SPECIAL DAY: INDEPENDENCE DAY
“FREEDOM IN CHRIST”
ROMANS 8:1-17
OPEN
Tomorrow, we celebrate the founding of our nation. There will be picnics and fireworks and other activities happening across our country. It’s a celebration of freedom called Independence Day. The words of Patrick Henry ring in our ears and our hearts: “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.”
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to announce and declare that they would accept nothing less than absolute freedom from England. Two days later, the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was ratified and signed by those present. And so we celebrate the 4th of July as our day of freedom.
Freedom is a great Christian word. Abraham Lincoln is known as the “Great Emancipator.” But the greatest emancipator that ever lived was Jesus Christ. An emancipator is a liberator and that’s what it means to say that Jesus is our Savior, Deliverer, and Redeemer. To be saved by Jesus is to be set free.
Jesus introduced Himself in His first recorded public sermon as the One whom God had sent to bring freedom. Following His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus went to Galilee and taught in the synagogues. At one point He returned to His hometown of Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Lk. 4:17-21 – The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: [Is.61:1-2] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
If Christ is our liberator, our emancipator, then from what do we need to be released, liberated, set free? Sin. Jesus says in Jn. 8:34 – “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”
Paul puts it this way in Rom. 7:21-25 – So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. And with those words, Paul introduces his proposition about freedom in Christ.
FREEDOM FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN
Rom. 8:1-4 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Whenever you see the word “therefore” in Scripture, it always points you back to something the writer has already said. It also points you forward to something the writer is going to say.
“Condemnation” is a concept that Paul used throughout the entire letter up to this point. Rom. 1:18 – The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Condemnation.
Rom. 2:12 – All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. What’s going to happen to those who don’t hear the law? They will die without the law. Condemnation. What about those who receive the law? They’ll be judged by the law. Condemnation.
Rom. 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Condemnation.
Rom. 4 stresses that we cannot gain forgiveness of sin – that we can’t win our own freedom – through our own efforts. Condemnation.
Rom. 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Condemnation.
Rom. 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death. Condemnation.
Then after all this talk of condemnation, Paul says in Rom. 7:24 – : What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
While I was studying for this message, I came across a news article that told about someone who faced a harsh penalty for his behavior in a federal court. It happened in Will County, IL in August of 2009.
Clifton Williams was attending a hearing for his cousin in Joliet. His was charged with and plead guilty to a felony drug charge. As Judge Daniel Rozak gave the sentence to the defendant for two years of probation, Williams held up outstretched arms and gave a loud, audible yawn. The judge decided that this behavior was a disrespectful interruption of his court and sentenced Williams to six months in jail – the maximum penalty fir contempt of court without a jury trial.
Nobody likes condemnation. Nobody likes to face the penalty for their wrongdoing.. Penalties are never enjoyable.
When Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the fulfillment of God’s promise to send someone who would bring freedom, He said that He came to proclaim “good news.” Paul also shares good news: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
The word “condemnation” in the original language refers to someone who has been judged guilty and is liable to the penalty of that crime. We are guilty. And we deserve the death penalty. But for those who have trusted in Jesus, there no longer a guilty verdict or a death sentence. Rom. 5:1-2 – Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul tells us that what the law was unable to do, God Himself has done by sending His Son. The Old testament law was never meant to be the solution for sin. Just as the Illinois penal code can’t rehabilitate a criminal, so too the law can’t change a sinner. And just as the Illinois penal code condemns the criminal, so God’s law exposes our sin and condemns us. Instead of relying on the law to rescue us, God sent His Son.
Paul says that Jesus came as God in “likeness of sinful man.” He was fully God and fully man – God in the flesh. He totally identified with our condition. Jesus became a genuine human being to be a sin offering – a sacrifice given on our behalf.
That means that Jesus willingly took upon Himself the penalty for human sin on the cross. When Jesus went to the cross, sin was judged and condemned. He didn’t deserve to die but took the consequences of sin upon Himself.
