Romans 8: Meet the Unsung Hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy SpiritAre you following our guide?
If you’re in the resident congregation turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!
OPENING AGENDA
You may be wondering some things about Barah Ministries, like…
Who is the God we worship? What is our source of truth? Who is our enemy?
We’re always happy to begin each lesson by answering these questions after a short, thought-provoking introduction.
Our God is the ruler of His Kingdom of Light. First John, Chapter 1, Verse 5…
FIRST JOHN 1:5 This is the message we have heard from God the Father and announce to you…that God the Father is Light…and in Him, there is no darkness at all.
In the future, all believers in Christ will reign for all eternity in God’s Kingdom of Light…Revelation, Chapter 21, Verse 23…
REVELATION 21:23 And the city…the New Jerusalem…has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it…for the glory of God the Father has illuminated it…and its lamp is the Lamb of God (the Lord Jesus Christ). Revelation, Chapter 22, Verse 5…
REVELATION 22:5 (And in the new earth and the new universe)…there will no longer be any night…and believers in Christ will not need the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun…because the Lord God will shine His light on them…and they will reign as kings forever and ever.
As believers in Christ, we are creatures of light, and we come together in worship to study the Word of God so that it illuminates the truth in our spiritual eyes so we see the deceptions of Satan’s kingdom of darkness.
Who is the God We Worshipat Barah Ministries?
We worship a Triune Godhead. There is One God who reveals Himself to mankind as three beings who are separate…distinct…co-equal…co-infinite… co-eternal Persons…God the Father…God the Son…and God the Holy Spirit.
GOD THE FATHER is the author of the Triune Godhead’s plan for all creatures. We believers in Christ are sons of God the Father, and He lights our path…First Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 9…
FIRST PETER 2:9 …you believers in Christ are a chosen out race of king-priests…a set-apart holy nation…a people formed for God the Father’s own possession (you are His children)…so that you may proclaim all over the worldthe excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
GOD THE SON (the Lord) volunteered to execute God the Father’s plan…taking on human form as Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah). Jesus Christ is God. In John, Chapter 8, Verse 12 we learn about the Lord’s light…
JOHN 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am the Light of the world…he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness…but will have,in Me, the Light of life.”
There is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to heaven. If you invest your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to save you, you WILL be saved. When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you instantly have the resurrection life…eternal life in His Name.
We worship GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. He is our Mentor and Teacher…a guide who is the rudder of a Christian’s life. He is fully God, equal in every way to God the Father and God the Son.He is a Person. He is not a “ghost” as some like to call Him.
In Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 4, we see God the Holy Spirit’s presence in restoring a dark, formlessand void planet to light…
GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning God (the Son…Jehovah Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.
GENESIS 1:2 But the earth became formless and void…and darkness was over the surface of the deep…and God the Holy Spirit was moving over the surface of the waters (to restore the planet to life and light).
GENESIS 1:3 Then God (the Son…Jehovah Elohim) said, “Let there be light” … and there was light.
GENESIS 1:4a God (the Son…Jehovah Elohim) saw that the light was good…
In God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit…believers in Christ have a Power Team that is always on their side…a team specializing in the impossible. Are you calling on them for help in times of trouble?
What is Our Source of Truthat Barah Ministries?
The Bible is the Word of God. It’s our source of absolute truth. As Christians, the way we develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Godhead…the way we get to know God as a Person…is through studying the Word of God.
Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 14 to 16 say when believers in Christ study the Word of God, we become lights in the kingdom of darkness…
MATTHEW 5:14 “You believers in Christ are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden…”
MATTHEW 5:15 “…nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket…but the light is put on the lampstand…and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
MATTHEW 5:16 “(Believers in Christ)…Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your God andFather who is in heaven.”
When the Word of God is in you, there is light.
Your source of truth for eternal matters is not an insignificant thing. It has eternal consequences. The Bible is a supernatural work…breathed into human writers by God. It does not come from man, and it provides us with the only source of absolute truth, especially about eternal things.
Because God is right all the time, the Bible is right all the time. It contains no errors or contradictions. You can trust the Bible as your source of truth. At Barah Ministries, we teach the Bible from God’s perspective, and not from man’s perspective. We refuse to teach as doctrinal truth the very fallible precepts of men.
The best thing you can do for yourself daily is to spend time reading, studying, and reflecting on God's Word. Schedule time EVERY DAY to study God’s Word and let it set the direction for your day. The Bible changes your mind!
