1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:01,920 This is city. Post Church. 2 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:06,680 We're about three things. Build equipped and send all 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,600 under the. Lordship of Jesus Christ. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,000 A small church plant in Fort Worth, TX who decided to do 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,880 things a little differently. Adoramos Ajesu Cristo I love 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,480 city Post because of the people. It's where I belong. 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,640 We truly preach the word. I love City Post because of the 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,000 community we've been able to build. 9 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:28,720 To do ministry like Jesus. For light to push back darkness. 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,640 This. Is City Post podcast. 11 00:01:02,390 --> 00:01:08,040 Good morning City Post. It is a joy to be with you guys. 12 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,760 I greet you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ coming all 13 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,760 the way from Dallas also greet you in the name of our church, 14 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,480 Trinity Gospel Church. We're glad to have created this 15 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,600 friendship with. Your pastor. 16 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,200 And Lord willing, you guys will see you again in the future. 17 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,120 Maybe some of y'all will come out to Oak Cliff and. 18 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,520 Do some ministry. With us, we'll see how it goes. 19 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,600 We love to come and hit the streets with y'all if you will. 20 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,400 So again, just send you greetings in the name of the 21 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,960 Lord Jesus. It's it's a privilege to worship 22 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:39,120 with y'all. Anytime we get the opportunity 23 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,680 to to lift up that name. Man, I got to get that song, 24 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,000 that song. I remember we playing that all 25 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,960 week. And and I tear up as I sing that 26 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,240 song with y'all, not because I so much live into those 27 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,160 realities, but my life at times contradicts those realities. 28 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,600 And he's still merciful and he's still loving and he is so good 29 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,640 to us. Just a powerful song. 30 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,280 As we turn to the scriptures this morning. 31 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,000 Again, by way of introduction, I just want to say that this is 32 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,440 the day that the Lord has made and we're going to rejoice and 33 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,400 we're going to be glad in it. So I I. 34 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,200 Hope that the sermon is encouraging. 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,560 And I I do not want us to walk away hanging our heads low. 36 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:30,520 Our brother read that scripture from Romans 837, and it was 37 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,240 rightly read because Paul can feel heavy-handed sometimes. 38 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,840 And so as we work through the scriptures this morning, I want 39 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,280 us to just kind of settle in and and look for the notes of 40 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,040 encouragement. In the scriptures. 41 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,800 Even though the scriptures call us to something and call us. 42 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,320 To. Obedience with those truths I 43 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,720 want, I want us to be listening for, for all of those things. 44 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,520 Let me read our passage this morning. 45 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,520 Romans 8 chapter chapter 8, verses 1 to 8. 46 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,840 Listen to this from Paul's letter. 47 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,280 There is therefore now no condemnation. 48 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,840 For those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit 49 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,400 of life has set you. Free in Christ Jesus. 50 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,960 From the law of sin and death. For God has. 51 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,360 Done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, by 52 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,000 sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,960 sin. He condemns. 54 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,160 Sin in the flesh. In order that the righteous. 55 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,960 Requirement of the law might be fulfilled in US. 56 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,280 Who walk? Not according to the flesh, but 57 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,720 according to the Spirit. For those who live according to 58 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,360 the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those 59 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,600 who live according to the Spirit, that their minds on the 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,120 things of the Spirit. For to set the. 61 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,440 Mind on the flesh is death, but to set. 62 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,160 The mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 63 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,880 For the mind, that is. Set on the flesh is hostile to 64 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,920 God, for it does not submit to God's law. 