Lesson 5
The Key to the Trap of God’s Holiness: Security in Christ (Romans 8)
Lesson Theme: When we are in Christ, our Sinful Nature can not condemn us
Lesson Objective: To understand our security in Christ
Romans 8 begins with the second of the three big THEREFORE’S…
· Those outside the law are without excuse and condemned
· Those under the law are condemned by the law
· THEREFORE… God demonstrated his love by sending Jesus to make us Righteous
· As a result, we desire to be Holy because God is Holy, but
· We still have within us the Sinful Nature that wages war within us
· So that we fail over and over and over
· THEREFORE… Paul tells us this… There is now, therefore, no condemnation…
I. The Security of Living in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-4)
We are set free from the law of sin and death
A. The old law was based upon the power of the flesh
Therefore, the old law was powerless…
B. The new law is based upon the power of the Jesus
Jesus met the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf
II. The Meaning of Living in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8)
Living by the Sinful Nature vs living in the Spirit
A. What do you desire?
1. Sinful Nature: the desires of the flesh
2. Spirit: the desires of Spirit (or what God desires)
If you are always trying to satisfy self, then you are living in the flesh, not the Spirit. (Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:2)
B. What is your mindset?
1. Sinful Nature: Death (discontentment; anger; bitterness)
2. Spirit: Life and Peace
If you are discontent and not at peace, then you are living in the flesh, not the Spirit.
C. What is your attitude toward God
1. Sinful Nature
1. Anger towards God
2. Disobedient to God’s Commands
2. Spirit
1. Trusts God
2. Obeys God
If you blame God or are angry about your circumstances or are disobedient to God’s clear call on your life, then you are living in the flesh, not the spirit.
Reality Check: WE DO NOT LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH
III. The Reality of Living in the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11 )
There are three realities about living in the spirit…
A. We are controlled by the Spirit, not the Sinful Nature
1. Although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is Alive because of Righteousness
2. Although the body is dead because of sin, God gives life back to the body (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Question: Why does the sinful nature win?
Answer: Because we choose to allow it to win…
B. We are Obligated to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:12-17)
Question: Why are we obligated?
Answer: We have been adopted as children of God
Paul is describing not the benefits of being adopted as a child of God, but the obligations of being adopted as a child of God – namely, obedience.
Paul is building upon the foundation of his discussion about our security in Christ by ensuring that we are, indeed, a part of Christ.
One of the greatest tragedies in Christendom is the fact that a large number of people sitting in the pews on Sunday will spend eternity in Hell. (Read Matthew 7:21-23)
If Jesus truly is in you, you will be controlled by the Spirit – WE ARE OBLIGATED AS GROWING, MATURING CHRISTIANS TO MOVE FROM ROMANS CHAPTER 7 TO ROMANS CHAPTER 8.
C. We will suffer when we live according the Spirit
If you are not experiencing suffering because of the way you are living for God, then you have to ask yourself whether or not you really are living for God? (Read John 16:33)
III. The Hope of Living in the Spirit
A. Future Glory is greater than Current Sufferings (Romans 8:18)
B. We are not alone in our suffering (Romans 8:19-25)
Question: Who is suffering (and waiting) with us?
Answer: All of creation
C. The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26-27)
D. God is working all things for the good (Romans 8:28-30)
No matter how bad it gets, we have the comfort of knowing that God is still in control and that he is working his plan out according to his will. Here is that plan:
1. God Foreknew us (Read Psalm 139:1-16)
God has known everything about you since before the creation of the world. He knows you better than you know yourself. As a result, he knew that you would accept him. And as a result,
2. God Predestined Us (To be conformed into Christ’s likeness)
If you are one of the ones that God knew before the foundation of the world would accept him, he locked it down in stone – eventually, you will be conformed to the image of Christ … Essentially, when we are in Christ, we are predestined to eventually become like Christ. And to make sure that happens…
3. God Called us (John 6:44)
We cannot bridge the gap between man and God. We cannot come to God until he closes that gap for us. To make sure that those whom he knows will accept him does accept him, he takes the initiative and calls them.
4. God Justified us
Eventually…
5. God will Glorify us
If God, the creator of the universe, set out this plan for our lives that began way back in ancient history according to his foreknowledge and ends way out in the distant future with our resurrection to our glorified bodies, then how could we possibly be concerned over our apparent inability TODAY to live a perfect Holy life.
IV. The Result of Living in the Spirit (Romans 8:31-38)
Question: If God is for us, who can stand against us?
Question: If God did not spare his own Son, will he not give us all things?
Question: If God has set out this plan for us that ends in our glorification, then who can bring a charge against us?
Question: If God has already justified us (declared us Not Guilty), then who can condemn us
Who is it that condemn? Jesus
And what is Jesus doing? He is arguing on our behalf, not against us
Question: If Christ loves us, who can separate us from that love?
1. Not trouble
2. Not Hardship
3. Not Persecution
4. Not Famine
5. Not Nakedness
6. Not Danger
7. Not Sword
8. Not Death or Life
9. Not angels or demons
10. Not the present nor the future
11. Not height nor depth
12. Not anything in creation
“In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us”
The conclusions: Life in the Spirit is our security.
Although we may struggle with sin, we are still justified.
Although we may fail, we are not condemned.
We are called to live a life in the Spirit, and as a result, NOTHING can separate us.
Do you realize what this means? It means I have been set FREE!
I am Free - to live for God
I am Free - to worship God as the Spirit leads
I am Free - to serve God without concern over whether I am worthy or able
I am Free - to not worry when things are not going as I expect
I am Free - to not worry about whether I measure up to expectations
I am Free - to not worry when I fail
I am free!
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