Union With Christ Is What It's All About

June 16, 2024 · Romans

Series · Romans · Week 83 of 85

Scripture referenced 10 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

2 Corinthians 4:6 opening encouragement before singing, about God making light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God seen in the face of Jesus Christ

6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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John 15:9-11

introduction to the offering song, Jesus telling disciples to abide in his love as he abided in the Father's love, so their joy may be complete

9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.

11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

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Romans 8:1-18

the main passage preached through the sermon

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;

4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;

7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.

8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.

15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.

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Romans 13

cited as practical outworking, owe nothing except to love one another, love fulfills the law

1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.

2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.

3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,

4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.

7 Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

10 Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

12 The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.

13 Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy.

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

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Micah 6:8

briefly referenced when asking what the requirement of the law is, love mercy, act justly, walk humbly

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

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Colossians 3:1-3

command to keep seeking things above where Christ is seated, set your mind on things above not earthly things

1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.

2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

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Matthew 16

Jesus telling Peter get behind me Satan, you are not setting your mind on God's interest but man's

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’

3 In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times!

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them, and departed.

5 The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.

6 Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”

8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, ‘because you have brought no bread?’

9 Don’t you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

11 How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12 Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”

20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

22 Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.”

23 But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.

26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.

28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

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Galatians 5

works of the flesh listed contrasted with the fruit of the spirit

1 Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.

3 Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace.

5 For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

7 You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9 A little yeast grows through the whole lump.

10 I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11 But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed.

12 I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

13 For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

15 But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,

23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.

26 Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.

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2 Corinthians 4

closing, light and momentary affliction working an eternal weight of glory

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.

2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying;

4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

5 For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake;

6 seeing it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

9 pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

10 always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death works in us, but life in you.

13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and therefore also we speak;

14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;

18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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Hebrews 13:20-21

benediction, the God of peace who brought Jesus from the dead equipping us to do his will

20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,

21 make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray walked the congregation through Romans 8:1-18 on Father's Day 2024, centering the whole message on union with Christ as the core of the Christian life. He had been waiting to get to Romans 8 after months of working through the difficult territory of chapters 6 and 7, and he wanted to bring the church into it together rather than leave it to the weekday email.

What was said

The "therefore" that opens Romans 8 carries the weight of seven chapters behind it, Pastor Ray said. Chapters 1 through 3 establish that everyone is guilty, irreligious and religious alike. Chapters 5 through 7 hold out the hope of redemption while honestly describing the frustration of trying to live it out in the flesh. All of that sets up the declaration of verse 1: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Ray used the law of gravity and the law of flight to explain the relationship between the law of sin and death and the law of the Spirit. The law of gravity still applies to birds, he said, but they overcome it by what God has given them. In the same way, the law of sin and death still applies, but the Spirit of life in Christ allows believers to overcome it, to fly as it were. The law can tell you where you went wrong, but it cannot remove the sin or the guilt or restore broken relationships. Only union with Christ does that.

God sent His own Son to do what the law could not do through the flesh. Where Adam failed, Christ succeeded. He lived a perfect life in submission to the Spirit and then voluntarily took the death He did not deserve so that those united to Him through faith could have everlasting and abundant life. The purpose, Pastor Ray said, is captured in the "so that" of verse 4: so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. That requirement, as Jesus summed it up and as Romans 13 restates it, is loving God and loving people. Love is the fulfillment of the law.

Working through verses 5 through 11, Pastor Ray pressed on the choice of what we set our minds on. A believer can absolutely set their mind on the things of the flesh, he said, pointing to Peter's rebuke of Jesus in Matthew 16 and to the command in Colossians 3 to keep on seeking the things above. The command exists precisely because it requires ongoing, deliberate choice. The mindset on the flesh is hostile toward God and ends in death. The mindset on the Spirit is life and peace.

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, Pastor Ray reminded the church, dwells in every believer. That is the resurrection power available for walking in victory day to day. Because of that, he said, we are no longer under obligation to the flesh, to the works of the flesh that Paul lists in Galatians, but we have received a spirit of adoption. We cry out "Abba, Father," and the Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God and fellow heirs with Christ.