And He did it so that the righteous requirement of the law could be met in us. The law required a perfect life, a life totally free from failure and sin. So Jesus came in human flesh and lived that kind of life – a life that never rebelled against God, a life that never broke God’s law – a sinless life.
And according to Scripture, because of Jesus’ sinlessness, when we put our complete trust in Him our condemnation is transferred to Him and His righteousness is transferred to us. 2 Cor. 5:21 – God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Therefore, when God looks at us, He no longer sees our sin and the condemnation it deserves. He only sees Christ’s perfect obedience. Jesus lived the life that we fail to live and died the death that we deserve. Freedom from the penalty of sin is available only through Jesus Christ.
FREEDOM FROM THE POWER OF SIN
Rom. 8:5-9 – 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. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Paul’s theology is very Trinitarian. Freedom comes through God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have a choice. We can decide to live under control of our sinful nature, also referred to as “the flesh,” or we can live under the control of the Holy Spirit. Freedom from the power of sin only happens with the work of the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:17 – Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
The sinful nature, otherwise known as “the flesh,” is basically defined by Paul in Chapt. 7 of Romans. It is all of the habit patterns that we’ve de3veloped over the years to meet our needs out of our own resources. It is a life of dependence on self or self-centeredness. And it can be powerful.
The Brazilian walnut tree is majestic in size and strength. But this beautiful tree has one enemy, the strangler fig. When a strangler fig seed lands on the walnut tree, its roots begin to descend to the ground. As it grows, the vines of the fig squeeze and choke the walnut tree. The fig’s grip on the tree becomes so great that the vine-encased tree slowly dies. Over time, all that is left are twisting vines in the form of a tree. The tree itself has long since disintegrated. Only a vine structure in the shape of a tree remains, while the inside is hollow and lifeless. That is the power of sin over a life without the Holy Spirit.
Yet, there is freedom from the power of sin when we live according to the influence of the Spirit of God. The bible teaches that when we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the presence of God within us to lead us and direct us.
Galatians Chapt. 5 contrasts the life lived according to the sinful nature with the life lived according to the
Spirit. Gal. 5:16-17a – So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other…
What are the results of living according to our sinful nature? Gal. 5:19-21 – The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Before you say, “I’m not guilty of anything like that,” you need to understand what these things mean. Idolatry is making anything more important that what God wants. Witchcraft is rebellion against God. Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, and ambition are all signs that we allow our selfish desires control our behavior. Sexual immorality and drunkenness are indicators that we’re looking to fill the hole in our lives with things that cannot satisfy us.
Then we see the difference in the results of a life lived in the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Paul wrote both the letter to the church at Rome and the letter to the churches in Galatia. Why has he gone intom such detail to contrast the life controlled by the sinful nature and the life controlled by the Spirit? It’s because without the Holy Spirit, we’re like a helpless insect caught in the spider web of sin. We can’t free ourselves no matter how hard we try. No matter how much willpower we muster, no matter how much energy we expend. We’re powerless against the web of sin without the power of the Holy Spirit. But with the Holy We can begin to change our habits, conquer addictions, and find freedom from character traits that dishonor God and break His heart.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s easy or effortless. Often, this bitter struggle lasts a long time.. In fact, the Bible describes this struggle as a war. But it’s a winnable war when we continue to trust in work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
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FREEDOM FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN
Paul goes one step further. Not only can we be free from the power of sin and free from the power of sin, we will eventually be free from the presence of sin.
You see, no matter how much progress we make, we’re still surrounded by sin and its consequences. We still live in mortal bodies that are decaying. We get sick. We grow old. Physical death still awaits us.
And we’re also still surrounded by people who sin against us, both friends and enemies. We still live in a society dominated by sin, as we see people oppressed, hungry npeople starving, innocent people hurt, and so forth. The presence of sin is still all around us.
