Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to open your Bibles
to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. We're going
to look at the first four verses of Romans chapter 8 this morning.
But the Apostle Paul was inspired by the Lord our God to write
in Romans chapter seven about an inward struggle that he had. He called it a war. A war that
happens inside a believer. A believer, not a man or a woman
of the world. Not a man or a woman who has
no heart for Christ, does not bow to Christ. That person is at peace in himself
or in herself. But it's different for a believer.
It's different. There is an inward struggle that
takes place. And the reason that struggle
takes place is because there's two natures in there. There's
an old one and there's a new one. Every human being that's
born into this world has that old nature, the one that we are
born with, the flesh, the will, the desire, the heart of the
flesh. When that's the only nature inside
a person, then that person is at peace with that old nature.
But every elected child of God, every sinner that God chose to
save, God puts a new nature in that sinner. He creates a new
man. And that new man is Christ. Now
the nature of the old man, this nature of flesh, I'm going to
have it with me until the day that I die. This war is going to continue,
this inward struggle, it's going to continue until the day that
I die. Sin does not go away inside the
flesh of a sinner. And it's not going to go away
until that sinner dies, until he leaves this world. But this new nature that God
has given, this new man, that new man is who I'm going
to be for the rest of eternity. I began this life with an old
nature, an old man, and then God had mercy on me. And God
put a new man in me, which is Christ. And now that war and
struggle is going to take place until I dropped this body of
flesh. And as soon as that happens,
that old man is gonna go away forever and I'm gonna be in the
new man, which is Christ. I'm gonna be in the new man for
the rest of eternity at peace again. No more war, no more struggle. This old man is the only one
that I can see right now. And that's why I'm always so
sad and disappointed with myself. It's because the only nature,
the only man I can see is the old one, the flesh. And Paul told us in chapter seven,
Romans chapter seven, verse 15, it says, for that which I do,
I allow not, that means I know not. I don't know why I do it.
That's just being honest, isn't it? Paul is just being honest
with them, and I'm just being honest with you. The things that
I do, I don't know why I do them. He goes on to say, for what I
would, the things I wish I did, the way I wish I acted, the thoughts
I wish I had, he says in verse 15, I don't. I don't. Would I would that I do not.
But what I hate, the thoughts that go through
my mind that I hate, I think, why am I thinking this? My attitude,
my heart, everything about me that I hate, that's what I do. I'm in bondage to it. But verse
17, he says, now then it is no more I that do it. What does
he mean by that? He means it's not this new man.
He's talking about this war, this struggle. He said, it's
not the new man. It's not the new me. He says
in verse 17, but sin that dwelleth in me, it's the old man. It's
the old sinful flesh that's doing it. Verse 18, he says, for I
know that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Do you know that? I know that. I know that. I can say that with
Paul. I know that in me that is in
my flesh dwelleth no good thing. There is nothing good in me.
For to will is present with me. But how to perform that which
is good, I find not. I desire more than anything in
this life to be more like Christ, to do what's good, to do what's
right. I just don't know how to make
myself do it. Because this old man, this old
sinful flesh, as I see it in this world, he seems to be winning
the war. The good news of the gospel is
he's not going to win. Christ has won the battle. Verse 22, right here in Romans
chapter seven says, for I delight in the law of God after the inward
man, after this new man, but I see another law in my members
warring against the law of my mind. and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh, wretched man
that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? Romans chapter seven was the
bad news of the old man. The reality of the old man. But
chapter eight is the reality of the new man. It's the good
news of the new man. We've been made, every elected
child of God has been made to be a new creature. The new man
that Christ has made is a brand new creature and it's good news.
It is such good news. It's called the gospel. Now gospel
means good news. Now Romans chapter eight, verse
one, listen to this. It says, there is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. That is the simplest, clearest
declaration of the gospel that I know. I don't know of a clearer
declaration of the gospel. If a person wants to know, really,
what is the gospel? We're supposed to be going to
church to hear the gospel. What is the gospel? Well, listen
to this. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus. Sweetest words, greatest news
a sinner could ever hear. What does this Bible say? What
do the scriptures teach us? You know, people will say, well,
I know what the Bible says. Really? What does it say? What
do the scriptures teach us? Well, here's what it says. If
a person is outside of Jesus Christ, then that person can
expect condemnation. Expect it. Go to meet God expecting
it. This Bible says outside of Christ,
every single man and woman is condemned. And the reason they're
condemned is because they've sinned against God. You and I have sinned against
God. And we know that we know that most people know they've
sinned. Everybody knows they've sinned.