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,480 Indeed it cannot for those. Who are in the? 66 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:14,240 Flesh cannot please God, and this is God's word to us. 67 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,440 And all God's people said, Amen. Let me pray one more time. 68 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:24,400 Father, your word is. Powerful and I pray that our 69 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,640 hearts would just be humble at Your word. 70 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,560 We want you to speak. And so Father, I ask that you 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:39,280 would speak by your Spirit and lead us, Lord, into the ways 72 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:43,960 that you would have us to follow you in Jesus name, Amen. 73 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,440 So now you've got your place in Romans chapter 8. 74 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,520 As we make our way there, I want to let. 75 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,320 You guys know I love reading the Bible. 76 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,880 I love. Reading the Bible and doing what 77 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,560 the Bible says, although imperfectly, I still. 78 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,600 Love it I. Hear in its. 79 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,480 Pages, the voice of. God, his voice speaks to me of. 80 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,680 Incomprehensible wonders. He's he's amazing. 81 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,440 And I hope you actually share that same sentiment with me, 82 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:23,160 because the stories of the Bible and the teachings impress upon 83 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,040 you and me the. Issues that we must come to 84 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,040 terms with. When we read it, we are pulled 85 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,160 into his drama. The Bible pulls you into the 86 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,320 divine. Exchange with God as you read 87 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,800 the scriptures. To read the Bible. 88 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,920 And follow its instruction. Is to experience what? 89 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,040 One scholar says the drama of Scripture. 90 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,960 Scripture tells us the greatest story ever. 91 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:53,840 Told. I mean, you guys are literally 92 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:56,920 in Romans. The Gospel points to humanity's 93 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:02,720 need for God. And salvation, and however such 94 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,280 a. Story if you read it long. 95 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:10,480 Enough and consistently enough. You come to find yourself caught 96 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:16,200 within its inevitable tension. Everyone knows that in order to 97 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,800 have a good story, there must be some tension or something 98 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,200 climactic. You've you've got to be drawn 99 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,120 in. And the story of the good news 100 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:29,920 found in the Bible really is good news of how God saves 101 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,520 sinners. And so however, the tension or 102 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,480 the nuance that. Many of you and. 103 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,920 I face. Over and over again is. 104 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,040 Question. When we're reading the. 105 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,960 Bible, is it true? Or not. 106 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,160 There are so many fascinating stories. 107 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,880 They capture you with this sense of the essence of truth. 108 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,240 The Bible's purpose is about truth. 109 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,080 The Bible's purpose is not, however, to be a book that 110 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,600 makes. You feel good or? 111 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,520 Or to give you personalized Nuggets of wisdom in order to 112 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,480 kind of lifehack your way through personalized seasons of 113 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,440 marriage or parenting or or life's many challenges. 114 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,960 That's that's not what. The Bible's purpose is intended 115 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,040 to do it seems to me that many people. 116 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:29,000 Are trying to oversimplify life. I mean, you just go to. 117 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,800 Instagram you click on something and you see somebody trying. 118 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:37,560 To minimize and simplify a whole millennial worth of teaching. 119 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,000 In a in a verse or segment it it just won't do. 120 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,400 You got to. Read the whole book, get into 121 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:47,480 it. The Bible is God's revelation 122 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,120 and it's it's his truth about who he is and what he's doing in 123 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,720 the world that he has created. The Bible is about Christ Jesus. 124 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,760 The Bible speaks to bring people into a relationship with Christ 125 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,240 Jesus. That's the Bible's purpose. 126 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,880 That's the truth that you get when you come to the Bible 127 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,480 reading it with an. Open heart and a sensitivity to 128 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:16,160 how the Spirit wants to speak. So along with this revolutionary 129 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,480 truth that God in and through his Son Christ Jesus is 130 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:25,560 revealing himself and working in the world, are matters such. 131 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:31,000 As heaven and hell. Angels and demons, life and 132 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:37,640 death, good and evil, beauty and ugliness. 