Safe and Secure - Part A

You chose or said we do not preach Christ with a calm after his name is Bill waiting for something else, or Christ with it – after his name as though leading to something else we freeze price.

And because Juergen tries there is no condemnation for the you get this connection.

Christians face a big struggle with sin today on connect with Steve-Skip share some great news about the spiritual battle that will settle your heart and your mind. But before we begin, we want to let you know about a resource that will help the kids in your life experience God's word like never before. The most recent state of the Bible survey revealed that only 9% of millennial's with the Bible on a daily basis will skeptical generation I record is also uninformed about the word of God. Small wonder such lifestyle confusion about your own children or your grandchildren passing your faith to a younger generation so they don't become a statistic and stepped to help you courage again person in your life to get excited about God's word and all he has for the swing to the Bible Skip Heitzig gives kids and twins. An overview of the entire Bible and exciting travel guide for illustrations fascinating facts to keep them engaged will send you your copy of this may produce resource you give a generous donation of $35 or more to help keep these Bible based teachings on the air connecting more people like you to God's word.

Call now to give them and receive your copy of sword to the Bible 892 1888 or securely connectwithskip.com/offer will be in Romans chapter 4 today study so let's join skip-sometimes we feel a little tenuous in our spiritual position while we read the book of Romans, because we discover kind about the struggle that believers go through. I know a lot of you. I love the book of Romans, until they read it, then there's a whole lot about the wrath of God. And there's no none right is no, not wind, etc., etc., all of send and fallen short, and that is all this set up for the great truth of the gospel of the grace of God were right smack dab in the middle of that it's clear that Paul the apostle wants believers to feel secure in Christ safe and secure no matter what struggles you go through no matter what circumstances you encounter. He wants you as a believer to be filled with hope because of your security in Christ.

There was a man named Anthony Showalter who had singing school down in Alabama. One night after classes. He went home to his room and there were two letters waiting for him both from former students, both former students had lost their lives.

They had both died. You read these letters back to back and was just overcome with grief and sadness for his two friends who lost their wives and he wanted to write something to encourage them.

He sat down to write a letter to the end of verse Going through his mind out of Deuteronomy chapter 22, where it says the eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.

So he put pen to paper started writing a poem that became a song. A song that you know leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarm leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. That's an old song 1887, but has such good truths such rash truth in and it's that kind of truth that emerges in the chapter we are about to discover it is safe and secure. We now come to one of the great chapters of all of Scripture. I would say it is the crowning chapter of the book of Romans.

If you think of the Bible. The Scripture as a gold ring, then the book of Romans is the 3 carat diamond on that gold band and Romans chapter 8 is the sparkling point of the diamond Griffith Thomas said this is undoubtedly the chapter of chapters for the believer and William R. Great commentator on the book said there is scarcely a passage in the New Testament that is more delightful reading to the spiritual Christian than the eighth chapter of the book of Romans, one of the reasons is that the chapter opens with no condemnation in the chapter closes with no separation to great bookends right for your life no matter what circumstances you go through no matter what chapters are written in your life. No condemnation.

No separation, and this is a welcome reprieve from all of the desperation that we discovered in chapter 7 that that anthem that Paul cried out in chapter 7 verse 20 4O wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death or this body of death. Compare that to chapter 8 verse one there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus you got chapter 7 the cry of anguish.

Chapter 8 the cry of victory. One of the things that's noticeable about chapter 7 is all of the personal pronouns that we discover and it in fact if you just don't mind going back to chapter 7 I'm going to accentuate these four sake of emphasis. If you look at verse 13. For example, of chapter 7 of Romans process has, then what is good become death to me. Certainly not, but send that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the laws spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin for what I am doing.

I do not understand what I will to do that. I do not practice but what I hate that I do if then I do what I will not to do. I agree with the law that it is good, but now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me, for I know that in me, that is, in my flesh.

Nothing good dwells quarter will is present with me.

But how to perform what is good. I do not find six versus I counted 19 personal pronouns me me me by my my eye. I this guy has eye disease. It is packed full of personal pronouns.

The truth of Romans seven are among the most depressing truths found in Scripture, their heart rending Paul is being very raw, very honest about the frustration and the struggle we all know about. We all know about in Romans chapter 7 we feel the chains of bondage on her wrists and her ankles in chapter 8 we hear those chains.