Some, some are just not willing to admit it. But most everybody knows they've
sinned. Very few actually know that they are condemned. They
know they've sinned, but they have no idea that they're condemned.
It breaks my heart. I am trying to speak this morning
from my heart, and it breaks my heart to see so many people
assume. It breaks my heart. to see so
many people assume that they're going to go to heaven. This is
the whole reason I have a radio program. It's because so many
people, so many men and women assume that they're in God's
favor. They assume it. Have you ever
been to a funeral where the loved ones who have come to pay their
respect where the loved ones all gather around and they say,
well, he went to hell. He was not in God's favor. Have
you ever heard that at a funeral? The answer is no. The whole world assumes that
they're right with God. This Bible says the world is
blind. It says the world is death. It
says this world is spiritually dead. And this Bible says outside
of Jesus Christ, this world is condemned. I don't want to assume. I cannot
afford to assume. Ask yourself this question. I
asked myself this question. Do you assume? Do you assume? Do you? Do you assume that you're in
Christ? Do you? I want you to know something. Being in church is not being
in Christ. Well, I go to church, so yeah,
I'm pretty sure I'm in Christ. Do you assume? That's assuming. Being in good morality is not
being in Christ. Well, I try to do the best I
can. I try to be the best person I can be. I try to, you know,
give to charity and help those in need. And so I'm sure that
I'm in Christ. That's assuming. That's assuming. Lots of good
moral people are condemned. Over in Matthew chapter seven,
our Lord said, many are going to say to me, Lord, Lord, we've
prophesied your name. We were preachers. And I know
I tell you this all the time on the radio, but it's so true.
They say we cast out devils in your names. We did many wonderful
things. And he's going to say, depart
from me. I never knew you condemned. Many church going people are
condemned. Do you assume that there's no
condemnation for you? Sinners who assume don't ask. They don't ask that question.
They don't ask God. Sinners who assume, they don't
seek. They don't seek Christ. They don't seek His mercy. Sinners
who assume, they don't knock. They don't knock on the door.
There's one way to enter into eternal life. Christ said, I
am the door. Sinners who assume they don't
pound on that door, begging God, please. Oh, please, please have
mercy on me. Please put me in Christ. Please. They don't feel they need to. And it honestly breaks my heart
to know that they're going to go meet God and they're going
to find out that they did not receive. They didn't ask. They're going to find out that
they did not find. They didn't seek. They're going
to find out that the door is not going to be opened unto them.
They didn't knock. Are you saying that my salvation
is dependent on whether or not I ask, seek, and knock? No, I
am not. No, I am not. No. What I'm saying is every sinner
whom God saves, God will reveal to that sinner his need to. And that sinner won't assume
He will obey the commandment of Christ. And he'll spend the
rest of his days on earth asking, Lord, have mercy on my soul. Lord, I have got to be found
in you. Lord, I want to be near you.
Would you draw me unto you, please? I want to be in your presence,
Lord. I want to be in your kingdom, Lord. Would you please put me
in Christ and put me in His blood? Because Romans chapter 8 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. There are two things that every
believer wants more than anything else. Money is great. That's great. Jobs are great.
Houses are great. But ultimately, they don't mean
anything. And they will never, ever satisfy
the heart of a believer. There are two things that every
believer craves more than anything else. He wants to be delivered
from his own personal sin. The guilt of it. Oh, the guilt
of it. Do you feel guilt over the sin
you've committed? The curse of it. He wants to
be delivered from the curse. I have done things that I cannot
undo. You have done things that you
cannot undo. I want to be delivered from the
curse of it. We need to be delivered so we
can live with Christ. He wants to, a believer wants
to be delivered from his own personal sin and he wants to
be delivered from his own personal sins. The temptation of them
right now, the power of them right now, the doing of them
right now. I wish I could stop. Oh, I wish
I could stop. I wish I could live in the Holy
Spirit of God. That's what Paul was talking
about in Romans 7, that struggle, that inward war that's taking
place. I wish I could be delivered from
my sin and from my sins. Union with Jesus Christ does
both. Union with Christ does both. Now until we leave this earth,
sin is going to remain in us. But listen to this, dear sinner,
if you need help, if you need mercy, if you're looking for
mercy, union with Christ will free a
man from his sin. And this sin is gonna remain
in us until the day we leave this earth, but it cannot condemn
us because we're in Christ. It cannot condemn us. It's there, we feel it, but if
we're in Christ, if we're begging to be put in Christ, our Lord
said, if you ask, you'll receive. He said, if you knock, it'll
be opened. And the reason is because if you ask, then you
already have received. He's put life in you. If you knock, the door has already
been opened. He's caused you to knock. He's
drawn you. No man can come except the Father
draw him. God gets the glory for all things,
all of this. Turn with me over to Galatians
chapter 3. If you have your Bible open with
me, go to Galatians chapter 3 and look at verse 13. It says, Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. Do you know what that means? Do you know what that means when
he says, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us? You know what that means? I wanna
show you a mystery. Turn with me over to 1 John chapter
three. This is a mystery. This is a
mystery, but it's so. It's true because God said so.
