Bible Study - Do Over - A Life You Can't Live on Your Own - Romans 8:8-17, 26-27 - Jamnuary 12, 2014

Bible Study – Do Over – A Life You Can’t Live on Your Own – January 12, 2014

This is lesson seven and our final lesson in our series entitled “Do Over: Experience New Life in Christ.”  

Our scripture is Romans 8:8-17, 26-27.

As Christians, GOD’S Holy Spirit lives in you and empowers you.

Our study of Romans has revealed that people cannot save themselves from eternal death through human effort and neither can Christians live the Christian life in their own strength. That is one reason why GOD gives Christians the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells, empowers, enlightens, teaches, strengthens, assures, guides and confirms HIS presence in Christians at the instant they ask CHRIST to forgive them for their sins and to come into their lives. The Holy Spirit is GOD’S security deposit in the lives of Christians that they will be fully redeemed from sin and eternal death. The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to stand against sin, to walk in obedience with HIM and to live in right relationship with HIM to Glorify HIM.

You mean this all happened to every Christian at the instant they accepted CHRIST by faith? Yes! We must keep in mind that when Christians are born into GOD’S family through the miracle of rebirth, they are babies in CHRIST. To use an earthly example, it is much like a prince or princess being born into the family of the king. The new born cannot comprehend the wealth, privilege, power and status the prince or princess has. As he or she grows they begin to understand and comprehend what is available to them and how to use them. It is the same with Christians. All of GOD’S vast power and resources are available to Christians but will they use them?

First he or she must be trained. No loving earthly father places a powerful weapon into the hands of his child to use unless he or she is trained. The indwelling Holy Spirit trains Christians to obediently serve GOD as they are willing to serve. Serving as an obedient Christian is an awesome journey but also a journey with responsibility and accountability.

In this study we will explore three attributes of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians to help them grow in the likeness of CHRIST as they grow and mature Spiritually:

-         The Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s daily walk.

-         The Holy Spirit affirms, confirms and assures a Christian’s relationship to GOD.

-         The Holy Spirit strengthens and comes along the side of the Christian in his or her prayer life.

We will not get into the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Paul listed some of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:1-10 and at the end, in verse 11 he puts the gifts of the Spirit into perspective.

In 1 Corinthians 12:11:

11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

 “GOD gives to whom HE chooses.” Christians can desire a certain gift or certain gifts but GOD chooses who receives it or them.

The gift or gifts of the Holy Spirit equip the Christian to obediently serve GOD as HE directs. Christians can get caught up receiving a certain gift so they can reveal to fellow Christians the fact that they have received the Holy Spirit into their lives. They consider it a badge of their Spirituality to have the gift of tongues and it can make them spiritually arrogant. In fact, I believe that a person can desire the gift of speaking in tongues such that they can create their own tongue that has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. I also, believe there is the true gift of speaking in tongues, which is from GOD and when it is from GOD the Christian will use it as GOD intends or else GOD will deal with the problem.

How do I know? Been there and sought the gift.  

A true gift or gifts of the Holy Spirit is/are from GOD and belong to HIM. The gift or gifts is/are for Christians to use as HE directs. They are not to be used to bring attention to the Christian but to Glorify GOD and to obediently serve HIS plan and purpose.

My wife and I visited with Miss Bertha Smith, missionary to China, in Cowpens, SC many years ago. She told us that her sister had the gift of healing. When someone came to her and asked if she would pray for his or her healing she would always say, “I need to go and check.” That meant that she would go to another room, pray and ask GOD how she should pray for that person. She would come back and tell the person one of two things: yes, the LORD has given me permission to pray for you and she did and the person was healed or no, the LORD did not give me permission to pray for your healing but HE did give me permission to pray for your comfort because this is something you must go through.

The Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s daily walk.

Let’s read Romans 8:8-13:

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

Christians are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. They know that there is nothing they can do in the flesh that pleases GOD except to acknowledge their need for salvation. Salvation is only available through CHRIST. Nothing human effort can do which will satisfy GOD. But whereas mans efforts fail, GOD’S provision of salvation through CHRIST prevails. Humans have a choice – take CHRIST as their Savior or reject HIM. By rejecting CHRIST, they remain in their sin and under the sentence of eternal death. If you have not done so, I urge you to choose life by giving your life to CHRIST now. Eternity is but a heartbeat away. This is not to frighten you, it is a fact. Let’s focus upon what it means to be a true born-again Christian.

