First five verses of Romans chapter
8, of course Paul is continuing And we looked at I think it was
chapter 7 verses 14 through 8 and 1 last time But Paul continues
there is therefore now No condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
Who walked not after the flesh? but after the spirit For the
law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, God send him his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. That, that, the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us. who walk not after the
flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. But they that are after the spirit,
we could say they mind, it's okay to do that, that's the meaning.
But they that are after the flesh, the things, that's the spirit,
I'm sorry, the things of the spirit. Remember, there is therefore
now, No condemnation. Not just now in a present tense,
though that is certainly true, but it's now even in light of
a wretched man that I am. Even in light of sometimes I
do those things that I hate. And what I love to do, I do not
do. But it's never that is the end. because it is O wretched man
that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death.
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Who is in Christ? According to the Apostle Paul
here in this letter, he terms it this way. Those in Christ
walk after the Spirit. And he states that twice. He
states that twice. One, number one, first of all,
only those who God puts in Christ are in Christ. Paul to our brothers
and sisters at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 1, 30, 31, but of God are you
in Christ Jesus. It is not of man's will, but
it is an act of God Almighty's will. You don't get in Jesus
Christ, you have to be put in Jesus Christ. Secondly, those
whom God puts in Christ, they are those who walk not after
the flesh, but after the spirit. Now get this, oh God help us
to get this. This is a description of those
who are in Christ. It is not a condition of how
to get in Christ, or to be in Christ, or to continue in Christ. It is not a qualification. It
is who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. It is not
if you walk not after the flesh. If you walk after the flesh,
you are not in Christ. It's that simple. And that's
scary at the same time. because my flesh wants to do
something to give myself assurance that I'm in Christ. And yet we've
looked at what our flesh does. Our flesh at best, at best, and
I don't even know that that's the flesh, at best in us is this,
for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which
is good, I'm talking about God good. not watered down good,
not acceptable amongst men and women good. I'm talking about
acceptable before a thrice holy God good. How to perform that
which is good, I find not. So again, it is, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, and they
are they who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. I realize this goes against the
grain of most of what is taught today because most people want
to have some little leeway out. Ask a man or a woman, do you
believe that the scripture says if we confess our sins, he's
just and faithful to forgive us our sins? Of course I do. So does that mean I can sin all
I want and all I have to do is confess? Hmm? Huh? You sin all you want now. So you've looked for your little
out, didn't you? That's right. Oh God, help us
to be as honest with him and before ourselves as we can be. I thank God, he says, if you
confess your sins, he's just and faithful to forgive us of
our sins because I have way too many of them. Paul then describes
the authority of this God-wrought spirit-given life in Christ Jesus,
and that's what it is. It is a potent and effectual
cause of liberty from the authority of sin and death. There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which in Christ Jesus, and who's that?
They're the ones who walk not after the flesh, but after the
spirit, for. So here's the potency, here's
the efficacy. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus, that's something God did for you. That's
something God did for me if he's done it for me. God had to do
it. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free. It has liberated me
from the law of sin and death. Although I do not see that in
myself. When I look inside, I still have
to cry, oh wretched man that I am. If there's any good in
me, if there's a will to do that which is good, I know from God's
book where that come from. and it is God that worketh in
you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So again,
I said Paul then describes the authority of this God-wrought,
Spirit-given life in Christ Jesus, and it is potent and effectual,
and it is the potent and effectual cause of liberty from the authority
of sin and death. It is not mosaic. It is not mosaic law. Mosaic
law never liberates. And we've preached that and preached
that for years here and then we have someone in the midst
of us rise up and call us heretics because we preach that. We're
not the ones that changed our message. We're not the one that
changed our message. I am here to declare this liberating
authority is not the law of Moses, it's the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus. and we believe that life is real. It's not a doctrinal theory.
This is something God does for everyone he places in Christ
Jesus. It's not mosaic, the mosaic law
never liberates. I dare say it, the mosaic law
cannot liberate. For what the law has a tough
time doing. You know what it says? for what
the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh.
