Freedom: The Greatest Chapter in the Bible, Part 2

Today on Summit life with JD Greer often hear people say, well trying to back God what they mean is a want to get involved in some kind of religious self-improvement will be a better person on available mortgage and the God listen Christianity. Plain and simple to surrender to a person all of you surrenders to all him the nature of surrender is that it's total. Otherwise, you're just looking at him with suggestion you might I'm only minutes you question the worst effective stand was not how it hurt you or someone else cut you off from the Holy Spirit. In today's message Pastor Jenny continues to walk through Romans eight and shows us how the amount of spiritual power in our lives is directly tied to how much we surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

When there is total surrender to God's spirit were free to walk in righteousness and resurrection power sound good to you. Let's rejoin Pastor Katie in the greatest chapter in the Bible.

Romans eight Christians of different ideas about what it means. Walk the spirit, the great question must keep reading what voluntarism?

Five. Live according to the flesh have their mindset on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their mindset on the things of the spirit walking according to the spirit is accomplished.

In other words, by setting your mind on the things of the spirit noticed by the way, then say setting your mind on the spirit is a set your mind on the things of the spirit region.

I draw the distinction is because a lot of Christians are obsessed by the spirit and you're really spiritual you think that you relate to them all the time and always hear his voice and said I think all the Telugu without a sub here in the back when extend up on one of the Holy Spirit to speak in the me the judge of the single guy who says to me like the spirit of God. Pastors were told Manassas grow out my will tell me about that right and be careful when you tell me about it is like yellow. I just, you know like was driving on the road. I was think about scrolling Lauren Elledge thing about her and I and all the sudden I look at this billboard and background color that of that door was the same colors arise, and I notice of the last two digits of the phone number that this law firm will told me to call was was the same as her age and just then Lauren Daigle's music comes on the radio and it's the song this girl and I just knew Jehovah gyrate you speaking to me and tell me to ask her out my bro, I'm not totally sure. That may not be the Holy Spirit. It sounds to me like the preamble to a restraining order if you really fast family honest with you, but as would go with that. These are saying that is nothing that you gotta focus all the time on the spirit is that you're focusing on the things of the spirit is not of course he's a person in setting your mind on the things of the spirit means thinking about the things of the spirit thinks about mutual love of the spirit loves to be to seek the bangs of the spirit seeks that's what you do when you're in fellowship with somebody right fellowship economies, friendship when you're good friends with somebody you like to get together and talk about what you both love you both love hockey get together and talk about hockey. If you both love eating steak get together and eat a steak and that's what friendship is when you're in fellowship with the spirits, then you are talking about and thinking about and dwelling on a limit on the things of the spirit loves why what is it that the spirit loves, well the spirit loves God's glory to spirit loves true the spirit loves beauty God's beauty loves justice and righteousness. The spirit loves God's church eat loves people right here. Philippians 4 a that whatever things are honest and and true and lovely and of good reporting and just think on those things, even things the spirit loves the spirit loves the fame of Jesus and the spread of his message people being saved delivered and empowered.

Here's the key.

As you dwell on those things. The spirit in you are in fellowship. Here's the thing where the spirit is so is his power and when his power is, there your life will begin to bear fruit spiritually. Here is what people do not get the fruits of the spirit are simply lesson the results of the Spirit's presence. The fruits of the spirit are simply the result of the spirit being in the room and wherever he is, they simply start showing up in the spirit is present in you in so far as you are dwelling on the things of the like. The spirit so you think on participate in something that grieves the spirit that makes your heart in the hospital for him and as his presence fades from your life.

So do his fruits.

Here's a question. What if the greatest danger of sin was not whatever bad effect it has on you or somebody else. What if the greatest damage of sin was that it cut you off from the spirit of God. I asked that because Christians always evaluate sin. It seems like by how bad the effects are and will say well that's coming this is a little sand.

It's not that bad.

It's a little thing. It's not going to do any real damage. But what if the worst effects of sin was that grieves the Holy Spirit and cut you off from fellowship with him the fruits of the spirit are produced by fellowship with the Spirit and you are in fellowship with him insofar as you think on dwell on the things of the lighting ball continues. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the spirit. He says was that's life and peace. That means fruits of the spirit mindset of the Spirit is life and peace and you where the spirit goes, so do his fruits of life and peace. What drives them out the mindset of the flesh is and what the mindset of the flesh in verse seven, Paul is going to summarize it as hostility to God case. I will okay will good. I'm not hostile to God, so that on the minds of the flesh will not hostility to God in Romans would be defined according to the five selves okay self will. I want to do what I wanted it. I may go give lip service to God and a tip my hat to him.

