Bible Study - Power Passages 2: Romans 8:1-15

Hi Everyone, 

Notes for this Bible Study are below.  Click here to download the audio to your computer.

You can also access the whole load of Friday Night Bible Study audio files.

Be blessed!

Chris

1. No More Condemnation

Romans 8: 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 

If you are in Christ Jesus, you are no longer under condemnation – God does not and will never condemn you!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (NKJV)

The demarcation is very clear – believe, saved, not condemned, walk in the Spirit.  Don’t believe, not saved, condemned, walking in the flesh.

2. Eternal Life Trumps Sin and Death

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 

We now have the LIFE of Christ working in us!  Eternal Life.  This has set us free from sin and its effects.  All the unwholeness in us marked by sin and the fall.  Effects like what we saw in the last couple of weeks!

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

Verse 3

The law can only tell you what to do without providing you with the solution.  It will show you how far you've missed the bar but not how to hit it.  This is so much like what we see in much of Christianity today, where we are told what we have to DO to be a Christian.  No, Christianity is all about the DONE, and about us standing in AWE of Christ as we know Him more and realise what he has done in our spirits and letting that sink into us and change us (Eph 3:19, Rom 12:2).

He sent His own Son to die in our place.  He BECAME sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NKJV)

Verse 4

Jesus did not come to do away with the law but to fulfill it.  

Matthew 5: 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (NKJV)

We who are saved do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Our leading is now not from our flesh, the 5 senses, but from the Spirit.  There was a fundamental change the day you got saved – your spirit was made alive (2 Cor 5:17) and is one with the Lord (1 Cor 6:17)

3. New Creation: The Eternal Life

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Those who live according to the flesh – like fish swim in water – have no choice.  Their minds are set on fleshly things. We are spiritual beings – our natural desire is for spiritual things.

If the water dries up, only fish are affected.  You are geared for life and peace!

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 

See? 2 kinds of people

not saved, no spirit, led by the flesh = not subject to the law of God = Carnal = cannot please God.

Saved, Spirit of God inside, led by Spirit = fulfilled law (through Christ) = Spiritual = please God.

It is Jesus’ keeping of the law and then dying on our behalf that pleases God, not OUR law keeping!

4. Eternal Life Makes Us Whole

10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 

Your body is dead because of sin.  But the Spirit in you gives life because of righteousness – not just right standing, but equal in goodness to God, deserving of all His grace and goodness.

It WILL give life to my MORTAL body, the one dead because of sin. It WILL make me whole.

Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV)

12 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. 

We owe it to ourselves to live according to the Spirit.  If we live by our natural senses alone, we will see death (not hell, but death).  The Zoe life of God will not flow.

If we live by the Spirit, we start to see the overcoming power of the God-life in us flowing out.  Paul said it in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4: 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 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. (NKJV)

5. Children of God, Understand His Love

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

Are you a child of God today? Then you are LED by the Spirit of God.  Whether you will follow is your choice.  We can choose to live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit.

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.” 

Anything that is of fear is not from God. Any religious exercise from fear (Not looking good enough, respectable, holy etc.) stinks.

Fear is the opposite of faith.

1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. (NKJV)

From love comes faith

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (NKJV)

We have been made children of God out of His love for us!

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. (NKJV)

6. Other References to Read

John 17:3, Eph 3:19, Rom 12:2, Rom 10:17

7. The Take Away

No more condemnation-God does not and will never again condemn you!

We are already in the Spirit!

Jesus kept the Law for us

We enjoy Eternal Life in us because of this

Eternal Life in us conquers sin and its effects

Renew your mind: get to know God more for Eternal Life to manifest

Bible Study – In Awe of The Eternal Life

Hi All

Notes are below.  Click here to download the audio file to your computer!

You can also access the whole load of Friday Night Bible Study audio files.

Blessings!

Chris 

1. God – A Mental Picture

When was the last time you sat or stood in awe of God?

I am not asking for you to work it up, to DEVELOP an awe for God by practicing it.

Bible says

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (NKJV)

God declares that He WILL be exalted among the nations and the earth, not YOU SHALL exalt me among the nations and the earth.  It will happen.

We will be a part of this if we are in awe of Him.

