I want to take you tonight through
Romans 8 in a message that I shall call, A Journey Through Romans 8. The Lord instructed His preachers
to do what not many preachers are doing
today, regrettably. He instructed his preachers to
comfort his people. Comfort his people. He said,
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. Speak ye comfortably,
speak ye to the hearts of my people. And there is no better
scripture in the Bible with which to comfort the Lord's people
more than Romans chapter 8. Ralph Erskine said this about
Romans the 8th chapter. He said, this chapter is a garden
of beautiful blessings. This chapter is a field of promises
in Christ. This chapter is a string of precious
pearls that can be considered altogether, or if the string
is broken, one at a time. And I want you to look at this
chapter this evening, beginning with verse 1. And I have about
eight things that I want you to write in the margin of your
Bible. as we go on this journey through
Romans 8. And here in the first four verses,
verses 1, 2, 3, 4, I want you to write out there in the margin,
I was standing, I was standing in Christ. I was standing in
Christ. It says in verse 1, there is
therefore now no condemnation. to them which are in Christ Jesus.
The apostle didn't say that we're not condemnable. We know that
we are. We call ourselves the chief of
sinners. But what he's saying is that
sin cannot condemn us, because we're in Christ who bore our
sins. There's no condemnation. There's
no judgment to them who are in Christ. He bore our sins and
paid for them. The people who walk not after
the flesh but after the Spirit, they have no condemnation. And
then verse 2, continuing this standing, for the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ, Jesus, has made us free from the law
of sin and death. We're free from the law of Moses,
the law of sin and death. The law says, Cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law
to do them. But Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the law. We're not under that law. We're
not in bondage any longer. And Paul said in Galatians, don't
allow any preacher to put you back under that bondage. We're
free, free, the law of the Spirit of Christ, life in Christ. It's freed us from the law of
sin and death. The law can't bring anything
but death. It exposes sin, but it can't
put it away. So there's no judgment. We're
freed from the law of sin and death. Verse 3, listen, 3 and
4, "...for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh." The law wasn't weak. It was the flesh that was weak.
It wasn't the law that's weak. The law's good. But we mess it
up. The flesh is weak. God, sending
His own Son in the likeness of our sinful flesh and for sin,
as a sacrifice for sin, literally condemned sin in the flesh and
put it away. Listen, verse 4, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled, actually fulfilled in us. In us. perfect righteousness
already fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. That will comfort you. That's
our standing. No condemnation, no judgment,
free from the law of sin and death, delivered from bondage,
the captive set free. And a perfect righteousness already
fulfilled in us. Not as Scott said, paste it on. It's fulfilled in us. All right,
now, verses 5 through 8, right out there at this outline, and
verses 5, 6, 7, 8, our character. You know, it kept saying, they
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Our character. Verse 5 says, For they that are
after the flesh, Natural men, not in Christ, do mind the things
of the flesh. That word mind says this, that's
their concern, the things of the flesh and of the world. That's
what they're anxious about. That's what they're taken up
with. That's the reason our Lord said, what shall we eat, what
shall we drink, what shall we wear? The Lord knows you have
need of these things. After these things, the Gentiles
are concerned that heathen and pagans and anxiety and concern,
they do mind these things. That's what they're interested
in. But he says, they that are after the Spirit, those in Christ
Jesus, they mind, they're concerned about and anxious about and taken
up with. the things of the Spirit of God,
spiritual things. I was talking to a man the other
day, and a lot of the Lord's people have a little anxiety
about death and eternity, especially when they get older. And I told this man, we were
talking about the hope we have in Christ, And I know him real
well, and I said to him, I said, now, you love the gospel. Oh,
yes, I do. I said, there's nothing you'd
rather do than hear the gospel. Oh, yes, that's right. I play
tapes after tapes. I listen to the gospel. It's
my happiest times when I'm listening to the gospel and studying the
things of God. I said, you're concerned about
the things of God. That's the mark of the elect.