Listen to what Paul says in Rom. 8:10-11 – But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Paul says there that even though we’re free fom the penalty of sin and growing in our freedom over the power of sin, our body is still mortal and exposed to the presence of sin. Because of sin and its consequences our bodies grow old and diseased, tired and sick, weak and corruptible. Freedom from sin’s penalty and progressive freedom from sin’s power doesn’t prevent the presence of sin.
So Paul reminds us of Easter – the day Christ rose from the grave and conquered death for all time. Like god the father raised His Son from the grave, so, too will He put life back into our physical bodies on that great day of resurrection when Christ returns. God’s indwelling Spirit within us is the assurance of that promise. The Holy Spirit is the evidence that the promise will come true.
So, although we’re not yet free from the presence of sin, we have a wonderful assurance given to us in this passage. On that day, sin will be locked out forever, cast into the lake of fire. No longer will people around us sin against us, no longer will we grieve the death of a loved one or even die ourselves. Rev. 21:4 tells us: There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
THE OBLIGATION OF OUR FREEDOM
Freedom has a cost. During the war for independence from Britain 7,200 Americans were killed in battle 8,200 were wounded. 10,000 died from disease and exposure. Nearly 3,000 men died at Valley Forge alone. An additional 6,500 died in prison after being captured and 1,400 soldiers were listed as missing. Nearly 700,000 people have died over the years to secure our liberties, our freedoms in this nation.
And likewise, spiritual freedom has a cost. It cost Jesus everything to secure our freedom from sin. Without His suffering and death on the cross there would be no freedom from the penalty of sin. If He didn’t die, rise again, and ascend to the Father, there’d be no Holy Spirit. And without His righteousness mbeing transferred to us through His death, burial and resurrection, we wouldn’t have the promise of freedom from the presewnce of sin in heaven.
And with a great cost paid comes obligation. We cannot expect to continue in freedom if we do not feel obliged to those who gave us our freedom.
Paul puts mit this way in Rom. 8:12-17 – Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We have the obligation to work diligently in the power of the spirit to not allow our selfish habits and desires diret us. We have the obligation to walk i9n step with the Spirit. Our stride should match His. And we have an obligation to how to live like a child of the King.
CLOSE
Many of you will remember the riots that took place in South Central Los Angeles a number of years ago. Buildings were burned. Stores were looted. During all the confusion an unsuspecting truck driver named Reginald Denny made a wrong turn and ended up in an area of some of the worst rioting.
Millions of people watched as a news helicopter filmed what happened live. Denny was pulled from his truck after the window was smashed with a brick. Tow men pulled him from his cab and threw bricks at him, struck him with a broken bottle and kicked him in the face until he lost consciousness. He was permanently damaged but managed to live through the ordeal.
When the case came to court, the men who had beaten him were hardened and belligerent. They showed no sign of remorse. Once again, the media filmed the events as they happened. As the cameras panned the courtroom, Reginald Denney, his face still swollen and distorted from the merciless beating he took, got up out of his seat, against the protests of his attorneys, and walked over to the mothers of his assailants and hugged them as he told the he forgave their sons. They returned his hugs, and one of the mothers said that she loved him. Did his act of grace and forgiveness have any effect on his attackers? We still don’t know.
Some of you might consider Denny’s offering of forgiveness simply as sloppy sentimentality and something disconnected from the real world. But remember that this is exactly what God has done for us. It’s called grace. The men in the courtroom did not deserve forgiveness, they did not ask for it, and they had done nothing to deserve, but it was offered without condition.
In a similar way that these men brutalized Reginald Denny, the world brutalized Jesus. His body was disfigured from the beatings He took and from the torture of the cross. The world was expressing its hatred of Him at the same time his arms were open wide with the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. Before we ever thought about God, He was walking toward us in an effort to embrace us and give us His forgiveness.
Col. 1:21-23a – Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
It’s only because of what Christ has done for us that we can be free. And because of what Christ has done, we can celebrate every day as our spiritual day of independence!