Who is Our Enemyat Barah Ministries?
GOD HAS AN ENEMY…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world’ for a finite period. He is the enemy of believers in Christ as well.
Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of darkness. He deceives people, saying, “You don’t have to serve me, just serve yourself!” Yet as we serve ourselves, we end up destroying all that is good in ourselves, even all true pleasure. That is Satan’s goal …to rob us of the good things.
When we look around at the world today, it seems as if the kingdom of darkness is thriving. The kingdom of darkness is the operating realm of demons, and the flesh, and of Satan himself. The Bible tells us that Satan controls the world’s belief systems, and he is constantly seeking to deceive and destroy mankind.John, Chapter 3, Verse 19…
JOHN 3:19 This is the judgment…that the Light (the Lord Jesus Christ) has come into the world…and men loved the darkness rather than the Light…for their deeds were evil.
Believers in Christ have nothing to fear in the kingdom of darkness…Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 13…
COLOSSIANS 1:13 For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of darkness…and He transferred us to the kingdom of the Son God the Father loves unconditionally…(the Lord…Jesus)…
The Lord settles us with this…John, Chapter 16, Verse 33…
JOHN 16:33 These things I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have spoken to you…so that in union with Me you may have peace.In the world you have tribulation…but take courage…I have conquered the world.”
We have little to worry about concerning Satan and his minions.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Meet the Unsung Hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy Spirit
LESSON INTRODUCTION
As we continue our study of Paul's letter to the Romans, we come upon the most significant Biblical chapter in the lives of every Christian…Romans Chapter 8. In this chapter and this lesson, we are introduced to God the Holy Spirit, the Chief Executive Officer of the Christian walk. Fasten your seat belts and keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle! 😊
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music!June Murphy suggests an environment for believers in Christ…she encourages us to WALK IN THE LIGHT.
MUSIC OPENING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
WALK IN THE LIGHT June Murphy
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re gratefulHeavenly Fatherfor the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, thank you for the Word of God which is relevant yesterday, today, and forever…thank you that the Word of God going forth never comes back void… thank you that the Bible is life-changing…Your Word is sharper than a two-edged sword when God the Holy Spirit leads us believers in Christ on the offensive…and Your Word is a shield when we are on defense against our enemy, the devil…
…as we listen to the lesson today, help us to understand the Word through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirt…let the Spirit take us right to the heart of Your message…that faith in Christ has eternal benefits that You want every creature to have…help us to spread the light of Your Word in this lost, dark, and dying world…and keep us mindful of our real source of power…the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Meet the Unsung Hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy Spirit
LESSON PART ONE We continue our study of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. We’re about to begin chapter eight which is the end of the first section of this letter….and the Triune Godhead thinks it is important for you to reflect on what you have been learning before we finish up this first section.
Paul's letter to the Romans is probably the most important communication in Biblical Christianity. Why? Because it is the foundational letter of Biblical Christianity.
The Cross changed everything. John, Chapter 1, Verse 14…
JOHN 1:14a And the Word (the Lord…God the Son) became flesh (a new mode of existence)… as Jesus…the Christ…the Jewish Messiah…and He lived among us…
JOHN 1:14b …and as His disciples…we saw His glory (in the form of miracles and other mind-blowing things including His death on a Cross and His resurrection from the dead)…the glory of the uniquely begotten One sent from God the Father (100% God and 100% man in one Person)…full of grace and full of truth.
The Cross ushered in what the Lord called a New Testament. In Matthew, Chapter 26, Verse 28 at the Last Supper with His disciples, the Lord held up a cup at the end of supper and said…
MATTHEW 26:28 “…for this is My blood…the blood of a new testament (a new covenant with mankind)…My blood…poured out for WHOSOEVER…for the forgiveness of sins (to put their sins away once and for all).”
As a new creation from God…as Church Age believers…the group of believers assembled by God after the Cross…we are Christians…and our instructions about life are laid out for us in the New Testament of the Bible. This is what we assemble to study every week.
The first four books of the New Testament outline the life of the Lord Jesus Christ…the God-man. These four letters from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John take us right up to the Cross, describing our Lord's death, burial, resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven.