133 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,520 It's the attractive. Quality of things the. 134 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,799 Bible, the Bible speaks to that as well. 135 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,960 The Bible talks about matters of people and relationships, wisdom 136 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:53,320 and foolishness, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, condemnation 137 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,560 and approval. So just before we look at our 138 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:02,840 passage today, I want to illustrate the last two pairs 139 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:09,160 with an example from John 753 to chapter 8. 140 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:14,880 Verse 11. Some of you might be familiar 141 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,440 with this story, but I'm going to read it really, really fast 142 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,920 just so that you have it as an example in your mind. 143 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,080 Check it out SO. I'll summarize this for you. 144 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,240 It's not, it's not all my my electronic copy. 145 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:31,640 So, John. 753 verses 8 to 11 records the story of a woman who 146 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,640 was caught in adultery, and in this story the woman is brought 147 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,400 to Jesus and the people that bring her to Jesus. 148 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:44,400 Want. Her to be condemned and Jesus 149 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,080 says to the crowd that is looking at this woman, they say 150 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:53,440 he says to them, excuse me, the one that is without sin. 151 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:57,120 Casts the first stone. He Stoops down. 152 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,040 He draws a line or. He draw, he writes something, 153 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,000 they say, and nobody knows what he wrote. 154 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,080 But he writes. Something in the sand. 155 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,760 And then they all leave. Jesus turns to the woman who's 156 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,520 been caught in this act of adultery, and he says, where are 157 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,080 they? And she? 158 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,320 Says to Jesus they're. Gone and he says. 159 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,640 Neither do I. Condemn you go and sin no more. 160 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:22,760 Now it would have been better for me to read the passage so 161 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,920 you could hear Jesus himself speak, but I think you get the 162 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,880 essence of where I'm going with this as we look back at Romans 163 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,560 8. 1. One of the best parts of this 164 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,360 story is how Jesus stands up for the one who is actually 165 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:42,640 deserving of condemnation. The text literally says that he 166 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:47,960 stood up and said to them, Let him who is without sin among you 167 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:50,840 be the first to throw a. Stone at her. 168 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,480 This is the striking story of a woman caught in adultery. 169 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,200 According to Jewish law, she and the other person would have been 170 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,200 on the receiving end of being stoned to death. 171 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,120 That is for those who are not familiar with stoning, it's 172 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:09,000 actually having a rock picked up and you being hit with these 173 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,200 rocks over and over again until you pass away. 174 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,840 The Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter 22, verse 22, if a man 175 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,160 is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall 176 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:26,800 die. The man who lay with the woman 177 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,960 and the woman, you shall purge the evil from Israel. 178 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,760 So this is how they dealt with people who were condemned. 179 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:40,320 But does this real life story of the adulterous woman and her. 180 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:44,120 Partner contradict the law. That you guys have. 181 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,400 Been learning. About in Romans, does it 182 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,840 contradict the law? I don't believe so. 183 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,080 Will men and women commit adultery? 184 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,320 Yes. Does God force them to commit 185 00:11:58,320 --> 00:11:59,960 adultery? No. 186 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,440 They, both the man and the woman, show that they are free 187 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,880 in their own decision to go against. 188 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:12,040 God's will. The story also shows that God is 189 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,480 free and willing to offer forgiveness when humanity in 190 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:23,240 defiance and humility actually. Decides to submit to what he 191 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,120 teaches. And I believe that that story is 192 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,080 a great illustration illustration. 193 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:33,280 And it teaches us that God's intention in Christ is not to 194 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:38,440 eagerly condemn. No, He's not wanting to eagerly 195 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,880 leave people in their sin. But no, He is desiring to 196 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,600 eagerly deliver. And to set them free from it. 197 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,400 That brings us again. Quickly to our passage this 198 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:50,920 morning. Why? 199 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,040 Should we care about Romans chapter 8? 