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Romans 8. “Death is swallowed up in victory .” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting ?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ . ( 1 Corinthians 15:54-56).
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Romans 8 “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)
Romans 8:12-17 The Spirit Empowers Us For Victory
Romans 8:12-17 • Indebted! • How do we fight sin? • How has the Spirit changed us? • We are adopted! • Wrap-Up The Spirit Empowers Us For Victory
Romans 8:12-17 12 So then, brothers, 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. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “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 fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. It is imperative that we understand that we are in debt to something here. To what / to whom are we indebted to?
Indebted! It has been established that we are in debt whether we are free from sin or held captive to it. But what is the difference between these two types of debt? In Debt to the Flesh In Debt to the Spirit It was in our nature to obey the flesh, its lusts, and desires. It was in the nature of God to send His Son to die on our behalf – and thus, He paid our eternal penalty, in full, on the cross. He bought us with His blood! OBLIGATION GRATITUDE Death Eternal Life Unending
Romans 8:12-13 12 So then, brothers, 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.
How do we fight sin?This cannot be stressed enough! Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)
"...the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin...Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work." --Mortification of Sin, by John Owen
Genesis 3:17-18 “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the treeof which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
“By the way, you can kill some sins and they get resurrected later, so don't think it's going to be final. You'll just see the decreasing of their resurrections.” --John MacArthur
Romans 8:14-17 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “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 fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
We Are Adopted! What does it mean to be adopted? This is a marvelous truth that we find in the Word of God that we are, indeed, not just saved, but adopted into the family of God. To get a better view of what this means for us does mean that we must examine perhaps one of the most riveting tales of adoption in the Bible; consider this when you remember your own adoption by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!
2 Samuel 9:1-5 David's Kindness to Mephibosheth 9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?”2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
2 Samuel 9:6-8 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”7And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
2 Samuel 9:6-8 9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba's house became Mephibosheth's servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
How are we like Mephibosheth? Who are we, but dead dogs, that the King should consider us? Just remember that we deserved none of what God has done for us; He did what He did out of His own good pleasure and will. Do you see why we serve our Lord, by the Spirit, out of gratitude instead of obligation?