The fifth book of the Bible, the Book of Acts, outlines the formation of the first century Church. What it really outlines is the real start of this thing we call Christianity. Those who believed in the Lord before the Cross are Christians, to be sure, yet after the Cross the Lord teaches us the lifestyle of Christianity…the Christian walk…in amazing fashion.
The sixth book of the New Testament…the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans…teaches us the foundation of Christianity. Why do most marriages fail? They fail because they have no foundation.
Conditional love is not an adequate foundation on which to build a relationship. The fire and passion and emotion of the attraction phase of a relationship is not adequate to sustain a relationship. Sex is not adequate to sustain a relationship, which is probably why the Lord is always warning us about sexual sinning. Introducing children into a marriage relationship is not adequate to sustain a relationship. As we see, there are so many “blended families” and so many broken homes…and they pose the ultimate challenge in living this life we have been gifted with by God.
Great marriages are built on a foundation. The Lord warns us about this need for a foundation in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 24 to 27…
MATTHEW 7:24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on themmay be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
MATTHEW 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house…and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”
MATTHEW 7:26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
MATTHEW 7:27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house...and the house fell—and great was its fall.”
Great marriages are built on the foundation of the Rock…and the Rock is the Lord Jesus Christ…and His Word explains the wisdom of having a foundation. He provides those who want it with the blueprint to build a life that can withstand the rain, the wind, and the floods that surely come to attack a relationship. Without the right foundation, relationships are meaningless…they are destroyed.
Why? Because God has an enemy who hates unity. Satan, the ruler of this world is the one who loves to destroy marriages. The Lord warns us about him in John, Chapter 10, Verse 10…
JOHN 10:10 The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) came (to earth) that they (whosoever…especially believers in Christ) may have the resurrection life…and have it abundantly.
So as we study Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are studying the two foundations. Each of us has a choice as to where we built our spiritual house. The soul once born never dies. We get to choose where our soul spends eternity…either in Heaven or the Lake of Fire when we close our eyes in this life. All of us are here to make the most important decision of our lives…are we for or against a relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe…the Lord Jesus Christ.
The world seeks to convince you that the sand of your life is what’s really important…how you’ll pay your bills…who the next President is going to be…what kind of house you have…what kind of car you drive…what kind of job you have…what people are saying about you on “social” media…who your friends are…what people think of you…how much money is in your bank account.
The Bible seeks to convince you to build your life on the Rock. Paul’s letter to the Romans teaches you the foundation on which to build….Christ.
Romans Chapters 1 to 8 teach us the value of a foundation built on Christ…the value of choosing to build your life on the Rock rather than building your life on sand.
Romans, Chapters 9 to 11 teach us about the wisdom of building on the foundation of a faithful God who makes promises and always keeps them. In these chapters, we’ll see how the Sovereign God of the Universe handles His relationship with the Jews.
In Romans, Chapters 12 to 16, the omniscient God who knows all the knowable teaches us the do’s and don’ts of building a magnificent life. He teaches us the Rock choices and the sand choices.
The world busies you with meaninglessness, so much so that at the end of every day you are mentally exhausted by the trek through meaninglessness. You come to Bible study to be refreshed and renewed in mind so you can go back for the next onslaught of meaninglessness. Over time, with enough biblical study, you become Teflon to the world’s nonsense instead of Velcro. Nothing meaningless sticks.
As we close out the final chapter of the first section of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we’ll be entering a safe haven for Christians. If you’re a Christian, and your life is not going the way you want it to, Romans Chapter 8 reminds you who you are in God’s eyes.
As residents of Satan’s kingdom…daily…minute by minute…we are bombarded with mind-numbing distractions designed to rob us of mental serenity. Romans, Chapter 8 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus…the Rock…and to keep our eyes elevated to eternal things. In Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verses 16 to 18, our Lord reminds us how to live this life…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:16 Therefore, (as residents of Satan’s kingdom)…we believers in Christ do not lose heart…and even though our outward self keeps on decaying…our inward self (the new creation) is being changed by God day by day into a new existence.
We are being conformed to the image of the Lord…God the Son…our Savior Jesus…the Christ.
SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:17 For the momentary and light burden of affliction (living here in Satan’s kingdom) is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…
Christians have a great future ahead.
