Romans chapter 8, and let's begin
reading again in verse 1. I've just been thinking about
this chapter. Brother Larry, a few weeks ago,
sent me some comments on this chapter,
and I started thinking about it. So I've just been going here.
I don't know if we'll go all through the chapter or not, but
I've just been thinking about some of these things in this
chapter and want to look at it with you. Sometimes it's good
to open up the Bible and start talking about it, ain't it? Let's read some of the verses
here in Romans chapter 8. Let's begin reading in verse
1. There is therefore now no condemnation, no judgment, no
guilt to them which are in Christ Jesus, not everybody, but to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has 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 sinned in His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 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,
they mind 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 be. So then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. We've been studying here in verses
1 through 4 the believer's union with Jesus Christ. A great, great
mystery. Mystic union. She on earth has
union with God the Three in One. And we're told that here of this
union with the eternal triune God. There in verse 1, you are
in Christ. And down here in verse 9, but
ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. We're in Christ. We're in the Spirit. And we're
told here in verse 10, and if Christ be in you, you're in Christ. You're in the Spirit. Christ
is in you. And there in verse 11, but if the Spirit of Him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you. So we're in Him. And He is in
us. Now, I want you to turn to a
couple of places with me because this is not just Paul's teaching. He taught more clearly than all
the apostles about this union that a believer has with Jesus
Christ, with the triune God. But Christ taught this, very
plainly. Look in John chapter 17. John chapter 17 and look in verse
20. Look what the Lord Jesus said
in His high priestly prayer concerning union. And union means you take
one or more and you combine them together to make one. Look what
He says in verse 20. He's praying to His Father. John
17. Neither pray I for these alone,
that is for the disciples that were with Him here, but for them
also which shall believe on Me through their word. that they
all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast
given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as
we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent
me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." Perfect in one. If you're in Christ, and He's
perfect, then you're perfect. Look at what He said in chapter
14 and verse 15. John 14 and verse 15. If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and
he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth him not, neither knoweth him. But you know him, for he
dwelleth with you," and look at this, "...he shall be in you."
I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you, yet a little
while, and the world seeth me no more. But you see me, because
I live, you shall live also. At that day you shall know that
I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. And down in verse 23, If a man
love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him,
and we will come unto him, and make our abode with Him. We're in Christ, and Christ is
in us. Union, union. And not only that,
but you know something else? We have mystic union, one with
another. We have a union, one with another. And even mystic union with those
who are in heaven. Listen to Ephesians 2.6. He hath
raised us up together and made us set together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. He's raised the church up together. We're all raised up together.
And we set together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now,
I don't know exactly in how far reaching the word heavenly places
is. I think it's very poor ritual.
And it doesn't exclude heaven itself. Listen to what Paul says
in Colossians 3. You remember this very well.
You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. You're with Christ. Where is
Christ? He tells us in verse 1 of Colossians
3, He's on the right hand of God. So if you're with Christ
and Christ is in heaven, where are you? You're in heaven. And the Bible makes it clear
that our citizenship, our conversation, is in heaven. That's what we
mean by union, isn't it? If Christ is in you, then Christ
is upon this earth. Not physically, but He's here
spiritually. He's here in His Spirit. If you're
in Christ, then you're in heaven, because Christ is in heaven.
That's what union means. He is in you, and you are in
Him. And the old songwriter called
this mystic union. We have mystic union with those
whose race is wrong. We commune with them. I don't
understand that, but listen to Hebrews chapter 12 and verse
22. This is what the apostle said.
This is where he said, you come into it. You are come into Mount
Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You've come into enumerable a
company of angels, the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven. You've come to God, the judge
of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect. You've come into these spirits
of just men. Who is that? That's those who
are in heaven. Their bodies in earth, but their souls is in
heaven with Christ. And the apostle said, you've
come into this. Spirits. You come into the very presence.
Heaven is a real place. But I tell you, I have no idea
how far reaching its borders are. I know that Moses and Elijah
was in heaven, and suddenly they were upon this earth with Christ.
