Our Standing and Character

Q: What does the Bible say about our standing in Christ?

The Bible teaches that those who are in Christ Jesus have no condemnation. Romans 8:1 declares that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This means that believers are free from the judgment and guilt of sin because Christ has paid the penalty for our sins through His death and resurrection. This standing is not based on personal righteousness but entirely on Christ's redemptive work. Believers are accepted and loved by God, and no charge can be brought against them (Romans 8:33-34).

Q: How do we know that Christ's sacrifice removes our condemnation?

Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to remove our condemnation as He has perfectly fulfilled the law on our behalf. In Romans 8:3, Paul explains that God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh, which means the law's requirements have been fully met in Christ. By His obedience and sacrificial death, believers are declared righteous. Hebrews 10:14 affirms this by stating that by one offering, Christ has perfected forever those who are sanctified. Therefore, our assurance of no condemnation rests on the finished work of Christ, who has taken our sins upon Himself.

Q: Why is having no condemnation important for Christians?

Having no condemnation is crucial as it frees Christians from fear of judgment and empowers them to live in grace. The concept of no condemnation is foundational to the Christian faith because it ensures that believers are free from fear of judgment and death. Romans 8:1 assures us that in Christ, we are not subject to condemnation, allowing us to approach God confidently. This freedom motivates Christians to live godly lives, grounded in gratitude for Christ's work rather than anxiety about failing to measure up. It affirms our identity in Christ, enabling us to focus on spiritual growth and obedience as a response to God’s grace.

Q: How does Romans 8 describe the character of a believer?

Romans 8 illustrates that a believer's character is defined by walking in the Spirit rather than the flesh. Romans 8:4 states that those who are in Christ Jesus do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. This indicates that a believer's character is fundamentally transformed; they are no longer slaves to sin but are empowered to pursue righteousness. The mindset of the believer is set on spiritual things, which leads to life and peace (Romans 8:6). Their lives begin to reflect the holiness and character of Christ as they grow in grace and knowledge, indicating a new nature in which the Holy Spirit actively works.

Q: What confirms the eternal security of believers in Christ?

The eternal security of believers is confirmed by Christ's intercession and the permanence of His sacrifice. In Romans 8:34, Paul emphasizes that Christ, who died and was raised, now intercedes for us at the right hand of God. This assurance that Christ continually represents us before God confirms that our salvation is secure. Additionally, Hebrews 10:14 states Christ has perfected forever those who are sanctified, reinforcing that His sacrifice is sufficient for our eternal security. Thus, believers are assured that nothing can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