Following I want to look at in this chapter, principally the first few verses, but actually the first 11 verses altogether only give you for facts that make a secure for facts that tether us to safety and each fact builds upon the other there facts about our punishment. Our position, our power and our practice first fact that tethers us to safety is our punishment is done. Our punishment is not. Look at the first verse.

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. Some people call verse one of chapter 8.

The most hopeful verse in all the Bible now make sure that you put up. If it's not already there. After the word Jesus, the Bible that I just read you the new King James version based on the old King James version has a, after Jesus, so it reads 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 that second part is not in the original so you're asking I hope will how to get here that will look at verse four. It tells you 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 the same phrase from verse four is in verse one. Now, years ago, the early church when they made copies of the Scripture. They did it by hand.

They couldn't highlight copy paste on their computers. They can do that. So they had write it out by hand. When you write something out by hand. Your subject to human error.

There are not many of them in the New Testament there. Amazingly few, but every now and then you find what what Bible experts call copyist errors and we believe that chapter 8 verse one has one.

So how did that happen. Well guys, copying, and he's probably thinking I need to show the relationship of verse four to verse one if I just leave verse one as it is somebody's in a come along and read that and might think I can just go ahead and live in my sin I can do anything I want. There's no condemnation.

I can just keep on living like I want to live so I'm in a help got out a little bit on the new insert that clause from verse four into the margin next to verse one and is a got copied and copied. Perhaps another scribe took what was in the margin and put it in verse one, thinking that it had been omitted and was left in the margin. You say how do you know all that. How do you even know that's true because you found many old manuscripts, many older manuscripts than the one the translation I'm reading from is based on and not one of them has this clause in it. In verse one, so is it what difference does it make as is the truth makes a difference.

And here's the difference if you keep that phrase in verse one.

When you read it you will look inward and you will think where I hope I'm walking in the spirit not in the flesh, but if you remove that phrase like I think it should be removed. You look upward, not inward you look upward and you think that I'm glad God has me covered. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Not,.. Now don't misunderstand me, does not say there is therefore now no mistakes that are made by those who are in Christ Jesus.

We know that's not true and if you don't know your wife does or your husband.

It does not say there is therefore now no failures experienced by those who are in Christ Jesus. We know that's not true. It does not say there are therefore now no consequences for your actions.

For those who are in Christ Jesus. But it does say there is therefore now no condemnation big difference between consequences and condemnation. So, for example, Abraham, Abraham lied twice about his wife member that story. He laughs in his faith. Twice he life he suffered the consequences of that he was rebuked by a pagan king, David committed adultery and murder.

He suffered consequences for that Bathsheba got pregnant. He sullied God's name among all the peoples around him.

Peter tried to kill a man got to remember that will actually you do remember it. He cut off a guys here he was aiming for his head. Thank God he was a fisherman not a swordsman. He cut off his ear. Then he denied Jesus. Later on that night he suffered the consequences of that. He went on, he wept bitterly. Paul and Barnabas argued over a teammate split the friendship it toward the relationship lasted years severed.

They suffer the consequences. Every one of those examples suffered consequences for their sins. Not a single one of them suffered condemnation for their sin. No, literally. The verse could be rendered this way.

Therefore now, not one condemnation I like. Therefore, now, not one condemnation were condemnation is a very strong word, very rare word clotted cream is the Greek word it's really useless.

A very strong word for judgment know while there certainly will be a coming evaluation for believers.

Do you know that there will be an evaluation of your life. At the end the Bible because that the judgment seat of Christ. The bema seat of Christ. You will be rewarded for your service on earth or the reward will be withdrawn depending on motivation, etc. so that's coming. And certainly there will be a condemnation for unbelievers. We read about that for a lot of these chapters of Romans introducing in chapter 1 verse 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. So there's a coming evaluation for believers is a coming condemnation for unbelievers, but we who are believers will never stand in judgment like the rest of the world will never face punishment for our sins because that already happened that's already done and and by the way, the United States of America soul believes that we have that in our Constitution. You go what are five in the Constitution United States.

