All right, let's open our Bibles
again to Romans chapter 8. See if I can move along through
this chapter tonight. Just by way of reviewing this
morning, start with verse 1. Our standing in Christ. In verse
1 he says there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ, no
judgment. Christ has paid the debt, satisfied the justice of
God, and for us there is no judgment. Then in verse 2 he said, continuing
on our standing in Christ, we are free. The law of the spirit
of life in Christ has made us free from the law of sin and
death. We're free not only from judgment,
but we're free from the curse of the law. The law can bring
no charge against one of God's children who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect. Then the first part of verse
4 says that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us.
We're actually holy. Our standing before God is a
standing of holiness. We're accepted in the beloved. We are righteous in Christ. That's
our standing. No judgment, free from the curse
of the law, and righteous, holy in Christ. Here is our character
in Christ. We walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. We are definitely, without question,
concerned about the things of God. This is our chief interest,
the things of God. As Paul said in Philippians 3,
O that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness
which is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, that I may know
him and the power of his resurrection. That's our chief concern, our
chief interest, and our greatest desire, to be like Christ In
verse 8 it says this, now this is still our character in Christ.
It says here, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But they who are in Christ please God. They who are in Christ please
God. Turn with me to Hebrews 11. It
talks about, in Hebrews 11 verse 5, about Enoch, a man who believed
God. And because he believed God,
he pleased God. In Christ, believing God, God
is pleased. He is pleased with Christ, he
is pleased with us in him. It says in Hebrews 11, verse
5, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.
And he was not found, because God had translated him. For before
his translation, he had this testimony. He pleased God. How did he please God? He believed
God. And verse 6, read on, verse 6. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. Well, therefore, with faith,
God is pleased. Is he not? Without faith, it's
impossible to please God. But with faith, God is pleased. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. I do, do you? that he is the
reward of them that diligently seek him in Christ. I do, do
you? Then God is well pleased. So
our character in Christ is we walk the bend of our will, the
tenor of our lives, a holiness to the Lord. We are concerned
about the things of Christ. We seek first the kingdom of
God, and because we are in Christ and children of faith, God is
pleased. All right, beginning with verse
9. This section is our helper in
Christ, our helper. Look at verse 9 carefully. You're
not in the flesh, but you're in the Spirit. It's so big that
the Spirit of God dwells in you. What does this mean, we're not
in the flesh? It does not mean we're not human. because we certainly
are. It does not mean we have no sinful
thoughts, because we certainly do. It does not mean we have
no sensual desires and anger and pride and lust. It does not
mean that the old nature is eradicated. It cannot mean that, because
it's too real to us. Turn to Galatians 5. This is something that every
one of us deal with every day. the flesh and the stirrings of
the flesh. In Galatians 5, verse 16, this
I say to you, walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the
lust of the flesh. It doesn't mean you will not
have a problem with it, it doesn't mean you will not be agitated
by it, but walk in the Spirit, continue in the Spirit of God,
and you will fulfill it. The old man, the old nature,
lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh,
and these are contrary one to the other, so that you cannot
do the things that you would. You can't walk in evil. You're
not going to do it because you're in the spirit. But you can't
be perfect. You want to be, but the old nature
won't let you. Paul said, The things I would,
I do not. The things I would not do, I do. I found the law
worrying in me. And that's the flesh. So when
he says that you're not in the flesh, he certainly doesn't mean
that we're not human and we do not have these desires. But here's
what it means. Verse 9, look at it again, Romans
8 and 9. You're not in the flesh, but
you're in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now, if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his.
This is what Paul is saying. The flesh remains in us, it's
troublesome. But we are new creatures in Christ.
We have the Spirit of God in us. And the Spirit of God is
the dominating influence in our lives. Not the old nature. The old nature remains, but it
doesn't reign. The old nature is there, but
it's not the dominating, controlling influence. The new nature is
the dominating influence. Sin does not control us. The
Spirit of God does. Sin does not reign. spirit of
God reigns. Turn to Romans 6. Paul clearly
states this in Romans 6, beginning with verse 11. Romans 6.11. Romans 6.11. Likewise reckon
ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin reign in your mortal
body. It remains, and it will till
we lay this flesh down. It's a struggle and conflict
that's with us till death. But don't let it rain, that you
should obey it in the lust thereof. Don't yield your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin. Yield yourself to God. as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness unto God. Sin shall not have dominion,"
this is what we're talking about. Sin shall not have dominion over
you, you're not under the law, you're under grace. And our helper is the Holy Spirit
who dwells within us. Verse 9 says, Now the Spirit
of God dwells in you. Verse 10 says, If Jesus Christ
dwells in you, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and if Jesus Christ
dwells in you, the body is dead because of sin. We are bought
with a price. We are His. He dwells in us.