SECOND CORINTHIANS 4:18 …so as believers in Christ we look not at the things which are seen…but we look at the things which are not seen…for the things which are seen are temporary…but the things which are not seen are eternal. Paul’s letter to the Romans gives us the key to this eternal life of glory that is beyond anything we could ever ask or think. Face-to-face with these realities, you must let out a sigh…you must cease striving…and you must rest in God’s loving arms knowing that He is working all things out for your good. Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 1 says…
HEBREWS 4:1 Therefore, if we believers in Christ fear anything, let us fear that if while a promise remains of entering His rest…any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
Are you believers in Christ resting on the foundation of the Lord, or are you seeking to create your own foundation? The Lord says in First Corinthians, Chapter 3, Verse 11…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 3:11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which has already been laid…the foundation known as Jesus Christ.
So let’s begin our journey into the safe haven of Romans, Chapter 8. Here is the New American Standard Translation of the next passage of study…Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 1 to 11…
ROMANS 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
ROMANS 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
ROMANS 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did…sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh…
ROMANS 8:4 …so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
ROMANS 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
ROMANS 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace…
ROMANS 8:7 …because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God…for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so…
ROMANS 8:8 …and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
ROMANS 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
ROMANS 8:10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
ROMANS 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering, and we’ll examine this passage verse-by-verse to see what there is to learn that can edify our lives. Take a five-minute break.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Meet the Unsung Hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy Spirit OFFERING INTRODUCTION
God is always encouraging generosity. Proverbs, Chapter 11, Verse 25 says…
PROVERBS 11:25 The generous person will be prosperous…and he who waterswill himself be watered.
Be generous so those you help with your contributions may receive the gospel message implanted…and let the Word of God sprout from within them through the seeds nourished by God…and let the Word give them the strength to put one foot in front of the other during times of spiritual turmoil…especially our brothers and sisters in the persecuted churches around the world.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
JOHN 10:10 The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) came (to earth) that they (whosoever…especially believers in Christ) may have the resurrection life…and have it abundantly.
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU Instrumental Version
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON Meet the Unsung Hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy Spirit
LESSON PART TWO
Romans Chapter 8 introduces the unsung hero of the Triune Godhead…God the Holy Spirit. As believers in Christ, our salvation is a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ. He moves us from unbeliever to believer. Our sanctification is a gift from God the Holy Spirit who moves us from immature believer to mature believer. God the Holy Spirit is conforming us to the image of the Son.
Romans is a book about salvation…especially the first eight chapters…but the eighth chapter is about sanctification. What is God the Holy Spirit’s work on the believer in Christ’s behalf now that we are justified by faith?
In the world, in Satan’s kingdom, we are tossed about by every wind. God the Holy Spirit is our Paraclete…an omnipotent, all-powerful God who brings divine power to our assistance…a Comforter who shows us how to live the resurrection life here on earth so we have a life of peace.
We believers in Christ have a life of peace because we are God’s elect ones. We are loved unconditionally by God and we can never be separated from that love. We are married to a faithful Groom who is for us and never against us. He nurtures His bride…and we Church Age believers are in unity…we are the bride of Christ…and He makes sure we are cared for and loved in a way that produces fruit.
Our God produces perfect comfort…perfect peace…in us.
At the Cross, the Lord’s blood put our sins away. Now we are dead to sin and dead to the Law. Sin and the Law are no longer sovereign over us because we are married to a new love…the Last Adam…the Lord Jesus Christ. We are residents in a sphere of grace where the atmosphere is perfect unconditional love, perfect forgiveness, and perfect provision. Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 14…
ROMANS 6:14 For sin shall not any longerbe a master over you believers in Christ…for you are not under law…but you are under grace.
In the second passage of Romans, Chapter 7, we learned that the flesh is still resident in us…it is powerful and incorrigible…yet we believers in Christ have deliverance from the power of the flesh through God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 1 and 2…
ROMANS 8:1 Therefore (all these things at the end of Romans, Chapter 7 being the case, we believers in Christ need to remember that...) there is now not any longer the possibility of condemnation for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.
ROMANS 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of the resurrection life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
There are two laws…the law of life and the law of sin and death. We believers in Christ are delivered from the law of sin and death through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…the One who teaches us the law of the resurrection life in union with Christ Jesus.
The shift of Romans Chapter 8 is from the Lord’s work FOR US at the Cross to Godthe Holy Spirit’s work IN US now that we are believers in Christ who are justifiedby faith.