Now, ain't that amazing? If you left this world and you
was going to heaven, it's going to take you a long time to get
there. Because heaven is high, it's the Father's throne. But
how far reaching are its borders? As soon as a child of God dies,
what happens to it? He falls asleep in this world,
and he wakes up in that world that's to come. This day shall
you be with me in paradise. I tell you, heaven is closer,
brothers and sisters, than you and I realize. that's triumphant, and the church
that's upon this world that's in battle. Somehow or another,
we have this mystic communion because we're one in Christ. Listen to what Paul said in 2
Corinthians 5, verses 6-8. We're always confident, brethren,
knowing that while we're at home in this body, we're absent from
the Lord, and we're willing, brethren, we are willing, brethren,
and confident and willing to be absent with the body, absent
from the body, and to be present with the Lord. And he puts no
lapsed time in that. If you're absent from the body,
at that instant you're present with the Lord. That's how close
heaven is. And it can only be this way because
of this union. You are in Christ, and Christ
is in you. And all His church is in Him. Union, one with another. And
where He is, there you are. Where you are, there He is. So we see here in verses 1 through
verse 4, this union, this vital union that we have with the Lord
Jesus Christ. How do we come to experience
this union? Ain't but one way. Ain't but
one way that we come to experience this union. And that's by new
birth. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Except a man be born again, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Lord Jesus said, that which
is born of the flesh is flesh. And I tell you, you can't make
anything else out of it, can you? When the scripture talks
about flesh, it usually speaks of two things. It usually speaks
of this old mortal body. The Lord Jesus said, Handle me
and see. A spirit, have my flesh and bones as you see me have.
And you know, when you and I consider our physical being, our flesh
and our bones, our members, these bodies are weak, they're dying,
they're vile, and you know this body will never rise above what
it is. That which is flesh will always be flesh as long as it's
in this world. That's just what it is. That's
the nature of flesh. But if we consider flesh, as
the Bible often does, as the old carnal nature, the old corrupt
nature, that which is flesh is flesh. The old corrupt nature
will never be anything else but what it is. The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. You cannot educate him. You cannot reform him. That which
is born of the flesh is flesh. That's what the Lord Jesus said.
Ah, and then he said something else, didn't he? He said something
else. That which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Everybody's born of the Spirit.
He's spiritual. He has the life of Christ in
his heart. That eternal life, and where
does that bring us? It brings us right back here
to my text that you and I have been studying on in Romans chapter
8, in verse 2. The law of the spirit of life
in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. How do we get
life? From the spirit of Christ Jesus. Whose life is it? It's the life of Christ in the
soul, life eternal. God has given to us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son, and that life is His Son. This is why those who argue that
a believer who has been given life can fall away and perish,
they're wrong. Why is it that a believer can
never die? I give unto them eternal life,
and they'll never die. Why is that? It's not their life. Whose life is it? Christ's. The spirit of life in Christ
Jesus. And for the believer to die,
to lose his life, would mean Christ died. I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. Now, ain't that wonderful? It
comes right back again to that union, Christ in us. This union here in verses 1 through
verse 4 of Romans chapter 8, four things that Paul has told
us due to this union. What does it mean to have union
with Christ? There is no condemnation. If
you're in Christ, there's no judgment. If you have union with
Him, there is no judgment. Number two, the believer has
life, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. He has life. He has union.
Fourthly, the law is fulfilled for the believer. In verse three,
God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin.
Fourthly, union teaches us this, that the law is fulfilled in
us. Did you notice that in verse
4? Look at it again in verse 4 of Romans chapter 8. That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. In verse 3 he tells us that Christ
condemned sin and now he tells us in verse 4 the law is fulfilled
in us. I think I may have asked you
this last week or the week before last. Do you fulfill the law
in yourself? Now, just to be honest, and I
ain't trying to trick you, because some people say that the Holy
Spirit of life comes to us and He so works in us that He helps
us to keep the law. Well, sure, the Spirit helps
us. We can't do a thing without His presence and His aid and
His power. But do we keep the law perfectly, even with the
Spirit's help? No. What Paul said here, the
law is fulfilled in you. How could that be? Christ is
in us. He goes right back to the union.
Folks, union. We just can't grasp the wonder
of it, the mystery of it, and the glory of it. If Christ is
in you, He's a fulfiller of the law. Wherever you find Him, you'll
find Him fulfilling the law. And if He's in you, the law is
fulfilled in you. How does this union affect our
walk? Now, let's go into that right quickly. How does this
union affect our walk? He says here in the last part
of verse 4, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He's not
saying the law is fulfilled in us because we walk after the
Spirit. That's not what he's saying.