We belong to Him. And this body, and all that pertains
to it, is dead. And its awaiting burial is dead
because of sin. It'll never live on. It's dead.
It's got to die and be put in the ground because of sin, because
of the fall of Adam, because we're plagued with sin. But the
new man, look at this, the spirit of life, the spirit is life,
will never die because of righteousness. Isn't that a powerful statement? Listen to it again. This body
and all that pertains to it is dead. It's a hopeless case. It's a write-off. Let her go. It's dead. It's decaying. It's
rotting. Why? Because of sin. Because
of sin. There's no hope for it. You can't
redeem it. You can't modify it. You can't
change it. It's dead because of sin. It's
waiting burial. But the Spirit of life, and the
Spirit who is life, and the Spirit who has given us eternal life,
and a divine nature in the life of God, that life will never
die because of righteousness. This body will never live in
its present condition because it's sin. But this new man in
Christ Jesus, the Spirit of God dwells in you, and Christ dwells
in you, you can never die. Christ said, he that liveth and
believeth on me will never die, never die. Not this life. Never die. The old man is dead
because of sin, the new man lives because of righteousness. Whose
righteousness? His. His perfect righteousness. All right, verse 11 now. And
if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead will also quicken
this mortal And it's not going to stay mortal, it's going to
be immortal. It's not going to stay corrupt, it's going to be
incorruptible. It's not going to stay sin, it's
going to be made holy. That's the reason when Christ
comes, the Bible says he may come at any time. The voice of
the archangel, the trumpet of God will sound and Christ shall
come. And we which are alive and remain, suppose he came tonight,
here I am in a mortal body. My friends are buried. Their
bodies are going to come out glorified. He can't take me to
heaven in this shape. So what's going to happen? We
won't all die, but we shall all be changed. That's what it says. For this mortal must put on immortality. And this corruption must put
on incorruption. So when Christ comes, we which
are alive and remain shall be changed. and caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in there. So this same
Spirit of God that raised Christ, you don't need to turn to it,
let me look over here and read it to you. In Acts 2, verse 24,
listen, "...whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the pains
of death, because it was not possible for him to be holden
by it." This Jesus, that God raised from the dead, well, we're
all witnesses. This man, God raised from the
dead. The spirit of him that raised
up Christ from the dead, he dwells in you. And what it says back
here, if any man have not the spirit of God, he's none of his.
So he'll raise your mortal bodies. Yes, he will. Or verse 12 and
13. Therefore brethren, we're debtors. We who have the Spirit of God
and we in whom Christ dwells and we for whom he died and obeyed
the law, we cannot live after the flesh. We just can't do it. If you live after the flesh,
you are going to die, but if you are through the Spirit, do
mortify and subdue and put down the deeds of the body. That's
a sign of life. That's not going to give you
life, that's a sign of life. He'd be miserable living as a
believer. If God were to take a natural
man to heaven, he'd be miserable. But if he sent you to the pits
of the dam, you'd be miserable. The natural man would be miserable
living as a believer, and the believer would be miserable living
as a natural man. He can't do it. He just can't
do it. That's the reason in that scripture
I read a while ago, David said this. He said, One day in thy
courts is better than a thousand. A thousand where? In the courts
of the wicked. That's what he's talking about,
in the common courts. One day in God's house is worth
a thousand. He said, I'd rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. So
this is what he's saying here, brethren, verse 12, we're debtors
Not to the flesh, to live after the flesh, that would be a miserable
existence for a believer, to live after the flesh, be miserable. And it would be a sign of death.
But if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of this
body, it's a sign of life. Because you love holiness and
love righteousness and love Christ, that's a sign of life. All right,
verse 14, here's our family in Christ. That's this section here,
our family in Christ. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Now, we're living in
a day when the statement I'm about to make is not acceptable.
But I think I can make good on it. I know that I can, for those
who understand the Word of God. All men are not sons of God.
All women are not daughters of God. That's just so. All people are not sons of God.
