Victory Over Condemnation.

Steve Gentry

[0:07] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. Welcome to Village Church. If this is your first time here, my name is Steve. [0:11] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. And as always, I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:17] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to Romans chapter eight. [0:20] We’re going to be starting a new series this morning entitled Victory, the hope for the cynic in a cynical world. [0:28] And as a cynic, I will tell you that this is a message that’s really kind of coming out of the life that I live where [0:36] faith in Christ is concerned. And we’re going through Romans eight simply because it is a chapter of the scriptures

[0:45] that has served to me as a constant reminder as to why we are to have hope in this world that is often marred by the [0:56] curse of sin in it. [0:59] Originally, we were going to go from our series, which ended last week through the first seven chapters of Matthew. [1:06] And we were simply going to go directly into a series going through the book of Proverbs. [1:10] But I made the decision to kind of forego that until the New Year and kind of bridge the gap between one series and [1:18] with this series going through Romans eight because I was personally experiencing the weight of what Christ was saying in the

[1:29] sermon on the mount. And those are some heavy verses when Jesus kind of calls out the phoniness of what often people call [1:39] faith and reminds us that our faith must be legitimate. [1:43] And it must be a counterfeit faith that must not be a hypocritical faith that if we’re going to call ourselves followers of [1:50] Jesus, we must actually live to follow Jesus. [1:53] But there’s always a tension there. [1:55] There’s this tension between basing your hope in the cross of Jesus Christ and seeking to live by faith in the gospel of

[2:06] Jesus Christ, where you can be tempted to begin to weigh your position with God based on where you think you are, what you [2:16] think you are doing, what you think that you are capable of. [2:20] And then very quickly, you begin to form a philosophy for your life that is based on your work more than it is based on what [2:28] God has already accomplished. [2:30] And that can be a very heavy tension that for many of you, you are not able to bear. [2:38] And so in that we have to remind ourselves, as Paul says in Romans 15, 15, when he’s closing the book of Romans, he says,

[2:47] I have written some in the original language, he says, I’ve written some bold or harsh things to you. [2:54] And then he gives us three letter phrase by three word phrase by way of reminder. [3:01] And what Paul’s saying there is I’ve broken no new ground with you. [3:06] I don’t think I’ve told you anything. [3:09] You don’t already know. [3:12] But that doesn’t mean it’s not important for you.

[3:16] Because in your life, it is not enough to simply know the gospel and to hear it once and then to move on to the next thing. [3:28] I know many of us are tempted to believe that to be the key. [3:31] And we believe that we’re always looking for another level of spirituality because we need more than we currently have. [3:40] And that’s what Romans eight serves as a reminder of. [3:45] It’s a reminder that you will never grow past the gospel. [3:48] You will never grow past your need for the gospel.

[3:51] And you need constant reminders of the gospel, which is the opposite of what most of us think about our lives. [3:58] You will never not need to be reminded of the hope that you have in Jesus Christ. [4:04] And there is no hope for your spiritual growth apart from a constant saturation and a constant [4:11] glorying in the facts and in the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. [4:18] Romans eight is not written to the unbeliever.

[4:26] To the follower of Jesus Christ, Romans eight is written to the person who believes but is struggling [4:36] with the realities of living in a world that will make you doubt the hope that you have in Jesus Christ. [4:46] And so here’s what the apostle Paul says.

[4:50] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [4:56] For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. [5:01] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. [5:09] By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. [5:16] An order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, [5:24] but according to the Spirit.

[5:26] For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, [5:32] but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [5:40] The gospel will never cease to be vital for your life. [5:46] This is if I were to take all of the chapters of the Bible, which there are many. [5:51] This is my favorite chapter in the entire Bible.

[5:55] Because it is a bedrock truth to tell yourself during not what I would consider the easy seasons of life [6:06] where either A, everything in this physical world seems to be going well for you, [6:10] or B, when you feel like you are just nailing everything where God and his word are concerned [6:19] and you just feel like, man, I’m a really good Christian right now. [6:24] Romans eight is for when your outlook isn’t that good.

[6:29] Romans eight is for when those doubts start deep in. [6:35] Romans eight is for those seasons where you begin to really look at yourself and ask the question, [6:42] is the gospel enough for me? [6:46] Because that is actually the very question that the apostle Paul was dealing with in this chapter. [6:53] Number one, this morning, he wants to remind us that Jesus has paid the penalty for sin. [7:01] Not some.

[7:05] Not past.

[7:08] Not just now. [7:11] Jesus has paid the penalty for all sin past, present and future. [7:19] There is therefore now no condemnation, none. [7:27] But to understand why no condemnation is such good news, [7:34] you need to understand the why of condemnation and the who of who is condemned. [7:41] Before no condemnation can be good news to you, it needs to first be bad news to you.