False teachers repeatedly…ad nauseam (a reference to something done so repeatedlyit makes us vomit) …want us to believe that once we are saved, we have to take over…and if we make any mistakes…if we commit any sins…we’re going to lose our salvation or we never had it in the first place. One commentator recently said that being saved is NOT a one-time decision. He’s high. And he took Bible verses out of context to prove his point. Sad.
As the new creation, our power does not come from the source of ourselves. It comes from God the Holy Spirit. God NEVER leaves His believers on their own to fend for themselves.
If we believers in Christ don’t understand what has been done for us from the moment of salvation into the transition to sanctification, there is no other way to live except disturbed and distracted. We forfeit our peace.
Two Greek expressions delineate the believer in Christ's power…IN KRISTO IESU (in union with Christ Jesus) and IN PNEUMATI (in the Spirit… indwelled by God the Holy Spirit). Our salvation depends on the work of Christ Jesus. Our Christian walk depends on the power of God the Holy Spirit. Neither our salvation nor our Christian WALK is dependent on us. Thank God!
Now that we are believers in Christ, we have a POSITION…in Christ Jesus…IN KRISTO IESU…there is no condemnation…there is no way for anyone to ever get to us now that we are in union with Christ.
What is condemnation?
CONDEMNATION The process of pronouncing a sentence against someone…to administer a due penalty.
The due penalty of a life of sin and death is to be the target of the wrath of God the Father. Believers in Christ are no longer targets of God the Father’s wrath. Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 1 and 2…
ROMANS 8:1 Therefore (all these things at the end of Romans 7 being the case, we believers in Christ need to remember that) there is now not any longer the possibility of condemnation for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.
ROMANS 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of the resurrection life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
The apostle Paul knows he is delivered from the body of death by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 2 we learn that God the Holy Spirit is the One who makes the deliverance AN EXPERIENCE. God the Holy Spirit sets us free.
Freedom is an atmosphere of responsibility in which we believers in Christ can make choices. It should be of no surprise to us that as we make choices, we will make mistakes. We continue to sin after salvation. Yet our sins were paid for at the Cross so they CANNOT lead to sin and death for believers in Christ. Let’s thankGod the Holy Spirit for our deliverance.
How often do you think about the wonder of this magnificent gift?
Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 3 and 4…
ROMANS 8:3 For what the Mosaic Law could not do…as weak and as powerless as it was because of the flesh…God the Father did…sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin…and God the Father condemned sin in the flesh (sin is dealt with in the lives of believers in Christ once and for all time)... ROMANS 8:4 ...so that the righteousness requirement of the Mosaic Law (which the law sought in vain) might be fulfilled in us believers in Christ by God…believers who do not walk according to the flesh (as we once did) …but believers who now walk according to the Spirit.
God the Father did for us what following the Law could not do. He made it possible for everyone, especially believers in Christ, to have a holy life that is totally acceptable to Him.
Remember the first passage of Romans, Chapter 7? We believers in Christ are married to a new Adam…the Last Adam…the Lord Jesus Christ…because our old man selves died with Jesus on that Cross. When that death occurred, the Lord told us, “Consider yourselves dead to sin. Consider yourselves no longer as ‘in the flesh.’”
The flesh, while it remains in us until a future date, is dealt with forever. It is no longer sovereign over us believers in Christ. It is powerless. At the moment of salvation, our Triune Godhead moved into our bodies…and they walk with us every moment of every day. This absolute and irrevocable fact is completely lost on us when we are distracted by the temporary things…the busy-ness of this life.
As believers in Christ, we have the victory.
God’s primary concern for believers in Christ is that we be holy and blameless. Wow! Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 4 and 5…
EPHESIANS 1:4 …just as God the Father chose us believers in Christ to be in union with Christ before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before the Father...
EPHESIANS 1:5 …in unconditional love, God the Father predestined us believers in Christ to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself…according to the kind intention of His will…
Again…Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 3 and 4…
ROMANS 8:3 For what the Mosaic Law could not do…as weak and as powerless as it was because of the flesh…God the Father did…sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin…and God the Father condemned sin in the flesh (sin is dealt with in the lives of believers in Christ once and for all time)...
ROMANS 8:4 ...so that the righteousness requirement of the Mosaic Law (which the law sought in vain) might be fulfilled in us believers in Christ by God…believers who do not walk according to the flesh (as we once did)…but believers who now walk according to the Spirit.
It is clear. The power to live as the Lord wants us to live comes from God the Holy Spirit. The power does not come from us. False teachers be damned!
Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 5…
ROMANS 8:5 For those who are walking according to the guidance of the flesh…(unbelievers…the ones who are not born again ones) set their minds on the things of the flesh…but those who are walking according to the guidance of God the Holy Spirit (believers in Christ…God's true children…the spiritually alive born again ones)…set their minds on the things of God the Holy Spirit.
You’ll remember in Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 2 the reference to a believer in Christ’s former state…
EPHESIANS 2:2 …in which state you believers in Christ formerly walked according to the curriculum of this world…according to the guidance of the prince of the power of the air (Satan)…the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (unbelievers).
Believers in Christ are no longer IN SARX (in the flesh)…we are IN PNEUMATI (in the Spirit). Yay! We don’t have to explain much about the unbeliever’s mind because we have seen it displayed in the first seven chapters of Romans, and we’ll see it again in future New Testament epistles.
So if you want examples of the IN SARX life of unbelievers, just look around. Many in your periphery are focused on anything but what God has to offer. You now know what the Lord is saying in Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse14…
MATTHEW 7:14 “…the way is narrow that leads to the resurrection life and there are few who find it.”
Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 6…
ROMANS 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh (the unbeliever’s mind) is (set on sin and) death…but the mind set on God the Holy Spirit (the mind of believers in Christ) is (set on) the resurrection life and peace...
Please notice, believers in Christ…the One ruling you…God the Holy Spirit…is the power behind the mind of the resurrection life and peace…not you…not ever, ever you. There is no end to God’s peace indwelling you. Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 7…
ROMANS 8:7 ...because the mind set on the flesh (the mind of unbelievers) is hostile toward God (completely consumed with enmity toward God…whether passive or activeenmity)…for the mind set on the flesh does not subject itself to the law of God…and IT IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO DO SO...
Those who are IN SARX are helpless and hopeless.
What is enmity?
ENMITY A predisposition of hostility, hatred, ill will, and animosity toward someone.
How many people that you care about are IN SARX…thus doomed? When you became a believer in Christ, God changed you into a new creation…but the flesh didn’t change at all. Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 8…
ROMANS 8:8 ...and those who are in the flesh…(unbelievers)…cannot please God.
How many religious friends do you have who are IN SARX…thinking they are pleasing to God when they are not? What a horrible thing to not be pleasing to God and to not be able to be pleasing to God.Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 9…
ROMANS 8:9 However, you believers in Christ ARE NOT IN THE FLESH…you are in the Spirit if (1) indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you…and of course it does. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ (and unbelievers don’t)…that one (the unbeliever...the unregenerate one) does not belong to Christ.
You belong to God if you have faith in Christ for salvation and if you have the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. Both are gifts given to you by God through faith. Once you are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit you are a possession of God.
And now the prize of believing in Christ…Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 10…
ROMANS 8:10 If Christ is indwelling you…and for believers in Christ He is…though the body is dead because of indwelling sin (the flesh)…yet the Spirit is the resurrection life because of God’s righteousness imputed.
Jesus Christ is indwelling every believer in Christ. Wherever Jesus goes, God the Father goes. God the Father is indwelling us as well, along with God the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. Church Age believers are indwelled by the entire Trinity. What a great protection against the flesh.Second Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 5…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 13:5 (Believers in Christ)…test yourselves to see if you are in the faith…examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves…that Jesus Christ is indwelling you—unless indeed you fail the test?
In Colossians, Chapter 1, Verses 25 to 27, the apostle Paul makes it even clearer…
COLOSSIANS 1:25 Of this church, I (Paul) was made a minister according to the stewardship from God the Father bestowed on me for your benefit…so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God…
COLOSSIANS 1:26 …preaching aboutthe mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations…a mystery that has now been manifested (made clearly visible) to God the Father’s saints…
COLOSSIANS 1:27 …saints to whom God the Father willed to make known what are the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles…which is Christ indwelling you…the hope (absolute confidence) of your futureglory.
John, Chapter 14, Verse 10 confirms God the Father’s indwelling…
JOHN 14:10a “Do you not believe that I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am indwelling God the Fatherand God the Father is indwelling Me?”