He wrote it in his holy word, the God who cannot lie. Now listen
to this. First John chapter three, verse
four says, whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law
for sin is the transgression of the law. What that means is
whoever breaks the law is a sinner. We've got a law of this land.
We got a speed limit posted. Whoever breaks it is a sinner.
The law of God's word. Whoever breaks it is a sinner.
There's a law that's written on the heart. We break that law
every hour, every minute, every second of every day. Verse five right here, 1 John
3 verse five says, you know that he was manifested to take away
our sins And in him is no sin. In Christ, there's no sin in
him. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive
you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of
the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God. According to the word of God,
if I have been born again from uncorruptible seed, which is
Christ, if Christ is in me, and if I'm in him, If I have been
made a brand new creature, if I have been born of God, like
Christ told a man named Nicodemus, he said, know ye not that you
must be born again? If I have been, if I am in Christ,
when Christ died on that cross, he took every sin that I've ever
committed in my life. Every sin that I will ever commit
till the day I leave this earth and he took them actually off
of me And he put them on himself literally My sins my very sins
the sins that grieve me and Make me feel so guilty and so shamed
my sins became his sins Because of that Not one of them is on
my record. They were on His, which brought
Him under condemnation. Therefore, He died. He was brought
under condemnation, the condemnation of God. Therefore, He died. And
when He died, all those sins received their wages. The wages of sin is death, and
they were all paid in full, and now they're gone. They don't
exist. The sins I haven't even committed
yet, they don't exist. Not in Christ. In Christ, I have
never sinned one day in my life. In Christ, I am the new creature
that sinneth not. I can't even hardly understand
that, but I believe it, because God said it. You've heard that
saying justified, just as if I'd never sinned. That's almost
right. Substitution is Christ becoming
me and me becoming Christ. And in Christ I have never sinned."
Right here in 1 John 3, verse 6 says, Whosoever abideth in
him sinneth not. Verse 9 says, Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin. We'll back over to our text in
Romans 8. 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. Walking not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit is not the reason anybody is
saved. God the Trinity didn't say that
person has a holy spiritual walk. Let's save him. No, He didn't
say that. The Scripture says nobody can
walk. The Scripture says by nature we're all dead, spiritually dead
in our trespasses and sins. The Scripture says God elected
the people from the foundation of the world. It says Christ
is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So that's not the
reason or the cause of anybody being saved. But that right there
is describing those who are. Describing those who are already
in Christ. The flesh is not their master
anymore. It's not their leader. It's not
their God. Christ is our master. And the
Holy Spirit of Christ is our God. Verse 2 says, For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. Life in Christ has freed every
believer from the law of sin and death. Some people will say,
Well, you can't go around telling sinners that. You're going to
make them want to sin that much more. You tell me, you who are
free, is that what the gospel makes
you want to do? No. Knowing that produces love in
me for Jesus Christ. Love for Him. Verse 3 right here
in Romans 8 says, For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. There
was nothing wrong with God's law, His perfect law. God's law wasn't weak, my flesh
was. I couldn't do it. So Christ did
it for me. And when Christ fulfilled it
for me, he condemned sin in his own flesh. He condemned sin. Verse four says, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the spirit. In Christ, the righteousness
of the law is fulfilled in us. That's amazing, we're sinners.
You and me, we're sinners. But in Christ, we're justified,
just like He is. We've never sinned, just like
He never sinned. In Christ, we're sanctified,
we're pure, we're holy, we're set apart, just like He is. In Christ, we've honored and
satisfied God's law, just like He did. In Christ, we're perfect
before God. You know what that tells me?
We've got to be in Christ. We gotta be in Christ. Let's
not assume. Let's all ask. Lord, I'm dead. Save me. Let's
all seek. Lord, I'm lost. Find me. Draw
me. Let's all knock. Lord, please
put me in Christ. Let me in. Please let me in. Please. Please, Lord, for Christ's
sake. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m. Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.