[7:47] Because if you just go up to somebody that has no thought of being condemned, [7:52] if you go to someone that’s not on death row and say, good news, you’re not going to be executed. [7:57] My response is, I know I’m not on death row. [8:01] That’s not good news to me. I had no fear of lethal injection.

[8:06] But if you go to someone who is on death row, [8:10] you go to someone who is staring down the barrel of execution [8:14] and you go to them and you say, your sentence has been commuted. [8:18] There is no death penalty awaiting you. [8:21] That would be very good news. [8:24] That would be a welcomed message.

[8:27] That would be something to rejoice in. [8:29] That would be something to be glad about. [8:32] And that is what Paul is saying to you. [8:36] The statement, there is no condemnation has two qualifiers around it. [8:41] The first one is therefore now. [8:44] The second one is for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[8:48] The first assumes that there is condemnation [8:52] and the second reveals the way in which it was removed. [8:56] And so the first, I want to look at Romans 3, 23 through 25. [9:01] The first statement, therefore now, [9:04] is based on something Paul has already talked about in the letter. [9:07] He says in Romans 3, 23,

[9:32] Friends, we were designed and created for the purpose of showing the great

[9:42] and we have failed at that regard. [9:45] At a core level, that is the problem of sin [9:48] and that is why it is so serious. [9:50] It is rebellion against the God who created us [9:53] and determined how we should live. [9:56] And you either take that seriously or you do not take that seriously.

[10:01] Those are the only two categories. [10:03] The difference between someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ [10:07] and has been redeemed and someone who is not a follower of Jesus Christ [10:11] and has not been redeemed is how you thank your sin [10:16] affects your relationship with God. [10:19] That’s it.

[10:20] Because for some of you to hear that you do not bring glory to God [10:24] in the way that you were designed to bring glory to God, [10:27] you do not receive that as being that big of a deal.

[10:31] You think, well, you know, why would he expect so much of me? [10:36] Is he a cosmic narcissist?

[10:40] Is God an egotistical God? [10:43] Why should I live my life to only give him glory? [10:47] Do I not deserve it myself?

[10:51] You see, friend, if you think that way, then you’re not a Christian.

[10:58] The problem is, is that you do not believe that you have a serious sin to be redeemed from. [11:03] Therefore, if you do not know what you have been redeemed from, [11:07] you cannot give God glory for your redemption [11:11] because you yourself do not take your sin as seriously as God does. [11:15] The just penalty for our rebellion is condemnation. [11:18] You can only do a few things with that.

[11:20] You can think that that is unfair. [11:23] And most do. [11:26] Most look to that type of pronouncement from the scriptures [11:28] and they say, that’s not fair. [11:30] I can’t be expected to live that type of life. [11:33] It isn’t unfair.

[11:36] Or you can get mad at God for it. [11:40] And you say, how dare he? [11:42] Who does he think he is? [11:45] Well, I can’t be expected to know everything. [11:49] It’s kind of like the way that you were your freshman year of college [11:52] when the professor actually held you accountable to the syllabus

[11:56] that he gave you at the beginning of the semester. [11:59] You say, you should have given me more reminders. [12:02] And his response was, you already paid. [12:04] I don’t care.

[12:09] It doesn’t really matter. [12:12] If you think it’s unfair, it doesn’t really matter. [12:16] If you get mad at God, because getting mad at God is just furthering [12:21] the sin you’re already guilty of. [12:23] The fact remains the same. [12:26] He’s the judge and we are not.

[12:29] He’s God and I am not. [12:31] And he has determined that sin condemns. [12:36] He has determined in his holiness, in his justice, in his righteousness, [12:41] that sin is a condemnable offense. [12:44] And that is very bad news [12:48] because he doesn’t accept any of my excuses.

[12:51] Rather, he holds me accountable for every one of my sins. [12:55] But the good news is also there in Romans three. [12:58] The good news is that he put forward a plan to redeem you [13:02] from the penalty of your sin. [13:04] Jesus paid that penalty on the cross. [13:06] That word in Romans three,

[13:08] propitiation means that Jesus is the way to move from condemned to not condemn. [13:14] It’s not a word we use very often, propitiation. [13:17] Somebody means the way around that you are condemned. [13:20] Then because of Jesus, you can move past your condemnation to no condemnation. [13:26] He justifies us or removes the penalty for sin [13:32] solely based on what Jesus has done.

[13:35] It has nothing to do with anything that I have done. [13:38] I’ve done everything to wreck it. [13:41] I’ve done everything to ruin it. [13:43] I’ve done everything to give myself a bad reputation [13:46] and to try to prove that God is not glorious. [13:49] He is not worthy of praise.