I may try to be a good person. I may let it be an influence, but ultimately the other day I will make the decisions okay will God be in a real influence on me, but I want to make a decision.

Self will your secondary critic, self glory, I really want to be the point I want to talk about me and think about me want to look at me.

My concern about how to look to God him more about how to think about me self gratification is like my desires fulfilled even if it means that I've got to transgress the will of God to get them fulfilled. Then there is self-righteousness. I think I'm going to distinguish myself above others nominal on my place right self-righteousness. I'm going to show that I'm good enough in the last will and self-sufficiency. I'm good enough. I'm going to get good enough that I can I can overcome and I can do this even apart from the power of God.

I just think about what I can accomplish sin.

I've told you before, is the big eye problem, it's that I'm I will my glory my gratification. I'm good enough. I can accomplish things self self self fellowship with the spirit means putting God in each of those places were previously you had self so instead of self will you say when I'm I will yours be done without talking about what job I take her where I live or what I do with my money or who my date.

It's not my will but yours self glory means is not about me it's not to us but to your name will Lord be the glory self gratification means you say they look my bread, my satisfaction is to do the will of the father. Self-righteousness is where you say hey I know that all my righteousnesses is a filthy rag and that my righteousness is completing you as you become our righteousness, and you are my goodness, Christ, my righteousness self-sufficiency is where you say I can't but I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Those are the things of the spirit as you think like that the spirit surges and you listen at any given point.

Whether you got a Bible in your hand and a smile on your face in a worship song in your mouth that any given point there is either a self focus in your art or there's a God focus. If it's a self focus your grieving the spirit of God it means when I'm standing in church I'm singing worship songs. But I'm thinking more about what I want to accomplish something about what people think about me. I'm grieving the spirit and driving him away, and with him the fruits of spiritual life and peace or your thinking like he thinks in fellowship with him and the result of that is spirit. As president he producing the fruits of the spirit in you again.

What if the most devastating effects of your sin. What if the most devastating effect was not any damage it cost to you or somebody else what the most devastating effect of your sin was simply that agreed the spirit of God, and it made him pull away and with him was life and peace.

For some of the mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God's law and it is unable to do so, to those who are in the flesh cannot please God this is Paul recapping what he's impacting chapter 7 is aggressive. Flesh is simple major party was totally against God is totally for you saying what he says in verse eight.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God mean by that person without Jesus can ever think a good thought or perform a noble action. This means that the core of who they are there more loyal to themselves and they are to God and that makes them displeasing to God to matter how good gone.

They are in every other part of the life.

Imagine you got a guy in a rebel army, a rebel army who looks after his comrades is really good to his fellow soldiers. He keeps his uniform clean and pressed these brave got a great work ethic is always truthful with his superiors is always punctual. He always stays later to make sure the job gets done.

Every single one of those are good actions right but they're all done in the context of hostility to the rightful ruler you would never expect that King that ruler to hear about that rebels conscientiousness or his punctuality or his kindness to his fellow rebels and be pleased by his conduct, because even though those were good actions they were done in the context of hostility the goddess will Paula say he says verse nine, you will ever get on the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.

Now that were live by the way, in Greek means permanent resident. Not like he just comes with occasional visitor which addresses the question that a lot of Christians have about when you get the Holy Spirit there are some Christian traditions that teach that you have the Holy Spirit after your saved in some kind of second blessing the baptism of the Spirit's second experience after you become a Christian later you get the Holy Spirit, by the way, I would bet that a number of you grew up in traditions like that. I've had people say to me before their like hey, your great preacher in your you're obviously saying that you receive the Holy Spirit.

Yet, I always ask him about Romans item of orders verse nine say if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ. See the blonde with music, you'll have the Holy Spirit and you're not saved, which means that when you put your faith in Christ you receive the spirit that is the baptism of the Spirit until Paul describes it first produced well look at it is so much salvation here by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

The spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ, and that your salvation you say I went in and what about the book of acts, obscene that there were a groups of disciples that receive the Holy Spirit later. Yes, great question what you're having in and acts as your seeing God fulfill his promise and is trying to convince the Jews that he is keeping his word to take the gospel to different people groups. Answer every time he goes to a different like a new people group God signifies it to some miraculous display of art. It is probably best I when New York City got water back in bed low at 19 to 90 points of like them for running water first came in there every time he would go into one of the new burros in New York City. The, the mayor will go out to be a big ceremony and he'd cut the ribbon and they be a big new blog. I didn't, but it would like you did for every house. Thereafter he just did for each new borough so enacts what you have is different groups of people that are being bestowed the Holy Spirit on them and there's a ceremony but that's not indicative of what happens, every person from that point on. Paul says the normal thing is when you put faith in Christ you receive the holy spirit. So if you're Christian you got the Holy Spirit and Paul would say that the amount of spiritual power. From that point on that you are experiencing has nothing to do anymore with how much of the Holy Spirit you have a question from that point on is how much of you a much of your heart. ES are you in fellowship with him are you dwelling on a you think and on a participating in the things a pleasing how much of what you're doing degrees in my Paul ends the dissection of Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin by the Spirit gives life and his righteousness, and at the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you than he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit, who lives in you. I see three big takeaways from his final versus number one. The Christian life is not gradual self-improvement.

The Christian life is fellowship with spirit and listen to some of you would embrace that would be a game changer because you're probably used to evaluating sin based on how bad the effects are and you're trying to grow yourself spiritually. It right the way that you are spiritually summoned by welcoming the Holy Spirit in your life and wherever he comes he can bring his fruit whether it means when you grieve him and drive out his spirit meets his fruit you're going to go away. That's why keep pressing then to you.

The real damage of sin is not the effects the real damage of sin is that grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does so to his fruit of life and peace.

If you really understood that he wouldst watch this it would start to make small areas of compromise in your life every bit as devastating as big. Once because what makes the sin devastating is not the action.

What makes sin devastating to you is drives on the spirit of God and that means even small areas of rebellion.

Small areas of compromise, grieve the Holy Spirit and they cut you off my panties here second application coming to Christ is not a return to religion, Christ is a surrender to a person often hear people say, well while trying to back God by having conversations all the time to write about God missing in Starbucks run to me restaurant sure hey you know you have come to church three times and try to get back God Dragon back in the church.

What they mean what they mean is they want to get involved in some kind of religious self-improvement. I want to be a better person on available more attention to God.

Listen, listen, Christianity, plain and simple to surrender to a person all of you all of you surrenders to all him the nature of surrender is that it's total. Otherwise surrenders on total euros. Will you him like a suggestion never want to driver's ed everything with us today is my daughters are about his age with her get into this and drivers that I had. I think they still do it but the car that entered driver's ed and had the gossip next to me had his middle break. It's all he had done this little break. I went out and it meant that he could stop that hearty time. He wanted and Becky didn't like after we been out about five minutes just to show me that he had it so I want attorney districts limit break slam and then what he was told he was, you think you're in control.

As far and I'll let you drive back stop his car anytime I want to I can vote on the driver, I can vote about where we should go but ultimately he had veto power. He had not surrendered the car to me to surrender means I take my hands off of and belongs to you right in battle is probably a good choice on his part because I had a lot of things that is a learn when you come to Christ he didn't come to basically turn over the break. You like because I would describe. Probably some of our spiritual lives that way is a Jesus speaking to you and you like yeah yes do that whatsoever units on those all do that.

But everyone saw you like no you push a break-in in the car comes all because you never actually surrendered it to them. You kept that break right in place to be surrender to Jesus means take a break away. He cut the breakout LOL CS Lewis, is it mere Christianity is also Christ says give me all of you. I want a certain amount of your time asserted by your talents or money on a certain amount your word. I want you all of you not come to tormentor frustrated natural man or woman. Good news not going to frustrate Dr. McKillip. No half measures will do.

I want only prune or a branch here in a branch they are rather I want poultry out read the breakout of a thing handed over to me the whole outfit all your desires all of your once all your wishes all of your dreams. Give it all to me turn the ball over to me.

Give yourself to me and I will make you a new self in my image. Give me yourself in an exchange. I will give you myself.

My will shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart, that's fellowship with the spirit, and it begins in total surrender.

Here's a question you done that. Stop trying to be religious.

Stop trying to strike a bargain with God there's only one deal only one deal that Jesus will ever make. And that is, he will give you his righteousness and his resurrection power in response to your total surrender. There is no other negotiation that he'll enter into. There's number three third application I got hope even when I feel dead I got hope even when I feel dead. Like Paul, even though I'm still frustrated about own personal deficiencies render this wrath. Romans seven. Like Paul YK when I was frustrated because even after all these years walk with Jesus. I still feel so spiritually immature buses I know. But in Christ.

I know I'm headed ultimate victory because the spirit of God is at work in me.