I'll share with you where I found
the title for this message, The Word of God, One Glorious
Name. I was reading a hymn by Joseph
Hart, who said the scriptures and the
Lord Jesus by one glorious name, the written and the incarnate
words in all things are the same. What Christ said will be fulfilled
on this rock every believer builds. Heaven and earth shall both pass
away. Our Lord shall stand, his word
prevail. I don't worship the Bible. I
reverence the Bible. I believe the Bible. I worship
Christ. But I'm sharing this with you.
You can't separate Christ and his word. David said, I believe, therefore
I speak. Paul repeated it in the New Testament,
I believe, therefore I speak. And you cannot separate Christ
from his word. In fact, when Moses prophesied
of the coming of the Redeemer in his offices, prophet, priest,
and king, Moses wrote, God will raise up a prophet like unto
me. And he will put his words in
that prophet's mouth, and that prophet shall speak unto thee
all that God commands him. And it will come to pass that
whosoever will not hearken unto God's word, which that prophet
shall speak in his name, God will require it of him. in Psalm 119, thy word, O God,
have I here in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy word. I rejoice in the
word of the Lord more than in all riches. I will meditate upon
thy word. I will reverence thy I would
delight myself in thy word, and I'll not forget thy word." I love that poem that Martin
Luther wrote so many years ago, 500 years ago. He said, Feelings come and feelings
go, and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the word of the
Lord. Nothing else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel
condemned for want of some sweet token, I know one greater than
my heart whose word cannot be broken. So I'll trust in God's
unchanging word till soul and body sever. The words of men
that all pass away. God's word abides forever. Reverence
it, love it, believe it, meditate upon it, delight in it, and never
forget it. The word of the Lord. Horatious
Bonar. I love the testimony of these
old men. They've stood the test of time. We're talking about centuries
among God's people. Horatious Bonar. This is one
of the greatest things I've ever read, a personal testimony in
regard to the word of God. Bonar said, Though I see in myself
the chief of centers, yet I believe God's word, that in Christ there
is no condemnation for me. And though conscious of my own
ignorance, and my foolishness in the flesh. I believe God's
word, which declares that Christ is my wisdom, and in him I can
see God and know God. For he has made unto me wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Though sensible of my sins, sin
in nature and sin in my flesh, sensible of my sin. God's word
declares that in Christ, by faith, through grace, by his blood,
I'm holy, perfectly holy, unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight. And though I see evil covering
this earth, And I see Satan exercising dominion as the prince of the
power of the air, everywhere. Yet God's word declares that
Satan is defeated. His power is crushed. Evil is
defeated and cast out, and that the Lord Jesus Christ reigns.
And that God has put all things already under his feet. And there we see now all things
under his feet, they are there, awaiting his coming and the revelation
of his glory. He continues, I come up with
these eyes to see a visible Christ. I don't see a visible Christ. I come out where these eyes see
a cross, or a throne, or even a Holy Spirit. And yet by his word I believe
on and in a crucified, buried and risen Christ, who now reigns on a throne of
grace, at the right hand of the majesty and glory. And as he
sent his blessed spirit, he said, I'll send you another Comforter,
and he'll take the things of mine and show them to you, and
he'll glorify me. And I see in his word that he
has sent that blessed Comforter to quicken me, call me, give
me faith, and lead me to love and rest in and look to him for
all things. Actually, what I see with my
natural eyes, this is what I see. I see sin, I see sickness, I
see the deathbed, I see the coffin, and I see the grave. Yet I don't
believe in sickness. I believe in his health. He heals all my sicknesses and
diseases, satisfies my mouth with good things. My youth is
renewed like the eagle. I don't believe in death. I believe
in him whose life is honest. I don't believe in corruption.
I believe in holiness, his holiness, his righteousness, that one day
will cover the earth like the water covers the sea. I don't
believe in mortality, but in immortality and glory swallowed
up in victory through Christ Jesus. I don't believe in the
grave, but in him who conquered the grave, who said, I am the
resurrection, I am the life. He that believes in me will never
die. Actually, what I see with my
eyes, I don't believe. And for the passion of this earth
gave it away. But what I see in his word with
an eye of faith, that's what I believe. That's the foundation on which
my hope, faith rests. Why, we look not at things that
are seen. We look at things that are not
seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. gone tomorrow. But the things
which are not seen with the natural eye, but only with our faith,
revealed by the Spirit of God, are eternal. That's what I believe. And I
ask God for no sign, I ask him for no vision, I ask him for no evidence, either
or dream within, God has given me his word, sufficient, complete. He confirmed it in his bested
Son, by his death and resurrection. And thou shalt my faith and my
confidence and my soul rests until he brings it all to pass.'
So, my friends, as Joseph Hart said, the scriptures and the
Lord, by one glorious name, the written word, the incarnate word,
and all things are the same. What my Lord has said will be
fulfilled. Rest in it. And on this, as the
believer shall be, heaven knowing, will pass away, but his word
shall stand, his truth prevail. Did not our Lord say to Martha,
I told you, Martha, if you would believe, you would see the glory
of God? I told you that. If you would
believe, you would see the glory of God. I tell you again at this moment,
if you will believe, you will see the glory of God. What you
are looking at here is not glory, nothing to it. It is here today