200 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:56,280 Verses 1 to 8 Why? Why even care? 201 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:00,760 Why are we sitting here? I believe that Romans. 202 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,840 Chapter 8 if you're a note taker and you like a main. 203 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:04,800 Point. Here's the main point, because 204 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:09,280 Romans chapter 8 tells us that for those in Christ Jesus. 205 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:19,280 Condemnation does not exist. And your life can be genuinely 206 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:27,320 pleasing to God. However, there is a problem for 207 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,880 those who are not in Christ Jesus. 208 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,880 Those who are outside of Christ, you, you don't have a 209 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:43,360 relationship with Christ God. Does condemn and judge, and your 210 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:48,080 life is genuinely displeasing to God. 211 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,720 Let's break this down. Real quick, three reasons for 212 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:58,840 why we should care about not just Romans 81 to 8 is that we 213 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:03,560 need to be in Christ, We need to be in relationship, united to 214 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:07,120 him as Lord and Savior. But why? 215 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,920 Why should we care about that? Three reasons for why being in 216 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,080 Christ. The first reason you find in 217 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:17,840 Romans 81 Condemnation doesn't exist. 218 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,880 That's why you should care about this. 219 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,720 That's why you should care about being in Christ. 220 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,520 Condemnation does not exist there. 221 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,440 In the previous section in Romans Chapter 7, Paul attempts 222 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,120 to make some sense of the spiritual battle that's raging 223 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,160 within his own. Life. 224 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,640 Because of God's saving work in Paul's life, now he seeks to 225 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:48,680 live a life that rejects living in contradiction to the law. 226 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,760 He's He's got this wrestle going on. 227 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,640 However, he wrote about this conflict of desire because he 228 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,320 wanted to try to help the Romans understand how a believer's life 229 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:02,400 really looks. Like. 230 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,240 He said. So I find it to be a law that 231 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,360 when I want to do right, evil. Lies close at hand. 232 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:19,480 This is that the dual nature, if you will, of wrestling to live 233 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:23,360 faithfully the the righteous life that God calls us to, but 234 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:27,360 while at the same time knowing that that you're just not there 235 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:32,040 yet and sin still has somewhat of an effect. 236 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,240 On your life. The power of sin that enslaved 237 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,920 you to. A life of unrighteousness. 238 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,160 Is broken. But sin is still present. 239 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,200 And we need Christ to continue his progressive work of growing 240 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:51,320 us in his grace, growing us by the Spirit, producing that that 241 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,200 life of the Spirit of Christ in us. 242 00:15:56,080 --> 00:16:00,160 In other words, what Paul wanted to do is he wanted to obey, but 243 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,280 he found it hard due to the remaining struggles with the old 244 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:09,080 desires. But again, Jesus breaks the 245 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:14,840 enslaving power of sin by dying on the cross and fulfilling 246 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:20,840 God's perfect law so that God commands can be fulfilled. 247 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,680 They can become those things that delight the soul of the 248 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:27,720 person who trust in Jesus Christ. 249 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,840 Trust in Christ Jesus finished work. 250 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:42,600 That is what matters. It's absolutely crucial Paul 251 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,840 knew this, and by believing this truth and preaching it so 252 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:50,160 forcefully, that's what brought about much of his persecution. 253 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,920 He knew this because he was going against the whole 254 00:16:54,920 --> 00:17:00,280 religious culture of those who said live by the law, do what it 255 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,000 says, absolutely what's perfection. 256 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,520 That's the way to gain a right hearing with. 257 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,000 God and. Paul comes on the scene after 258 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,359 his conversion and being saved and filled with the Spirit and 259 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:16,000 he's like, no, it's not that. It's following and trusting 260 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:22,319 Christ that matters. However, Paul wasn't the only 261 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:23,040 one. Who suffered? 262 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,040 Persecution. Do y'all remember Stephen, one 263 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,840 of the early deacons in the church? 