Pastor Ray closed by distinguishing between knowing you are united with Christ and actually abiding in Him. Knowing it is not the same as abiding, he said. The call is to voluntarily choose life each day, the way Christ voluntarily chose the cross, and to trust that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Pastor Ray walked through Romans 1 through 7 as building toward the 'therefore' in Romans 8:1. What has your own experience been with the frustration Paul describes in those earlier chapters, wanting to do right but finding yourself unable to?
Pastor Ray used the image of the law of flight overcoming the law of gravity to describe how the Spirit enables believers to overcome the law of sin and death. How has that kind of 'lift' shown up in your own life, and where do you still feel the pull of gravity?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Read the full transcript 6,525 words

Find in this transcript

Speaker 1Limited slip differential. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah. That's pretty cool.

If you lift up a car and you turn one of the rear if it has limited slip, you turn one of the rear wheels, it turns the other one the other way. But when it's driving, will do it right. Thank you. Yeah. Anyway, thank you for your for your expertise.

There you go. That's the difference. It makes all the difference. Yeah. Well, way that race car drivers so they're made limited slip so that when you go around corners because one tire is going further than the other, it doesn't wear your tires out.

Yeah. But for race car drivers, they don't care about that. Yeah. They call it a Lincoln locker. And a Lincoln locker is they get in there with a welder.

Lincoln makes welders, and they weld the weld them together so both tires turn exactly the same speed, and they have a Lincoln locker, positive traction. It's great for drag cars, terrible for parking lots. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

Static. Yeah. Yeah. He's good.

Speaker 3Yep. Yeah.

Speaker 1How are you? I'm good.

Speaker 2It's in

Speaker 1the spot. Doesn't need here. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thanks.

Howdy. How are you? Good. Are you? Good.

I'm doing alright. Glad to be here. Glad you're all here. Here. Hey.

Where are you from? Oh, oh, what do I know? You? Good gracious. I didn't recognize you from afar.

That's awesome. So good to see you. Did you say Joe? Yes. Joe.

Okay. Fantastic. Nice to meet you, Joe. Okay. Bring him with you.

I know how it goes. That's funny. He's here. Good to see you too. All is well.

Yeah. Yeah. Now, it's been been a few weeks of heavy ministry. Put it that way but it's everything's see you. And I'm glad.

That's awesome. Nice to meet you, Joe. Good morning. They're ir to They're Okay. So, Tanya is my going wife's name too.

So, I I think I remember that. It's Tanya Rose. Okay. Fantastic and I'm ready. Yeah.

Yeah. We're having a ball. Yeah. Thank you. That's sweet.

Don't think. Where are we going? Okay. Good morning. Good morning.

How are you? Fine. Come on in. I'm Ray McDaniel. My wife, Mallory.

Hey, Mallory. So downstairs is the nursery, and and we have kids kids church too, but you well, how old are they? Okay. So nursery's down there, but if you wanna stay, the children's church will start after the phone service. So but the nursery starts immediately.

Yep. And it's I can show you where it is. Good morning. How are you? And where are y'all from?

Okay. So I'm from three hours from Birmingham. I'm from Georgia. There you go. We're alright.

Yeah. It's about the the week. Yeah. Yeah. I had another harvest on Tuesday too.

Yeah. Yeah. Was two of them. But it was good. It both of them went well.

They're, both helpful.

Speaker 3Did not hear that. Didn't I? Fast.

Speaker 1Yeah. Yep. Yep. Really coming over in it. Oh, wow.

Oh, no. Yeah. They're already no. I thought he was coming again. Alright.

Yeah. It's got to meet your is it your grandson? Yeah. Yeah. What's his name again?

Jackson. Jackson. Okay. That's easy to remember. Yeah.

I thought I was trying to figure out. Alright. Oh, yeah? That's something. I think I better get up there.

Yeah. He's already at this. Tanya loves her shoes. She loves her shoes. Yes.

It's so sweet. I I have horrible good things out here myself. Yeah. That's so cool. It's so cool.

And I didn't know anything about it. Thought that's awesome. Where'd you get those?

Speaker 2Good morning, everybody. Very good to see you. Very good to see you. Hey. As folks are coming in, if you are able I was reminded this week that not everybody can can stand during the during the time that we sing.

So if you're able to stand, if you can't, go ahead and and remain seated. But would you would you, if you can, stand and join us in song. I've got an encouraging word from second Corinthians to lead us in the worship. It says, for God who said, let there be light in the darkness. I love this part.

It says, he's made this light to shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that's seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Would you join us in singing? This is amazing grace.

