Phil: Well, praise God, I feel like I have a desire to go forward with what we’ve been dealing with in Romans, whereas Paul is unfolding the gospel and the truth of it. And I sense that in a particular way this morning, that it’s not that the Lord simply wants to establish the doctrine, the correct theology. There’s so much more than that.
Yes, we need truth, we need the way it really is. But if that’s all we have, we have nothing because the gospel is meant to bring us into a relationship with God that is life transforming, that is destiny transforming, and not simply to correctly practice our religion. We don’t need that. We need the presence of the Lord. And we need a reality in our lives every day.
We surely need it, we see the way the world is going, man we better have something in here if we’re gonna stand. And yet when we do, we have all we need, don’t we in the Lord?
And so just very briefly, the salvation deals with a problem that every human being has, namely that we’ve failed in the past and we’ve sinned, but also we have a nature that won’t let us please God. There’s no way we can measure up to the purpose that God created us. He created us for glory and we can’t possibly fulfill that.
And so salvation deals with the first part by Jesus going to the cross as our representative and us being so united with him, that it’s as though we died. We have literally come into a full-fledged heart level agreement about our need and why he had to go to the cross and that it was my sin that put him there. And I am turning from that.
And so you have a world of people that are going in this direction and he says, no, that direction leads to wrath and death and destruction. I need you to turn around. I’ve got a purpose that I created you for. And I’m the only one that has the power to fulfill that. You need to hand your life over to me and I’ll deal with your sins. I’ve already dealt with them at the cross, but now I wanna lead you forward.
And so the second part of salvation, after dealing with the guilt, brings us into a relationship with him. And so answers the question after we’ve come into this relationship, our sins are gone. We’re as clean as if we had never sinned as amazingly as that sounds. The question then becomes now what?
And so we see that God has declared that He will bring us to that place that we cannot find in ourselves, namely the glory of God. And so we’re born into a process of salvation that leads to that end. I guess we’re going in this direction, aren’t we? But anyway, it leads to that end. And God is the One who means to take us there.
So now what we need to do is to understand how that works in a practical sense so that we can live for Him. ‘Cause it’s not just a matter of, as we said so many times, of getting our sins forgiven and having a ticket to heaven. God wants to change us and get us ready for something. And so that’s what he deals with.
Last week we dealt with Romans 7. Everybody’s favorite passage about it sounds like we’re hopeless here. But the truth is, we are in ourselves. And we dealt last week with five laws. The first four of them are dealt with in Romans 7 just very briefly. We have God’s law that tells us what’s right in his eyes. Okay? So we have no excuse. We know that this is right and this is wrong and so forth.
And even where God can take somebody and say, yes, I agree with that and that’s what I want to do. The problem becomes because there is a law that operates in our bodies, in this flesh, it animates us it gives us life. There’s a law that operates there. And it’s a law that is absolutely in harmony completely, absolutely a slave to another law and that’s the law of sin. And it makes it impossible no matter how good our intentions are to serve God.
And Paul basically, I believe God just took Paul on a tour of his own nature because he was brought up to believe you could serve God that way. And he found out, no, there’s a reason why we need a full-fledged salvation. There’s a reason why Christ came and did what he did. And so, but in the process, Paul was given a clear understanding so that there is no question in our minds, apart from what God did for us through Christ, we are in a hopeless, helpless state. I need him this morning. I need what he has provided through the gospel.
And so if all somebody has is those four laws, it’s a pretty tough thing. And that does, I wanna just pause and say this again because that does come into play with some forms of Christian teaching supposedly that leave out the second part as to how we live this life. And basically the life is presented as, here is a list of what constitutes a holy life. And remember, you don’t see God without holiness. So you gotta live this. But yet it doesn’t offer people the way to do that. It basically leaves it up to people in their own strength, live up to it. And so there’s a constant sense of failure and hopelessness there or else there’s self-deception. I’m holy because on the outside I’m looking good and I’m doing it right.
