Forum Navigation
You need to log in to create posts and topics.
Where Are You Walking?
#1 · April 28, 2002, 4:37 pm
Posted by: bbrowning <bbrowning@...>
Hi All, Here are the notes from this morning's message. I pray you find them a blessing!
IN Christ,
Bro. Bryan L. Browning, Pastor
Meadowside Baptist Church
Pittsburg, Kansas
"WHERE ARE YOU WALKING?"
ROMANS 8:1-17
TEXT VERSE: ROMANS 8:1
INTRO: What sweet verses these are! What a wonderful promise they give! Verse 1 says, "There
is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit." "Not guilty, let him go free"what would those
words mean to you if you were on death row? The fact is, of course, that the whole
human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking Gods holy law.
Without Jesus we have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty
and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do His will." (1). Booker T.
Washington said, "There are several kinds of freedom. There is freedom that is apparent
and one that is real; a superficial freedom, and one that is substantial; a freedom that is
temporary and deceptive, and one that is abiding and permanent; one that ministers to
the lower appetites and passions, and another that encourages growth in the sweeter
things of life
But there is but one kind of freedom that is worth the name, and that is
the one embodied in the words spoken ago by the Great Master: And you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (2)
This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture. Its subject cannot be
overemphasized: the power of Gods Spirit in the life of the believer. If the believer
needs anything, he needs the power of Gods Spirit. The glorious truth is that the
person who believes in Jesus as Savior and Lord is no longer condemned. Our faith in
Jesus Christ has made us free from the sin and death. As Paul in verse 2 tells us, "For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death." I want to ask you a question this morning, "Where Are You Walking?" Are you
walking free in Christ? or Are you bound by sin and the flesh? Note four things with
me:
THE BELIEVER WALKS:
(1) FREE FROM CONDEMNATION
ROMANS 8:1"There is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
A. WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO (V3). Verse 3 says, "For what the law could not do.." The
law could not pardon; the law could not sanctify
it is the rule of righteousness, and
therefore must condemn unrighteousness. This is its unalterable nature. (Adam Clarkes
Commentary on the Bible). Why could the law not accomplish these things? Verse 3 tells us,
"..It was weak through the flesh.." Had there been perfect obedience to its dictates, instead of
condemning, it would have applauded and rewarded; but as the flesh, the carnal and
rebellious principle, had prevailed, and transgression had taken place, it was rendered weak,
inefficient to undo this word of the flesh, and bring the sinner into a state of pardon and
acceptance with God. (Adam Clarkes Commentary on the Bible).
ILLUS: Hebrews 10:1 says, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not
the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated
endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship." That sounds
complicated, but let me give a simple explanation. The writer is using the thought forms
of Plato. I told some of you about the cave myth of Plato: You are chained to a wall
wearing blinders, so you see only the wall in front of you. People are walking above you
and their shadows are being reflected down on that wall. You do that for years and years
and years. After a while what would be the reality? When you thought of a person,
would you think of a real person? No. You would think of a shadow--the shadow on the
wall. That would become the reality. Plato said that the problem with us is that what we
see is only a shadow of a reality. -- Steve Brown, "Forgiven and Forgotten," Preaching
Today, Tape No. 139.
ILLUS: If you try to save yourself by observing the Law you must either continuously keep all of
the commandments or you will fail. It's like you were sitting 15,000 feet up in a chair
suspended from a helicopter by a ten link chain. All it takes is for just one of those links
to break for you to fall to your death. Likewise, just one sin will condemn you as a
sinner.- Stanley Toussaint 3/27/77
The law is weak in that none of us can perfectly keep it. As Isaiah 64:6 tells us, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we do all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away." The most pious deeds and words we can offer can never satisfy the righteous demands of Holy God!
B. WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE (V3b). "..God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." John 3:17 says, "For God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." Christ came
to "condemn sin in the flesh." To "condemn" is to sentence and to devote to destruction. Sin is
condemned, (1) By the spotless life of Christ. In the flesh he was without sin. (2) By his death
for sin our past sins are forgiven. (3) By our vital union with his death and life we rise to walk
in a new life, with a new spirit, and hence, not under the power of the flesh (The Peoples
New Testament Commentary). When Christ came He was made in the likeness of human
flesh. He came to be the sacrifice for sin. (Phils. 2:5-8; 2 Cors. 5:21; Hebrews 2:9). It is by
faith in His finished work on the Cross that we are saved!