264 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,680 Stephen preached A sermon that cost him his life, and he said 265 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:41,000 to a group of highly emotionally charged religious leaders, You 266 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:47,240 who perceive the law as delivered by angels did not keep 267 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,640 it. You were the elite of the 268 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,720 religious people. You were quoting the verses from 269 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,200 the Torah. You, you were the ones with the 270 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:57,800 phylacteries. You were the one in the 271 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,880 marketplace. You were in synagogue. 272 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,120 You were sitting in the pews. You kept the law. 273 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:07,120 No, you didn't. Steven rebuked him. 274 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,120 He says you didn't keep the law. Why didn't they? 275 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,480 Because the law required. Perfection. 276 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:20,880 Perfect righteousness. So in other words, Paul and the 277 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,160 early testimony of Stevens show that the law will bring you 278 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:29,680 either into greater focus with your eyes on the real path of 279 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,680 deliverance, or the law will cause you to reinforce. 280 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:35,280 Your attempts. To find a path. 281 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:44,640 On your own, for yourself. You can run toward Christ, or 282 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:45,600 you can. Run away. 283 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,560 The choice is yours. So then there are those who are 284 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:52,960 in Christ. That's the point. 285 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,200 Condemnation doesn't exist in Christ. 286 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:58,200 So then there are those who are in Christ. 287 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,360 And again if we follow the logic there, there are those outside 288 00:19:02,360 --> 00:19:05,400 of Christ. Because of Christ Jesus. 289 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,840 God has removed the threat of condemnation. 290 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,400 This word condemnation means to judge or punish. 291 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:18,120 But same word used in John 8, same word Jesus uses to say 292 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:22,720 neither do I condemn you is the same word here, its root is the 293 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:28,960 same. And the woman in John 8 her sin 294 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,400 would have. Destroyed her under God. 295 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,240 'S wrath and condemnation. But Christ stepped in. 296 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,080 So the first reason why we should care about being in 297 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,440 Christ, why we should care what Romans 8 has to say to us, it is 298 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:50,640 because the believer is secured from just as a sponge soaks up 299 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,880 water. Christ Jesus, death on the cross 300 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:59,720 and his resurrection from the dead has absorbed God's wrath 301 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:04,800 toward you. He has absorbed it forever. 302 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:14,320 It doesn't exist. You and I are no longer seen 303 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:20,760 under the eye of judgment to come, but rather we are seen 304 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,120 under God's fatherly. Concern. 305 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:25,840 We are his. Loved ones. 306 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,280 I don't know. If you're familiar with. 307 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,640 Hall monitors. I had a a recent conversation 308 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,640 with a friend of mine we. Were talking about Hall. 309 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,640 Monitors in in high school and when you go. 310 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,880 In the hall and and you're in the hallway. 311 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:49,440 And that the the. The hall monitor sees you and 312 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,640 they're like where your past, you know, like where your past, 313 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,520 you know, you know, trying to bother you. 314 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,800 You know, you're like, yo, my past right here, man, like 315 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,120 chill. But many people are like that. 316 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:05,560 They they seek to be those who are sniffing out sin, sniffing 317 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:07,320 out a kind of way. They say, I got you. 318 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,480 You're not keeping it, you're not doing it right, but Christ 319 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:11,800 steps in. Christ is the. 320 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,600 The source of perfection. He's not like the. 321 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,760 Weird hall monitor, I got you. He's. 322 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,400 He says I got. It for those who are in Christ 323 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,160 if we've trusted in Christ condemnation. 324 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,040 Does not. Exist. 325 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,200 The judgment to come doesn't exist. 326 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:32,440 That should take our breath away. 327 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:39,080 And the second reason is this. God condemned sin. 328 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,320 He definitely dealt with it, but where did he do it? 329 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:51,360 He condemned sin in the flesh of his Son Jesus. 330 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:59,280 Listen to this in Romans chapter 8 after we read that 331 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,120 condemnation doesn't exist for those in Christ. 332 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:08,120 The Bible tells us in verse three that his Son was sent in 333 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:12,120 the likeness of human flesh, sinful flesh. 