was in the flesh, yes, but not sinful flesh. A. Romans 8:13 is surrounded by definitions put there to help us understand. What does he mean by the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus"? In verses 1, 30, and 33, we have justification. This law of the Spirit of life "has set us free." It identifies "those who are in Christ Jesus": "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1, KJV: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Consequently, I feel that it’s in the Pauline letters that we have to garner basically the fundamental truths for Salvation, for … Sometimes we put so much emphasis on the love, grace, and forgiveness of God that we hesitate to tell them that they are under condemnation at this very moment. Paul presents the doctrine of sanctification in Romans 6-8, with chapter 8 being the crowning piece. The Law is being realized and fulfilled in us as we live in obedience to what God requires. The Divine nature took on a human nature such that they are two natures in the one Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to keep the Law. Then Paul explains what God did, “sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Please note that He did not send His Son in sinful flesh. “Condemnation” (katakrima) is also a strong Greek word that means ‘death sentence, damnation, eternal death.’ As a believer, there is no damnation sentence hanging over your head. God’s holy Law requires obedience. The status of “no condemnation” is reserved exclusively for those who are “in Christ Jesus.” There are only two classifications of people in the world: those who are not under condemnation because they are in Christ, and everyone else who is under condemnation because they are not in Christ. There is no one who is justified who is not at the same time set free from the law of sin and death. Why could it not produce the "righteousness" it required? The Spirit of God enables us to do what God requires of us. The Holy Spirit is described as “the Spirit of life” (verse 2). Paul reassures the Roman Christians that they “are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit” (v. 9). We are not living the Christian life with a sense of guilt. “As an offering” is not in the original text, but has been added by translators to help us as we read. It commands us to work "in the energy of our flesh," and then condemns all that we do. Maybe that’s the way you feel. 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [] free from the law of sin and death. In His body He had inherent immortality. Then in 5:18 he says, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,", Jesus, knowing our desperate condition as human beings, said in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.". Paul writes, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through 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.” (verse 3). Before you go to heaven, you have already been to heaven. What God has commanded us, He now enables us to do. “Walk” refers to our daily conduct. My flesh is defeating me on a daily basis. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do. We must admit and confess our constant need for the Spirit’s help. These are incredibly important verses that lay a foundation for our understanding of how to live the Christian life. “It 3 will not leave even a root or branch. Here are five words to practically describe how to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is some alteration with the practice of Sabbath, but we still are to prioritize Sunday as the Lord’s Day and worship the Lord with God’s people on Sunday. 2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication 4 will rise with healing wings, 5 and you will skip about 6 like calves released from the stall. Romans 7:5: "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." Go on to verse 3: "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through 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." It could in no way save, nor could it sanctify. We can still sin, but sin is now a choice. Never condemn yourself. 4. In verse 1, we see justification in the Son. In the Greek, Paul uses a compound word for “no” (oudeis) which is even stronger than the normal word for ‘no.’ Paul is affirming that there is absolutely no condemnation for the believer. "For those who are in Christ Jesus." John the Baptist understood this in John 1:29: "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’" Jesus was the "offering for sin"—He died for all mankind. Romans 8:1-4 - NIV: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit … To be in Christ is to be an organ in His Body. In order to move forward in the Christian life, we have to be released from the death grip that the law of sin and death once had upon our entire life. Man was hopelessly lost in Adam, and his rebellious flesh repulsed the law. When God says, “no condemnation,” it is irrevocable, irreversible, declared by God to be true forever. We are not to covet our neighbor’s wife and possessions. What I want to argue in this paper is that the key to understanding the use of Psalm 32 in Romans 4 is discerning the flow of the argument in Romans 4 itself. Romans 5:1: "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." But we were previously under the wrath, damnation, and death sentence of God. It needs to be “fulfilled,” or lived out, in our Christian lives. This chapter is all about the Holy Spirit’s impact on the life of the believer. all that God is for you in Christ explodes with faith, and joy, and love. Why would He do that? What the Law could not do, the Spirit of God is working out within us, both to will and to work for God’s own pleasure. To be “fulfilled” means that holiness is realized in our life through our obedience to the Law of God. We do not live perfectly, but we do live in stark contrast to the way we used to live. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit," (KJV). “The flesh” refers to our own human limitation. This can only be realized in our Christian lives as we walk according to the Spirit. He had to be in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin. What did the Father do? He had to become experientially involved by becoming like us, though yet without sin. 1. Moving on to verse 2, we see why. Paul starts off by saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation." The literal wording is “and for sin.” The wording is emphatic and to the point. Outside of the Son is condemnation. The moment we believed in Christ, God said, “No condemnation,” and at the very same moment He also set us free from the law of sin and death. That context is that all people, whether Jew or Gentile have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). You need to keep Torah to become spiritually clean - to be acceptable to Father. The law was powerless to save us. 3. We cannot pull this off in our own strength. His Holy Spirit lives in us as the embodiment of that resurrected life. Jesus came into this world with a body similar to ours but not exactly like ours. You realize that it weighs more than you and I can comprehend. We can rest assured that, as those who are in Christ Jesus, we have no condemnation before God. The Spirit, who brought the life of God Himself into us, has set us free from the power of our flesh and free to be the person God wants us to be. (Romans 8:1-4 Power of the Indwelling Spirit) So let us repeat again that what God demands, He supplies, and this great truth means that in the midst of our struggle with fallen flesh, the fallen world system and Satan, victory (including victory over that sin which so easily entangles us) is possible and is God's desire for His children. But, here he seems to be saying something else. The entire Trinity is involved in our Christian life. In other words, God judged sin in the flesh. We need to tell this to people as we witness to them. It is the Holy Spirit who “intercedes for us” and prays for us according to our weaknesses (verses 26-27). But now, there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! The Holy Spirit has placed you into the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in the likeness of sinful flesh, which is a reference to the incarnation and virgin birth. By saying the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," Paul refers to the principle of how the life of Christ is now in us, in the presence of His Spirit, works in us. It is amazing grace. Romans Series CCCAG August 2nd, 2020 Scripture- Romans 8:1-4 Introduction- I grew up with the sneaking suspicion that God didn’t like me very much. Romans 8:1–4 Life in the Spirit 8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The first half of Romans 8 is all about the Holy Spirit’s work in our life as a Christian. It is by the Spirit that we “put to death the deeds of the flesh” (verse 13). "There is" is in italics, which strengthens the meaning that there is absolutely no condemnation to those in Christ. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. This is a theological treasure chest. We must be aware of our need for the power of the Holy Spirit. The penalty of sin is corruption of our bodies. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. Remember that we are now identified with His life. Notice that Paul writes, “there is now no condemnation.” “Now” is a word that denotes time. In chapter 6 Paul has shown us that living under the power of sin is no longer the lifestyle of the believer. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." 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