And you get this, oh God help us to get this. I hope these,
I wish these legalists, God would give them eyes to see it. The
law deals with your flesh. The law condemns our flesh. And
as we will God willing see later, we're not to even be trying to
conform our flesh to the law. Nice thought, ain't it? But we're
never told to conform our flesh to the law, we're told mortify
your members which are upon the earth. We're to mortify them,
not sanctify them. Because you're gonna be beating
a dead horse that's already dead if you're trying to get your
flesh to love God's law and keep God's law and obey God's law. Well then you mean this, I mean
exactly what I just said. and you put one, anybody wanna
put words on my mouth, you go ahead, but you will stand before
God, because what I'm giving you is God's word. There is therefore
now, even in light of old wretched man that I am, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, but even
though I am a wretched man, by the law of the spirit of life
in Christ Jesus, I can walk after the spirit. That's easy to do
when the spirit's doing the work. Yeah, and I don't say it comes
naturally because it don't come naturally, it comes as an act
of God Almighty and grace and mercy and compassion. For the
law, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus have made me free from
the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do
and that it was weak through the flesh, God sent in his own
son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned
sin in his own flesh. Paul then describes the intended
results of this cross work, this Christ work, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us. Not by us. It was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. And we stand in his righteousness
and have been given through the authority of God Almighty life
in Christ Jesus. that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us. Who is that? Who walk not after
the flesh, but after the spirit. Paul then declares the difference
between unregenerate and regenerate. Between unconverted and gospel
converted. Between those who are saved,
if you will, or those who are lost. Or, as he puts it, those
who walk after the flesh or those who walk after the spirit. Four. They that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. That's all they could ever do.
It's all they could ever do. But they that are after the spirit,
they mind the things of the spirit. Number one, quickly, the unregenerate
are those who walk as pertaining to, as bound by the flesh, they
do mind. they give their full attention
to the flesh. Even when they don't realize
it. Even in their most religious and holy, it's hard to do it,
in their most religious and holy acts. When we're minding the
flesh, that's all we're minding is what? The flesh. Whether it's immoral flesh or
moral flesh. whether it's irreligious flesh
or whether it's religious flesh. It all binds the flesh. Paul
lets us know that's death. That's death. So again, the unregenerate
are those who walk as pertaining to, as bound by the flesh, they
do mind, they give their full attention to the things of the
flesh. Their devotion resides with the
flesh. And sadly, that is most of what
is pawned off before men and women in this world as Christianity
today, is a bunch of unregenerate people trying to act like they're
regenerate. And that's why you gotta beg them or threaten them
to come to church, because they don't love the Lord. You see
what I'm saying? If you love something or you
love someone, you're going to be devoted to them. If you're
not devoted to them, then you don't love them. It's black and
white, as we say. It's flesh versus spirit. You
got to scare people to give to the ministry of the gospel. Aren't
you glad God moved somebody to spend a little time, a little
effort, and a little money to try to get the gospel preached?
Aren't you glad? God don't save you by money,
but it takes money to preach the gospel. I mean, it takes money to pay
these light bills, that kind of thing. But again, this is
what the unregenerate, the one who walks after the flesh, they
mind the things of the flesh. But the regenerate, on the other
hand, are those who mind. That is, they give their full
attention to. Oftentimes, they're giving their attention to it,
and they don't even realize they are. because it's the spirit
of God moving them to do it. It is the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus. You see it? Not Mosaic law, it's
not even church law. It's not even church rules, and
there are some rules that we're to walk by, and Paul said, here's
the main one, a new creature in Christ Jesus. And they say
that's the main rule. That's the main rule. The unregenerate
are those who are on the other hand, it's the total flip side.
They mind the things of the spirit. What are these two opposed things?
Flesh things and spirit things? Paul shows us clearly what they
are in, and I'm gonna turn to it, Galatians chapter five. He delineates. Galatians 5, 16, this I say then,
walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
You see it? That's what it says. So that
lets me know that the lust of the flesh is still down in there. but I must walk in the Spirit
if I'm not to fulfill those things. Four, the flesh lusteth against
the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary
to one to the other such that you cannot do the things that
you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you're not under
the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest. This is not
something hidden in a corner and hard to find out. He gives
us a partial list. The works of the flesh are these,
they're manifest, they're out there and over. Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envies, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Everything
else with that ilk. And notice even heresies is included
in there. A heretic may be a very moral person. A very legalistic
person. But they're stereo heretic. And
if you just have the heresy, it's flesh. You see? It's flesh. I know most people think flesh
is nothing but the beer joints and the prostitutes and all of
that stuff. No, it's men and women who gather
under places that says Baptist Church on it. Or Presbyterian
Church on it. Or Church of Christ on it, huh?