334 00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:16,000 It's what the Bible says in Romans 8, three. 335 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,120 But did you notice that in verse 2 the Bible says that the spirit 336 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:26,880 of life is present? And did you know that when the 337 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:31,080 Bible speaks of sending, He is Speaking of God the Father? 338 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:36,800 So here, right here in Romans chapter 8, you have the full 339 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,520 force of the triune God come to deal with your sin. 340 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:45,920 I mean, we should just be falling out the pews right now 341 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,560 that this is Almighty God, God who exists, as the Bible 342 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,960 teaches, as the one God revealed his Father, Son and Spirit, and 343 00:22:54,960 --> 00:23:01,160 he unleashes his infinite power to condemn sin in the flesh of 344 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:06,400 his Son. He is right here dealing with 345 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:11,800 sin, righteously condemning it. And God doesn't wink at sin. 346 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,080 He doesn't turn away his head, He judges it. 347 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:22,240 He judges your sin, but he does so in Christ Jesus flesh. 348 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,920 Into this world God sent the Son. 349 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:32,560 The Son willingly came. The Holy Spirit, desiring to see 350 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,840 the Son's death on the cross and His resurrection, given the 351 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:40,560 glory that it deserves, exerts the power of His presence. 352 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,880 That's why we got the Spirit of life here in verse 2, the text 353 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,960 says the spirit of life has set you free. 354 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:53,680 This is what God condemning in the flesh, condemning sin in the 355 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:58,120 flesh looks like it's His power on display. 356 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:04,280 Beloved, this is not like the the saying of of JFK when he 357 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,480 makes that old statement, ask not what your country can do for 358 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,040 you. Ask what you can do for your 359 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:10,160 country. Now this ain't that. 360 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:15,360 This is God saying, I'm stepping in, I've got the power and I'm 361 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,720 going to take care of sin, condemning it in my son's flesh 362 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,280 for you. That's power. 363 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,480 This is why we should care about what Romans 8 says. 364 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,080 You need to say this when you go to your prayer closet and you 365 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,840 get on your face, you say, God, this sin has a hold on me. 366 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:48,960 Can you get me free? And the answer is yes. 367 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:56,160 According to Romans 82, the spirit of life has set you free 368 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,520 in Christ Jesus. From the law of sin and death. 369 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:05,760 The spirit of life will break sins grip off the soul so that a 370 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,800 person can see the strength of God to. 371 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,880 Deal with sin. The religious leaders of Paul's 372 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,120 time show that the law enslaved people. 373 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:22,040 It says it here. The pressure of the law's holy 374 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,880 and righteous standard weighed down on people. 375 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:31,080 But beloved God, God in his own power could lift them. 376 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:36,360 But the Bible says right here in verse 3 for what has what was. 377 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,480 Excuse me? For God has done what the law, 378 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,520 weakened by the flesh, could not do. 379 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,000 Paul is not saying that the law is weak. 380 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,680 He's saying that the flesh is weak and so it rebels each time 381 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,040 the law is brought up because we can't meet the standard of 382 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,400 perfection. We don't want to meet the 383 00:25:54,400 --> 00:26:02,960 standard of perfection, but God. He can lift the weight of the 384 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:11,680 law by sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and 385 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,840 condemn it. Right there on the cross. 386 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,880 So that the righteous requirement can be fulfilled, 387 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:27,000 You're tracking with me. Listen to this illustration. 388 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,560 Let me try to help. I don't know if y'all tracking. 389 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,880 I heard one. Yes, listen. 390 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:37,280 Have you ever been to the gym and has someone help you lift 391 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:37,840 weights? Right. 392 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,440 You lay down on the bench, let's say you doing the bench press, 393 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:41,960 You lay down. You like yeah, I got this. 394 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:42,600 I'm. Going to get it. 395 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,920 You know, you laying down and you go to lift the weight. 396 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,000 This is this is what gym rats called a spotter. 