[13:51] He is not good. [13:54] Yet in that state,

[13:58] Jesus does all of the work to remove the penalty that is just for my sin. [14:05] See, the problem, though, [14:07] that Romans eight is addressing in those first few words [14:10] is that when I am redeemed, [14:14] God does not magically translate us immediately into the kingdom where everything is perfect. [14:22] I’m still in this fallen world.

[14:27] And Paul is addressing that. [14:30] Paul is saying, how do you keep a mindset [14:34] where the gospel is good news in a bad news world? [14:41] How do you keep yourself encouraged? [14:44] How do you keep yourself with joy that Jesus has done the work [14:49] where sometimes you look all around and all that you see is bad news.

[14:55] All that you see are reminders of just how deep the curse of sin goes.

[15:04] First key is to understand why we’re left here. [15:07] Scripture reveals that we are left here to live the mission of Jesus [15:11] so that through our testimony of what Jesus has done, [15:16] more people can be redeemed through faith. [15:20] But in Romans seven, [15:22] the apostle doesn’t just focus on

[15:26] this mystical curse where things outside of me are a struggle. [15:32] Romans seven, he actually talks about how inside of me, [15:36] the curse of sin is still felt. [15:39] In Romans seven, he deals with the dilemma [15:42] that even with a redeemed mindset, [15:45] even with the knowledge of what I have been saved from,

[15:48] I am still tempted to sin. [15:52] And I’m not just tempted.

[15:56] I give in to temptation. [15:59] I give in to all sorts of temptation, whether it be pride, [16:03] whether it be vanity, whether it be greed, [16:05] whether it be lust, whether it be any type of disorder [16:09] that robs God of the glory he deserves. [16:13] The apostle Paul actually puts it this way.

[16:15] He says, even when I do that, which I know I should do, [16:20] I find that the man of sin, that’s what he calls it. [16:23] The man of sin is close at hand. [16:27] And then in Romans seven, 23, he says, I see in my members [16:30] another law waging war against the law of my mind, [16:33] making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

[16:39] And keep in mind, based on the context, [16:42] he’s talking about the Christian. [16:44] He’s talking about someone that knows the gospel, [16:48] believes the gospel. [16:50] And he identifies it perfectly to me in verse 24, [16:55] wretched man that I am.

[16:59] The issue with some of you not finding the gospel [17:02] that glorious is because you do not believe that that defines you.

[17:08] You do not look in that text and see [17:12] without Jesus, that’s who I am.

[17:16] Without the gospel, I am wretched. [17:21] You don’t think that’s all the way true. [17:23] You say, OK, it’s 50 percent. [17:25] I’m a 50, 50, 50 percent good, 50 percent bad. [17:29] If also Paul doesn’t see it that way. [17:32] If also Paul sees it, that without the gospel of Jesus Christ,

[17:36] there is no good thing in me, wretched man that I am. [17:40] But nobody says that. [17:41] Who will deliver me from this body of death? [17:44] Where is my hope is what that question is. [17:48] What do I do with my discouragement? [17:50] What do I do when I’m struggling in sin?

[17:52] What do I do when I am tempted? [17:54] What do I do? Not just when I am tempted, but when I was tempted [17:58] and I gave into the temptation and I disobeyed the law of God. [18:02] What do I do? [18:04] Verse twenty five, thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

[18:12] He says, I turn to Jesus, I turn to the gospel. [18:15] So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh. [18:20] I serve the law of sin. [18:23] Then Romans eight one. [18:26] There is there for now, no condemnation, none. [18:34] Even when I identify in myself

[18:37] that I have served the law of sin in the flesh, [18:41] I will put my hope into God. [18:45] I will look to the cross of Jesus Christ [18:47] and I will remind myself that I should not despair [18:50] because Jesus has done all of the work. [18:56] Romans eight is written in response

[18:59] to the struggle with sin that you should therefore have. [19:04] It’s not about the first time you hear and trust the gospel of Jesus. [19:08] Romans eight is about the hundreds [19:10] of times that you need to be reminded [19:14] and encouraged by the gospel moving forward. [19:17] That’s what he’s saying.

[19:20] So when he says, therefore, now he’s pointing backwards [19:23] and he’s saying, because I struggle, [19:27] I must remind myself that if I follow Jesus, [19:29] if I’ve trusted in the gospel, no condemnation,

[19:34] no condemnation means no condemnation.

[19:41] None. That’s why number two this morning, [19:46] Jesus has taken the burden of guilt and shame.