But God has something so much better. He wants to deliver His people from that kind of a bondage, that kind of a hopeless life. Thank God he doesn’t leave us there. And that’s where God revealed to Paul, that there is another law.
Now remember a law here is not just a law that you pass. This is a principle by which things operate. We have gravity, we have planetary, all is a planetary motion. We have just the way things work in nature. Well, this is the way things work in the spiritual realm. There are laws and principles that are absolutely in control.
And we need a law that is stronger than the one that binds people in this world. And that’s the law of the spirit of life. God gives us a new life and a new strength and a principle that enables us to live for God. And so that sets us free. And what it does is empower us to live up to the... and give expression to the genuine righteousness that is expressed in the law.
Now, if all God does is tell me what to do and what not to do, I’m hopeless. But if He gives me the power on the inside to be the kind of person he wants me to be, then I can actually live that out. I have the power where I can start to say, no, to this old nature and realize it’s not my master anymore. Praise God! Alright?
And that’s what he deals with in verse four, Paul is gonna continue to unlock God’s purpose and how it works here and chapter eight is certainly one of the richest in the Bible, alright?
So he describes something else, and I forget how far we got last week. We may have touched on this, but in verse five, he said, Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. Paul is gonna begin to paint a picture of two kinds of people.
Do you know there are only two kinds of people in the world? There are people who have entered into salvation and have what he’s talking about here or else they’re living in accordance in agreement with under the dominion of this law that operates in human flesh. I don’t care if it’s religious or if someone’s out there what we call a wicked life. The real condition is the same.
But you see that now Paul brings in another factor. He brings in the mind because we are not just creatures who operate on, you know, on automatic. We think; God created us with intelligence, with minds. And he says the people of the world who just simply follow whatever this flesh demands and whatever it wants. It’s pretty tough if you say, no I don’t with that, I don’t want that.
No our minds come in harmony with that. And we find ourselves agreeing with that. We find ourselves excusing that, explaining it. And every kind of mental trick the devil can place in there. We absolutely come to a place where all we can think of is, how do I gratify the desires that arise in my being?
Now some of it’s just bodily desires. We all know about that. But it’s not just the lust of the flesh, it’s the lust of the eyes. It’s the pride of life that John talks about. It’s, what can I have for myself? What kind of status can I gain? How can I be somebody that matters? And all these desires that come from that old nature.
Man, if we let them be in charge, where does that lead? That leads to death, doesn’t it? That’s not what God created us for. To live selfishly and just try to gratify whatever arises in our.... But I’ll tell you anybody that lives like that, that’s where their mind is at. Good thing to think about. Where’s my mind? What are the things that I believe? What are the things that I value? May God help us.
You begin to see where Paul’s going in chapter 12? Talks about presenting ourselves and what happens? Don’t be conformed, don’t be like the world. Don’t think like them, act like them, adopt the same values, but rather allow yourself – now we’re letting God do something. ‘Cause it’s not something we can do, but we can certainly submit to Him into doing thereof. Let Him change us. Transform us, okay? Into the image of his son and so forth. So that we can learn, we can actually experientially learn what His will is really about.
And it is a pathway, ‘cause God is not creating, I mean it’s His work. But we are not “storm troopers.” For those of you who are familiar with Star Wars, we were not created as clones. He just doesn’t program us to be His children. He wants sons and daughters who think like Him, who want Him, who choose Him.
I mean, what kind of a child would you want that just, you know, kind of goes through the motions, but never really has it on the inside. My God! Do you want children that are just robots? Do this, do, no you want children who grow up to have real values and learn how to become adults. That’s where God’s going with this. Okay?
But here’s the reality of it. You’ve got these two kinds of people. You’ve got people of the world that are totally consumed with what this flesh wants. God wants to change that. So now we want what He wants.