Ephesians 1:20 - God’s Power in Christ

20 He (GOD) demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens —

The Person Who lives in all born-again Christians is GOD; in the presence of the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? It was GOD’S power that raised CHRIST from the dead after HE gave HIS life upon the cross. As proof that HE paid, in full, the sin debt for mankind for all who place their faith in HIM, GOD raised CHRIST from the dead as the first-fruits and guaranteed that all who place their faith in CHRIST will receive eternal life.

I think that the moment of the greatest moment of temptation for CHRIST to take matters into HIS own hands was the moment when HE hung upon the cross and cried out, “My GOD why have YOU forsaken ME?” CHRIST could have taken matters into HIS own hands but if HE had, we would still have the penalty of sin hanging over our heads. The Good News is that CHRIST trusted GOD even unto death and the power of GOD raised HIM from the dead. HE was resurrected in HIS Glorified body. CHRIST trusted GOD and when we trust GOD through CHRIST, all who place their faith in HIM will have eternal life at the instant of salvation.

In essence, the human body died with CHRIST and was buried, resurrected, ascended into heaven and returned to earth to obediently serve GOD. I know it is difficult to comprehend. That is why the indwelling Holy Spirit confirms HIS presence in the lives of born-again Christians. Sorry, a Christian cannot pull out his or her born-again Spirit and show you. But the born-again Christian can know it within and reveal it through his or her changed life and obedient service as directed by GOD.

Here is another way to ponder the matter of rebirth of the human spirit:

In last week’s study we read:

1 John 3:9

No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. (AMP)

Notice the Amplified Bible explodes out descriptive words to help us understand “GOD’S nature.” Notice the highlighted words “divine sperm.” The trinity of mankind is the body/soul and spirit. It is the human spirit that lives beyond the human body. When humans ask CHRIST to forgive them for their sins and ask HIM to come into their lives: HE does. The miracle of Spiritual rebirth takes place instantly. The human spirit is activated instantly by the power of the Holy Spirit into the born-again Spirit of the new reborn Christian, which only comes from GOD.

Consider the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Virgin Mary conceived CHRIST, it was the power of the Holy Spirit that came upon her and activated her egg to produce GOD’S promised Messiah: JESUS. JESUS was 100% human, yet 100% Divine. HIS Divinity was available for HIM to access if HE chose to do so. That was part of HIS temptation. For those who by faith ask CHRIST to forgive them for their sins and for HIM to come into their lives, this same power activates the human spirit. This resulted in the human spirit being born-again by GOD; thus those who accept CHRIST as their Savior become GOD’S Son’s or Daughter’s. Since the Christian is born by GOD, through CHRIST, he or she receives eternal life since the Spirit of GOD is eternal.    

The physical body of those receiving their born-again Spirit had to die in order for it to become the temple of the born-again Spirit and house the born-again Spirit. To me that is what Paul was explaining. Earth is no longer the home of Christians. Their home is Heaven. Their citizenship is in heaven as Paul writes in Philippians 3:20-21:

20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Christians who are alive upon earth eagerly wait for the second coming of CHRIST. Those who are alive when HE comes will be taken up to heaven with HIM. When Christians die before CHRIST returns to earth, their born-again Spirit goes immediately to Heaven.

What body will Christians have in Heaven? I believe it will be the Spiritual body reborn to them by GOD, through CHRIST. It will be fashioned by GOD as Christians obediently serve HIM. This Spiritual body will be revealed to all in heaven the instant the Christian exits his or her earthly body. This special and unique Spiritual body is specific to the individual Christian which is being designed, tailored and fashioned by GOD. GOD does not make junk.  HIS work is perfect. It yet remains what we will be – 1 John 3:1-2:

1 Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the • world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

When CHRIST hung upon the cross, HE trusted GOD to raise HIM from the dead and we know that HE did. Because GOD resurrected CHRIST, the resurrection is every born-again Christian’s guarantee that HE will also raise him or her from the dead in order for them to receive their new Glorified bodies at JESUS’ second coming. No, you do not have to be alive on earth for you to receive your Glorified body. The Christians who die before the second coming of CHRIST will return with CHRIST and receive their new Glorified bodies before those who are alive on earth. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are • asleep (physical death), so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

But I thought Christians were already resurrected? Yes, they are. When they exit their earth suits in physical death, their special heavenly body, fashioned by GOD, will be revealed. They will use this Spiritual body until they return to earth with CHRIST to receive their new Glorified bodies.

The Christians’ new Glorified bodies will be like JESUS Glorified body. If you want to know what it will be like study CHRIST after HIS resurrection.

