Living by the Spirit

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Eighth Sunday in Trinity
Living by the Spirit
July 25, 2010

TEXT:  (Romans 8:12-17 NKJ)  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors -- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will 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 sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness 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 together.
 
Today’s text has so many lessons for us to learn—but we must limit ourselves to one aspect of the truth—Paul says we must live by the Spirit that is within us—every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him—and it is by listening to the Sprit within us that we should live our lives
 
 (1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJ)  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
 
Jesus came to this world as a man—a perfect man—and He knew that when He departed to return to the Father in heaven—we would need power to overcome the prince of this world—the devil—therefore Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit—and the Holy Spirit would give us the power to understand the things of God and the power to share those things with others—we have the power to defeat Satan himself
 
 (Luke 24:49 NKJ)  "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
 
 (Acts 1:8 NKJ)  "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
 
Where do we begin when considering the lesson for today?—I would like to begin by considering the subject of death and dying—we are surrounded by death in this world—most of the people in this world are subject to Satan—and therefore those without the Holy Spirit are subject to death through the evil things of the devil—but Jesus taught us that if we believe that He is the Son of God—we shall not die—we will depart this world in bodily death—but we will enter eternal life in heaven—remember Jesus’ words to Martha when Lazarus died and was buried in the grave for several days
 
 (John 11:25-26 NKJ)  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
 
In our text, Paul is repeating that promise and explanation of life and death
 
TEXT:  (Romans 8:12-13 NKJ) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors -- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
 
Paul reinforced this concept in several of his letters—to properly understand, we will consider some of the other places he discusses the subject of being alive in the Spirit—one of the most classic examples is Paul’s discussion of being baptized into death through Christ and raised from the dead in baptism is in Romans chapter 6—but before we consider that verse, let’s remind ourselves that baptism brings the Holy Spirit
 
 (Acts 2:38 NKJ) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
Romans 6:1-14 NKJ) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.…8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,…Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord….14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
 
We live in a world that is under the power of our enemy—Satan—but we are not of this world—we are just in this world—we belong to Christ—and we are citizens of heaven—waiting for God to take us home
 
 (Philippians 3:20 NKJ) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
We live in this world for the glory of God—to do the things God would have us do—that is, we do the things that God instructs—it has been this way from the beginning—God instructed us in the Old Testament through His Word taught by men He appointed
 
 (Psalm 86:11-12 NKJ) Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
 
 (Psalm 89:15 NKJ) Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
 
And today God’s instructions are written on our hearts
 
 (Romans 2:12-16 NKJ) For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
 
Paul warns us to stay in the Spirit—and do not participate in the things of this world
 
 (Galatians 6:6-10 NKJ) Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
 
 (Ephesians 4:22 NKJ) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
 
Our text and Paul’s letters tell us that we all live with sin—but how we deal with sin makes the difference between heaven and hell for all eternity—Paul says that each of us were slaves of sin as if in bondage—but now we are filled with the Holy Spirit—unbelievers are filled with a spirit also—but not the Spirit of God—they are filled with the spirit of Satan
 
 (Ephesians 2:1-2 NKJ) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
 
I’ve shared with you many times that Paul was a master student of the Old Testament—he understood the Old Testament to a degree that few, if any, will ever duplicate—hear some Old Testament writings on the subject of our lesson—notice how the psalmist describes the delivery of the soul and the walk through life with God—God will deliver us—His people from our enemy—the devil—and we will be victorious and inherit eternity in heaven through God’s Son and by the Holy Spirit
 
 (Psalm 116:8 NKJ) For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD In the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted."
 
 (Psalm 56:13 NKJ) For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?
 
 (Psalm 81:13-14 NKJ) "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries.
 
 (Psalm 143:8-10 NKJ) Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
 
And the prophet Ezekiel even describes how the Spirit is put into God’s people for their salvation
 
 (Ezekiel 37:14 NKJ) "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.' "
 
In the last aspect of this lesson—Paul describes those filled with the Holy Spirit as “sons of God”—and he states that we cry out “Abba, Father” when we cry out to God—this reference—Abba—is a name of familiarity much like calling out to dad as a reference to a father—Paul wants us to know that we are truly sons of God—inheriting all the things of His true Son, Jesus Christ—Paul wrote this same thing to the Galatians
 
 (Galatians 4:4-7 NKJ) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
 
This fulfills the promise Jesus made in John’s Gospel
 
 (John 16:13-15 NKJ) "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
 
What a magnificent promise!—listen in your heart for the things of the Holy Spirit—obey the Spirit—and inherit all the promises of God in heaven
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!