Speaker 3This is unfailing love you would take my place you would bear my cross you would lay down your life that I'll peace every you. My cross you would let down your life that I will be

Speaker 1worthy

Speaker 3is the king king who conquered the grave this is amazing grace this is unfailing love that you would take my place that you would bear my cross you lay down your life

Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'll go through a few announcements for us this morning. First Baptist Church Campout is happening. Actually, two of them are happening.

July 19 through the twenty first and August twenty third through twenty fifth down around Palisades. If you want more information, you can ask Brian McCooey or Mike Demetrius. Mike's out of town. McCooey, I see. Would you stand and just say howdy?

Uh-uh. Would you just wave? Yeah, that's good. That's McCooey right there. If you would, Brian McCooey, you can call him and ask him for more information.

That'll be a good time to get together, hang out. First b, McQ is also a good time to get together and hang out. It's a little closer than Palisades. It's right out here in between services, June 23, which is next week. Is that right?

Next week. That'll be the first one of the summer, then July 14, August 18, and September 15. We'll do that between services right out here on the green space. Games, food, fun, fellowship, meat. It's good.

Really good. Sound booth volunteers. We're asking for volunteers. That's kind of a perpetual one. But right now, we could use another helper.

If you feel like you're technically gifted in that area, please let us know. Nick and Blake would be able to help train you on that. And Vacation Bible School is not this week but next week. So it starts a week from tomorrow, June 24 through the twenty seventh. Amy was downstairs in the nursery just a minute ago.

I don't think there's anything new or different. Philip, anything you wanna say? Nope. No. Nothing new or different.

Okay. Praying praying towards that. Okay. Perfect. So that's happened.

Hometown Nazareth where Jesus was a kid, nine to 11:30, Monday through Thursday next week. Yeah. Sisters Saved by Grace is the name of a ladies Bible study that meets on Thursdays at 6PM. They've had a change of locale instead of meeting in fellowship hall, and they're now meeting at Mike Yockel Park on Thursday evening studying psalms together. It's a great study, great place.

And then this is new for me. Let's read the small print together. Okay. Yes. Nursery is gonna be running throughout the summer and kindergarten through second grade will be running throughout the summer.

But middle school, Sunday school, I mean in middle school be running, but the third through fifth grade is not gonna be having a Sunday school for the summer. So they can kinda sit up here with us. That's really confusing to me. I knew this before I read it, but it's confusing to me. So nursery will still be going, k through two will still be going, third through fifth won't be going for the summer, middle school will be.

Did that make any sense to you all? Okay. Good. Good. That's it.

I'm glad to be here. I'm gonna announce that. Happy Father's Day. Amen. Would you all stand with us and we're gonna just just gonna sing.

I'm so emotional. I can't even get going.

Speaker 3For you rose to life such an awesome God so mighty so holy wonderful such an awesome God so selfless so generous so faithful you are such an awesome God so mighty so holy so wonderful such an awesome God so selfless so generous so faithful you are

Speaker 2God, we sing this to you because it is absolutely true. You're awesome. You are mighty. You are holy. You are wonderful.

You show us, Lord, a selfless, self giving, others focused love. You are generous toward us. You are full of mercy and grace and for God. For that, Lord, we are grateful, and we want to sing out and praise towards you. Lord, would you give us faith as we sing, as our songs rise to you, God?

Would you fill us with faith and gratitude? Amen. That last line really grabbed ahold of me as we were were singing, and and it's through faith. But my goodness and and we sing it, but can I just say it over again that through faith in Christ, there is no guilt in life and there's no fear in death? This is the power of Christ in us, church.

From life's first cry until final breath, Jesus commands our destiny. He is sovereign over all. There's no power of hell. There's no scheme of man that can ever pluck us from his hand. We are secure in him till he returns or calls us home.

Here in his power we stand. Amen to that. Amen. You can have a a seat for a moment here. This is the worship through giving part of the the service and I'll invite the ushers to come on forward, and we're gonna gonna sing a new song called abide.

But it comes from John 15. Jesus says, the father's loved me, so I have loved you. Now abide in my love. Remain there. Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you'll abide in my love just as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. He is our example. And then he says, these things I have spoken to you, listen, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. There's a reason that he gives these commands to us. And in this case, he says that my joy, that you'd be filled filled full of joy and that your joy would may be made complete.