397 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,240 The spotter comes behind you as you laying down and they're 398 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,640 standing over you and they like you got this and they put the 399 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,600 bar over you and you start lifting right? 400 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,040 And then as the weight comes down, it feels heavy, but that's 401 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,520 why you got the spotter. The spotter is somebody who can 402 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:10,080 spot you, if you will loan you their strength to help you lift 403 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,600 your weight. They're not on the bench. 404 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,960 You are, it's your weight. And the spotter comes over and 405 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,480 it's like I'm a spot you. I'm a spot you my strength, I'm 406 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,840 a loan it to you help you lift your weight. 407 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:23,560 So. You can get. 408 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:28,600 Stronger now, it feels good to have a spotter. 409 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,800 Right. Yeah, it feels good. 410 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:36,000 But have you ever had a spotter come when you underestimated the 411 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,920 weight and tried to lift it on your own? 412 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:44,720 And then the weight came down so heavy and nearly suffocated you 413 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,400 under your the weight of it all, and you could barely breathe and 414 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,120 it's on your neck and you're trying to figure life out. 415 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,080 And then the spotter comes over and the spotter's like, I got 416 00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:00,240 you and lifts it. Now when you when you've been 417 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:06,160 underweight like that, all you can say is thank you. 418 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:14,760 That's what God did, sending his Son to spot us and to lift the 419 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,560 weight of our sin off of us and condemn it. 420 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,400 In his son the. Sending of the Son is the 421 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,560 spiritual spot from heaven God the father knew that you and I 422 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:30,640 could not lift sin it was suffocating us it was killing us 423 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:35,000 it had it had already killed us we were dead in sin and he 424 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:41,880 lifted it gave us life he dealt with it there's. 425 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:46,400 This one song that reminds me. Of the standard of. 426 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,760 Righteousness that we. See in Christ as he's lifting 427 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:50,480 sin off of us? No problem. 428 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:53,920 It's a song by Kendrick Lamar. Y'all heard this song? 429 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,440 Excuse the illustration, I'm culturally contextual. 430 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:58,320 Right? But it's the song. 431 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,640 He's like, they not like us, they not like us. 432 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,880 He just repeats this, right? I hit my church with. 433 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,080 We not like him. We not like him. 434 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,600 You know, we're not like Christ. He's pure, He's righteous. 435 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,840 He's never sin. We're not like him. 436 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,760 And he lifts sin off of us. He condemns God the Father 437 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,480 condemned sin in the flesh because Christ was perfect and 438 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,680 we needed Him. And if I read this passage 439 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,400 correctly, I find one adjective, and that adjective is righteous 440 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,520 right there in verse 4, in order that the righteous requirement 441 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:40,360 of the law might be fulfilled in US who walk. 442 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,880 Not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 443 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:49,520 This is the quality that God looks for in order to give His 444 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:55,240 stamp of approval. Christ alone is righteous and 445 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,400 meets the righteous requirement of the Law. 446 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:00,560 He, he is the fulfillment of the law itself. 447 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:06,720 He is certified righteous. You go to the grocery store, you 448 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,560 see the farm to table. Forget that we talking about 449 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:13,080 from heaven to earth, heaven to earth, a Savior who is 450 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:19,680 certified, righteous, approved in the Father, sight evil, and 451 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:24,400 willing to lift sin off of us. When theologian Sinclair 452 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,920 Ferguson makes this observation, he says in response to this 453 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,400 great exchange, Christ's righteousness for our 454 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:36,000 unrighteousness, he says that what has been accomplished for 455 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,280 us in Christ is not the only thing. 456 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:43,960 He says there is an exchange accomplished in US by the 457 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,920 Spirit. Unbelief gives way to faith. 458 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,520 Rebellion is exchanged for trust. 459 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:59,120 That's what happens in us because of Christ fulfilling the 460 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,800 righteous requirement. And that brings me to the third 461 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:04,880 and final reason for why we should care about. 