A big part of this is your mental image of God:

2. What is your mental image of God?

Judge with arms folded, lightning bolt in hand to strike at will

Strict parent - He has forgiven you and is OK with you, but don’t you dare mess up now

Benevolent Father, dotes on you when you ask, but he’s got plenty of kids and you are just one of them (so you try not to bother Him too much)

Sugardaddy – gives you everything you want when you ask

Answer – none of the above

Could I venture to say that our thoughts of God are so fallen, that unless we go back to the Word of God and searched it up carefully to see what God says, we’re likely to have a wrong image of Him, that it will be based on other things? Family, popular culture, church traditions and common church teachings, anything else but the pure word of God.

3. God’s Word Needed…

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (NKJV)

As we start to build a mental image of God in our minds, as this becomes more and more real to us, we start to change the way we think, and the eternal life that God wants us to benefit from starts to manifest.

Beware not to reject teachings about His goodness, that it has to be tempered by our performance.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

We need to build an image of God in our hearts according to the Word.  We need to actively seek to build this.  If we don’t, the world will put that image in.

Every area we don’t fill with the Word of God is another area the world will mold us.

4. Knowing God

God’s Love – Love that surpasses knowledge

God’s Grace – Abundant, abounding grace

God’s Mercy – Infinite mercy

God’s Life – the Eternal Life in knowing Him

So far we’ve learned that God loves us

Each of us is so precious to Him and He is overjoyed to receive us (Luke 15)

Given us everything we need for godly living, (2 Pet 1:3-4, 1 Cor 9:8)

Is for us not against us, is one with us, gives us power beyond all we can ask or imagine?

Wants to live His life through you that you might have the fullest of Him

And many more verses

Rom 8:31-32 Given us His best in His Son

John 10:10 Gave me abundant life

Rom 5:17 given us abundant grace

Eph 1:3 blessed me with EVERY spiritual blessing in heavenly places

1 Cor 15:57 gave me VICTORY over sin and death

2 Tim 1:7 power and of love and a sound mind

He wants to live through us that our lives be full, knowing His love for us.

5. Fallen Short

Need to reiterate how far we’ve fallen short

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NKJV)

We are all unwhole. Intrinsically, sin has tainted us, made us imperfect.

Knowing we are sinners is not for us to travail and wail, or for us to determine in our hearts to do better.

Until we know that no amount of our human effort will make us worthy, we won’t know what this means.

It is to rely on the finished work of Jesus that has made us acceptable.

6. Like Peter’s First Encounter

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (NKJV)

When you focus on yourself, this notion of falling short makes us despair

Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” (NKJV)

7. Given His Glory, His Life

John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (NKJV)

Jesus gave us His glory, that we might be one, that the world would come to know Him.  This is possible only because He died on our behalf and rose from the dead!

John 17: 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (NKJV)

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (NKJV)

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (NKJV)

Given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, make us partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world.

1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (NASB95)

This is the Eternal Life He has put in you and wants for you to live out with His power!

8. Peter Take 2

John 6:68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (NKJV)

By this time, Peter had been fed the Word and he couldn’t do without it.  He was in awe.

9. Peter Take 3

Acts 2:38 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. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” (NKJV)

Acts 3:12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? (NKJV)

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (NKJV)

God working through Peter – he was now a vessel of honour.

When we are awed by His goodness to us in spite of our fallen natures, we want to do nothing but tell people about it.

10. In Awe of God’s Goodness to Us

As we discover God’s goodness to us through Jesus Christ at the Cross, as we learn more about what happened there and how it has affected us for all of Eternity, we become more and more in awe of His grace to us!

A gospel without the cross is meaningless, powerless.  We have to examine what was accomplished at the cross, very very carefully.

11. What Makes A Difference

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NKJV)

Poor in spirit - To know we are not worthy in ourselves but to be thankful that He considers us worthy by the blood.  To yearn more and more for the things of God.

Never, ever reach a status quo in the Lord.

12. The Take Away

• God loves us so much, that He gave Himself in His Son to us.  He wants us to know Him, that we may know Love, that we may be saved, blessed, made whole.
• He is our Eternal Life and He wants us to let Him live through us, to trust Him in His Word so we live in victory and prosper in every area of our lives.
• This can only happen if we seek Him in His Word and allow Him to mold us through the changing of our minds.