These two distinct Persons are one in unity.Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 11…
ROMANS 8:11 But if the Spirit of God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (that’s God the Holy Spirit…and He does indwell believers in Christ)…God the Father who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give the resurrection life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
Thank you to the unsung hero of the Trinity…God the Holy Spirit…who gives us the resurrection life and peace. There is plenty to learn about the wonder of all God has done for His believers…and Romans, Chapter 8 unfolds it all…in total splendor. Let’s enjoy the journey.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life God gave you an amazing gift from the moment of birth…VOLITION…the ability to choose. You have the power of free will…the power of choice… you can make your own decisions.
What do you choose to believe about God?
There are many beliefs about God…opinions or conviction or confidence in the existence of something that doesn’t seem provable. Yet everything with God is provable! There is no need for blind faith with God! He reveals Himself in ways that make sense to human beings, which means He reveals Himself in ways that makes sense to YOU! If He didn’t, what kind of God would He be? What would make Him worthy of our worship? Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 20 says…
ROMANS 1:20a For since the creation of the world the Lord Jesus Christ’sinvisible attributes…His eternal power…and His Deity…have been clearly seen by all mankind…
ROMANS 1:20b …being understood through everything that has been made in the entire created universe…so that all mankind, especially unbelievers, are without excuse in the matter of knowing God.
The problem? Satan, the enemy of God, prefers we have beliefs. He knows there’s a BIG difference between beliefs and truth. Only when our beliefs and the truth are the same are our beliefs significant. Satan hates truth. Do you choose to believe Satan’s lies or do you choose to believe God’s truth?
The Bible is a manual provided by God as a strategy for your life. When we live under the suggestions of God’s Word, we have a high impact life. When we listen to Satan and his false teachers, we struggle.
What many people believe they can impress God so much He will let them into heaven because of their good deeds and religious practices. They give money to beggars…they give food to the homeless…they “give back” to the community. While admirable, none of these deeds are good enough to get you into heaven according to Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5 The Lord Jesus Christ saved believers in Christ…not on the basis of deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy (not giving us the wrath of God that sin deserves)…by the washing of regeneration and through renewing by God the Holy Spirit…
The Bible directs all mankind to let God do the saving! You would never want to put the burden of your salvation on your own back. Your good deeds won’t get you into heaven.
God’s plan can get you to heaven! The ONE way…the ONLY way to get to heaven is through placing your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation… John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation)… and I am the truth (through the Word of God)…and I am the resurrection life (eternal life)…and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”
The apostle Paul describes the amazing Jewish Messiah…Jesus…the Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and He was buried…and He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
When you choose to believe that Jesus Christ is God…when you choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven…these are much more than beliefs…this is the absolute truth! So how do you get to heaven when you close your eyes in this life? Romans, Chapter 10, Verses 9 and 10…
ROMANS 10:9 …if you confesswith your mouthJesus as Lord (that He is God)…and if you believe in your heart that God the Father raised Him from the dead…you will be saved…
ROMANS 10:10 …for with the heart a person believesresulting in the imputation of absolute righteousness by God (your admission ticket to heaven)…and with the mouth a person confesses (admitting faith in Christ alone)resulting in salvation.
It’s wise to let God save you, because once God does something, it can’t be undone because God never changes His mind. John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…
JOHN 10:28 “…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Rejecting a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ has consequences… Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 40 to 42…
MATTHEW 13:40 So just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
MATTHEW 13:41 The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who commit lawlessness (unbelievers)…
MATTHEW 13:42 …and the elect angels will throw unbelievers into the furnace of fire (The Lake ofFire)…and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Yes…there is a hell…and if you end up there it will have been because of your choice. It is NOT God’s will that you spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
So make the most important choice of your life! Do what is suggested in Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God…you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
John, Chapter 3, Verse 17…
JOHN 3:17 For God the Father did not send God the Son (the Lord…who took on human form as Jesus Christ) into the world to judge the world…but God the Father sent God the Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him.
Take the free gift of eternal life right now! There’s no time to waste! God wants you! Why bother working for your salvation with good deeds when it’s a free gift? Let the Lord Jesus Christ’s work on the Cross “give back” to you!
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s close with music! Christians walk in the light when they put complete trust in God. Here’s Antoine Bedford with a reminder to put complete trust in our God.
MUSIC CLOSING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
TRUST IN YOU Antoine Bradford
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for the beauty you are unfolding in the letter to the Romans…help us to place our trust in You and help us to keep on sharing the gospel message with those we love…the details of Your amazing plan for all mankind…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE
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KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!
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