462 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:11,520 Being in Christ. And it's this idea how a person 463 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,560 lives says a lot about what they believe. 464 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:20,320 OK, so do you live according to the Spirit or do you live 465 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:24,720 according to the flesh? Well, the Bible says that if you 466 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:31,760 live according to the flesh, then your mind is set on the 467 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,040 flesh. And to do that is death. 468 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,400 That's the end of that. But the mind that set on the 469 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,360 Spirit, set on the Spirit, is life and peace. 470 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,240 If you'll notice you walk through this whole passage, you 471 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,200 see these prepositions. That kind of help. 472 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,920 You understand how to? Orient yourself in life, in 473 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:59,360 Christ, in Christ. According to according to they 474 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:04,880 are orienting you to a way to understand how the gospel helps 475 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:08,800 you to live into the truth that it speaks about. 476 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:15,920 Do you want life and peace? Then live according to Do you 477 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:21,200 want to avoid death? Then don't live according. 478 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:28,640 To the flesh. Allow me to just close with this 479 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,320 idea of this illustration from John 8. 480 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:34,560 And also with a little point of application. 481 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:42,680 Going back to the story with the woman called in adultery in 482 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,000 that. Story We see those again. 483 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,960 Religious leaders. Bringing the woman to Jesus. 484 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:54,280 Why were they doing that? They weren't doing it so that 485 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:57,120 the law could work. Righteousness within the woman. 486 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:03,160 They wanted her condemned. Often times when we are spotting 487 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:06,840 or sin sniffing as one author says, or when we like the hall 488 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:08,480 monitor, or when we're like the the. 489 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:10,560 Bad spotter who? Can't even lift the weight. 490 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,200 You know that is is like us with the woman. 491 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,440 Look at your relationships. Do you detect yourself or see 492 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:26,640 yourself condemning at times? If you do, then you need to 493 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,320 understand that you are not. Reflecting the character of God. 494 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:35,000 To reflect the character of God is to be like one who seeks to 495 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:41,080 remove the condemnation, not necessarily to excuse the wrong, 496 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:47,480 but to rightly and in a gospel way with the truth of God, to 497 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:48,880 speak the truth in. Love. 498 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:52,400 And to handle the matter. As Christ would handle the 499 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,040 matter. Not condemning. 500 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:00,240 We want to give life and peace and to address the wrong and to 501 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:05,120 address the fault is to really be like Christ. 502 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:12,080 The Bible shows us here in Romans 8 not only that 503 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:18,440 condemnation doesn't exist in Christ, but it shows us that God 504 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:24,320 the Father in Christ condemns sin in the rightful place, and 505 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,280 he shows us his kind. Heart. 506 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:31,600 But he also brings the warning to those who are living and 507 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,440 setting their mind on the flesh, because the flesh can't please 508 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,880 God. It rebels against. 509 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,080 God's Word. It rebels against. 510 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:47,719 God's Son for. Those who are in Christ Jesus, 511 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:52,760 condemnation does not exist. God's righteousness has been 512 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:58,400 gifted to me, it's been gifted to you, and we can genuinely. 513 00:34:58,400 --> 00:34:59,160 Please. God. 514 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:06,600 Beloved, do. You want to live forgiven, free 515 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:10,280 from condemnation and living up living according to the Spirit. 516 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:15,400 Then look to Christ. To do anything. 517 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,520 Other than that is. To stay outside of Christ. 518 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:19,720 Unconnected from him without relationship. 519 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:25,000 And to remain condemned. And to have your life genuinely 520 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,960 displease God, unforgiven of sin. 521 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,720 Under the heavy eternal verdict of God's. 522 00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:36,360 Judgment and living. The Life of a. 523 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:42,360 Slave to sin and then the final outcome of that is death. 524 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,840 You don't have to be there. You can be in Christ. 525 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:51,000 We can be like the woman who were caught in our mess and we 526 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:54,080 can lay at his feet and we can say, God, you've seen my heart.