Rev. David Holwick X Romans series #8
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 24, 2005
Romans 8:1-17
WHO CONTROLS THE SWITCH?
I. Switches in the Holwick household.
A. Everyone loves light switches - "on" only.
B. Another popular switch - the TV remote.
1) My father will click it every 7 seconds.
2) Sarah inherited his genes, because she does the same.
C. Switches give us control.
1) What controls our own switches?
a) What sets our priorities, values, goals?
2) Thus far in Romans, the switches are negative.
a) We are ruined by sin and darkness.
b) Romans 7 - a classic description of futility.
3) In Romans 8, we find the key for a victorious life.
a) That key (or switch) is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is barely mentioned in previous
chapters in Romans, but here it is highlighted.
b) I would like to explore some aspects about the
Holy Spirit as it is presented in Romans 8.
II. Our condition in the Spirit.
A. No condemnation.
1) We are forgiven for everything.
2) We are forgiven forever.
B. We are "in" Christ Jesus.
1) We don't just believe in him, we are bonded to him.
a) Verse 11 - his Spirit is living in us.
b) You might say we are Jesus-possessed.
2) Jesus breaks our sin nature, by being a sin offering in
our place.
C. Are you "in" Christ?
1) It requires a decision, and it involves faith.
a) Key ingredient - real Christians have the Holy Spirit.
b) No Spirit, no salvation. 10:9
2) The Spirit is the defining element in the Christian life.
Dale Fincher makes the following observation:
When we say a person has the Spirit of Christ, what do we
mean?
In one sense, we could be speaking of someone who shares
the passion of Christ to help the poor and suffering.
If we meant it in this way, "spirit" would be used
similarly to the way Gandhi used it.
The "Spirit of Jesus" is simply a man to emulate - merely
an example for everyone.
But when the Bible talks the Spirit of Christ, it is
referring to it in a very different way.
This is what makes following Jesus unique to following
anyone else.
Romans 8:9 says this:
"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature
but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he
does not belong to Christ."
What is the Apostle Paul saying to the Christians in Rome?
He is saying that "Spirit" is not an idea or an attitude.
"Spirit" is a living person.
In fact, Paul is saying that if we are not rightly related
to this person, if this person is not part of our lives,
then we do not belong to God.
When Christ came into the world he didn't come merely to
give us an example in suffering, or a way to help the poor.
Rather, he came to reconnect us with God.
The Spirit of Christ is a Person who walks with all who
choose to join as citizens of his Kingdom.
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III. Our character in the Spirit.
A. Liberated from dead legalism. 8:2
1) We don't need detailed rulebooks to know how to live.
2) The Spirit will lead us in the way of love.
B. Liberated from our sin nature.
1) There can be victory over the struggle portrayed in Rom 7.
2) Legalism can suppress the sin nature, but the Spirit can
defeat it.
C. Life-oriented focus. 8:6
1) Positive focus on life and peace.
2) We are open to God, not hostile.
3) This focus comes from a new attitude...
IV. Our concentration in the Spirit.
A. Our minds should be focused on what the Spirit desires. 8:5
1) Work on your mind, and body will follow.
a) Lance Armstrong's success in Tour de France.
b) His victory is mental as much as physical.
2) Train your mind. (set it)
a) Orient yourself toward God's way of looking at reality.
b) We are not just products of chance.
c) God has a purpose for us and we can discover it.
B. Check your attitudes.
1) For example, choose life and choose love.
2) Revenge, greed and anger only diminish your life.
3) Seek the new attitudes God wants you to have, and your
life can be re-shaped.
V. Our confidence in the Spirit.
A. Jesus' Spirit is not just in us, it can empower us. 8:11
1) Seek the power.
Rev. A. J. Gordon, one of the founders of my seminary,
once was walking by a house.
Nearby he saw what looked like a man pumping furiously on
one of those hand pumps.
As Gordon watched, the man continued to pump at a
tremendous rate.
He seemed absolutely tireless, pumping on and on, up and
down, without ever slowing in the slightest, much less
stopping.
Gordon was intrigued by this, so he walked toward it.
As he got closer, he could see it was not a man at the
pump, but a wooden figure painted to look like a man.
The arm that was pumping so rapidly was hinged at the elbow
and the hand was wired to the pump handle.
The water was pouring forth, but not because the figure was
pumping it.
You see, it was an artesian well, and the water was pumping
the man!
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Christians often think we have to do great things for God.
Instead, God wants to do great things through us.
He provides the spiritual power.
You just have to keep your hand on the pump!
2) Cooperate with the power.
a) We remain divided creatures.
1> Our physical nature is still corrupted by sin. 8:10
2> Our spiritual nature is what is truly alive.
b) We are obligated to live according to the Spirit.
1> Put to death the actions of the sinful nature. 8:13
2> Be led by the Spirit and "walk" in it. 8:14
B. We are adopted into God's family. 8:15
1) We can call on God as our Father. (Abba)
2) We can feel the relationship. 8:16
C. We will inherit God's promises. 8:17
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#26921 "Keep Your Hand On the Handle," Ted Sunderland,
www.sermoncentral.com weekly newsletter, February 25, 2004.
#29191 "When Spirit Is A Person," Dale Fincher, A Slice of Infinity: Ravi
Zacharias International Ministries; http://www.gospelcom.net/slice/
March 1, 2005.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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