ILLUS: Steve Winger from Lubbock, Texas, writes about his last college test a final in a logic
class known for its difficult exams: To help us on our test, the professor told us we could
bring as much information to the exam as we could fit on a piece of notebook paper.
Most students crammed as many facts as possible on their 8-1/2 x 11 inch sheet of
paper. But one student walked into class, put a piece of notebook paper on the floor,
and had an advanced logic student stand on the paper. The advanced logic student told
him everything he needed to know. He was the only student to receive an "A." The
ultimate final exam will come when we stand before God and he asks, "Why should I let
you in?" On our own we cannot pass that exam. Our creative attempts to earn eternal
life fall far short. But we have Someone who will stand in for us. -- Leadership, Vol. 15,
no. 4.
Jesus Christ took our place. It is by faith in His blood that we are redeemed. 1 Peter 1:18-19 declares, "For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." God paid a ransom to free us from the tyranny of sin. We could not escape from sin on our own; only the life of Gods Son could free us (Living Letters from the Life Application Bible, p. 244).
The Believer walks FREE FROM CONDEMNATION and also
(2) FREE FROM CARNAL MINDEDNESS
ROMANS 8:5-8"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it
be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
ILLUS: Recent experiments have been made in which people were fitted with special prismatic
glasses. These devices greatly distort the vision so that straight lines appeared to be
curved, and sharp outlines seemed fringed with color. Within just a few days, however,
the unnatural shapes, tinted edges, and inverted landscapes gradually disappeared, and
the world began to be normal again, even though they still wore their optical fittings.
The brain was finally able to overcome the false data that came through the prismatic
lenses. This adaptability in the physical realm is indeed a blessing. In the area of the
spiritual, however, the human mind does not function very well. In fact, man is a sinner
whose deepest imaginations are evil, and his thought life produces a world of illusions.
He thinks of himself as pure when in reality he is guilty before God.
*Notice the characteristics of the carnal mind:
A. THE CARNAL MIND CATERS TO THE SINFUL FLESH (V5a). Note what verse 5 says, "For
they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh
" The Greek word here for our
word "mind" means "to set the affections on." John Wesley said, "They that are after the flesh
Who remain under the guidance of corrupt nature. Mind the things of the flesh - Have
their thoughts and affections fixed on such things as gratify corrupt nature; namely, on
things visible and temporal; on things of the earth, on pleasure, (of sense or imagination,)
praise, or riches (John Wesleys Explanatory Notes on the Bible). Many today walk this way.
Their minds filled with sinful thoughts and deeds continually. That is why you as a believer
must "by the renewing of your mind
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect
will of God." (ROMANS 12:2b). The means of this renewal is the Spirit of God and walking in
that Spirit (Gals. 5:16).
ILLUS: John Mason Brown was a drama critic and speaker well known for his witty and
informative lectures on theatrical topics. One of his first important appearances as a
lecturer was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brown was pleased, but also rather
nervous, and his nerves were not helped when he noticed by the light of the slide
projector that someone was copying his every gesture. After a time he broke off his
lecture and announced with great dignity that if anyone was not enjoying the talk, he
was free to leave. Nobody did, and the mimicking continued. It was another 10 minutes
before Brown realized that the mimic was his own shadow! Was Brown's shadow real? Of
course. Does a shadow have the power to control a person's actions? Of course not. It
can only mimic us. But in Brown's case, his shadow did take control momentarily. Why?
Because he allowed himself to be so distracted "addicted," if you will - by it that he
completely forgot what was supposed to be about. That's a pretty good description of the
sin nature we carry within us as redeemed people. It can cause havoc, even though it
has been made powerless by our identification with Christ. --Today in the Word, May 17,
1992.
B. THE CARNAL MIND BRINGS SPIRITUAL DEATH (V6a). It tells us inv6, "For to be carnally
minded is death.." What does it mean to be "carnally minded" ? It means "To be under the
dominion of the fleshly impulses of the body." (The Peoples New Testament Commentary).
John Wesley said to be carnally minded is "the sure mark of spiritual death, and the way to
death everlasting." (3) The sentence of death has already been pronounced on the Christ-
rejecting soul and in this life he lives under the shadow of death.