Why don’t Christians receive their Glorified bodies at the instant of salvation? Why do you think people would want to become Christians? Is it because they see their need for salvation from the penalty of sin or to get their fantastic new bodies? We all know the answer. It would be to get their new bodies and that would be for the wrong reason and purpose.

Let’s continue.

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

12 So then, • brothers , we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Paul continued to focus upon the fact that Christians are not obligated to live according to the desires of the flesh because the flesh cannot please GOD. Christians have a new master who is CHRIST and they must obediently serve HIM and not serve their flesh desires.

In last week’s study you may recall the scripture regarding the Christian or Spiritual person versus the non-Christian or non-Spiritual person:

We must keep in mind that Spiritual matters are Spiritually discerned - 1 Corinthians 2:10-16:

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the • world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

As we studied in our last week’s lesson, when a person places his or her faith in CHRIST, when CHRIST died he or she died with HIM, was buried, resurrected, ascended into heaven with HIM and returned to earth to be HIS witness. Therefore, the flesh is dead because Christians are eternally alive in the Spirit; they have been born-again and the Holy Spirit gives them Spiritual life.

Christians must reckon or come to the most logical conclusion their flesh is dead. Since their earth body is dead, they yield the control of their flesh, including their minds, to the control of the Holy Spirit. That is why Christians must die to self and die daily with the help and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

So why isn’t dying to self a onetime decision? Remember 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Becoming the righteousness of GOD in CHRIST comes about through our daily walk in the Spirit which is part of the sanctification process. GOD uses life to shape HIS Children according to HIS plan and purpose. Our part is to be available and obedient to HIM.

We often ask, “Why do Christians suffer?” So why do Christians suffer in this life? The Apostle Paul stated it best in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

No one likes to suffer but when we do, it is for HIS purpose. It can be the result of our own lifestyle or for perfecting. Either way, Christians learn from it. Let’s continue.

The Holy Spirit affirms, confirms and assures a Christian’s relationship to GOD.

Let’s read Romans 8:14-17:

14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons (or Daughters). 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “• Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Because of the Christians’ rebirth, they are GOD’S Children. As HIS Children, we have the right to call GOD “Abba” which in Aramaic can be understood as “daddy.” It is a personal, warm and intimate term. That is exactly the relationship GOD desires to have with HIS Children. It is not a relationship of fear but a relationship of love, trust and confidence. It is a relationship of honor and respect. GOD’S desire is for HIS Children to worship HIM in Spirit and truth: Be honest with GOD. When HIS children are honest with HIM, then issues or problems can be dealt with. You do not hide your feelings from GOD. HE knows your heart.

GOD’S desire is for HIS Children to know that their faith in HIM is secure and they can be confident that they belong to HIM as Paul stated in verse 16. I suggest that you memorize that verse.

Living the Christian life is not easy. There will be trials and suffering but GOD will be with us each step of the way. The Holy Spirit comes along beside the Christian to strengthen him or her during the difficult times in his or her life. Christians must keep in mind that they were not made for time but they were made for eternity. So this time upon earth is but a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. Let’s continue with a focus upon nature.

Nature was condemned along with mankind when Adam and Eve sinned. (Why? If nature existed in its original state and remained eternal, then mankind would have been drawn to and worshipped nature rather than GOD.)

Let’s read Romans 8:18-25:

From Groans to Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility —not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it —in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the • first fruits —we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the •redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

As nature eagerly waits for its redemption, so do Christians. We know we have been redeemed through CHRIST and we are ready to receive our new Glorified bodies.  

The Holy Spirit strengthens and comes along the side of a Christian in his or her prayer life.

Let’s read Romans 8:26-27:

26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the • saints according to the will of God.

Have you ever prayed and did not know what to say or how to pray? I have and when that happens, I ask the Holy Spirit to pray or intercede for me. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings. These groanings are a special Spiritual language known by the Holy Spirit and GOD. Have I ever heard this language? No! But I am comforted that what needs to be prayed for is being prayed for because the Spirit always prays according to the will of GOD.

This has been an exciting series and has given us much to ponder. We are dead to the power of sin in our lives. GOD’S grace is sufficient to cover all our sin. Even though Christians are free from the power of sin, they must still confess their sin to maintain fellowship and right relationship with GOD. Christians are to walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16:

16 I say then, • walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

A Christian’s citizenship is in Heaven at the instant he or she accepts CHRIST as his or her Savior. Are you a citizen of Heaven? If not, you can be right now by asking CHRIST to forgive you for your sins and ask HIM to come into your life. If you did, then thank HIM for saving you from certain eternal death and rejoice in being born again into GOD’S family as HIS Son or Daughter. Welcome Home! Blessings!!!