God is not the Father of all men. That's just not so. He's
not the Father of all men. I want you to turn to the book
of John, chapter 8, and let our Lord deal with this subject himself. John, chapter 8. Let the Master
deal with it himself. He said in John 8, verse 38,
I speak that which I've seen with my Father. You know, he said to believers,
I go to my Father and your Father. So he's talking about the same
Father that's our Father. He said, when you pray, you say,
I Father, right in Heaven. So he said to these religious
fellows, I speak that which I've seen with my Father. You do that
which you've seen with your Father. Well, they objected to that.
They answered and said, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, if
you were Abraham's children, you'd do the works of Abraham.
But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the
truth which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. You do
the deeds of your father. Then said they unto him, We be
not born of fornication, We have one Father, God. God is the Father
of all men. We have one Father, God. Jesus
said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me. That's definite. If God were
your Father, you would love me. I proceeded forth and came from
God, neither came out of myself, he sent me. Why don't you understand
my speech? Because you cannot hear my word.
You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you
will do. He was a murderer from the very
beginning. He abode not in the truth. There's
no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
of his own. He's a father, he's a liar, and
he's the father of liars and liars. So who are the sons of God? I'm
going to give you five scriptures. Who are the sons of God? Romans
8.14, back to my text. As many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are sons of God. Number one. Number two, Christ,
I read it a while ago, John 8.42. He said, if God were your Father,
he'd love me. People are sons of God who are
loved by the Spirit of God, who love Christ. Thirdly, our Lord
said in John chapter 3, except a man be born again, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, that which is born of God is spirit. And marvel
not, I said, that ye must be born again. So, sons of God are
born of God. Born from above, born of God.
Your father is the one from whom you were born. My fleshly father
is the one who begat me. My spiritual father is the one
who begat me, born of God. John 1.12, To as many as received
him, to them gave he power to be called sons of God. to them that received him, to
them gave he--" He came unto his own, his own received him
not, the Jews. But as many as received him,
to them gave he the right, the privilege to be sons of God. The last verse, 1 Corinthians
16.22. If any man love not our Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Let him be anathema maranatha. a curse when Jesus comes. So verse 14 declares our family
in Christ, sons of God. You're led of the Spirit, you're
a son of God. Verse 15 says we've not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear. We're sons, we're not slaves. A slave is under the spirit of
bondage and fear. We're not under the frame of
mind and attitude of a slave or servant, but you have received
the spirit of adoption. You've been adopted. You're a
son of God. You've been adopted. That's the
spirit and frame of mind and attitude of a son. And here's
your cry, My Father, Father, Father. That's the cry of a child. You know, our Lord taught us
to pray, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Our Lord said, I go to my Father and your Father. And then in
Galatians 4, verse 6, I do want you to turn over here, Galatians
4, verse 6. Galatians 4, verse 6. This is
our family, family of God. Galatians 4, verse 6. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his Son. The Spirit himself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And
he that searcheth the hearts, that's God. He knows what is
the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. He says the Holy
Spirit makes intercession for us. Now, there is a two-fold intercession
in this chapter. Verse 34, it talks about Christ
interceding for us. Look at verse 34. Verse 34, who
is he that condemned? It's Christ that died, yea, rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God. He
makes intercession for us. Christ makes intercession for
us, Christ prays for us, Christ their presence is intercession
for us. He stands for us. But these two verses say the
Holy Spirit makes intercession, and having to do with prayer.
Because he says we don't know what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Holy Spirit takes up our case, and he makes intercession
for us. Now let me give you six things
having to do with this very thing right here. This helped me a
lot. The Spirit makes intercession for us by helping us to pray. I found it in my heart, somebody
said, to pray for you. How'd you find that in there?
Did you put it? No, he put it there. See what I'm saying? The
Spirit of God put it there. I found it in my heart to pray
for you. When Saul of Tarsus was smitten
on the road to Damascus, and God came to Ananias and said,
Go down there to that fellow Saul. He said, I don't want to
go down there, I heard about him. He said, Wait a minute, he's
praying. The Spirit of God put the spirit of prayer in him.