The Fifth Amendment has what's called the Double Jeopardy Clause the law of double jeopardy which states that a man cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Once a man is been tried and punished can be tried twice. Jesus already paid the price for our sin. Therefore God can never condemn you for that. There is therefore now no condemnation is what Jesus said, that he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life. Did you get that not will have has it right now. Right now, present tense, he who hears my word and believes in him will set me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death into life. Every now and then I hear a phrase uttered by Christians. I cringe whenever I hear it. It's a horrible expression, its expression, God is punishing me God is punishing. Why do you know that I stuck my toe God's punishing me. I got into an auto accident must be the God's punishing me. God is not punishing you because God already punished Jesus on the cross for your sin law of double jeopardy not going to happen again so punishment is done. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

Now let's look at our second fact of our position. Our position is defined.

Look at verse one, a little more carefully.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are tell me what those who are in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus K. Here's the reason there's no condemnation because you have a new address. You have a new position. You are now in Christ Jesus you know how important that phrases it is used 87×8 787 times in the New Testament, mostly by Paul spalls, one of Paul's favorite descriptions for what a Christian is you want to describe what a Christian is somebody is in Christ Jesus our twice Peter use that phrase. Luke use it once, but the rest of those times were all used by Paul fact, if you were to count up all the other equivalents of that phrase like in him or in whom, now the phrase shows up 130 times in the New Testament because here's the deal you are in one of two individuals you are in Adam or you are in Christ. That is, you are affected by and identified with either Adam or Christ first Corinthians 1522 in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. So you and I who believe we are in union with Christ, we are in communion with Christ, we are having a connection with Christ, if you take Christ out of Christian what's left in your nothing without Christ.

AW toes are said we do not preach Christ with a, after his name as though waiting for something else, or Christ with it – after his name as though leading to something else, but we preach Christ. And because you are in Christ there is no condemnation.

It's important you get this connection. A lot of us are interested in our heritage. You know I'm I did this.

We did that.

I did a 23 and me thing I found out what the work. My answers came from what I did that and the reason I did is because it was a gift to me says that I'm a do it my way, so why bother. I can tell you where you came from the nonelderly find out who knows alive and she was right.

She knew exactly where I came from and the test showed that but we want to know who our ancestors were what they did what they accomplished where they came from because, for better or for worse, we are linked physically, culturally, intellectually, to our ancestors, but infinitely more infinitely greater when you are in Christ, everything changes, everything changes.

Here's a sampling being in Christ makes you a new creation. Second Corinthians 517 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away.

All things become new being in Christ removes condemnation. Chapter 8 verse one.

Therefore, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, being in Christ develops a new connection.

In chapter 16 of Romans, Paul writes about my fellow workers who are in Christ Jesus.

So slick I'm in Christ you're in Christ we are in Christ we have a whole new family connection and being in Christ produces a new expectation. First Corinthians 15 that great chapter on the resurrection.

He says those who have fallen asleep means kick the bucket died. Those who have fallen asleep in Christ Jesus can anticipate bodily resurrection so our punishment is done. Our position as defined our new address is we are in Christ Jesus. That's huge. When my favorite authors old dead guy authors over Sentry goes FB Meyer FB Meyer wrote several books I've loved his books and he used an illustration true illustration about two Germans who wanted to climb the Matterhorn and so just for the modern audience, you need to know the Matterhorn is not a mountain in Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

That's a replica of a real mound in Switzerland called the Matterhorn that does not have a car that goes around, but they want to climb the Matterhorn in Switzerland.

They hired three guides to help them three guides so there's a party five going up the side of the Matterhorn. We are going up. They decide on the steepest, most slippery part of the mountain to tether to tide themselves together and wrote so they start out with guide traveler guide traveler guide so when guide is in the front.

One is in the back three into is there going up the last man slips and falls. The guide, but the other four have secured pretty good toeholds into the niches of the ice there holding firm.

But then Guy number four falls down when he falls he drags number three and number two down so all four men are fallen down tide to a rope to the head guide who stands firm. The reason he stands firm is because he had driven a spike deep into the ice and he can hold onto that spike deep into the ice and he is holding his ground, which enables the rest of the men to regain their footing. That's the story he tells FB Meyer concluded the story saying I am like one of those men who slipped thank God I am found in a living partnership to Christ and because he stands I will never Skip a message from the series should use gift to share how you can keep this broadcast going strong, connecting more people like you to God's truths. This world has been deceived by the lies of the enemy, but you can live confidently in God's truth. That's why it's so important for you to stay rooted in God's word.

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