True Freedom in Christ (Romans 8:1-11) Youth talk given in Moneymore Presbyterian Church 25/03/07

How do you view Christianity? Are you satisfied with the way your Christian life is going? Maybe you're not a Christian at all this morning? How do you react to Christians and what they do and believe? Are you like Fr Dougal today you don’t really know what to think or believe?
One of the big problems in modern Christianity especially among young people today is that they sometimes develop misunderstanding about how the Christian life is meant to work? So like Dougal they end up a little confused.
So today I want all of us here, to look together at the bible so that we can see what God has to tell us through it. So if you could look at your sheets with Romans 8 printed on them and we shall see what Paul had to say to the Church at Rome.
The book of Romans is really one big long argument from start to finish! Paul really is setting out to instruct these Christians in Rome on what the Gospel or Good news about Jesus is actually all about. So throughout his Letter from chapter 1 through to chapter 7 Paul explains the gospel to these Christians, telling them about the sinfulness of man, the wrath of God against sin, the righteousness of God through faith and the grace of God as it comes to us through Jesus Christ.
And in light of all that Paul has said in the first 7 chapters he then tells these Christian almost in a summary fashion in chapter 8 verses 1-4:

1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

What Paul is telling these Roman Christians is that they are no longer under the judgement of God. They are free from the punishment their sin deserved. For those who are in Christ Jesus, (that is how New Testament describes what a Christian is, meaning those who have the Holy Spirit Dwelling within them). These Roman Christian were no longer going to be punished for their rebellion against God because they belonged to Jesus Christ.
The word condemnation used here is kind of a legal term were it implies both the sentence their rebellion deserved and the execution of that sentence as well. Like when a judge declares someone guilty for a crime and issues the punishment the crime deserves as well.
Yet Paul declares that there is NO CONDEMNATION for these Christians, Justice has been satisfied because they are free in Christ Jesus. These Christians are free from this punishment because the law of the Spirit of life has set them free.
Basically Paul is telling them that they have freedom due to the indwelling Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Life Paul refers to in the passage. And the Spirit has brought Freedom from the Law of sin and death. Meaning they are free from the punishment that is due to their sinfulness. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), sin requires a punishment. Therefore due to their sin they should have been condemned and punished!
Yet they are Free from this law, this principal that Sin results in Death because they are in Christ Jesus. Christians no longer can be condemned for they have the indwelling Spirit who gives them freedom as it applies the work of Jesus Christ to them. Christians are Trusting in Christ alone and what he has done in taking their punishment on himself as he died on the cross.
Rather than Suffering the Punishment sin deserves, Jesus suffered it instead.
That’s what Paul tells these Christian in verses 3 and 4. God has done what the Law (that is the Moral Law, Gods holy Standard for People) could not do. Not because the Law was somehow weak! But because our own sinful nature fails to allow us to keep the Law.
We always fall short of the standard God has set. If they could keep the Law Perfectly then they could be right with God, yet because of the sinful nature of men they are unable to keep the Law.
But when God sent Jesus, He was able to fulfil what the Law demanded, He met the standard God required and lived the prefect Life! Yet he also died the perfect death taking the sins of his people upon himself and dying in their place taking the punishment himself! And through Faith in Him these Christians become right with God for they receive Jesus’ righteousness, and he suffers for their sin! It’s the great exchange. And it results in a verdict of no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus and Trust in him and what he has done.
Young people and not so young people today if you learn nothing else then know this that if you are a Christian then there is absolutely no way that you will be condemned on judgement day! You cannot be separated or somehow fall from Gods favour! IT doesn't matter how you feel! It doesn't matter what experiences you have in your life, be they good or bad! We cannot base our Christianity on our experiences; rather we must base it on the truth of Gods Word. Nothing in life can now allow you to fall out of Gods salvation. Look at what Paul says in verses 31-35:

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[h] against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.[i] 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Paul is so clear are relationship with God is not based on our emotions! It’s not based on how well or badly we think we are doing! It's based on what Jesus Christ has done! This is the grace of God! Even when every one of us here deserved punishment! God gives us freedom from that punishment by not sparing his only Son! This is Amazing Grace that sounds so sweet; this is amazing grace that is so FREE!
Young person do not be disillusioned, nothing you face in this life will ever be able to undo what Jesus Christ has done! Even if you stumble in your Christian life! Fall into some sin! And let's face it for young people there are lots of things out there that can hinder us? Young men face sexual temptations, young woman maybe you’re unhappy with your appearance! Or face issues of acceptance and relationships! Even these things, cannot separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus.
So when you find yourself beginning to doubt, or when you fall into sin and the devil comes to you and tells us that Gods forsaken you and fills you full of Guilt! Remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Or when you wake you some morning and you don’t feel like a Christian at all: Trust in the work of Jesus Christ. Trust in the Cross. Trust Gods wondrous Grace through Jesus.
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Paul ends this chapter by saying this:

38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All Christians experience true freedom in Jesus Christ.
But Bryan I hear you say, does that mean I can just go on and do what I want then! Can I sin all I like and it doesn't matter?
Well the short answer is no! You can't just keep doing what you want to do and it won't matter! And Paul tells us why in verse 5-9:

5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

You see Paul explains to these Christians that if you set your mind on the flesh, (that is to focus your life on the things of this world like pleasing your mates by going out and getting drunk for example) if we have our desires and our mind set on things like these, things of the world, it will result in death.
It will result in total separation from God because the person who has their mind set on the things of the world cannot please God. Nor do they have any desire to do so. They are concerned only with what pleases them! How much they can get for themselves, what they want, what matters to them, how they feel etc etc.
But in sharp contrast to that Paul tells them that those who live according to the Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, focus their minds not on the Flesh but on the Spirit. They are concerned not with themselves but with God. There whole mindset, their desires and pleasures are those that the Spirit wants to! They focus there energies on living for Gods Glory and not their own.
St Augustine of Hippo the church father said this "love God and do what you want" and that’s very true because if we truly love God, the things we want to do will also be the things God wants us to do!
Where your treasure is their will your heart be also! So what is your treasure today? Is it in the things of the flesh or in the things of the Spirit?
Then notice in verse 9 where Paul says to these Roman Christians "you however, are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit" Paul makes it plain that these Christian have the Holy Spirit Living inside them they belong to Christ. Therefore they need to live according to the Spirit and not live according to the flesh.
You see we all live in the now and the not yet, we live as redeemed people through Jesus Christ, yet we also live in a sinful world. This means that there are really two forces at work within us: the Holy Spirit and the sinful nature. And we daily face all kinds of temptation and invitations to sin and disobey God yet at the same time we know that we must obey God as his adopted Children through Christ.
This is the great battle that all of us go through in this world. We fight with sin. The victory is won because we have been forgiven in Christ but we must fight the Good fight and Keep putting to death the deeds of the body as Paul says in verse 13. Young people the Christian life is not easy, it’s no bed of roses. It requires hard work on our Part.
The two natures at work in us are fighting against each other and whichever one we feed the most will ultimately win the day in our lives. This is why we need to live according to the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the bible. We need to talk to God constantly and seek his forgiveness in Prayer and repentance and continue to have our minds re-newed as the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds to understand the bible and conform ourselves to it.
We have life through the Spirit
But Paul also gives us great hope as well look at verses 10 and 11:

10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If 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.

If Christ is in us, if we have the Spirit, although we will ultimately die because everyone dies! We know that we will live because through the work of the Spirit we will be raised like Jesus was. God raised Jesus to life as Ruler of the World and judge of all, Paul tells these Christians that they to will be raised and will have life through the Spirit when the Christ comes back again at the resurrection.
We can be absolutely sure young people that if the Spirit of God dwells in us we will be raised to be with Jesus in his New Kingdom! We will be presented perfectly spotless and blameless before him on the last day. Listen to what Paul says in verses 29 and 30:

29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God has set out a Plan from before the World was even created to present us perfectly holy and pure before him on the last day, we have been called, we are right with God and we are glorified with Christ already as far as God is concerned.
Jesus has paid the Price! There is no condemnation for us! We are free! Free to live according to the Spirit and Love God who through his only son has purchased us forever.
So if God has done all that for you! Will you live for him and serve him in this world? Will you fight the Good fight? Fixing your minds on the things of the Spirit? Knowing as Paul says in verse 18:

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Young people we have the victory already! Death cannot hold us! We are God own Children through Jesus so lets start living for him not for ourselves! Let’s meet together as Christians in Church so we can know and understand him more! Let look with Hope to that Great Day when all of us will be part of Gods New World. Gods People, In Gods World, experiencing Gods Blessing, under Gods King: Jesus Christ