That's the mark of the elect. That's what he says, they that
are after the flesh, what do they mind? What are they concerned
about? What are they taken up with? The things of this world. But God's people are taken up
with the things of Christ. That's evidence of the new birth. Verse 6, listen, to be carnally
minded, to be taken up with and concerned about carnal things. To be only concerned with this
flesh is death. That's a sign of death. That's
evidence of death. That's the fruit of death. But
to be spiritually minded, to be taken up with the things of
Christ, to be concerned about the things of God, that's life. That's the evidence of life in
you. I tell you, if the life of Christ wasn't in you, you
wouldn't be interested in these words, taking up with them, rejoicing
in them. Christ is your life. That's to be spiritually minded. That's life and peace. Because,
verse 7 and 8, listen, because the carnal mind, the natural
mind is enmity, hates God. The natural mind hates God. The
natural mind reasons against God, and not subject to the law
of God, not subject to the gospel of Christ, does not give God
the glory. Listen, neither indeed can be.
The natural mind cannot be mended. It has to be destroyed. And a
new mind, a new man created, John Newton said one time, snow
and ice will remain snow and ice until it's changed. It can't
be anything else until it's changed. And when it's changed, it's no
longer snow and ice. And that's the way with the natural
mind. It hates God, hates the truth of God. And it can't be
subject to the law of God, it can't be, it won't be. It has
to be changed, a new man. So then, verse 8, they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. Now then, verse 9, and let me
show you a scriptural, Psalm 65, 4, our character. It's to be spiritually minded. It's to be taken up with and
concerned about the things of God. The flesh, the natural mind
is concerned about the things of the world and not interested
in the things of God. Look at Psalm 65, 4. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee. that he may dwell
in thy courts, and be satisfied, we shall be satisfied with the
goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." That's a regenerated
man. And if that's you and me, give
thanks, because God did that. God put that spiritual nature
and heart and interest and concern and dedication in you, that love
for the gospel. Even here we are tonight, going
over Scripture you've read dozens of times, and yet it's just as
fresh and new and glorious and comforting and edifying as it
was the first time you heard it. Now, that's a spiritual matter. Natural men hate this. It's burdensome. It's worrisome. And if you're sitting here, I
don't believe there's anybody like that here tonight, but if
you're sitting here tonight and this is burdensome and worrisome
to you, that's a dangerous condition. This is the children's bread.
And that's life. To be spiritually minded is life. To be worldly minded is death.
That's our character. Alright, here's the third thing.
Verse 9 through 13, right out there in the margin, our Helper.
We need help. Bob was praying a while ago,
we're a poor and needy people. And we need help. But we have
sufficient help. Listen. Verse 9. You're not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. So, the Spirit of God dwells
in you. He is our teacher. He is our
comforter. He is our God. He is our influence. He is our helper. Turn with me
to John. Two passages in John. Hold that
text there now and just go to John 14. John chapter 14, verse 16 and
17. Listen to this. We have a helper. The Spirit
of God dwells in you. The Spirit of the living God.
The Father chose us, the Son redeemed us, and the Spirit came
here and dwells in us as our Helper. John 14, 16, 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 the world seeth him not, neither
knoweth him, but you know him. For he dwells with you, and shall
be in you. We have a help greater is he
that's in you than he that's in the world." They have a spirit,
but it's another spirit. Spirit of antichrist, spirit
of rebellion, spirit of evil, spirit of heresy. Turn to John
16 now, and listen to our Lord. speaking here to his disciples.
And they're sad and their hearts are troubled and sorrowful because
he's leaving. But he said in verse 13 of John
16, how be it? When he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he'll guide you into all truth. He'll not speak of
himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and
he'll show you things to come. And he shall glorify me, for
he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you." He's our
helper. Oh, the Holy Spirit is our helper. And that's what he says here
in our text here in verse 9. The Spirit of God dwells in you. Now verse 9 of Romans 8, If any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. We don't need
to be praying for the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit. Let's
pray for the Holy Spirit's wisdom, and grace, and the Holy Spirit
to give us understanding, and power, and peace, and rest. These things. But the Spirit
of God is in us. Listen to verse 10. Now, if Christ
be in you, If Christ and His Spirit be in you, the Spirit
of Christ, the Spirit of God be in you, the body is dead because
of sin. The body of flesh and all that
pertains to it is dead, subject to death, and dying. What did
I read Monday at Wally's memorial service? This outward man perishes
and dies daily. This outward man. The body is dead because of sin. It's dead, it's sentenced to
the grave, it's dying, there's not anything about it that's
going to survive. But the inward man is renewed every day, because
the Spirit of God is in that inward man. If Christ be in you,
the Spirit of God in you, the body is dead because of sin,
but the Spirit is life because of Christ's righteousness. Because
of sin, death passed on all men. Added by one man's sin, entered
the world. By one man's disobedience, sin
entered the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon
all men by the obedience of Christ. We were made alive. See that? The Holy Spirit is our helper.