Before we sing, Ray, may

Speaker 1I ask you to pray? Sure. Lord God, thank you for this morning, lord. I thank you for a beautiful time to get together to sing your praises and to and to just greet, meet, hang out with one another, to draw strength from one another, to make connections that we haven't made in a while. Lord God almighty, I thank you that we we can abide in you.

Individually, we can but lord, collectively, we can too. So, thank you for this this little group of gathered believers, gathered in your name with your will in mind. Lord, we long to do your will. Show us your way and we'll walk in it. We wanna do your will in your way.

Lord God, would you supply for everything you want done here and from here to the very uttermost parts. Lord, we ask your blessing, multiplication on this offering to do your kingdom's work. Would you do it the way you want to? In Jesus name, amen.

Speaker 3You're the way the truth and the life you're the well

Speaker 1Amen. And it is time for children's church, and that's everybody this Sunday. No matter how much I confused you. Okay? Every all the kids all the kids this Sunday up through fifth grade, middle school, and high school also.

This week, we're doing gonna go through Romans eight one through 18 and if you're reading in the first B in the Bible, the blurb, I call it the blurb. The blurb is an email that we send out five days a week. It's weekdays that comes out and we have been going through Romans just a verse or two at a time for several months now and we've been in chapter seven, it feels like forever. You know, chapter seven, chapter six and seven, the ones where it's like Paul's wanting to do something and he can't do it and he doesn't want to do something. He keeps on doing it.

That part of Romans is what we've been in and we finally crossed over this week into Romans eight and eight one is such a dramatic, uplifting kind of thing that I thought, I don't wanna just hold on to that, not everybody reads the blurb, not everybody is involved in. So I wanted to go back to Romans eight one through 18 actually, but what is it really about? What is everything really about? It really is the Christian life really is about union with Christ. So that comes up quite a bit in this passage and we'll just go through it together, walking through.

God help us. Help us to understand this to the very depths of our being. Help us to understand this so that we can articulate it. The gospel is good. Would you help us lord to live it out and to know it and to rest in the fact instead of wavering between two opinions, instead of being double minded, would you allow us to settle the question once and for all and know this to the very core of our being that union with Christ is what this is all about.

Amen. So therefore there, this is therefore there. The therefore is for seven whole chapters. If you wanna go back and read it, there's plenty of good stuff there. Basically, chapter one is, yeah, the irreligious are guilty.

Chapter two is, yeah, the religious are guilty. Chapter three is, you're all guilty including me. Chapter four, there's a little bit of a bright spot. Chapter five, the first few verses, oh, so wonderful. Chapter six, but I have to live this out.

There is faith, there is the possibility, there is redemption while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us in chapter five. So we're free from that, the death that we deserve, we're free from that. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He took that off of us, but living it out. Why is it that it feels like I just can't do it?

That's what Paul is saying, not just for himself, but for all of us. And then chapter six and seven expresses a lot of the frustration and and angst that we feel trying to walk it out and then chapter eight says, therefore now, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. In Christ Jesus, union with Christ through faith is what it's all about. This is what it comes down to.

Union with Christ. He has to be our righteousness because apart from him, we have no righteousness. Does that make sense to you? For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. The law of the spirit and the law of sin and death.

But in Christ Jesus, there's life. Christ has set you free. It's about him. It's about what he's done. Union with Christ makes the difference.

It literally makes a difference in heaven or hell. It literally makes a difference in the abundant life or a navel gazing, gut wrenching behavior modification that we're unable to carry out on our own. In Christ Jesus, all the law of gravity. The law of gravity. It applies to every natural born creation, applies to mass objects, everything, it applies.

The law of gravity just applies. It is quite literally what holds us down. Right? Have you all heard have you all seen the movie Crazy Heart? Have you seen it?

It's a it's a it's a great movie. It's got a few scenes I would have left out, but they didn't ask me. It's got a lot of words I would have left out, but they didn't ask me. It's very real portrait of somebody that's struggling with alcohol. And he's Jeff Bridges sings a song that I printed out and left on the printer.

I'll try to remember it. It's alright. You don't have to go get it, Blake. It says, funny how fallen feels like flying for a little while. Fallen and flying feel the same for a little while.

There's a law of gravity that applies to every natural born creation. It's what holds us down, but the law of flight is what allows those beings that God has empowered to overcome the law of gravity. It still applies, still applies to em but they're able to overcome it by the gift that God has given, right? What the law could not do and Paul talks about the law in chapter two. He talks talks about it in chapter three.