He is producing righteousness in my heart right now and one day one day he could deliver me physically from his body and death pays you to take me into a world without corruption or pain or death. And I can't wait we can fill Paul screaming throughout this chapter. Right now, he says, already the beginnings of this resurrection are see Jesus changing me one day. One day I will have a completed resurrection are to be accompanied by resurrection body, live in a resurrection world. That means if I'm struggling with some sin that means that struggle is not the end of my story because the spirit of God is within me, and that means in this struggle as bad as it is. I know it ends in victory and that means of my marriage feels dead means of your marriage feels dead. That's not the end of your story, either because the spirit of God is within you is always renewing you is always making you mount up with wings on like Eagles no matter what happens in your marriage, your story ends in resurrection of enemies of your life is characterized by some ongoing struggle, depression, anxiety, chronic physical suffering using the doctors using the psychologist you gone everybody and it just doesn't seem to be able to get behind you. What this means is that when it's all said and done, that will not be the predominant theme of your life because just as sure as the spirit raised Jesus from the grave.

He also will raise your body to beautiful perfect everlasting life, and that will be the theme that will be what characterizes your life and eternity in all these things Paul says the body might be dead body might be dead because of sin. Spirit gives life because of righteousness that spoke not hopeful says is freedom that the life you want the life you want. It starts with total surrender to the spirit and it starts with a commitment to grow in fellowship with him. It starts ironically enough, listen the submerged beautiful part. It starts ironically enough, by simply embracing that no condemnation.

If you hear from us go out get better in one day you can have these promises yard wrongly starts with Romans 81 no condemnation, neither do I condemn you if you'll receive dad and I'll give you the power to go and sin no more. So easy a child can grasp it so easy that the most vile lost sinner can grasp it immediately, but something so many people stumble over even been to a really nice dinner at a restaurant.

Somebody you try to pick up the check in unit you should do it because you a lot more money made it, but for whatever reason, they just their pride around know what it was but they just know they could afford it, but they're probably not let them let you know. It is so that they keep none no no, pick it up on the pick it up, no matter how many times you offered is to say, no, no, no, I assistance this is on me right you can only restaurant you like little was devastated you, and you covered it would've been a big deal. But here's the same thing. If you insist on picking up the bill yourself for your sin, you can do that if your pride stands in the way of accepting Jesus.

Just understand what you are agreeing to pay when you reject him because this full debt for your sin is gonna come do something and it's gonna be yours to pay you and says that condemnation will fall on you for eternity.

Jesus is no condemnation in Christ you have already paid. If you will embrace what I am offering you in Christ and you will have not just my death, which releases you from the penalty will be filled with my spirit which will release you from the powers you can choose that no matter what you bring in this place.

You can use it right now right here today if you want because is offered indiscriminately to all who will receive bunch value has had with Romans eight greatest chapter the Bible begins with the greatest verse maybe the greatest words ever spoken in any language. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, if you ever receive that gift when you receive it. You're also going to get the spirits of God that spirits can start to make you know is you take that mess that you made in your life that measurement in your relationships in your marriage. Start to make. If you've never received him, you can do it right now just by saying, Lord Jesus, I receive the gift of no condemnation.

I believe it when I receive right now this moment receive the gift of no condemnation.

If you have any questions about what it means to follow Christ. Please give us a call.

You're listening to Pastor JD Greer on Senate life, not only through this series. JD bent over the past couple of years theme for our church and other churches. Now I who's your wine so for those who may have missed your explanation what you mean by that is your wine you want to somebody that is is is not a believer. Actually, Molly's good news. One of my ones actually had to once one of them cages came to faith in Christ amazing and started to come to our small group and it's amazing instead. Sometimes it just takes a lot of relational effort a lot of prayer what we find in the New Testament is that the best way that people come to know God is been introduced to them by somebody that they know and that they trust and so we want to do stuff here. Some of life that will help you so is a free resource as mom we want to give you a 40 day devotional that help you focus and asked the right questions and start the prayer journey on vocation of someone you know needs over the gospel. Maybe that's a child or a parent or a neighbor or somebody that gotchas put into the course of your life can have a daily verse a few short paragraphs. Simple, straightforward, to the point just the way that I like it right now is a downloaded JD grid.com. If you go there, JD, GREEAR.com you can get a right now. Make sure you grab this month's free 40 day devotional and check back often for you, and the website were super excited about this new Romans Bible study and we bled seeking the second volume of work study with your small group or mentor, friend or spouse as you work for this study really crazy around the gospel to give us a call at 866-335-5220 8665 20 give online JD clear.com hi Molly, that event inviting you to join us tomorrow and next chapter of the whole Bible Thursday on Senate life. Katie sponsored by JD Greer minutes