Verse 11, And the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you. He that raised up Christ from
the dead will quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells
in you. He's our helper. He's going to
raise us. He gave us life. He comforts
us. He helps us. He teaches us. Someday,
He'll raise this body. He raised Christ. Spirit of God
dwelt in Him. Same Spirit dwells in you. If
He raised Christ, He'll raise you. Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. If we
live after the flesh, we're going to die. If this world is your
goal and object of affection, and what shall a man profit if
he gained the whole world? He'll just die, that's all. But
if you, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of this body,
you'll live. A person who has received the
life of God in Christ, I don't believe he can live after the
flesh. I think he hates the flesh. I think he loves God. and hates
the flesh. And that's the evidence of his
union with Christ is that he loves the Savior and hates the
flesh, despises it. And he'll be glad when it's buried.
And he'll be done with it forever. And three things somebody said
one time with which a believer is most concerned. Think about
this. Number one is a commitment to
Christ. Paul said, oh that I may win
Christ and be found in Him. He's a believer who's taken up
with that right there. Secondly, is communion with Christ. Oh that I may know Him and the
fellowship of His sufferings. Walk with Him. Know Him. Thirdly, he's taken up with conformity
to Christ. He wants to be like Christ. That
I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead, Paul continued that
same, that was his threefold desire. Commitment to Christ,
that I may win Christ and be found in Him. Communion with
Christ, that I may know Him and His fellowship. And thirdly,
that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead and be conformed
to His image. Now, a man that's taken up with
those things ain't taken up with the world now. He's just not. He does what he has to do, he
serves where he has to serve, he fills in where he has to fill
in, but he'll be glad when the whole thing's over. And he's
with Christ. Alright, right in verse 14 through
17, write these words, our heritage, Our heritage, our family. It says in verse 14, for as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they're sons of God. They're
sons of God. Regenerated by the Spirit, indwelt
by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, sons of God. You're no longer
Jacob, you're a prince. You're a son of God. Beloved,
now are we sons of God. It does not yet appear what we
shall be, but we know when He shall appear we'll be like Him
because we're sons of God. As many as received Him, to them
gave He the right to become sons of God, daughters of God. And
then verse 15. For you have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear." What's the spirit of bondage?
It's the fear of a slave. It's the attitude of a slave.
It's the attitude of a servant. That's not our spirit. We've
not received the spirit of bondage, fear, servants, slaves, but you've
received the spirit of adoption whereby you cry, Abba, Father. That doesn't sound much like
that fellow scared, is it? My Father. Abba is the Hebrew
or Syriac word for Father, and the Father here is the Greek
word for Father. Father, Father. Jew or Gentile,
rich or poor, old or young, male or female. Father, Father. My
Father. My Father. My Father. We're sons of God. Children of
God. That's our heritage, that's our
family. And verse 16, the same Spirit
bears witness with our spirit that we're children of God. He
bears witness with our spirit, not with our eyes and ears and
visions and signs. The Holy Spirit bears witness
with the spirit, your spirit, that you're a child of God. I have a birth certificate that
tells me that I'm a child or a son of John C. and Aline Mahan. I don't have anything like a
prayer to show you that I'm a child of God. But I got proof in here
that I'm a child of God. His spirit bears witness with
my spirit. I'm a child of God. I cry, Abba,
Father. And if I'm a child, verse 17,
I'm an heir. I'm an heir of God, an inheritance
incorruptible and defiled, reserved in heaven that fadeth not away,
a joint heir with Christ. So be that we suffer with Him.