[19:50] Jesus has taken the burden of guilt and shame. [19:53] Many of you are carrying around [19:56] the guilt and the shame of sin in your life [20:03] because you think there’s still a little condemnation.

[20:09] You read no condemnation and you say, oh, [20:14] yeah, no condemnation, but. [20:19] You know, I still need to feel guilty. [20:23] I still need to feel a little condemned. [20:27] I still need to to function out of a place of guilt. [20:32] I still need to function out of a place where I’m filled

[20:35] with shame because of the sins of my past. [20:40] I need to carry around the shame that I’m not perfect. [20:44] I need to carry around the guilt that I’m not who I should be. [20:48] I need to operate out of a position of guilt [20:51] because it is from guilt that real obedience comes. [20:55] No condemnation means no condemnation.

[20:58] And if no condemnation means no condemnation, [21:01] then that is not the posture from which God wants you to obey him.

[21:07] God does not define you. [21:12] If you are a follower of Jesus by your worst moments, [21:18] God defines you by the righteousness of his son, Jesus Christ. [21:22] If you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ.

[21:28] I don’t know what guilt it is that you struggle with. [21:33] I don’t know what shame it is that you carry around with you. [21:38] I don’t know what it is that you have going on in your life [21:41] that you wish you didn’t have going on in your life. [21:43] I don’t know what it is that you have that is not going on in your life. [21:47] That is not in your life that you feel shame

[21:49] because you have not measured up in that specific category of your life.

[21:55] But the good news of Jesus Christ means [22:00] that God defines you by the righteousness of his son, [22:03] not by how inadequate you are. [22:06] Not by your failure.

[22:09] Not by how you don’t think that you measure up. [22:13] Not by how you are five years behind your life plan.

[22:18] Not by how you’re 29 years old [22:21] and you thought it was going to be a lot different [22:23] by the time you were 29 years old than it is. [22:25] Not by the fact that you’re 52 years old [22:28] and you thought it was going to be a lot different [22:29] by the time you were 52 years old.

[22:32] If you’re a follower of Jesus, do you know how God defines your life? [22:36] He defines your life by the perfect obedience of his son [22:40] and by the sacrificial death of his son [22:42] where he paid the penalty for your sin. [22:45] Look at what it says in verse two and three and four.

[22:50] The law of the spirit of life has done what? [22:54] Set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. [22:59] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, [23:03] could not do by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh [23:08] and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh [23:11] in order that the righteous requirement of the law

[23:13] might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh [23:17] but according to the spirit. [23:19] See, the issue is some of you find your identity in the struggle [23:23] with no hope for the future. [23:26] You think the struggle is what’s going to define the rest of your life. [23:30] That’s a hopeless way of living.

[23:33] If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, [23:35] you need hope that there is coming a day beyond the struggle [23:42] and that the struggle itself is proof of light. [23:47] The struggle itself is proof of life. [23:50] If you tell me you are struggling with sin, [23:53] I tell you that that should give you hope.

[23:56] It is when you cease to struggle that you should lose your hope [24:01] because that is not a fruit of redemption. [24:04] Your redemption is not proven by your perfection.

[24:10] Your redemption is proven by Jesus’s perfection in light of your struggles. [24:16] Struggle well, keep struggling with the hope [24:20] that there’s coming a day where you will break the rhythm of sin in your life [24:25] and the habits of unrighteousness will become habits of righteousness.

[24:31] You must have a vision for personal growth in your life. [24:35] You must. You must. You must.

[24:40] What we can’t accomplish through the law, God can.

[24:47] And here’s better news.

[24:50] God has. [24:52] Romans 8, 2 through 4 declare victory on God’s part. [24:58] Not in theory. [25:00] I think some of you think the gospel is true in theory. [25:04] And so you function with a theoretical gospel in your mind, [25:08] but you’re not applying it to your life.

[25:11] You know all the right answers. [25:13] You know all the right activities. [25:15] You know all the right places to go. [25:17] You listen to all the right podcasts. [25:19] You read all the best sellers. [25:22] But the gospel is nothing but theory in your life

[25:26] because you are not living like you’ve achieved victory. [25:30] Friend, if Jesus has achieved victory and you have trusted in Jesus, [25:35] then you have achieved victory, not in theory, in reality. [25:41] So that’s why we can live with joy. [25:45] That is why someone like me who I am, [25:48] I’m hard pressed to find anyone more cynical than I am.

[25:51] And that’s not all bad. [25:52] I keep everybody sober and realistic. [25:56] People start getting too excited. [25:57] Bring me in the room. [25:59] I’ll show you the flaws. [26:02] I’ll show you the problems.

[26:04] I’ll slow you down, son.