He talks a lot about the law that has been given. That is good and it's good for God to give us but it's he says there are limitations to what the law can do. What the law could not do as weak as it was through the flesh because we are flawed and because we do have human frailty and a propensity towards sin, things that are against the law. What the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did that. He did it.

He sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and he came as an offering for sin. He walked out this perfect life in submission to the spirit by the will of God where Adam failed, Christ succeeded, and he had a perfect record and he condemned sin in the flesh by voluntarily sacrificially taking the death that he did not deserve, that we do deserve. So that anyone who believes in him, who is united and in union with him through faith would have everlasting and abundant life. He condemns them in the flesh. So that law of sin and death, it applies to every natural born person.

It's universal but it is still powerless to remove sin or guilt. It'll let you know where you go wrong, but it won't get rid of the sin or the guilt. It's not able to restore broken relationships, the law is not. It is able to point out where you're wrong, but it doesn't make you right. But the law of the spirit of life allows those who place their faith in Christ to overcome the law of sin and death, to fly as it were, the Holy Spirit makes believers free as a bird.

Lots of song references today. From the law of sin and death, but why? He goes on to say, why? So that. I love a good so that.

Remember the scroll from last week I just slung out there all the so that's in the scripture? He tells us why, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. Though it wait a second. We just said we can't do it. Union with Christ is what allows us to be able to walk in victory.

So that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who don't do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. So the might dare, does that bother anybody? The might, so that we might. So this might be fulfilled is a subjunctive, and I say this all the time, I throw it out there like everybody knows and cares. I know that there are a few grammar nerds in here who really love this stuff, who do know and care, but we have three different moods here.

Indicative, imperative and subjunctive. The indicative is the speaker is sure that something is the case and it expresses certainty. This happened. Right? The imperative is a command.

It expresses a command and I use that a lot because it's great to know when when scripture is telling us to do something, it's nice to know that. So an imperative, the speaker, writer, author desires that something would happen and expresses, y'all do this, that's a command imperative, And then the subjunctive. The subjunctive is one of the hardest things to learn about a language. If you're studying Spanish and you're trying to keep up with how many rules there are for the subjunctive. I had a professor that said, a teacher in Costa Rica that said, there are 27 rules for this subjunctive.

I'm like, oh my goodness. Basically, the speaker is presenting something that is possible, but it's based on a contingency. Often in the Bible, not always, but often, the subjunctive is this is God's will, Paul's will, Peter's will, somebody's will, and they're expressing the will of the author so that you would also align your will with their will. So there's a contingency there. If you are in agreement with that will, then it's an absolute certainty.

But we have the choice of being in alignment or not. It expresses possibility. So back to this, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. Now, Jesus fulfilled the law. We know he did it when he was in the flesh.

We know he did it. He did it perfectly and we have aired and have done so imperfectly or but we've aired perfectly. Sorry. He he it might be fulfilled in us. What is the requirement of the law?

And you might your brain might go back to what is it that I require of you from Micah six eight that you love mercy and act justly and walk humbly with the Lord your God, but Jesus summed it up in two. What's the greatest commandment? You know, he summed it up and said, loving God and loving people is what it's all about. Tech our motto here at the churches, with all we are loving God and loving people through Christ. The through Christ is super important because union with Christ is what it's all about and it's impossible to do the others without him, but loving God and loving people is what Jesus said.

If you take a look at the 10 commandments, the first four of them are about loving God. Don't have any other gods before me. Make no graven images. Don't take the Lord name in vain, remember the Sabbath, keep it holy. Those are our relationship with God.

And then the second ones are about our relationships with people. Honor thy father, happy Father's Day. And thy mother, thou shall not kill. That's a loving thing to do, not kill. Commit adultery causes such problems, not steal, not lie, not coveting.

Loving God and loving people. He summarizes. Romans, I'm gonna skip ahead a few chapters here to chapter 13 where it gets to be the real practical outworking. Chapters 12 through 16 are the practical outworking of all the good theology from one through eight, and maybe nine through 11 also. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

This is we might meet the requirement or the fulfillment of the law. The law might be fulfilled in us if we love our neighbor. You shall not commit adultery, murder, steal, covet. If there's any other commandments summed up just like Jesus did in saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor.

Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. So that is the fulfillment of the law so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. So that all sounds good. Believer in Christ, from what we've just said, because of what Christ has done, he has made it possible for you to have a relationship with God Almighty. Through his spirit, you can discern the direction you should take and the way you should walk out loving God and loving people.