You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Yeah, it goes on. Of such and such like, of the
which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against
such there is no law, and they that are Christ have crucified
the flesh with its affections and lust. And if we live in the
Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. You see it? If we live in the
Spirit, let us walk. Let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another,
envying one another. Why? Because everything I've
got, God gives it to me as a gift of his free, sovereign, reigning
mercy. I have earned none of it. And
neither have you earned any of it. It comes at His sovereign
pleasure. And if it's really come to you
that way, it makes you grateful to God. It makes you love Him
and desire to walk in love, joy, peace, long suffering. Now consider
a few things of the Spirit. of the Spirit in God's overall
work. I will run right through these.
Of God's overall work of grace in Jesus Christ. Minding the
things of the Spirit are as follows. And remember, this is just a
few. This is just a few. I'm gonna turn to the passage.
You listen to what it says. Don't be trying to find what
it says. Listen. Listen to what it says. Listen
to what it says. There is initial free grace experienced. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall all be taught of God. Every man, therefore,
that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me. That
is a statement of gracious fact, not a proposition given to men
as to whether they'll let this be or not. It's written in the
prophets. There's a group of people that
God's gonna teach, and when he teaches them, they are all coming
to Jesus Christ. That's what it means to walk
after the Spirit. If you've missed that one, you ain't walking in
nothing but flesh. That's what I'm here to tell
you. If you missed that one. Number two, there is continued
free grace. There is continued free grace.
And as he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said
Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. And I hear men argue,
well, it don't really mean they believed it. Well, what does
it mean then? They did believe in him. But we'll see here that
their believing was of the flesh. So it ain't believing any way
you want. Get it? And as he spake these
words, many believed on him. Then Jesus said to those Jews
which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are
you my disciples indeed. You quit, you'll never get to
the goal of eternal glory. And that's the way it is. I don't
have to try to keep explaining that. That's just the way it
is. And here it is, and ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. I like that. I need that kind
of walking in the spirit, don't you? I need the truth, Jesus
Christ himself, Jack Meadows, to make me free. Here's a third
one, there is corrective free grace. You hear what I said?
I said corrective free grace. And have you forgotten the exhortation,
which speaketh unto you as unto children, my son, despise not
thou the chastening of the Lord, nor think when thou art rebuked
of him, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. And scourgeth
every son he merciveth. If you could go on in self and
flesh, I don't care whether it's moral flesh or immoral flesh,
doesn't matter, that's not the point. That's not the point.
If you could go on in self, if you could go on in flesh and
God never brings you back in line, he doesn't love you. You are not his. As a matter
of fact, the writer here calls us, a person like that, a bastard. That's illegitimate, correct? For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourges ever son he receiveth. If ye endure
chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son
is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, that's those who are sons, those who
are his offspring, then if you don't have that, then you are
bastards. And not sons. You see what I'm
saying? Here's the fourth one. There is, that's what walking
in the spirit is. It's initial free grace being experienced
by God teaches you and you run to Christ. There is continued
free grace. You learn who the truth is, that
it's a person and he makes you free. Once God opens your eyes
and you really see him, you never can get over that. Because if
you can't get over it, you never really seen it. And there is
corrective free grace because we are so faulty and full of
sin and failure. But there's also free grace all
the way up until death. Listen to it. These all died in faith. If you miss that by one day,
You're a goner. If you miss it by one day, the
day before I die, I say, this Christ thing is nothing to me.
If that's real, I don't care if you've been professing him
for a hundred years, you'll perish forever. These all died in faith. So to sum this up, Oh, wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. And that's our only hope. Our
only hope. Father, be with Paul as he travels,
be with us as we travel. Our hearts and minds be stayed
upon you. Lord, we are so faulty, so sinful,
so prone to look to the flesh, so prone to look to self, but
oh God, force us. Force us by your free reigning
sovereign mercy to have our eyes stayed upon Jesus Christ. In
his name I pray, amen.