[26:09] But in light of my cynicism, [26:13] it tempts me to treat the gospel as kind of good news, [26:18] but we’ve still got all sorts of problems. [26:21] Don’t forget the problems. [26:23] Forget them. [26:25] If the problems in your life have the focus of your life,

[26:29] then you will not have joyful worship of Jesus.

[26:33] You must see every issue in your life [26:37] through the filter of the gospel of Jesus Christ. [26:41] Ephesians chapter 2 verse 4 [26:43] is one of the most vital aspects of Scripture [26:46] because the Apostle Paul points out every problem that we have [26:49] because of sin, and then he puts it through the gospel filter

[26:52] and he says, but God being rich in love [26:59] has redeemed us through Jesus.

[27:02] That’s a gospel filter. [27:04] That’s how you have joy [27:07] and a life that is going to have struggle [27:10] and a life that is going to have pain.

[27:16] See, friends, the gospel is such good news [27:20] because of what God has done while I was in sin, [27:23] not while I was achieving victory over sin. [27:25] Look at Romans 5. [27:27] It says, but God shows His love for us [27:29] and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[27:32] Since therefore, we have now been justified by His blood. [27:36] Much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. [27:39] For if while we were enemies, [27:42] we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, [27:44] much more now that we are reconciled, [27:47] shall we be saved by His life.

[27:48] More than that, we also rejoice in God [27:51] through our Lord Jesus Christ [27:53] through whom we have received reconciliation. [27:58] Those last two words are vital.

[28:02] Many of you are trying to gain a reconciliation [28:04] that you weren’t supposed to gain. [28:06] You were supposed to receive it as a gift.

[28:09] Many of you are working really hard to get reconciled with God. [28:12] Stop.

[28:15] It’s futile. [28:17] It won’t work. [28:18] You can’t gain it. [28:20] You can’t obey your way into reconciliation with God. [28:24] Every time I seek to obey my way into reconciliation with God, [28:26] I just find five more areas where I’ve disobeyed God.

[28:30] Every time I try to reconcile myself with God, [28:32] I just find out how much more unreconciled I feel with God.

[28:39] But it’s good news if I don’t have to earn it. [28:41] It’s good news if I don’t have to grab it. [28:44] It’s good news if I can simply trust [28:48] that I have received reconciliation with God. [28:52] He has done all of the work. [28:55] He didn’t wait until I was begging for it.

[28:57] That’s not what enemies do.

[29:00] I mean, how great is the text where it says, [29:03] even while we were enemies with God. [29:06] See, some of you, you don’t even realize how deep it went. [29:08] You just thought you and God were having a tissy.

[29:13] You know, me and God, we’re friends, [29:15] but, you know, I said some things I shouldn’t have said, [29:17] and he’s, you know, he’s got some things that we’ve got to work out. [29:22] No, that’s not the truth. [29:23] The truth is, God hated you. [29:25] And you hated God.

[29:28] That’s your relationship with God without Jesus Christ. [29:31] You’re an enemy of God. [29:33] But the good news of Jesus Christ is that while you were an enemy of God, [29:36] Jesus Christ himself came in the flesh [29:39] and died for the penalty of your sin, [29:42] and you can receive reconciliation with God.

[29:46] God uses our weakness as a revelation of how great His love is. [29:53] Friends, the Gospel takes your sin and turns it into a place [29:57] from which you can praise God for His overwhelming love. [30:02] And that is why every moment of sin that we encounter, [30:05] even after coming to faith in Jesus, [30:08] is a place in which we go to God for more forgiveness

[30:11] and more opportunity to grow [30:14] because His love is greater than my guilt and shame. [30:20] His love is greater.

[30:23] If you want to change your relationship with sin,

[30:28] you will in the moment of sin, [30:30] when you know you’ve done wrong, [30:32] when you know you’re caught. [30:35] I have children, so I know the looks on someone’s face when they’re caught [30:39] because I catch them frequently. [30:41] What?

[30:44] And that moment of caughtness, [30:46] don’t sit there and say, [30:49] I’m worthless, I’m no good, I can’t measure up. [30:55] That’s not going to help you. [30:57] And the moment you’re caught, [30:59] look to the Word and see,

[31:03] I’m loved, I’m cared for, [31:07] I’m redeemed, I’m forgiven.

[31:12] I have the righteousness of Christ. [31:16] That is the posture from which you can build a life of obedience [31:23] to the Word of God. [31:25] It is about what God has already done. [31:29] It is not about what you can do. [31:33] The Gospel is never about what you can do.

[31:35] The Gospel is always about what God has done. [31:39] Your life needs to be defined by God [31:42] rather than being defined by your inability.

