Life According to the Spirit

Romans 7:15-20  Romans 8:1-5

I was called to ministry, As a college student,  in the 70s. --- Preaching the gospel was not my idea. I was a social work major and had made a personal decision of faith as a follower of Christ. But my plan was to be a good, effective, Christian social worker. Those were idealistic days back then. And I wanted to make a difference in my world.

But it seemed that God had a different plan. I couldn’t quite convince God that I was not a public up front type person. The God of the universe seemingly did not understand that many others were more gifted and charismatic than I.

One of the key moments in the confirmation process of God’s call upon my life was meeting Ray Boland. My friend Dan and I, were visiting a troubled young man in the psychiatric unit of Lowell Massachusetts General Hospital. We were talking to him about the hope that Jesus brings. And Ray Boland, one of the older men in the unit, must’ve been middle 20s or maybe almost 30. He interrupted us and said, “I just want to know one thing. Can Jesus take the needle out of my arm”?

Ray Boland, that afternoon, made a decision to accept God’s forgiveness and started his journey as a follower of Christ. Ray eventually was discharged from the Rehab unit and went around town telling all his friends about his newfound faith. He was inviting his drug addicted friends to come hear about Jesus in the downtown, coffee house in the basement of an old rundown church.

Early on Ray seemed to grow as a new Christian. But his enthusiasm seemed to fade and we were concerned about how he was doing. I will never forget the last time I saw Ray Boland. He stopped in at the Saturday night Bible study to say goodbye. He had a couple of his drug culture friends with him and he said he was going to New York City. As he left, he was in tears. He said he didn’t want to but he just had to. We never saw him again. I have wondered if he survived but it is more than doubtful. Ray Boland, drug addict - wanted to do what was right, but he just couldn’t do it.

The Apostle Paul struggled with an incurable addiction. His addiction is an addiction that we all share. Paul struggled with the addiction to self. He wanted to serve God but he wanted his own way even more. Paul was in a predicament … Let’s Look at Paul’s Predicament

PAUL’s PREDICAMENT

Let’s look this morning at Paul’s experience and see if you can relate. 

Romans chapter 7: 15.

I do not understand what I do. What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do. 16 and if I do what I do not want to do I agree that the laws good. As it is, is no longer I myself would do it, but it is the sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out for what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing 20 and if I do what I do not want to do, is no longer I who do it, but it is the sin living in the that does it.

There are so many who see the Christian life as an attempt to do what is good. We need to try to love. We need to try to forgive. We need to try to have faith.

No one was more sincere than the apostle Paul. He wanted to do God’s work with a desperation that few of us would understand. Before his conversion to Christianity his attempts of righteousness reached murderous proportions. He executed and imprisoned Christians by the 100’s. Paul was a great intellect. He was stringent in his discipline. He knew all the laws by heart. If anyone could obey God’s laws it would be the Apostle Paul.

But he messed up in exactly the same way as we all have struggled. Every one of us has known the right to do and loved to do wrong even more.

The apostle Paul finally reaches the place of near total despair. 7:24  what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

So many Christians read Romans chapter 7 and nod knowingly. Yes, they say, that’s the way it is. We are saved by grace. We are forgiven. God is merciful to us. We are promised eternal life. But in this life? And we shake our heads again… About all we can expect is to keep trying and failing and trying and failing and trying and failing.

What is going on here? Jesus comes proclaiming good news. Jesus comes to earth calling his disciples… Calling them to leave everything and follow him. And this same Jesus calls us.   He calls us to turn from the self life   to live the Christ life. Jesus says follow me… follow my example … Live like me.

 What -  is this some kind of cruel joke? Does Jesus call us to be his disciples and to follow him but it’s not really possible to live the life?

And so St. Paul the apostle throws up his hands in despair… What a wretched man I am. And there are times when we to have felt like what a wretched man, woman, human being I am. In his despair Paul cried out to God …questioning Him.

PAUL’S QUESTION

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

So we can identify with the apostle Paul this morning. But as we consider Paul’s predicament and as you recognize how readily we identify with his experience… we need to ask the question that Paul asked as well.   Who will rescue us from this body of death?  

Paul is an interesting writer. How does the answer this question? I’m in a mess he says. I’m overwhelmed by this body of death. I want to do the right but I just can’t do it. How does he answer this question? In  verse 25 Paul says “thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How can the response to the reality that he is a wretched man be a response of Thanksgiving and praise to God?

GOD’S  ANSWER

The answer is found in Romans Chapter 8. You see, fellow Christians, Romans chapter 7 is in the Bible not to describe the way we live. Romans seven is in the Bible to teach us that because of God’s grace, because of God’s working in our lives we no longer need to live that way. Because Christ in us is a transforming  presence. Not only forgives, not only shows us mercy each day, not only reserves a place in heaven. But He makes a radical change that brings freedom in life and power in serving Him.

8:1 therefore, there is now no condemnation, for those were in Christ Jesus. Because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death.

Therefore there is now no condemnation. Of course we know that when our sins are forgiven we are no longer condemned to eternal separation from God. But there is a more practical meaning here in this passage. The Greek word katakrima translated condemnation is defined as a condemnation to serve a sentence or it can be a reference to enslavement which fits the context perfectly here. And so this passage is saying therefore in Christ there is no more enslavement there is freedom from the guilt and freedom from the domination of sin.

Thank God there is no condemnation for our sins because God is a forgiving loving gracious God. But there is better news.

At risk of sounding like an infomercial… But wait there’s more. Verse three for what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature God did in sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

What was it that the law of God could not do? What is it that the 10 Commandments cannot do? All the moralism’s, all the written laws, all the mandates cannot change the heart of humanity. Legal restrictions cannot create a new heart TO LOVE THE WAYS OF God. Cannot change our deepest desires.They cannot change us from the inside out.  

Education is not enough. Knowing the right thing to do is not enough. And the good news this morning is that God’s grace not only forgives and delivers you from condemnation but the grace of God is transforming grace so that: we get the fourth verse. Paul speaks of us who live in the spirit as those, “who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit”.

God’s will for you is you do not live according to that sinful nature the self addiction but to live according to the spirit.

This spirit controlled life is further described in verse five … those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires.

Why is this teaching and the Bible? If we’ve taken the leap of faith and believe that the Bible is God’s way of speaking to us, why does he speak of those who live in accordance with the spirit and have their minds set on what the spirit desires?

The reason is because it is God’s will, it is the reason that Christ died, it is the legacy of the atonement that we can by faith through grace live in accordance with the spirit of God and our minds can be set on what the spirit desires.

Why is it that so many Christians live in wretched Romans chapter 7 when Jesus died and was raised from the dead so we could live in abundant 

Chapter 8.

OUR  RESPONSE

The reason so many Christians live in Romans chapter 7 trying and failing trying failing trying failing is because they are still holding on to the rights to their lives. Sins are forgiven, reconciled with God, going to heaven. But still holding on to their life ... still addicted to their own way.

The spirit controlled life -  the spirit filled life - is totally an act of God’s grace. But there is an element - a decision that is unmistakable. Our sins are forgiven by grace alone but we need to ask forgiveness. When you do receive forgiveness by faith? If we confess our sins. You needed to take a step of decision. In the same way, The spirit controlled life - the spirit set free life is totally a work of God’s grace but we must surrender fully to him as a decision of our will. Fully by grace - but I must decide. I must exercise my faith … this is transforming faith.

We read in Romans 6:12.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies so that you obey it’s evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness , but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. And offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.   For sin shall not be your master because you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 12 verse one and two  instructs us “Therefore I urge you brothers sisters in view of God’s mercy offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship and then you’ll  no longer conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Christian this is God’s will for you  that you would offer all of yourself to God and under his control you will no longer conform to the pattern of this world but you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind by the power of the Holy Spirit of God in you for he is in charge and he brings change and transformation of power and mission and vision and security.

So a couple questions this morning.

Christian … You need to ask yourself -  am I living in Romans 7  or Romans 8?

Can you identify pretty closely with, chapter 7.  Is this your experience have you been trying failing? Trying failing? Trying failing?  

I am a Christian but not a very good one. I will never forget those words. It was 30 or more years ago a young man in the church was being honest and transparent. He believed in Jesus. He believed that he was the son of God. And he wanted to follow him. But when he was really honest with himself and others he had to say I am a Christian but not a very good one.

If you are a Christian and are struggling along the way …

If you are still living in Romans chapter 7, be thankful for God’s forgiveness it is freely by his grace, thank God for the gift of eternal life it is the gift of salvation. But don’t be satisfied. Don’t stay there move on to spirit filled spirit controlled living. This is why Christ died for us not only to forgive us but to bring transformation that is real and full and powerful. You can not only TRY to follow God you can LOVE to do follow God’s ways. John 10:10

Another question who is in charge?  Who is in charge?  It is more than a useful exercise. It is indispensable for spiritual growth that we take an inventory of who is in charge of our lives.  And then as we take this inventory we surrender control of each area of our lives to loving God will set us free to serve him.

And so we look at our treasure, our talent, our time, our relationships. Then intentionally turn them over to God. I would challenge you to pray a prayer that God always answers. “Lord God would do show me by the convicting of your spirit any area of my life is not surrendered fully to you”. And He will answer that prayer.

He may put his finger on your wallet and have a choice to the give it  him put on the altar I hold onto it… I give but to all of this. And is not until we give it all to him that we are set free from enslavement to money it’s all his. There is resentment someone is wronged you - been treated poorly in the church. And you’re holding on to it. In the Holy Spirit of God is going to say which give that to me? And a response of faith is okay Lord you can have it I’ll let go of my right to hold onto that. And then you are set free from enslavement to that resentment. Your time … who owns your time? Is your time your own or does your time belong to a loving God will take your time and set you free from enslavement to try to manage your own time. And so we can truly say my times are in your hands. The still small unmistakable voice of God may ask you to turn the TV remote over to Him. Then He will set you free to dwell on those things that are TNRPLAEP. There may e habits … and God points to that habit and says give it to me … let go and let me set you free. Social media. I don’t know how God will answer your prayer but I know He will. Then you will see that God is faithful to answer our prayer. Lord God is there any area of my life that is not fully surrendered to you.

And as you surrender each and every area to him the spirit of God can bear witness with your spirit that you have given over to him everything that is revealed to you and there is a deep  peace that is unmistakable and powerful. God’s call to  you this morning to be spirit controlled  -  the spirit surrendered life.

And we are not perfect yet. We tend to take things back. But we can live the life of surrender as a way of life. As the spirit of God, then has more and more control and we are more and more free to live like Christ for he makes us more like him as we serve and follow him in obedience.

So what difference does it make for us. We are good Christian people. We get  to praise God and worship him. We have Praise Fest, Holy Grounds coffee house, Dare to care… What does this mean for us?

The first of all don’t forget the resources of grace. When stuff comes your way reject the self way don’t do it on your own… Embrace the resurrection power that comes with full surrender to God and his ways. He will use you as his instruments of righteousness

When you find yourself angry with the things of life… Start with surrender to God’s will and God’s ways. If you are to respond to attack injustice or people make you crazy if we are indeed going to respond to life with love and joy and peace and kindness… We need to turn from self surrender fully to God of peace love and joy and kindness. The good news is we need not be a slave to a sinful selfish response to life would no longer slaves to anger, pettiness, self-absorption.

If you are afraid… Turn from self effort – surrender your fears fully to God – offer your fearful inadequacy to him – he will calm your fears and he will use them as a means of grace and beacon of righteousness.

If you fail… surrender fully to God’s will and God’s ways. – turn from self effort… Offer your failures to him – he takes your inadequacy and in return he brings compassionate kindness he brings the fruit of the spirit if we trust his promises turn from self and embraces ways. If you sin lean hard on your relationship with God… Turn from self confess your sin… He will take your guilt and your shame it will bring Thanksgiving and gratitude when there is pain sorrow or loss…