Titled - "Victory In Christ"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Last week we read of the Apostle Paul’s frustration with himself, as he revealed two warring natures within himself, and therefore extant in every human being. Man’s sin nature reveals our appetite for sin, and the Spiritual nature to please God shows how we desire to worship and obey our Creator, for we are His. Paul admitted that he does the things in the flesh that in the spirit, he doesn’t want to do, and finds no strength within himself to change that sin nature. But, placing our trust in our Creator is a game changer. The battle of the flesh vs. the Spirit is simply evil vs. good. Both reside within us.
As we begin Chapter 8 of Romans, Paul tells us of the victory he has found: “No condemnation” for them that follow after the Spirit, in spite of the flesh demanding satisfaction. Our faithful God sees our hearts and minds, and He sees our flesh too. But for God, His judgment is an easy choice, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The flesh is temporary; we all die, casting off the flesh, but our spirit is eternal, and that’s what God judges accordingly. His judgment of the flesh is completed, but He will not condemn the spirit to hell, unless our hearts and minds reject His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ.
Jesus is our example: Born of the Spirit, but born in the likeness of our human flesh, Jesus lived a sinless life. He was not controlled by fleshly appetites, He lived to fulfill the will of His Father. And upon His crucifixion and death, released Himself from the grave after three days, raising up and revealing Himself alive to the Apostles, and many others before rising up into heaven, where He awaits the arrival of those that love Him, love the example He has shown us, who live in the same hope. Fighting with the flesh can consume us, but Jesus tells us to trust in Him. Like Jacob, when wrestling with an angel, give up, and win! Jesus leads us to victory!
As Jacob wrestled with an angel, neither prevailed for it was a fleshly match. But Jacob saw the day dawn, and the angel said let me go. Jacob said “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” The angel indeed blessed him, changing Jacob’s name from Jacob to Israel. “Isra-El, meaning “Prince of God,” and variously translated “Prince with God.”
“And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone, a new name written, which no man knows, saving he that receiveth it.” Rev. 2:17
Last week we read of the Apostle Paul’s frustration with himself, as he revealed two warring natures within himself, and therefore extant in every human being. Man’s sin nature reveals our appetite for sin, and the Spiritual nature to please God shows how we desire to worship and obey our Creator, for we are His. Paul admitted that he does the things in the flesh that in the spirit, he doesn’t want to do, and finds no strength within himself to change that sin nature. But, placing our trust in our Creator is a game changer. The battle of the flesh vs. the Spirit is simply evil vs. good. Both reside within us.
As we begin Chapter 8 of Romans, Paul tells us of the victory he has found: “No condemnation” for them that follow after the Spirit, in spite of the flesh demanding satisfaction. Our faithful God sees our hearts and minds, and He sees our flesh too. But for God, His judgment is an easy choice, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The flesh is temporary; we all die, casting off the flesh, but our spirit is eternal, and that’s what God judges accordingly. His judgment of the flesh is completed, but He will not condemn the spirit to hell, unless our hearts and minds reject His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ.
Jesus is our example: Born of the Spirit, but born in the likeness of our human flesh, Jesus lived a sinless life. He was not controlled by fleshly appetites, He lived to fulfill the will of His Father. And upon His crucifixion and death, released Himself from the grave after three days, raising up and revealing Himself alive to the Apostles, and many others before rising up into heaven, where He awaits the arrival of those that love Him, love the example He has shown us, who live in the same hope. Fighting with the flesh can consume us, but Jesus tells us to trust in Him. Like Jacob, when wrestling with an angel, give up, and win! Jesus leads us to victory!
As Jacob wrestled with an angel, neither prevailed for it was a fleshly match. But Jacob saw the day dawn, and the angel said let me go. Jacob said “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” The angel indeed blessed him, changing Jacob’s name from Jacob to Israel. “Isra-El, meaning “Prince of God,” and variously translated “Prince with God.”
“And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone, a new name written, which no man knows, saving he that receiveth it.” Rev. 2:17
Bobservations' Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Romans 8:1-13 - "Victory In Christ"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
He begins with another simple explanation of the gospel, God's good news about His Son's life on earth as a man and death on earth for our sin. That allowed the law to be fulfilled and justice to be done for human sin. Those who come to faith in Christ are described as living according to God's Holy Spirit. We no longer live according to the flesh, as all non-Christians do. Those in the flesh—the world's way of living for self before and above all else—are hostile to God. They can't please Him (Romans 8:1–8).
God's Spirit lives in every Christian. If someone doesn't have the Spirit, he or she is not a Christian. The Spirit, given to us by God, is the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. He will resurrect us, as well, after these sin-wrecked bodies have died (Romans 8:9–11).
This Spirit from God is not a spirit of slavery. God did not save us simply to compel us to do His bidding. Instead, this Spirit is a spirit of adoption. God makes us His sons and daughters. His Spirit makes us able to cry out to God as a little child cries out to their daddy. Since we are heirs of God, we will share in all the glories of God's kingdom with Christ forever.
Sunday Morning Audio Message:
Key Words and Definitions with Reference: