Welcome....
Last Friday, July 4th, we celebrated our Independence Day. We were all
saying to the world we have been set free. Many of you were at the park with
friends and love ones celebrating freedom. Some of you were in your
backwards, having your cookout. The world looks on and say we are free, but
as we look at ourselves today, are we all truly free. Maybe we are not bound
by chains, but are we free? Maybe we are not locked away in a jail cell, but
are we free? Maybe we can do whatever we choose to do, but are we really
free? True freedom takes place, only when Christ has set you free, and when
that takes place there is no more condemnation.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Romans
8 verses 1 through 14. Let’s all stand and read together. Please tell someone,
we all can be truly free.
My topic for today is, In Christ, there is no condemnation. If you are
saved today, if Christ has taken control of your life, if you are a new creature
in Christ, then you can say, there is no condemnation. Your friends might not
think so, but you know, there is no condemnation. Since Christ has come, a
most wonderful thing has taken place, those who believe in him are not
condemned.
Let’s look at verse 1 of our text (read) No condemnation mean that the
believer is not doomed, but is set free from the penalty of sin, he is not judged
as a sinner, but is delivered from condemnation of death and hell. Aren’t you
glad today that the slate has been wiped clean? Aren’t you glad that all those
evil things you once did are no longer held against you?
..............elaborate.....
Please note very carefully, only the believer who is in Christ Je-sus will not
be condemned. All non-believers will face condemnation for sin. If you are
still living a life not pleasing to God, it is time to make a change, and put your
trust in Je-sus Christ.......elaborate...
There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. What does it
mean to be "in Christ?’ To be in Christ means that the believer walks and
lives in Christ day by day. There are too many who say they are believers, but
they are what we might call a one a day Christian. They are a child of God on
Sunday, but they are something else Monday through
Saturday.......elaborate... A true believer is one who lives and moves and has
his being in Christ, finding the time to pray; finding the time to read God’s
Word; finding the time to be with other
saints............................................................
That true believer in Christ does not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
He denies ungodliness; he denies worldly lusts; and is willing to live soberly,
righteously and godly in this present world. He is sold out for Christ, placing
everything into the hands of Christ his Lord...........elaborate.... Are you sold
out for Christ, or does everything bothers you......
Let’s look at verses 2 through 4 of our text (read) Paul talks about "the law
of the Spirit of life," which means life in Je-sus Christ and Him alone. Life is
found only in Je-sus Christ. In John 10 verse 10 Je-sus says, I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. In
John 14 verse 6, Je-sus says, I am the way the way, the truth and the life.
In 1 John 5 verse 12, the apostle John writes, He that hath the Son hath life;
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Thank God, there is life
in Christ Je-sus.........
How does the Spirit gives life? The Spirit gives life by freeing the believer
from sin and death. The Spirit of God frees a man from the rule and reign of
death. The Holy Spirit frees the believer to live as Christ lived. As believers,
somebody should see Christ living in us. Our walk should be Christ-like. Our
talk should be Christ-like..........elaborate....
The Spirit gives life by doing what the law could not do. The law could not
make man righteous, because man’s flesh is too weak to keep the law. Man
could not keep the law, and so God sent his son, in the likeness of sinful flesh
to condemn sin in the flesh. Oh. what a mighty God we serve. "The Spirit
gives life by Christ condemning sin in the flesh. The Spirit gives life by Christ
providing righteosuness for us." Of ourselves we could not live righteous, no
matter how hard we try, but the Spirit provides righteousness for those who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. When we believe that Jesus
Christ the only Son of God is our righteousness. When we believe that Jesus
Christ is our Savior. "When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God
fulfills righteousness in us..." Listen to this, the Spirit of God takes the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, and credits it to us. This righteousness is not
credited to everyone, but only to those who walk not after the flesh but after
the Spirit.
We are able to tell who is righteous, and who is not, by observing who is
walking after the flesh or after the Spirit. Verses 5 through 8 of our text talks
about the carnal mind versus the spiritual mind (read 5-8) It is said that,
where a man keeps his mind and what he thinks determine who he is and
what he does. Any man, any woman, any boy, any girl, who keeps their mind
and thoughts in the gutter, becomes part of the filth in the gutter. On the other
hand, any man, any woman, any boy, any girl who keeps their mind upon the
good becomes good. Let’s turn to Philippians 4 verse 8 (read)
The carnal mind is the mind of man’s flesh or body, it is the fleshly mind. It is
the mind that is given over to the flesh, that focuses on the flesh and its
worldly urges and desires. It is the mind that is controlled by one’s sinful
nature. A carnal mind is any mind that does not find its basis in God, any
mind that is not focused upon God first, any mind that finds its basis in this
world. The carnal mind is opposed to God and the things of God. The carnal
mind has no interest in the law of God nor trying to live as God wishes. The
carnal mind wants to live as it wishes and do its own thing. If it was possible
to read your mind, I wonder what are you thinking about right now? Maybe
you are thinking it is time to go home. I am getting hungry. I wonder when is
the pastor going to finish.......elaborate.....
The spiritual mind is the mind which is controlled and dominated by the
Spirit. The man who walks after the Spirit minds the things of the Spirit day
by day. The Spirit of God lives within the believer, and the believer keeps his
mind upon developing spiritual character and fruit. Let’s look at Galatians 5:
22-23 (read) The Spirit of God works within the believer, and the believer
keeps his mind upon knowing, believing and understanding God. Let’s look at
Philippians 3 verse 10 (read) The Spirit of God is there for the believer to
keep his mind upon being conformed more and more to the image of Christ.
Let’s look at Romans 8 verse 29 (read)
The fate of the carnal mnd is death, spiritual death, being separated and cut
off from God eternally. The fate of the spiritual mind is life and peace,
knowing that God is looking out for him and working all things for his good.
He knows that if he remains in Christ there will be no condemnation. I want
to encourage everyone who knows Christ as Lord to remain with the Lord,
because in Christ there is no condemnation. If you do not know Christ as
Lord of your life...............elaborate....
Let’s look at verse 9 of our text (read) Here is something for us to shout
about. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God dwells within the believer. If you
are God’s child, if Christ has changed your life, it means the Spirit of God
dwells in you. That word dwells is the picture of home. The Holy Spirit
dwells within the believer: the Holy Spirit makes his home; takes up
residence, and lives within the believer just as we live in our homes. What a
wonderful thought to know that the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer. When
the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the the life of the believer, that believer
has to talk right; that believer has to walk right; that believer has to act right.
When that believer starts acting otherwise, then something is
wrong...........elaborate... if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his. There are people who have been around the church for a long
time, and knows just how to act, but if the Spirit of God is not dwelling
within, that person is only going through the motion. Is God’s Spirit dwelling
in you?..........................
Let’s look at verses 10& 11 of our text (read) The Spirit of Christ gives life
to the spirit of man. Because of sin, this body of ours is to die; this body is
corruptible; this body is aging; this body is decaying; this body is dying; death
is fast approaching, but in the mids’t of death the Spirit of Christ enters, and
converts the spirit of man from death to life. I want somebody to know today,
because Je-sus Christ came, you do not have to die in your sins. Christ came
to save man from his sins, and when man has been saved, there is therefore
no condemnation.to them which are in Christ Je-sus..............elaborate....
The resurrection of Je-sus Christ assures the believer that he too shall be
raised from the dead. The resurrection of Christ proves that God is; that He
does exist and care for the earth. Man might think he is smart, man might
think he is powerful, but there is no power on earth that can raise a man from
the dead. "Only a Supreme, Eternal Power and Person can do that." Only
God, the Great Almighty God can give life to dead matter and to the dust of
the earth. The very fact that Jesus was raised from the dead proves existence
of God. and this same God shall also quicken, make alive your mortal body
by the spirit that dwelleth in you............elaborate.....
Let’s look at verses 12 & 13 of our text (read) Believers are not in debt to the
flesh. The flesh has done nothing of real value for man. Here are a few things
the flesh has done for man, it is sinful flesh contaminated by sin; it is
carnal or flesly minded; it causes man to die; it is opposite to life and
peace; it cannot please God. Please note very carefully, we owe the flesh
nothing; we are not obligated to the flesh, for the flesh brings nothing but
misery and suffering to man. It is foolish for a man to focus his life on such a
weak thing as the flesh. Why be a debtor to the flesh? So often this flesh
brings sickness and disease. So often this flesh brings sin and shame. L:isten
to what the apostle Pauls says about the flesh. In Romans 7 verse 18 he says,
For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh ) dwelleth no good thing. In
Romans 8 verse 8 he says, So then they that are in the flesh csnnot please
God. In Galatians 6 verse 8 he says, For he that soweth to his flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting.
As Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, believers are in debt to the Spirit.
It is the Spirit that has freed us from sin and death. It is the Spirit that gives us
life and peace. It is the Spirit that dwells within us, removing us from the
flesh and identifying us as being in Christ. Because believers are in Christ,
we can say, there is therefore now no condemnation.
Believers are led by the Spirit of God, and so in verse 14 of our text we read
(read) One of the great powers of the Holy Spirit is to lead the believer and to
become involved in his life.
As we close, let me ask a few questions. Who is leading your life right now?
Are you being lead each day by the Spirit of God or are you controlled by the
enemy? Have you been set free from the power of sin or are you still bound
by the shackles of sin? If you have been set free from the power of sin; if
your life has been changed, then thank God in Christ there is no
condemnation. If you are still bound in your sin, if Christ has not set you free,
thank God today you can be set free, and be made free from
condemnation.....elaborate.... As we all stand......
Call to discipleship
Closing song/prayer