[31:46] God has dictated that in Jesus, [31:49] I am not to live as someone who is condemned. [31:52] That takes great faith. [31:54] That is difficult. [31:55] It’s not easy to live like someone who isn’t condemned [31:58] when you look around yourself

[32:00] and even in your own personal life, [32:01] you see 75 reasons you should be condemned. [32:05] God though has dictated that the guilt and shame that I deserve [32:08] was placed onto Jesus on the cross. [32:10] So when my sin tells me I don’t deserve to have God’s life, [32:14] I must look back and preach the Gospel to myself and my sin.

[32:19] I can have the victory because God says I can have the victory. [32:24] And He is God and I am not. [32:28] If you are a follower of Jesus Christ [32:30] and you continuously remind yourself of why you cannot have the victory, [32:34] you are putting the revelation that you give [32:36] over the revelation that God has already given.

[32:39] You can have victory over sin. [32:42] That’s why He says, do not walk according to the flesh. [32:45] He’s letting you know you don’t have to anymore. [32:48] You don’t have to be defined by disobedience. [32:52] You can obey God if you walk according to the Spirit. [32:57] Number three this morning,

[32:58] live in the victory that Jesus has already won. [33:02] Live like He’s already won because He has. [33:05] Live like the kingdom is certain because it is. [33:08] We did have death. [33:10] Now we have life. [33:12] Look in verse four one more time.

[33:15] He says, in order that the righteous requirement of the law [33:17] might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh [33:20] but according to the Spirit, [33:22] for those who live according to the flesh [33:23] set their minds on the things of the flesh. [33:26] But those who live according to the Spirit

[33:28] set their minds on the things of the flesh. [33:31] There’s two ideas in those two verses. [33:34] First walking or living according to the Spirit [33:37] and then setting your mind on the things of the Spirit. [33:40] On the flip side of that is to do those things according to the flesh. [33:44] The issue that I see,

[33:47] the issue that so many people struggle with [33:51] is actually defining what that looks like [33:54] in everyday real life. [33:56] Again, sounds great in theory. [34:00] Sounds wonderful in theory. [34:02] But how do you actually live that out in your life?

[34:06] There’s of course a lot that could be said about this [34:09] but what is important though [34:10] is simplifying it as much as possible [34:14] and then teasing it out throughout your life [34:18] so that all the implications in your personal life [34:20] will eventually be felt.

[34:22] But the problem I see so many people having [34:24] is that you try to have the implications [34:27] without grasping the simple core of what this means. [34:33] You see, if you will grasp the core [34:35] then everything else will flow naturally. [34:39] This is ultimately about living and thinking

[34:45] in accordance with the victory [34:47] that has been won for you by Jesus. [34:49] That’s it. [34:51] That’s all that he’s saying here. [34:53] That is the reason that it follows the declaration [34:55] no condemnation.

[34:57] For commentary, I think Romans 6-11 builds a little bit [35:01] when it talks to us about considering ourselves [35:04] dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [35:07] See that term consider which is sometimes said [35:10] reckon or count is a term that says [35:14] live as though it’s true.

[35:15] That’s all that means. [35:17] Live as though you are dead to sin. [35:22] Live like it has no power over you. [35:25] Live like you don’t have to sin.

[35:29] And also live like you are alive to Jesus Christ. [35:33] The problem that some of you have is [35:35] that even in light of redemption you still find more joy [35:38] in this world than you do in Jesus. [35:41] And that’s why you make the decisions that you make. [35:44] That’s why you’re struggling in the many areas

[35:45] that you’re struggling with. [35:47] Because you’re living as though this world [35:49] has more to offer you than Jesus Christ. [35:51] And what it means simply to consider yourself [35:56] dead to sin and alive to Jesus [36:00] is to stop that nonsense.

[36:02] Stop it.

[36:06] Live like you don’t find joy in this world [36:10] and you do find joy in Jesus [36:13] and your heart will follow. [36:16] Because you will start finding joy in Jesus. [36:18] Why? Because of the power of the Holy Spirit. [36:21] Some of you expect the Holy Spirit

[36:23] just to magically make it happen. [36:25] What in the Bible tells you that? [36:29] Nothing. It’s not in there. [36:31] Nothing in the Bible says that. [36:32] The Bible is very clear that the actions [36:36] that you take in this life are very important

[36:38] in determining the mindset that you take in this life. [36:41] Note that he says walk according to the Spirit [36:42] before he ever talks about your mindset.

[36:46] He said, is it when you start living like this is true [36:49] that you will start thinking like this is true. [36:53] And so you need to simply start doing those things. [36:55] Run everything in your life. [36:58] Even the way you think about your life [37:01] through the mindset filter of the gospel of Jesus.