ILLUS: In Virgil, there is an account of an ancient king, who was so unnaturally cruel in his
punishments that he used to chain a dead man to a living one. It was impossible for the
poor wretch to separate himself from his disgusting burden. The carcass was bound fast
to his body--its hands to his hands; its face to his face; its lips to his lips. It lay down and
rose up whenever he did; it moved about with him whithersoever he went, till the
moment when death came to his relief. Many suppose that it was in reference to this
that Paul cried out: "O wretched man that I am!" Whether this be so or not, sin is a body
of death which all who are not sanctified wholly carry about with them.--McCartney
The person who is controlled by the carnal mind lives bound to spiritual death. But THANK GOD! The believer enjoys life and peace! As the last part of v6 tells us, "..but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Walking in obedience to the Spirit of Christ brings life and peace to the soul in which we can enjoy a vital union with Christ and experience to the fullest the marvelous Grace of God!
C. THE CARNAL MIND HATES GODS SOVEREIGN LAW (V7). Paul says, "..the carnal mind is
enmity against God
" The word "enmity" means "opposition, hatred, and hostility." The carnal
mind despises His existence, providence and power. Because of this hatred "it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be." In such a state of mind there neither is nor can be the
least subjection to the law of God. Many things may be done which the law requires, but
nothing either is or can be done because God's law requires it, or purely to please God.
(Jamieson, Fausett & Brown Bible Commentary).
ILLUS: Hate is born when men call evil good. And like an infant serpent bursting from its small,
confining shell, it never can be cased so small again. -- Calvin Miller. Leadership, Vol.
11, no. 2.
We are surely living in a society today where the hatred of God and His Law is evident. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."
ILLUS: Charles Spurgeon said, "Paul uses a noun, not an adjective. He does not say that the
carnal mind is opposed to God merely, but it is the positive enmity. It is not black, but
blackness, It is not at enmity, but enmity itself. It is not corrupt, but corruption. It is not
rebellious; it is rebellion. It is not wicked, it is wickedness itself. The heart, though
deceitful, is positively deceitful. It is evil in concrete, sin in the essence. It is the
distillation, the quintessence of all things that are vile" (4).
The carnal mind CATERS TO THE SINFUL FLESH, BRINGS SPIRITUAL DEATH, and HATES GODS SOVEREIGN LAW. But the Spirit has made us free! Verse 9 says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.."
(3) FREE FROM OBLIGATION TO THE FLESH
ROMANS 8:11-12"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."
A. THE GREAT DELIVERANCE. The Christian has no obligation to the flesh. Why? Verse 2
tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death." The Spirit has quickened us into a new life, and as we have died to the law and to
sin, we are freed from them. (The Peoples New Testament Commentary). (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Christ has delivered me from the predominating influence and control of sin. I am not perfect
just forgiven and by Gods Spirit enabled to live a life pleasing unto God!
ILLUS: It is said that some years ago the king of Abyssinia took a British subject prisoner whose
name of Campbell. They carried him to the fortress of Magdala, and in the heights of the
mountains put him in a dungeon without cause assigned. It took six months for Great
Britain to find it out, and them they demanded his instantaneous release. King
Theodore refused, and in less than ten days, ten thousand British soldiers were on
shipboard and sailing down the coast. They disembarked and marched seven hundred
miles beneath the burning sun, up the mountains to the very dungeon where the
prisoner was held; and there they gave battle. The gates were torn down, and presently
the prisoner was lifted upon their shoulders and carried down the mountains and
placed upon the white-winged ship which sped him in safety to his home. It cost the
English government twenty-five million dollars to release that man. --J. Wilbur
Chapman
I know of a greater and more costly deliverance than this: The God of Glory sent His only Son to die on the Cross of Calvary so that all men might walk in freedom. Now by Faith in Christ we can walk in freedom of the flesh and in obedience to God. Romans 6:6-7 tells us, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
B. THE GREAT DEBT. Even though we who believe have no obligation to the flesh. We are still
debtors. Our obligation is to the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit who convicted us and showed us
our need of the Savior. It was the Spirit who imparted saving faith, who implanted the new
nature within us, and who daily witnesses within that we are Gods children. What a great
debt we owe to the Spirit! Christ loved us so much, He died for us; the Spirit loves us so
much, He lives in us. Daily He endures our carnality and selfishness; daily He is grieved by
our sin; yet He loves us and remains in us as the seal of God and the "down
payment" ("earnest," 2 Cor. 1:22) of the blessings waiting for us in eternity. (5). We have an
obligation to be led by the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and live in the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25
reminds us, "And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
(4) FREE FROM SINS BONDAGE
ROMANS 8:14-15"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
A. OUR NEW RESPONSIBILITY (VV. 14-15). Because of our new freedom we enjoy in Christ
Jesus, we also have a new responsibility. It is two-fold:
1. Rely on the Spirits Power (v14). Notice the words, "..led by the Spirit of God.." The word
"led" here in the Greek means "to lead, rule, and govern." We are to follow the Spirits
leadership. They obey it rather than the flesh. The presence of the Spirit in leading them
shows that they are sons of God. How are they led? (1) They have given up their own wills to
do God's will, and seek to obey him in all things. (2) To them the Spirit is given as a helper of
their weakness, and by its aid they overcome the flesh (The Peoples New Testament
Commentary).
ILLUS: The basic principle of diving is:
"DON'T STAND ON YOUR OWN AIRHOSE!"
Sadly, too many believers are standing on their own Spiritual airhose by failing to live in
the power of the Holy Spirit. When He is quenched, we suffocate!
2. Rest in Fathers Promise (v15). We are no longer in the bondage to sin and Satan. The spirit
of bondage. The spirit that binds you; or the spirit of a slave, that produces only fear. The
slave is under constant fear and alarm. (Barnes New Testament Notes). We have been
adopted. When people are born again they are set free. They did not receive the spirit of
bondage, of slavery to sin, so that they would obey its dictates, and thus be in fear of death.
Instead, they received the Holy Spirit according to promise (The Peoples New Testament
Commentary).
ILLUS: There was a ripple of excitement all through the orphanage, for a great lady had come to
take little Jane home with her. The girl herself was bewildered with the thought. "Do
you want to go with me and be my child?" the lady asked in gentle tones. "I don't know,"
said Jane timidly. "But I'm going to give you beautiful clothes and a lot of things, a room
of your own with beautiful bed and table and chairs." After a moment's silence, the little
one said anxiously: "But what am I to do for all this?" The lady burst into tears. "Only to
love me, and be my child," she said as she folded the little girl in her arms. God adopts
us, protects us, and give us an inheritance in glory. All He asks in return is that we
should love Him, and be His children --Children's Record
To live in the flesh or under the law
leads to bondage; but the Spirit leads us into a glorious life of liberty in Christ. Liberty to the Believer never means freedom to do as he or she pleases; for that is the worst kind of slavery! Rather, Christian liberty in the Spirit is freedom from the law and the flesh so we can please God and become what He wants us to become (6).
B. OUR NEW RELATIONSHIP (vv. 16-17). We are the Children of God. We have received the
Spirit of Adoption (v15). In his Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament,
Kenneth Wuest says that the word "adoption" is a combination of two words that are
translated "son" and "to place." Thus, according to Wuest, adoption means, "to place as a
son." (Kenneth Wuest, Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids,
Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955) 78-79 Every believer is a child of God by virtue
of the new birth and is an heir of God through adoption. In fact, we are joint-heirs with
Christ, so that He cannot receive His inheritance in glory until we are there to share it with
Him (7). Under the Jewish law the older brother had a double portion, but Christ admits all
to a joint share of the great inheritance. (The Peoples New Testament Commentary).
CLOSING: Friend, my question today to you is, "Where are you walking?" Is it in the liberty in
which Christ has made us free? or Is it according to whims and will of the flesh?
Praise the Lord, the believer has no obligation to this old flesh, to feed it, pamper it
and obey it. Thus, we are free to live for God and please Him!
NOTES: 1. Living Letters from the Life Application Bible. p. 28.
2. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 28.
3. Owen Collins. The Classic Bible Commentary. p. 1201.
4. Charles H. Spurgeon. 2200 Quotations from the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon. p.
322.
5. Warren W. Wiersbe. Wiersbes Expository Outlines on the New Testament. p. 388.
6. Wiersbe. p. 388.
7. Wiersbe. p. 388.