and gone tomorrow. But what you don't see with these
eyes, but what you see in his word, every promise, prophecy,
will be fulfilled. Several years ago, I put the
8th chapter of Romans into 7 divisions, 7 sections, which I found to
be so helpful in teaching and in remembering its promises. That's where we're going to be
for a few minutes this morning, and then tonight I'm going to
continue this message. Now, Ralph Erskine said about
the 8th chapter of Romans, it's a garden of beautiful blessings. It's a field of faithful promises. It's a string of precious pearls
to be considered individually and together. Let me give you
these seven divisions, and you jot them down in your Bible.
I'm going to look at two this morning and five this evening. through four, we have our standing
in Christ. In verses 5, beginning with verse
5, we have our character in Christ. And beginning with verse 9, we
have our helper in Christ. And beginning with verse 14,
we have our family in Christ. And beginning with verse 18,
we have our expectation in Christ. And beginning with verse 27,
we have our covenant in Christ. This is such a rich chapter,
and I hope it will be a blessing to you this day. This is the
word of God, the word of God. Paul said to young Timothy, Preach
the word, preach the word. Here in chapter 8, verse 1, we
have first our standing in Christ. It says, There is therefore now,
right now, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.
Right now, this present time, there is no judgment. That's
what that word means, judgment, condemnation, to these who are
in Christ Jesus. He doesn't say we are not condemnable.
He doesn't say we are without fault and without sin. We condemn
ourselves. We condemn ourselves, our thoughts,
our words, our deeds. But sin cannot condemn us, and
Satan cannot condemn us, and the law cannot condemn us, and
judgment cannot condemn us, because Christ paid for our sins and
put them away. Therefore, because Christ paid
for our sins, there is no condemnation. Look over at verse 34. That's
what he repeats in verse 34. He says, Who is he that condemneth?
He challenges heaven, hell, the earth, the law. Who can condemn
him? How can you be so confident that
you have no judgment awaiting, no charge, no condemnation? He
tells us why. Christ died. Not only died, but he rose again. Not only rose again, but he ascended
to heaven. And not only ascended to heaven,
but he prays for me, makes intercession. So there is no condemnation.
That's what Paul says in Hebrews 10. Let me read this to you,
Hebrews 10. It says in verse 14, Hebrews 10,
by one offering, Christ hath perfected for ever them that
are sanctified. And verse 16 says, This is the
covenant I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord.
I put my law in their hearts and their minds when I write
them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. A debt
paid cannot be collected again. So Jesus paid it all, all the
debt I owe, sin left to crimson stains, he washed it white as
snow. There is now, right now, no condemnation. Believers neither
fear death nor judgment, because there is no condemnation to them
who are in Christ. That's our standing in Christ.
We are chosen in Christ, we are loved in Christ, we are redeemed
in Christ, we are accepted in Christ, we are seated in Christ. Not only are there no condemnations
to us in Christ, this is our standing, no condemnation, but
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free
from the law of sin and death. We are free from the law of sin
and death. Listen to me. We are not free
from obedience to the statutes of God. are the laws of God,
are the commandments of God. Christ said, this is my commandment,
that you love one another. So we're not praying from obedience
to Christ, obedience is love. What he's saying here, we're
praying from the curse of the broken law. We're praying from
the judgment of the broken law. This is what this verse is saying.
The law of the spirit of life in Christ, that is the covenant
of grace in Christ. And it's forever freed us from
the covenant of works, given to Moses. We're not under that
Mosaic bondage, Levitical law, nor under its curse. Scripture
says, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things
written in the book of the law to do it. Well, we haven't, we
aren't, and we can't. But Christ has redeemed us from
that covenant, so we're free. from the law of sin and death.
You see, the law has no dealings with faith, the law doesn't talk
about mercy, the law talks about obedience. I can't produce it,
neither can you, but Christ did. And in him there is no judgment,
in him there is no curse, in Christ Jesus. This is the next
verse. in that it was weak through the
flesh. The law wasn't weak. God's law is not weak. It's powerful
and strong. But we're weak. The weakness
is not in the law, it's in us. The inability is not in the law,
it's in us. So how did God correct it? Look
at verse 3. God sending his own son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh. Our Lord Jesus Christ came down
here bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, as a man, born of a
woman, conceived of the Holy Spirit, but born of a woman,
and walked this earth in the flesh, he obeyed the law. Every
jot and kettle, chattel, he obeyed the law perfectly as a man. As
my representative, your representative, mine. In Adam I died, in Christ
I am made alive. In Adam I was made sin, in Christ
I am made righteous. He's our substitute, he's our
representative, he's our redeemer, and he fulfills for us everything
God requires. And that's what it says here,
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in earth.
That's it, the righteousness of the law fulfilled in earth.
Did we fulfill it? No, he did as our substitute,
he did as our surety, he did as our representative. By one
man, sin entered this world, and death by sin. So death passed
upon all men, and Adam would die. But by one man, obedience
and death, righteousness, forgiveness, justification came upon all believers. Our standing in Christ, no judgment. I don't have to be afraid of
the judgment. He has already been judged and
crucified. put it away. I don't have to
be afraid of death. It's not going to be long, so