[37:04] Here’s the key. [37:06] Think. If sin is not a condemning factor in my life, [37:11] how then should I live in the victory of that?

[37:16] See, that removes two problems. [37:21] Two distinct problems. [37:22] First, that removes the problem of [37:25] moralism and behavior modification.

[37:28] See, you aren’t simply trying to earn God’s favor [37:32] through your obedience. [37:34] That isn’t the mindset of the Spirit. [37:36] Some of you, you’ve got this mindset, [37:38] well I’m not going to start doing things [37:40] according to the Spirit until I want to

[37:42] because then that will make me a phony.

[37:47] Here’s the deal. [37:48] Then you’re never going to experience victory. [37:51] So long as you carry that mindset into your life, [37:53] you will never experience an ounce of victory. [37:56] And ultimately you’re going to find you didn’t have the Holy Spirit [37:58] and that was the problem because you weren’t a Christian.

[38:02] Second, it removes the idea that you don’t need to obey God. [38:06] Because there is a subset of people that will say, [38:08] see, we don’t need to worry about the law of God. [38:10] We don’t need to worry about obeying God [38:12] because grace, grace, grace.

[38:16] That’s not what the text tells us. [38:18] The problem isn’t the law. [38:20] The law shows the character of God. [38:23] The problem is that the law is weakened by my flesh, [38:27] my inability to keep the law, [38:29] but Jesus has done that for me as my substitute.

[38:32] Now, rather than a condemning force, [38:34] the law has become to me a window into the heart of God, [38:39] which I want to pursue. [38:42] Therefore, God cares about how I live [38:44] and I want to live in the victory of following Jesus.

[38:50] In Romans 6, 4 through 5, he furthers this idea more. [38:56] He says, we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death [39:00] in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead [39:04] by the glory of the Father, note this, [39:06] we too might walk in newness of life. [39:11] It is that newness of life that no condemnation

[39:15] is truly experienced in. [39:17] So long as you are living by the mindset [39:20] that you had apart from Christ, [39:22] you cannot experience the victory of living, [39:26] quote, unquote, in Christ.

[39:30] Romans 6, 14 then seals the subject [39:33] when it says, for sin will have no dominion over you, [39:40] since you are not under the law, but under grace. [39:45] What is he saying there? [39:48] He’s saying that when you are in sin, [39:50] it is an invisible taskmaster to your life.

[39:54] You are enslaved to sin, oftentimes, [39:57] even convincing yourself that you are the one [40:00] under control in your life.

[40:03] The text says that’s not true. [40:05] Sin is your taskmaster. [40:07] And when you get under the weight of condemnation by the law, [40:11] which was weakened by your inability to obey the law, [40:15] and you realize that God has done everything in Jesus [40:17] that you couldn’t do, He has won the victory,

[40:20] there is therefore now no condemnation [40:22] to those who are in Christ Jesus, [40:23] you realize that sin doesn’t have to be your taskmaster [40:27] because Jesus is the good master. [40:31] Jesus is the one who has bought your freedom. [40:34] Jesus is the one who has designed your life.

[40:37] Jesus is the one that you want to give your life to [40:40] because He is so good. [40:43] He gives you the freedom that Jesus wants you to have in faith. [40:49] See, friends, when you follow Jesus, [40:51] sin has no dominion over you. [40:54] You live a life of obedient grace.

[40:59] Jesus loves you to the extent that He took the penalty of your sin [41:03] and died as your substitute [41:05] so that you can have the freedom of Jesus in new life [41:10] without the threat of condemnation. [41:14] Set your minds on that. [41:20] Not some of the time.

[41:23] All of the time.

[41:26] Not when sin is about to knock at your door, [41:31] but with the realization that it’s always knocking. [41:34] It’s always tempting. [41:36] It’s always trying to convince you there is a little bit of condemnation. [41:40] That is where love, life, freedom, and victory reign. [41:48] Friends, train yourself to celebrate the reality of the gospel of Jesus in your life.

[41:54] Live under the freedom of the Spirit. [41:57] God has designed you to live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. [42:04] Victory over condemnation is a mindset to embrace [42:09] and a life to be lived. [42:14] So the question that you’ve got to deal with is are you? [42:19] Are you operating under that mindset?

[42:23] Or are you operating under the mindset of someone who is condemned by their sin? [42:28] Are you operating under the mindset of someone who still looks at sin [42:32] as a little bit of a taskmaster in your life? [42:35] Or do you live the life of someone who is free? [42:39] Of someone who has the victory? [42:41] Of someone who has no condemnation?

[42:44] Because that is where the life of Jesus is found.

[42:51] Victory over condemnation is not a theory.

