Live Free!

God is For Us!

Romans 8:31-39 Absolved from the Penalty of Sin Christ Died for Us (vv. 31-32) God has freely given His Son God will freely give us His inheritance (8:16-17) Justified from the Prosecution of Sin Christ Stands by Us (vv. 33-34) The Judge The Judged The Justifier The Justified Victorious over the Power of Sin Christ Loves Us (vv. 35-39) The security of His love over adversity The safety of His love over adversaries The celebration of His love over all! More to Consider As a young man in Europe, I did considerable mountain climbing in the Swiss Alps and in the more dangerous and difficult French Alps. Roped together with other young men, I scaled many a peak; my snapshot book records moments of difficulty and peril that make me wish to restrain others who might venture into similar places. The first time I went out with a young Frenchman, son of a pastor, and a young Swiss bank clerk. They gave me sound advice: "You have two hands and two feet, and that makes four. Always be sure that three out of the four are firmly on the rock. It is the only rule of safety." Donald Grey Barnhouse I had just gone through a series of medical tests. Fearful of the results, I went swimming at the local YMCA to pass the time. There I noticed a father carrying his son over to the deep end. Still holding his child, he plunged into the deep water. A few seconds later they surfaced--the son laughing and brushing water from his eyes, the father guiding him safely to the pool's edge. This picture of a father and child spoke powerfully to me. I realized that just like that boy, we are protected by our heavenly Father--and when we can be confident we're in his arms. Martha Whitmore Hickman, "Heart to Heart," Today's Christian Woman. There is an old ploughman in the country I sometimes talk with, and he often says, though in uncouth words, some precious things. He said to me one day, "The other day, sir, the Devil was tempting me and I tried to answer him; but I found he was an old lawyer and understood the law a great deal better than I did, so I gave over and would not argue with him any more; so I said to him, 'What do you trouble me for?' 'Why,' said he, 'about your soul.' 'Oh!' said I, 'that is no business of mine; I have given my soul over into the hand of Christ; I have transferred everything to him; if you want an answer to your doubts and queries, you must apply to my Advocate."' Charles H. Spurgeon

Sanctification, It’s a Family Thing

Romans 8:12-17 Our Obligation to God the Spirit (vv. 12-13)A. We owe nothing to the flesh = DeathB. We owe it all to God = Life Our Adoption by God the Father (vv. 14-15)A. All humans are Gods creationB. All saved become Gods children Our Position with God the Son (vv. 16-17)A. We have Gods assurance of our adoptionB. We are Gods heirs through our adoptionC. We will share Gods glory in our adaption More to Consider An American with an English gentleman was viewing the Niagara whirlpool rapids, when he said to his friend: "Come, and I'll show you the greatest unused power in the world." And taking him to the foot of Niagara Falls, "There," he said, "is the greatest unused power in the world!" "Ah, no, my brother, not so!" was the reply. "The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God." A. J. Gordon A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign. Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: "Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?" There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: "No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D.L. Moody." Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times Waiting to board a plane, on which he had a reservation, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., overheard the piteous plea of a private at the ticket window: "I'm going overseas in three days. I want to see my Ma before I go. I can go home and back only if I travel by plane! It was explained to him that every seat on the plane was taken. Just then, Brigadier General Roosevelt stepped forward and said, "I'll surrender my seat to him!" "But," protested a fellow officer to the general, "this is a matter of rank!" "That's right," quickly replied General Roosevelt, "he's a son, I'm only a general!" God conferred the highest honor upon us when he called us sons! Walter B. Knight

Live Free!

Romans 8:1-11 Spiritual Acquittal (vv.1-4) Our liberation Our Liberator Our liberty Spiritual Acclimation (vv. 5-8) Acclimated in the flesh = Death Acclimated in the Spirit = Life Spiritual Accompaniment (vv. 9-11) Our Companion in our new life (John 16:7, Acts 1:8, Eph. 1:13) Our capability to live our new life More To Consider The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him.  J. Stowell, Fan The Flame, Moody, 1986, p. 32. Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step by little bits of wills little denials of self little inward victories by faithfulness in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment. Amy Carmichael quoted in: Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 130. The question naturally arises, must a believer spend his whole life on earth frustrated by ongoing defeats to indwelling sin? (7:21–25) Is there no power provided to achieve victory? The answer to the first question is no and to the second, yes. In chapter 8, Paul described the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God who is the source of divine power for sanctification and the secret for spiritual victory in daily living. But first Paul reminded his readers that therefore—since deliverance is “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:25)—no condemnation (katakrima, “punishment”) awaits those who are in Christ Jesus, as a result of their faith and identification with Him (cf. 6:13; John 5:24). John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 469. He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

Performing vs. Transforming

Romans 7 A New Relationship (vv. 1-6) Law - Religion = have to - performance Christ - Relationship = want to- transformance A New Reality (vv. 7-12) The law requires perfection I am still not perfect A New Rivalry (vv. 13-25) Personal contradiction Internal conflict Eventual conclusion More to Consider A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge. True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires. First is the desire to be holy rather than happy. A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss. The spiritual man wants to carry his cross. Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God's viewpoint. Another desire of the spiritual man is to die right rather than to live wrong. The desire to see others advance at his expense. The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments. A.W Tozer I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, "By the grace of God I am what I am. John Newton.

It Only Takes One

Romans 5:12-21 One Mans Gross Rebellion - Adam (vv. 12-14) Spread sin Spawned death One Mans Gift of Redemption - Jesus (vv. 15-17) Provided grace Purchased life One Choice for All People You (vv. 18-21) Judgment vs. justification Rebellion vs. righteousness Sin and death vs. grace and eternal life More to Consider Employing the concept of corporate solidarity, Paul explained that when Adam sinned all humanity was profoundly affected through that act of rebellion. There is a corresponding corporate solidarity in Christ. Whereas in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Co 15:22). Therefore, Paul said later that no condemnation comes to those in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:1, emphasis added). So while the damaging consequences of Adams sin, including an inherited tendency to sin, were passed on to all of Adams descendants, justification likewise passes on to all who receive Gods gift of righteousness secured through Christs death (vv. 1719). Note, however, that Paul did not teach universalism here. God forces His righteousness on no one; people must receive the offered gift through faith. Ted Cabal et al., The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1688. When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in? This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.C.S. Lewis. Film maker Walt Disney was ruthless in cutting anything that got in the way of a story's pacing. Ward Kimball, one of the animators for Snow White, recalls working 240 days on a 4 1/2 minute sequence in which the dwarfs made soup for Snow White and almost destroyed the kitchen in the process. Disney thought it was funny, but he decided the scene stopped the flow of the picture, so out it went. When the film of our lives is shown, will it be as great as it might be? A lot will depend on the multitude of "good" things we need to eliminate to make way for the great things God wants to do through us. Kenneth Langley.