I don't have to fear it. I can look forward to it with
great anticipation, because in Christ I'm holy as God. You're afraid to say that? No!
With his spotless garments on, I'm as holy as his Son. In Christ,
in myself, I'm the chief of sinners. I know that. In myself, in my
flesh dwelleth no good thing. Not one good thing. So many things
that are wrong and out of whack. But in Christ we are holy, unblameable,
unreprovable in God's sight, because Christ is our Redeemer
and our Substitute. And we are free from the law
of sin and death. No condemnation, no judgment,
no curse, righteously. Here is the second thing. with
the rest of our character, our character in Christ. You notice
two times I read there, they walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit. Verse 1, see that? Who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Verse 4, that the righteousness
of the Lord might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. This is our new character. I
walk. What's the His walk is the general
direction of his life. The general direction. It's the
tenor of his life. It's what he is, generally. Oh,
I know, you know, a river flows south. The rivers flow south. The water takes the line of least
resistance. It goes down, down, down, down,
down. That's the tenor of the river.
That's the direction of the river. But sometimes it flows east and
west, sometimes it goes back the other way. But it's General
Penner's thought! That's where Believer is. He
walks in the light. There are times when he gets
mad and he walks in and takes it. That's right. There are times
when he says things and thinks things and does things. He's
not flowing south, he's flowing north. He's not going in the
direction of holiness. And he hates himself for it.
When he gets upset with you, he's as upset with him as he
is with you, with himself. He'll go home and cry over it,
because he said, I didn't walk in the Spirit, I walked in the
flesh. But his general direction and
the tenor of his life and the bent of his will is to be like
Christ, holding us to the Lord. Somebody asked Spurgeon, if God
gave you anything you wanted, what would you ask for? He said,
Lord, make me just like the Lord Jesus Christ. Make me holy. And I'm going to be someday.
So that's what it means. He uses the word, mind. Look at verse 5 and 6 and 7. The word, mind, m-i-n-d. It says,
Later after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. Later
after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit. To be kindly
minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because
the kind of mind is imitated against God. You say, what does
this thing, mind, mean? What's the word? It's over and
over again. What does it mean? It's to be consumed with. It means to be anxious about.
It means to be taken up with. overly concerned about. So we'll
get that way. Listen, verse 5. They live after
the flesh, the world. They are consumed with the world,
with the flesh. They are anxious about the things
of the flesh. They are taken up with the things
of the world. They are overly concerned about the things of
the world. But they live after the Spirit. What is their mind?
They mind the things of God. They are interested in what this
word says. They are interested in fellowship with God. They
are interested in growing in grace and the knowledge of Christ.
They're anxious about the kingdom of God. As Christ said, seek
ye first the kingdom of God, first and foremost. These things will be added to
you. That's why our Lord said we have to be born again, because
the spiritual man, he's anxious about, concerned about, taken
up with, consumed with the things of God. He works, makes a living. He's a good worker. He's probably
the best worker on the crib. He loves his family, provides
for his children, builds him a house, goes about his job,
drives his bus, fixes the electric, plumbing, all these things. These
things are the flesh. He has to do them, he enjoys
doing them, and there are times he's taken over them. But his
heart and mind and soul and affection is set on things above. You see
what I'm talking about? Things above. The worldly man,
the natural mind, is against holiness. The natural mind is
sensual, selfish, selfish. The natural mind wants my way,
not God's way. The natural mind rejects the
Word, rejects God's way. The natural mind cannot be mended,
cannot be modified, cannot be improved. It has to be killed.
The old man has to die. A new man is created in Christ
Jesus. And that's our standings in Christ
and our character, is if any man is in Christ, he's born again,
he's a new creature in Christ, he's a new man. Old things, the
things he was so taken up with and absorbed in and consumed
with, he's just not that interested anymore. He doesn't neglect family,
he doesn't neglect friends, he doesn't neglect his work. He's
a better workman. He doesn't neglect his responsibilities,
he doesn't neglect his community. He's a good citizen, he obeys
the law, but he has affections on things above. Oh, to win Christ
and be found in him. Oh, to be made like Christ. Oh,
to know Christ. That's it. That's it. Augustine
wrote one time, he said this. How can snow be made warm? By making it cease to be snow. So when they that are consumed
with and anxious about and taken up with this world cannot please
God, they have to cease to be what they are and become, in
Christ, a new person. And that new person will be taken
up with the things of God.

Our Standing and Character

What does the Bible say about our standing in Christ?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice removes our condemnation?

Why is having no condemnation important for Christians?

How does Romans 8 describe the character of a believer?

What confirms the eternal security of believers in Christ?

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Our Standing and Character

What does the Bible say about our standing in Christ?

How do we know that Christ's sacrifice removes our condemnation?

Why is having no condemnation important for Christians?

How does Romans 8 describe the character of a believer?

What confirms the eternal security of believers in Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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