Now that’s not an instantaneous thing, but it is that process where we learn how to say, yes. Like we sang this morning. I’ll say yes. Are you saying, yes, this morning? Am I? Praise God we need to understand the difference that Paul is describing here.
Now the mind governed by the flesh is what? It’s death, isn’t it? Paul doesn’t wanna leave any doubt about what the deal is here. The mind governed by the flesh is death, separation from God leading to a bad end. But by contrast, the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
I’m so glad that that’s where God wants to bring us to, is not a place of, God, I hate this life. It’s of life and peace. It’s being set free from the very things that just make people so unhappy and trying, striving to please whatever rises in themselves, alright? The mind governed by the spirit is life and peace.
Now let’s go beyond that. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. Now do you remember what Paul talked in chapter five about when we were His enemies? Folks, if you are living by the culture of this world, if that’s where you get your values from, if that’s what’s important to you is what you can get out of this life and this world and it’s your life and, by God, you’re gonna live it. And you have right to your opinions about stuff. By God, where are you at?
I’ll tell you what, your mind is absolutely hostile to God. Because when God comes and puts his finger on something and says, this is what I think about it, this is the truth, what’s the natural reaction? Don’t you dare tell me what to do. You got your opinion and I got mine. That’s what this culture teaches.
But is there such a thing as truth? Well, truth has a name. His name is Jesus. He came to reveal the purpose, the will, the nature, everything about God. He is the perfect expression of the unseen God. And he came down and lived among us. What an amazing thing. Praise God!
But here you’ve got a condition. It’s where the human being is hostile to God, absolutely governed by this. If you’re governed by this, there’s no way you’re gonna agree with God about anything. Now people can be religious, but that’s not really agreement, is it, alright? The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law. So that’s a fact. Nor can it do so. So it’s not just the fact that it doesn’t it can’t, it’s impossible, alright? Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
It’s interesting use of the word realm. That word is not specifically in the Greek, but the idea is. You think of a realm as back in the day when you had kings who ruled over countries, okay? A king who ruled over country had authority over that country and so that was his realm. That was the part, that was the place where he ruled and his word was law.
Folks if we live in this country, so called, where what our flesh wants rules, that’s a bad place. There’s no way we can please God, we don’t want to, we can’t, and all it does is lead to death. Folks, that’s pretty bad place to live.
And you know, I thought about this. Maybe this is a good place as any. I mentioned last week and I’ve mentioned it many times before, the condition of religion that somehow bypasses the cross and how it really affects me. It’s not a place for me to die. But I’ll tell you, Paul is giving a very clear difference between the people of the world and the people of God. He’s really setting it out. He’s going into the depths of it right here.
But so much of what is called the gospel does not do that. Where Jesus made some very strong statements. He that wants to save his life will do what? Lose it. But the one who gives his life will keep it for life eternal. There’s no compromise there is there? It’s one of the other. And over and over you see that.
And you know, so much of religion wants to see how big a crowd they can get. Jesus wasn’t interested in numbers, you notice that? There were times he had huge crowds, but he knew exactly how to put things so that they said, this is a hard saying who can hear it? And they went and left him and stopped following him.
Jesus wasn’t interested in the crowds. He was interested in those who because of the Father’s work in their heart, had the capacity to listen to him and to agree with him, even when they didn’t understand it, they knew who he was and they were gonna be committed to following him.
Folks, that’s what God’s looking for today. And if you think that just because people, you know, say, I believe in Jesus and I’m going to church is enough, how about looking back at what Jesus said. I think we’ve probably quoted this last week, I’m trying to remember. But anyway, what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23. When he is talking about many, not a few, many will say in that day, Lord, Lord.
‘Cause he says, it’s not those who call me Lord, who just say, Lord, it’s those who do the will of my Father. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, and they’ll enumerate all the things they’ve done religiously that have given them confidence that they’re okay. And Jesus is gonna say, I will say to you, I never knew you.