The law is fulfilled in us because Christ is in us. What he's saying,
here's the character of those who are in Christ. Here's the
character of those in whom Christ dwells. What is a Christian like? What is his character? What's
his walk like? Well, he begins to tell us, here
it is. He walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Now, why is that so important?
Why is a believer's walk in the act of the Spirit and not in
the act of the flesh so important? It's detrimental. And he's going
to tell us in verse 5. Look at it. For they that are
act of the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. What does that mean? Well, they're
occupied. They're occupied with the things
of the flesh. They make their decisions according
to the natural man. They think about natural things.
Their opinion, when you talk to them, is about natural things.
Their concerns are about natural things. They're governed by natural
things. My mother used to say, you better
mind me. That means you better obey me.
That's what it means to mind the flesh. You mind the things
of this natural world. You're caught up with them. The
kingdoms of this world. You're engulfed with food, drink,
clothing, houses, work, all of this. It captivates the mind. You live for it. That's your
end if you're minding the things of the flesh. But, he says in
verse 5, they that are after the Spirit, they mind the things
of the Spirit. That's the difference in minding
the things of the flesh. mind in the things of the Spirit.
What does that mean? That means you're caught up with
your relationship with Christ. You want to know Him. You want
to know Him better. You want to see yourself complete
and accepted in Him. That means your affections is
set on things above. That means you're concerned with
the graces of His Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace and long-suffering,
you're caught up with these things. You're concerned with the gospel
and you're concerned with fellowship with those who believe the gospel. You're concerned with hope. You're
concerned with obtaining the resurrection of the dead. You're
concerned with spiritual things. And you and I know that we still
dwell, we have this flesh to dwell in us. We know that. We know we have such a small
portion of the Holy Spirit. But you know, in spite of that,
there is a distinction, there's a difference in the way a man
walks if he's in the flesh and the way he walks if he's in the
Spirit. There's a distinction to be made in those two. Look what he says in verse 6. He first tells us there in verse
5, they that are after the flesh, the natural mind, they'll mind
the things of nature. They that are after the spirit,
they'll mind the things of the spirit. Now he tells us something
else about the carnal mind, the natural mind. For to be carnally
minded is death. The carnal mind, to think natural. to be ruled by the natural mind,
to have a mind swallowed up in the kingdom and fashion of this
world. What is it? It's death. It's
death. And you know what that makes
all the works that a natural man does? Makes it dead works,
don't it? Everything a natural mind does
is dead works. Because the carnal mind is dead. He's dead. But look at this,
but the spiritual mind, to be spiritually minded, to be born
of the Spirit, and to be enlightened of the Spirit, to be taught of
the Spirit, to be led of the Spirit, what is that? That's
life. That's life. The life of Christ,
the life of God, eternal life in your heart. But not only is
it life, he said, but it's peace. It's peace. Oh, I want peace,
don't you? I want peace in my conscience,
peace in my heart. He's talking about that bar before
service. Peace, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds. My peace, I give unto you. I give it into your heart, your
mind. I tell you, the worst position
a person could be in is to be at war with his Creator. That's the most turmoil. There's
no peace to the wicked, saith my God. They're like the troubled
sea. We went down to the ocean a while
back and went out on the coast there on one of those islands,
and I'm telling you what, that was the filthiest water. Sticks
and logs had floated up on the bank, and that ocean was just
churning, churning, churning. That's what the prophet said
the natural mind was like. It stirs up this mar. It can't rest, like the troubles
say. But boy, there's no calmness
like having communion with God our Creator. Isn't it wonderful? And that's the way it is of those
who are born of the Spirit. They're spiritually minded. They're
led of the Spirit. They're possessed by the Spirit.
It's life and peace with God. That's what you can't get through
to some lost person, especially our lost children. Boy, they've
got this world on their minds. Girls have got boys on their
minds, and little boys have got girls on their minds. Getting into everything. And
you say something about the gospel. I ain't got time for that burdensome
stuff. Oh, that's awful. That's awful.