It's now possible for you to love God and love people as you should because God first loved us, we are able to love others. Last week I said, if you have been comforted by God, you now have the resources to comfort others. If you have been forgiven by God, it makes it easier to understand and to show how good it is to give forgiveness to someone else. It's possible for you. You're free from the law of sin and death.

Remember the old line from the song Rock of Ages clef for me. It says, be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath and make me pure. Both of those things. You're free from the law of sin and death.

It breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the captive free. So proceed humbly and depend on his spirit because God will show you where he wants you and what he wants you to do as you humbly submit to him and his will. Going on from there, five. Eight five through eight. For those who are according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.

For the mind set on the flesh is death. There's no other way out of it. Earthly things end in death, but the mindset on the spirit is life and it's peace because the mindset on the flesh is hostile towards God. Oh, there's another song, George Harrison. Do you remember this?

I got my mindset on you. I got my mindset on. Yeah. 1987, one of those formative years. You can set your mind on things above or you can set your mind on things on earth.

You can. You have the choice. You're a free you have free will. You can take the things of God and push them aside and say, you know what? I don't wanna I don't wanna listen to that.

I want this. It's gonna take money. Sorry. That's the next line of the song. A whole lot of spending money.

Yeah. You can set your mind on the things of earth, you can set your mind on things above. Matthew 16, and from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, he must suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and raised up on the third day, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, God forbid it, Lord. This shall never happen to you. But he turned to Peter and he said, get behind me, Satan.

You're a stumbling block to me for you are not setting your mind on God's interest but man's. It is possible for us. Can a Christian set their mind on things of the flesh? Can you? Yeah, you certainly can.

Or we wouldn't get this kind of a command from Colossians three. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, you're a believer, keep seeking the things that are above. Keep seeking it because just because you accepted it doesn't mean you're gonna set your mind on it at all times. Keep on seeking the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth for you've died and your life is hidden with Christ and God.

That is an imperative verb. Be setting your mind continually on the things above. Christian, set your mind on the things of the spirit, not on earthly things. Now, we're walking it out. We still have to go to work.

We still have to do the things that are before us to take care of our responsibilities, but there is a way to do that that is walking the abundant life, and there's a way to do it where we're concentrating. We've gotten our focus off of Jesus and we we focus on the wrong things going forward. Because the mindset on the flesh is hostile towards God for it does not subject itself to the law of God. Does it matter? Does it matter if you wanna ignore gravity?

No. It's not able to do so. The flesh is weak. Spirit is willing. The flesh is weak.

It's not even able to do so. For those who are in the flesh cannot please God. That is a weird thing to say but I'm a believer. Yes, I'm a believer but I can be a believer who is not paying attention to the things of God and that is not pleasing to God. It doesn't help me and it doesn't help anyone else.

However, you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit. Remember that. This is one of those where imperative indicative complex. Hey, Paul does this a lot. The imperative indicative complex is an absolute certainty that you are Christ, you belong to him, you can be absolutely secure in that and you can have security in that and know that you belong to him.

That is true. You can have that. Paul's saying, be that. You already are but be what you already are. Live out what it is that you really are.

Don't deny God and yourself by doing otherwise. You're not in the flesh but you're in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God dwells in you but if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he doesn't belong to him. He, this is and I I seldom, seldom mention anything that causes any cause any friction between denominational affiliations. If anyone doesn't have the spirit of Christ, he doesn't belong to him says that when you accept Christ, you get his Holy Spirit.

Okay? When you accept Christ, he gives to you his Holy Spirit. Now, you might have a deeper and richer understanding or a greater infilling of the spirit at some point in your life, but if you belong to Christ, you have his spirit. And in humility, you're able to determine what God would have you to do. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness because union with Christ is what it's all about.

If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. He will do it. It's on him. But union with him, abiding as we sang during the offering time. Abiding in him allows us to experience the resurrection power that allows us to walk in victory.

So the same power Oh, this is a great one. We didn't sing this one this morning. Same power that rose Jesus from the grave. The same power that commands the dead to wake lives in us. It lives in us.

To think that the Holy Spirit is the same power that invigorated Christ's body in the grave and brought him forth. That same power that moves mountains too soon? Sorry. Pass. Sorry.