[42:58] Victory over condemnation is yours in Jesus. [43:04] Every Sunday we reflect on how that victory was purchased for us. [43:11] Now on this side of the room you need to be careful not to knock the water over. [43:15] We have baptisms in the 11 a.m. this morning.

[43:19] But there’s tables in the front, there’s tables in the back. [43:22] The bread represents the broken body of Christ. [43:26] The cup represents His shed blood.

[43:30] Those things that should represent defeat, death, sacrifice [43:38] for the follower of Jesus when we eat and drink, we celebrate victory. [43:44] Because we know that three days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead [43:49] winning victory over sin and death. [43:53] Friends, if you don’t know that victory, [43:55] there are people in the four year that would love to pray with you.

[43:58] They would love to talk to you about how you today can experience the victory [44:03] that Jesus has purchased for you for all time. [44:08] But if you’re in here and you’re like me, you know the victory. [44:12] You know that it’s sweet. [44:14] You know that it’s yours in Christ Jesus because you’ve trusted in Him, [44:18] because you have faith in Him.

[44:19] Then in just a moment come, eat, drink, and then go, [44:24] live the victorious Christian life when you’re ready. [44:29]

[44:42] Alright, first I want to invite old friend Amanda Dance to come up. [44:47] I first met Amanda when she was in high school 37 years ago. [44:51] Back in the days when I used to teach. [44:54] But Amanda’s coming and her and her husband have come for membership at the church. [44:59] She’s never followed the Lord and believers baptism. [45:02] So she comes today under a profession of faith here

[45:06] to partake in the ordinance that God tells us to go through. [45:10] Now before we do that I want you to understand for those of you [45:13] that maybe you’re unfamiliar with what baptism is. [45:17] Baptism is not something that saves us. [45:21] It’s not something that cleanses us of our sin. [45:24] Faith in Jesus Christ and faith in Jesus Christ alone secures that for us.

[45:29] But what Jesus did was He said that if you come to faith in Me [45:33] and you want to be My disciple, [45:36] there will be a moment where you go from a person that doesn’t obey Me [45:40] to a person that does obey Me. [45:42] And He said that a symbol that I want to give to mark your desire for discipleship is baptism. [45:49] And baptism is an interesting symbol.

[45:51] The symbol of water represents purification. [45:55] Hopefully you’ve had a shower this week or a bath, one or the other. [45:59] And it cleansed you of dirt and grime. [46:03] And this is a picture of what Jesus has done for Amanda. [46:07] Through faith He’s forgiven her of her sin. [46:10] And He has redeemed her and cleansed her.

[46:13] And sin will no longer have hold on her life. [46:16] But then she doesn’t just stay in the water. [46:18] I’ll bring her up out of the water. [46:20] And she’s thankful for that. [46:22] But coming up out of the water represents the resurrection hope that we have in Jesus Christ. [46:28] You’re buried in the likeness of His death.

[46:30] And then you’re raised to live a new life in Jesus Christ. [46:35] Go ahead and step in.

[46:40] They put a lot of water in it. I’m worried. [46:43] So just go ahead and sit down. [46:46] We’ll do with it what we can.

[46:50] Amanda.

[46:52] In obedience to the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [46:54] and because you have professed your faith in Him [46:57] I baptize you my sister in the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Spirit. [47:02] And put your hands over your nose. [47:04] Lowered in the likeness of His death, raised to new life in Jesus Christ.

[47:15] Try not to get too wet. [47:16] That’s okay. That’s okay.

[47:20] Now Rachel Campbell Robertson, one of our teenagers here. [47:24] She’s a senior in high school at Veritas School. [47:29] And she’s come professing faith in Jesus Christ. [47:32] Her parents are group leaders here at the church. [47:34] And she’s professed faith and desires to follow Him and believers in baptism. [47:38] Go ahead and get into the warm water.

[47:43] It really is. I promise.

[47:48] Rachel, because you’ve professed Jesus as your Lord and Savior [47:52] in obedience to His command I baptize you my sister [47:56] in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [47:59] I will lower you in the likeness of His death [48:00] and I’ll raise you to new life in Christ.

[48:11]

[48:16] One of the most interesting things to me about faith in Christ [48:21] is the number of pictures and practices that our Lord gave us [48:28] so that it wouldn’t just be something that we talk about [48:31] but instead it’s something that we are initiated into. [48:35] It’s something that encompasses all of the senses [48:38] so that we will know this is not just some intellectual exercise.

[48:43] This is not just a theory that we agree to [48:47] but rather following Jesus is a life that must be lived. [48:52] It is a victory that can be ours if we will simply trust [48:58] and if we will simply follow.

[49:19] For more information visit www.mooji.org