If I was on the cross with Him and in the tomb and risen, if
I walk with Him today, if I bear His reproach, I'll be glorified
with Him. He said in John 17, the scripture
Brother Bob read, The glory which thou hast given me, I have given
them. The same glory. The glory which
you have given me, I have given them. Sons of God. That's our
heritage. Wow, that's comforting. That
will make the old deathbed pillar awful soft. Awful soft. And the tears diluted with joy. And then, here's the fifth thing,
our expectation. Write that in verse 18 through
23. Our expectation. If we didn't have expectation,
we'd be a lowly and most miserable. What is our expectation? Well,
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us." Now, no trial or suffering is easy. If trials were without pain and
sorrow and discomfort, they wouldn't accomplish the purpose for which
God sends them. But when we're able, as I said
Monday morning, when we're able to look at earth's trials and
earth's sorrows, in the light of heaven's glory, Christ's glory,
eternal glory, then this verse comes alive. I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory that shall be ours. And that's the only time
that they can be minimized is in the light of that. That's right. Nobody can take
a person's place. Impossible. A sorrow is not removed
because somebody moves in in the place of it. Not so. The
only thing that can make it bearable is to compare it with His glory
and His presence. Now that's right. That's the
only thing that makes it bearable. They're not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed. Verse 19, 5. Put the
word creation where you have creature. Just, if you want to,
I don't mind you just being responsible for your changing it in your
Bible. I think the old English just used creature here, meaning
creation. Read it, creation. For the earnest
expectation of the creation, the whole creation is waiting
for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation
was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him
who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself
also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
This whole world was affected by Adam's sin. Death in the animals
and plants and everything. The withering of the leaves.
The drying up of the grass, the storms and earthquakes, when
the earth shakes itself and trembles. God one day is going to destroy
this old creation and have a new creation. And that's waiting
until He makes us like Christ. Alright, when He makes us like
Christ, manifests His sons in His image, vindicates His sons,
manifests who they are in His image, He's going to make a new
world for them to dwell on, wherein dwelleth righteousness. A new
heaven, a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. And they're
waiting on us to be like Christ, the whole creation. All right.
Now then, verse 23, and not only they, but ourselves also who
have the firstfruits of the Spirit. We were down in Mexico having
a meeting. A man and his wife and children
came into the service, and he had something in his hand just
before the service started. And he came down to the offering
table, and he put three cantaloupes on the table. And then he went
over and took his place and sat down, he and his wife and children.
And I punched by the Walter. I said, what's that? He said,
that's his first fruits. He raises cantaloupes and watermelons
and sells them. That's the first three on his
vines this year. And he picked them and brought
them in offering to the Lord. That's the first fruits. That's
what first fruits is. It's the promise of many to come.
I bet he had a harvest that year too. The promise of many. And
we, we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, what's that? You
have hope. and love and faith and grace. That's just the first phrase.
We've got a little bit of heaven right now. That's just the peep. We're just peeping in. And it's
going to be so big. It's going to be so great. The
harvest is going to be so great. Is that clear what I'm saying?
We have in this congregation a little bit of what we have
a whole lot of in heaven. A little bit of what you'll have
a whole lot of. That's right. That's what that's
talking about. So this was a little bit of his
harvest, but it was the first fruits. But this is just like
all of that. It's just more of it. And the
love which we have for Christ will be the same love we have
there, just be a whole lot more of it. The grace we have here
is the same grace we'll have there, just a whole lot more
of it. See what I'm saying? Understanding that we have here
of the gospel is just the first fruits. It's the same understanding
we'll have there, just a whole lot more of it. Understand. All right. Now, right, verse
24 through 27, right in margin, our hope. Our hope, our expectation was
18 through 23, and our hope is 24 through 27. Listen. For we
are saved by hope. Now, we're not saved by hope. The same thing, we're not saved
by faith. We're saved by Christ. We're saved in hope. That's a
better word. In hope. When we're saved in
hope, we're saved. That's right, in hope of eternal
glory. We're saved. We're saved with
that hope in mind, with that hope in our heart. Turn to Titus. Let me see if I can help us with
this. It says the same thing, they just word it differently.
We're saved by hope. That is, we're saved in hope.