So the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities by helping us to
pray. Secondly, he's called the spirit
of supplication. Let me read that to you, over
here in the book of Zechariah, chapter 12. Listen to this. I will pour upon the house of
David, upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace
and supplication. And they will look to me whom
they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourned
for his only son. And shall be in bitterness for
him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." That's prayer
now. That's supplication. But when did this come? It came
when the spirit of supplication was poured out on him. Lord,
pour that spirit out on me. Pour that spirit out on me. Help
me to pray. Pour out the spirit of supplication
upon me. And then Paul said in Galatians,
the Holy Spirit actually speaks in us words of praise. He actually speaks in us. Turn
to Galatians chapter 4. See, that's not what this is
saying. Galatians chapter 4. Now there's seasons of prayer,
there's times of prayer, there's times of form. And I'm not condemning
the times of form. I'm just saying that the times
of supplication, the times of intercession, and those times
are when the Spirit of God is helping our infirmities and teaching
us the things for which we should pray and make an intercession
for us. He helps us to pray, he's the
Spirit of supplication. Look at Galatians 4.6. God sends forth the Spirit of
his Son into your heart, crying, Abba, Father. I read that a while
ago, but did you say who cries? The Spirit. The Spirit of God
in you. Abba, Father. The Spirit of God in you. God deliberately, on purpose,
sends his Holy Spirit in you. crying, Abba, Father. And then
he speaks through us. I'm very mindful of that being
true often when I'm preaching, not always, but often, Matthew
10. Because I get in the way myself
too often. In Matthew 10, verse 20, In verse 19, our Lord spoke to
his disciples and said, Now when they deliver you up, take no
thought how or what you shall speak. That's not condemning
preparation. Now don't ever, don't ever think
that. But you're going to be in situations, Christ said, these
apostles, when the things you can't prepare for, it's impossible
to prepare for. Don't worry about it now, for
it shall be given you in that same hour what you should speak,
for it's not you that speaks, but the Spirit of your Father
which speaks in you. Any reason why that shouldn't
be true of us, too? The Spirit of God speaks to you?
It's not you, it's the Spirit of God. He gives us a desire to pray.
and suitable expression, turn to Ephesians 6, and all these
fit into that, We know not the things of which we should pray, as we ought, but the Spirit himself
maketh intercession for us. Watch Ephesians 6, verse 19. always, with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplications
for all believers. Paul said, For me, that utterance
may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly, and make
known the mystery of the gospel. God would open my mouth and speak
through me. And then, back to my text, Romans
8. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray. The Holy Spirit is the spirit
of supplication. He speaks in us words of praise. He speaks through us words of
truth. He gives us the desire to pray.
He gives us suitable expression. He prays for us oftentimes. Do you ever pray this way? This
is the Spirit of God. You don't have anything to say.
You don't have any words in which to put your prayer. So he says, verse 26, the last
line, "...the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with
groanings and sighs which cannot even be
uttered." That's the Spirit of God. Then one other statement, verse 27, and he that searcheth
the hearts, this is the kind of prayer I seek and pray for,
and I know you do. He that searcheth the hearts,
who is that? That has to be God, God the Father. He searcheth the hearts. Now
how do I say it has to be? Let's turn to Jeremiah 17, verse
10. I want you to turn there with
me. See if I can make good on this,
Jeremiah 17.10. I, the Lord, search the heart. He says that in Psalm 139, he
knows my downshading, my uprightness, he knows my words, my thoughts.
I search the heart. I try to arrange. That's the
innermost being. Even to give to every man according
to his ways and According to the fruit of his doing, God searches
the heart. God knows our hearts. He knows
motives, thoughts, intent, desire. When we pray, he knows what's
going on in the air. And also, he knows what's the
mind of the Spirit. He that searches the heart, he
who knows us, knows the mind of the Spirit. God knows his
Spirit. When they are one, when my prayers
and my attitude's right, my spirit's right, and the Spirit of God
is motivating the prayer, you can be guaranteed sure that that
intercession is according to the will of God. Isn't that what
that says? He that searches the heart, tries
the reins, knows the person, he knows the mind of the And when they are won, when that
prayer is for the glory of God, for the good of his people, and
for the accomplishment of his purpose, it will be accomplished. It's according to the will of
God. Let me look at another scripture, 1 John 5. See if this goes along
with it. In 1 John 5, verse 14. This is
the confidence we have in him. If we ask anything according
to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears
us, what shall we ask? We know we have the petitions
we desire of him. All right, I hope that's a blessing
to you. When I get back from this trip,
I'll do the last part of this message and get that Romans chapter
8, 28-39, that will probably take a whole service to even
talk about our covenant mercies in Christ.