Man, I'm not old yet. I want to have some fun. I tell
you what, the only life that's worth living is to know your
creator. To be at peace with your creator. Isn't that wonderful? Tranquility
of soul. Life and peace. To be spiritually
minded is life and peace. To be carnally minded, to mind
the things of the spirit, the flesh, Death. Death and life. Turmoil and peace. And here he
tells us something else in verse 7. To be carnally minded is death.
To be spiritually minded is life and peace. He tells us something
else about the carnal mind. Look at this. Why is it death
to be carnally minded? Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God. Notice how he does this. The
Apostle Paul, he graduates here. Notice how he starts in verse
5, and he says, the mind, the minding of the flesh. He talks
there in verse 5, and he says, they that are after the flesh,
they mind the things of the flesh. That don't sound too bad, does
it? You know, if you're in the flesh, you're going to mind the
things of the flesh. That's just natural. Everybody does it. Don't
worry too much about that. But in verse 6, he says this. For to be carnally minded is
death. That's a little more serious,
ain't it? But boy, then he graduates in verse 7 to say this, the carnal
mind is inmate against the law of God. That's bad, ain't it?
That's awful. The natural mind is hostile. That's what that word means.
It's hostile against God. A man that's dead and trespasses
and sins, a man that's dead, a man that's still in the flesh,
he's not neutral. We think sometimes, being dead
and trespasses and sins, that a man has no thoughts towards
God. We often lack in the man dead
spiritually to be in the casket. He has no feelings. He has feelings,
but they're hostile feelings. He has thoughts of God, but they're
hostile thoughts of God. The natural mind is enmity against
God. It hates God. It hates everything
about God. It hates the justice of God.
It hates the mercy of God. It hates the love of God, it
hates the goodness of God, it hates the wrath of God, hates
the Son of God, it hates the gospel of God, it hates the people
of God, the providence of God, the ways of God. The carnal mind
is enmity against God. I don't know of a doctrine that
this world hates more than just what the Apostle Paul here said. And I tell you what, knowing
this, it's a wonder to us that this
world stands as long as it does. And I'm convinced the only reason
this hostility doesn't break out in open sin and murder of
all kinds, of hostility one to another, is because God restrains
it. God restrains it. If man, old
Scott Richardson said, If a man could, he'd put a ladder on the
backside of God's throne and climb up and stab God to death. But because he can't do that,
he'll do the next best thing. He'll stab those who are created
in the image of God. He's hostile towards God. He's
hostile. Look in verse 7 again. Carnal
mind is enmity against God. Look at this. For it is not subject
to the law of God. The natural man does not understand
spiritual things. He's not subject to the law of
God. He don't understand the law.
He don't understand its spiritual nature. He don't love it. He don't understand the gospel.
And he don't believe it. He don't understand anything
about God, neither can he obey God, neither can he love God,
neither can he serve God, neither can he worship God. The carnal
mind is not subject to the law of God. But boy, he don't stop
there, does he? You don't stop there. He's only
said the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God. It can't submit
to it. It can't understand it or obey
it. Look at this. Neither indeed
can it be. We often talk about men will
not. You know what Paul is saying
here? They cannot. They will not and they cannot.
They will not keep the law. They cannot keep the law. They
will not come to Christ. They cannot come to Christ. They
will not love God. They cannot love God. That pretty
much does away with free will, doesn't it? The power of the
human will. Oh, just exercise the power of
your will. You cannot. The whole heart is
at enmity against God. The intellect is full of darkness. The affections are warped and
twisted. It loves darkness rather than
light. The will is in bondage. It cannot and it will not. Neither, indeed, can it be. Can the Ethiopian change his
skin? Can he? Michael Jackson tried
it, didn't he? Look where he got him. Can the
leper change his spots? Neither can you who are accustomed
to do evil do good. You cannot. You cannot. We stick the Ten Commandments
out in our front yard and say, I stand behind them. And you
can't even submit to them. You can't understand them. You
can't love them. You cannot. You cannot. The carnal mind is dead spiritually. It's incapable of choosing what
is good. The carnal mind is said to be
ungodly. It's said to be sinful. It's
said to be enmity against God. And it's said to be without strength. It has no strength. to deliver
itself from its dreadful situation. Boy, that pretty much annihilates
free will, doesn't it? It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God the short mercy. Without
me, you can do nothing. You can't. You can't do anything. You can do nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Lord, when the Lord asked Ezekiel,
can these dry bones live? Remember that? Bones scattered everywhere. What
a question. What a question. Why did the Lord even ask him
that? Set him down in a valley full of dry bones that have been
there so long, animals that come and tore them apart and scatter
them everywhere. It wasn't even skeletons left. The bones were
scattered. And the Lord said, can these bones live? I wonder
why He asked him that. Because there's a lot of people
who say, yes, why, sure they can. Sure they can. This is an exercise in the power
of the will. They can live. They can come back together.