Same power that moves mountains when he speaks, the same power that can calm a raging sea lives in us, lives in us. He lives in us, union of Christ is what it's all about. So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. That was our normal life before. Few examples, to be arrogant, to be selfish, to be stingy, to be caustic, to lie, to cheat, to steal, to hate, to fear, to lust, drink more than we should, eat more than we should.

That's just one list. You might think of this list. The works of the flesh are obvious, Galatians says, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, Lord help us. Rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, or and things like these. What a contrast that is to the fruit of the spirit in your life, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

If you are living according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the spirit, you're putting to death, mortification, you're putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. We have a choice that's ever before us. Are we going to choose in each action, in each moment, in each time? Are we going to chain choose the things that lead to death or we're to choose the things that lead to life.

All who are bent being led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God, and that brings us to this. For you've not received a spirit of slavery that's leading to fear again like it was before, like you were before. You haven't received a spirit that would keep you enslaved to whatever your issues were. I've told y'all several times. We're going into a series on repentance and I don't know what your issue is but we all have something that we can repent from.

We all have things that we may need daily to continue one day at a time repenting from, holding off. I'm not gonna do that today, lord. By your spirit, by the strength that raised Jesus from the dead, I'm turning over my will to the will of my higher power to you, Jesus, to God. I'm gonna turn this over. I haven't received a spirit of slavery that would take me back down that road to fear again, but you've received a spirit of adoption as sons, which I point this out sometimes when we hit adoption.

It says adoption and then it says as sons because that's a greater level of adoption in biblical times. So an adopted son would have more rights than an adopted daughter at the time. We've received the spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba, daddy, papa, father. Happy Father's Day. That's good.

That's really really good. We've received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba Father, and he listens to us. The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are indeed children of God, and we do have an adversary who's constantly trying to make us believe that we're not. He's constantly trying to make us believe that the sins of the past are still with us and they still matter and the spirit of God is saying, you are forgiven. The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are indeed children of God and if we're children, then we're heirs also.

Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him. Suffering keeps coming up. This was a week where we walked through a lot of hard memorial type stuff with people who have lost and who have suffered greatly. If indeed we suffer with them so that we may also be glorified with them. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

I am I'm so thankful for y'all, and I'm so thankful for the body of Christ at work here in this community. I pray that we'd be a light, that we'd be able to walk in victory, we'd be able to stop with our self consciousness, and we'd be able to walk with our our heads up, looking around with a God consciousness that would be self aware and others aware because we're God aware. That's what I'm prayerful about. This is from second Corinthians four near where we were talking last week, and there is some suffering in this life, and there is some hard stuff in this life, but I love what Paul says, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The momentary and light affliction of this time versus eternal glory.

Can I pray for us? And then I'll just have you all stand out and invite the band back up. God help us. Help us to live this. Help us to experience this and have union with Christ ever at the forefront.

To know that we are united with Christ is not the same thing as abiding. To know that we are is not the same thing as abiding. Would you give us the strength to voluntarily choose just like you voluntarily chose? Would you give us the strength to voluntarily choose life every day? For ourselves and as we do that, may that spill over and allow others to see the life in Christ, to see it and be drawn to you.

In Jesus name, we thank you for all that you are doing, all that you have done, all that you're working, the miracles that are present today, and the ones that you want to work through us tomorrow. In Jesus name, amen. Would you stand with us?

Speaker 2Mind if I call an audible and and sing abide to close. Yeah. That'd be alright. Abide.

Speaker 3Dry I'm the bridge and you are the vine draw me close and teach me to abide be my strength my song in the night be my all, my treasure, my pride. I'm yours forever. You're mine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. You are the vine.

Draw me close and teach me to abide. Be my strength, my song in the night. Be my all

Speaker 1Amen. And now, as a close, Hebrews thirteen twenty and twenty one and now, may the God of peace who brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, by his spirit, the same spirit that's working in us. The great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant. May he equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in all of us. That which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Amen. I want more of that. Totally. Yes. I get it.

Yeah. Mean, it sounds trite. It's all about letting go. It is all about letting go. Put it in neutral, man.

Put it in neutral. Yeah. Install it on. Totally. Thank you.

I I need that.

Speaker 3No. But you know

Speaker 1I'm going on vacation next Monday. Where you going? Panama City with

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Adoption By God Flesh Vs Spirit Guilt And Forgiveness Holy Spirit Power No Condemnation Union With Christ

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