We're saved by faith. We're saved through faith. All
right, look at Titus 1, verse 1. Paul, a servant of God. Titus
1 verse 1, and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the
faith of God's elect, and acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness
in hope of eternal life. We have the faith of God's elect
and the acknowledging of the truth in hope of eternal life,
in hope, which God that cannot lie promised before the world
began. So that makes it an awful good
hope if he promised it. That's if we have His Word for
us. We're saved. We believe on Christ. We receive
Christ in hope of eternal life. Resting in this hope, we're saved. Abraham believed God. And resting
in the Word of God, he was saved. He had a hope of a son. And resting
in that hope, he was saved. He had a hope of His seed being
like the stars in the sky. And resting in that hope, He
was saved. So in hope, if a man didn't have
hope of God fulfilling His Word, he wouldn't be saved. See what
I'm saying? So resting in hope of eternal
life, we're saved. Because look at verse 25. If we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it? We believe God, we patiently
wait for the fulfillment of His promises, which are as sure as
His throne. People who rest in hope of the
fulfillment of His promises, and patiently in Christ wait
for that fulfillment, that's His people. That's a good hope. And our helper in all of this
is the Holy Spirit. He helps our hope. He strengthens
our hope. Verse 26, likewise the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities. Well, we've got a lot of them.
Doubts and fears and murmurings and complaints and anxiety, but
He helps our infirmities. We don't know the things we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession
for us. with groanings which cannot be
uttered. He makes intercession for us.
He searches the heart. He knows what's the mind of the
spirit because He makes intercessions for the saints according to the
will of God. Our Helper. Listen to me a minute. The Lord knoweth our frame. He
knoweth that we're dust. We don't need to try to impress
Him. He'll help us. Now that's just
being yourself. Just don't try to be religious
and don't try to impress God and don't try to talk so that
you can maybe move heaven on your behalf. God, the Holy Spirit
prays for us. The Holy Spirit prays for us.
The Holy Spirit is our helper. The Holy Spirit makes intercession
for us. He knoweth our frame. He remembers
that we are dust. We don't need to impress Him.
He lives in us. And He'll pray for us. He won't
let you fall. He won't let you fall. No, sir, not if you're
His. He's our hope. The Holy Spirit is our helper
and He's our hope. Gives us hope. And He'll pray
for us. That's right. Now here is, in
verses 28 through 30, is our covenant. You know when
David came to die, he was about four years older than I am, five
years older than I am, and he was younger than some of you
are. But anyway, he was 75 when he came to die. And this is what
he said. And it's hard for us to realize
that reading about David's final words, that we're right at the
place where that needs to be our final words. The covenant. He said, these are the last words
of David. Although it be not so with my
house, God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, and sure. God hath made on my behalf with
Christ and me in Christ a covenant, ordered, purposed, fulfilled
in all things, and sure. Covenant is all my salvation,
and furthermore, all my desire, although He make it not to grow. And here it is. Here's that sure
mercies of David. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. whom he did foreknow. He also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
Christ might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
That is our covenant, the sure mercies of David. That's the
covenant of grace. Salvations of the Lord. It's
His purpose, His calling, and our sure foundation. This is
all my salvation, and all my desire. That's it. All right. Now the eighth thing,
starting with verse 31, is our message. Here's our message to
the rest of the world. It comes forth, that message
comes forth in the asking and answering of five questions.
What shall we say to these things? I'll tell you what we say to
these things. If God be for us, who can be against us? If God
be for me in election, in covenant mercies, in redeeming grace,
in shedding His blood, and fulfilling of righteousness, who can be
against me? Here's the next question. He
that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
every one of you believers, how shall he not with him freely
give us all things? How shall he not with Christ
give us what Christ purchased? The next question. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justified
us. It's God that justified us. Not
the church, not the Pope, not ourselves. It's God. So, can't
lay anything to our charge. The next question, well, who's
He that condemned us? Paul gives four reasons why we're
not condemned. It's because it's Christ that
died. It's Christ, the Christ of God, the God-man. Yea, rather,
he's risen again. He's not in the tomb, he's risen.
Who is even at the right hand of God? A man at the right hand
of God. And that man makes intercession
for us. So who can condemn us? And then
the next question, and who can separate us from the love of
Christ? Your tribulation, trouble, distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril of sword, Ah, it is written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There's
the comfort, strength, hope of every believer. And thank God
it is for every believer. Every believer. God is, in His
covenant, will keep the weakest of His sheep. All whom the Heavenly
Father gave, my Lord promised to save. And He said, not one
of them is lost.