Now notice he didn’t say, I knew you and then you messed up, and I kicked you out. I never knew you. What’s he really talking about there? There’s a relationship where a person has never ever surrendered their heart. They conformed their outward being to a certain religious standard, but they never in their hearts said, I surrender. I’m exactly what you say I am, I have the need you described. Lord, I need a savior and I need you to come and take the rule of my life and take me from this path to that one. I turn my back, I hand it over to you. I’m no longer my own. They’ve never done that.
He says, depart from me that work iniquity, and iniquity in the original is “lawless.” That’s somebody who when you really get down to the issues of the heart, nobody tells me what to do, it’s my life. But do you see how that conflicts with what Jesus said? Those who are his are brought to a place where it isn’t my life anymore. I lay it down because I realize that what I have, I cannot keep, it’s corrupted, it’s headed for destruction. I need a life that’s gonna last. That’s the only one I get from you, okay?
So, now he’s gonna get into something else because up to this point it’s almost sounded like, you know, the law of the Spirit comes into play, okay? It’s almost like the Spirit is out here giving this strength, this influence. But do you know it has to get beyond that?
I’m so glad when God can overshadow me. You remember how Jesus talked about the coming of the Spirit to the disciples, alright? He said, the Spirit dwells with you, but shall be in you. You see the difference? I’m so glad when God can overshadow me with His presence from out here and give me strength and help, but I need more than that. I need Him in here. And that’s the hope of the gospel. And that’s what he’s gonna get into, alright?
So those who dwell in the realm of the flesh cannot please God you however, describing to the people to whom he’s writing, you however are not in the realm of the flesh, but are in the realm of the Spirit. Then he puts in a very conditional word, doesn’t he, okay? You are in the realm of the spirit. That is the realm, the country if you will, where the Spirit rules.
But under what conditions does that happen? Is that something just outside? It says, If indeed the Spirit of God lives where? In you. So now we’ve gotta have something that goes right to our hearts. We’ve gotta have God living in us, or else we’re just being religious.
And I sense God wanting to establish this in a deeper way here today. Because the most horrible thing would be for someone to be a part of this church, to grow up in it and never get this and fool themselves and be among those who say, Lord, Lord, I went to the Bible Tabernacle, I was on this committee, I did this, I did that. What do you mean I’m not?
Do you think the Lord is looking to shut people out and to put them in that category? Of course He’s not! He deals with hearts. I’ll tell you, there’s gonna be some sad faces on that day. When the Lord not only says, I never knew you, but He’s gonna take them back on a trip if you will, through their experience. And they’re gonna come to those times. They’re gonna go back and relive those times when God was speaking to their hearts. And somehow they found a way to sidestep that and say, oh, I can fit this into my life. They can do anything in the world except totally, here’s my life, Lord I surrender.
I just pray that God will bring a people to Himself in reality. I believe I’ve got a lot of brothers and sisters here. I thank God for every one of you. None of this is to make people fearful and doubtful and all of that. But is this serious? This is eternal. God wants to have a people who are solidly in Him and you have His Spirit not just out here influencing you, but living.
And I said last week, what an amazing gospel it is, that God could take somebody like us with everything that’s wrong and fit us, make us so clean that a holy God can actually take up residence and be at home. That’s incredible. That’s incredible. But that’s what the gospel is about. What an amazing God we have who wants that more than anything. So if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
Now here’s the clincher ‘cause he says, If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. That’s some pretty plain language. That covers the people that He’s talking about on that judgment day. They’ve got religion, they’ve got a profession, they’ve got a lot of religious activity, but they never had the Spirit of Christ.
Now it’s interesting, he says, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ. God is a Spirit. He shares His life with us through Christ. So you can call it, you can say, the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of God, you’re talking about the same Spirit. You’re talking about God sharing His life with the people and it’s like a river that flows through his Son. And now He is able to share God’s life with the people.
But it’s not just anybody. It’s people who are willing to be cleansed, willing to come under His authority and to be changed completely from the inside out.