The Lord asks these questions because He wants us to see how
ridiculous it is. The carnal mind can't be improved. The carnal mind can't be born
again. There has to be a new birth,
a spiritual birth. And I'm telling you that has
to be of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ. Lord, you know. Only you know.
Can these bones live? Only you know. In verse 8, look what he says
in verse 8. So then, here's the conclusion the Apostle Paul reaches. They that are after the flesh,
they're going to mind the things of the flesh. They will. They
will. That's a positive statement.
They will. They that are after the Spirit, they'll mind the
things of the Spirit. And then he tells us the carnal mind is
dead. Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God. Then he reaches this conclusion
about the flesh. Will you talk about the old body
that we're in? Or are you talking about this
depraved human nature? They that are in the flesh cannot
please God. They that are in the natural
state, cannot please God. A lost man, that unbeliever,
cannot do anything. He cannot do one thing to please
God. You see a man, the prophet said,
out here plowing his field to feed his family. And he's sweating. And boy, he's got blisters on
his hands. He's working hard just to feed
his family. And you know what the prophet
said about that man? The plowing of the wicked is
an abomination to the Lord. Why does he say that? Because
it doesn't matter what an unbeliever does. If he's in the flesh, he
cannot please God. All of his worship, all of his
service, all of his giving, all of his doings is sinful and unrighteous. pleasing to God. We've been talking
about the Pope today, haven't we? Talking about him sitting
on his chair. And people coming up and worshipping
him. Bowing down and kissing his reign. And there he sits. There he sits. People humbling
themselves before him. Worshipping him. Can you imagine
that? What's God's attitude toward
that? He's not pleased. Is He? That Pope is in the flesh. If He wasn't in the flesh, He
wouldn't be doing that, would He? We think sometimes the carnal
mind is open in profane sins. You know what carnal mind also
is? It's what the Pope does all the time. Let's people come and
worship Him. He lusts for that. He loves idolatry. He loves himself. He loves the glory and praise
of men. And God is not pleased. God is
not pleased. And there you've got your poor
Pharisee. And he's paying his tithes. And he's fasting twice
a week. And he's refraining from sin. He makes sure he's not mistreated
anybody. And he's trying to do what's right and what's good.
And God looks upon that Pharisee, that self-righteous Pharisee,
in all his pretty religious garb, and he smells so pretty, and
he's got his hair cut so nice, and he's clean shaven. He is
one handsome religious fellow. And God looks upon him, and here's
God's attitude. I am not pleased. I am not pleased. God is not
pleased with anybody that's yet in the flesh. They that are in
the flesh cannot please God. And let me just read this in
closing. Verse 9, But you are not in the flesh. You're not in the flesh. Well,
what are you in? You're in the Spirit. You've
been born of the Spirit. The Spirit's in you, and you're
in the Spirit. Christ is in you, and you're
in Christ. Goes right back to the union
again, doesn't it? You're not minding the things
of the flesh. You know the flesh profiteth
you nothing. Everything you do in the flesh
is sinful. It has to be washed. You're not
in the flesh, and you have no confidence in the flesh. But
you're in the Spirit. You serve God in spirit. You
worship Him in the spirit. You walk in the spirit. You're
taught of the spirit. You're led of the spirit. You
live a spiritual life. And that's the only way you can
be acceptable to God. And your service can be acceptable.
Your worship can be acceptable. You are not in the flesh. We'll pick up there where the
Lord's willing. next time because he makes a wonderful, wonderful
statement in verses ten and verse eleven. We'll pick up there the
next time. Let us pray.