Wanna discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Welcome to Grace Coach. This is Kevin Smith. I've got my best friend, Mike Stone with us today.
What's up, Mike? Hey, Kevin. Good to be with you. Good to see you. We're in a Zoom, and we record this, when we do our podcast.
But I'm excited to get into Romans 8. I wanted to back up quickly talk in Romans 5 15 to 19 and read some verses because, Kevin, what I notice is these contrasts, that we see in Romans 8, and we're gonna talk about today. Mhmm. But Paul, all through the book of Romans, is constantly contrasting law and grace, life and death. You're in Christ.
You're not in Christ. And I wanna read Romans 15 and 19 quickly. It says, but the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of 1 man, we know that's Adam, and the gift came by grace of the 1 man named Jesus. The judgment followed 1 sin and brought condemnation to all people, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
Verse 17, for if by the trespass of the one man, Adam, death reigned through that one man. Life reigned through the one man, Jesus Christ. That's the answer to spiritual death is is new life in Christ. Verse 18, once one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification that brings life for all people, and I would add for all people who put their faith in Christ and believe. And then in verse 19, through the disobedience of the one man, Adam, many were made sinners.
That's all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That's in chapter 3 in Romans. So also through the obedience or the faith of the one man, Jesus, many will be made righteous. And so those contrasts are just amazing to me. They there's just no middle ground there.
You're either in Adam or you're in Christ. Absolutely. That is a powerful statement, and that is, I think, the main message that Paul is trying to get through with this whole book of Romans. And as we get into Romans chapter 8, which is kind of the the finishing touches of this diamond that we've been talking about of Romans 7, 8, and 9. And again, in 8, you know, we're getting into it and as he's contrasting life in the spirit and the power of death.
Again, same thing, you know, you're in Christ, you know, you have the life of the spirit, by the life of the spirit we are in Christ. And if you're not in Christ, you have the power of sin and death. That is the end game for you. And so that message is really Paul's heartbeat in this whole book. He wants people to get into what it is to be life in the spirit.
Yeah. So in chapter 6 and 7, we concluded that with, 3 or 4 podcasts. You know, Paul took a pause after chapter 5. And then 6 and 7, he talked a lot about the law and saying to a Christian that you're not under the law. You've come to Christ by faith.
You're no longer under the law. And it was incredible to go through all the verses he uses a marriage of a woman whose husband died and says you're no longer bound to your husband because he's died. In the same way, you're no longer bound to the law. You've been released from the law so that you could serve a new way in the spirit and not in the old way, the law or the written code. So that was tremendous.
We read in chapter 7 that we've both felt that Romans 7 7 to 21 that Paul was looking back to his life under the law, that you cannot stop sinning because the power of sin is in the law. And he concluded in 7/24, what a wretched man I am. Who's gonna rescue me from this body of spiritual death? Yes. Absolutely.
And we have been rescued from that spirit of Christ. That's right. It's not that we don't sin, Kevin, or have sinful thoughts. We know that's not true. It's just that we have been forgiven by God, and it changes our heart from the inside out to really start thinking through why are we thinking what we're thinking?
Why are we doing the things that we shouldn't be thinking about? There's probably a better way to live here and to be more loving and kind and and truly it's a spiritual adventure we're on. It is a spiritual adventure. And the thing that I love about this and that it's Paul just makes some absolute statements in this chapter that if you are in Christ, the spirit is living in you. In verse 9, we'll jump ahead there, but it says, but you are not controlled by your sinful nature.
You are controlled by the spirit if the spirit of God living in you. So there's just this, again, like you were talking about the contrast with Adam and Jesus and the law and spirit, this is another one, your sinful nature and living by the spirit of God. And it's that, new nature that we talk about a lot that we have that new heart. And when you're in Adam, you don't have this new heart. You are just, you know, fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
And what does he say in this? Some of the some of the most challenging verses in this chapter paint a very bleak picture of people who are living by the flesh because this leads to death. You know, that's all it's a black and white thing. It's life and death. And when we are in Christ, we have a new nature and we can live by the spirit.
Well, let me start reading chapter 8 unless you have something else you wanna say. No. Let's go with it. Alright. This is, Romans chapter 8 verses 1 through 4.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ and because you belong to Him the power of the life giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So, God did what the Law could not do, He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his son as a sacrifice for our sins, he did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the spirit. Boy, it was hard for me to continue reading those 4 verses.
I wanted to stop so many times. Yeah. And and guess what? That was not the new living translation. What?
Yeah. It is. No way. Unless it's been updated I'll hit it. Alright.
Wait. I don't know what you're I'm just reading out of you know, maybe there's a new updated living translation. There must be because I'm looking at it on Bible Gateway, and it it is not that. Hold on. It's been changed.
It's been updated. I am sure. Since it was first published in 19 88, the life application study by Wisconsin, several significant updates. Yeah. No.
It's it's been updated because I was looking at, like, what are you reading from, Swahili over there? But, anyway, it's cool. Only Bible Living Translation was first published in 1996. Yeah. Must have been updated because, you could look at Bible Gateway.
Someone's got it wrong, or it's been updated, one of the 2. Alright. So, Kevin, Romans 81 says there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Well, it doesn't say this, but you can infer from this verse that there is condemnation for those who are not in Christ Jesus. John 318, whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son.
Well, the next verse, Mike, the next verse says, and because you belong to him, the power of the life giving spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. It leads to death because you're condemned. You're condemned spiritually condemned to death. It's a black and white issue. So before we go any further, I do wanna back up and just make note of when we finished chapter 7, we talked a lot about, like you just mentioned, was Paul a Christian, was he not a Christian, and the whole time frame of it.
And there were time markers that Paul said, in in chapter 7, if you remember. But he starts out chapter 8 in this classic line, so now. So now, that's a time marker of, like, okay. I'm in Christ right now. This is this is the real deal.
This is where we're at. I'm not not a Jew under law anymore. I'm in Christ under no condemnation. Perfect. Love that.
Alright. So And look at verse 3 we just read. The it says the law of Moses, that's the 10 commandments, was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do, and it says he sent his son in a body like the body we sinners have and that the body declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his son as a sacrifice to sin. So I love it says what the law could not do because Galatians 3 21 says, for if a law had been given that could impart life Yes.
Then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. Right. But there is no law that could impart life. Yes. But the Jews back then didn't know that, and some Christians today don't know that.
They think as I come to Christ and I'm saved, but I gotta go back under the law, they're mistaken. Yes. They are. Yes. They are.
And that is major spiritual warfare going on right there. Major spiritual warfare. And then verse 84, it says, he did this in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us because the law requires perfection. Yes. Now we're not going to be perfect, but we have the perfect one living in us, Jesus, who did fulfill all of the law.
So that's how the righteous requirements of the law are fully men in us because we have Jesus living in us. Amen to that. This is these first four verses are an encapsulation of the gospel message. It's plain and simple right here and I love this verse where it says 3, end of verse 3, and in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. So, this is something, Mike, that you do not hear that much in churches.
But I'm gonna testify right now from my personal story and I have mentioned this a couple of times, but you know when I was young I was just making it short and sweet. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll were a example of my life back then. I was addicted to many, many, many things. And I wanna testify right now to God's power that when I became a Christian, I was able to walk away from many addictions. For instance, I tried stop stopping smoking many cigarettes.
I'm just talking cigarettes right now. I I smoked a lot of different things, but I'm just talking cigarettes right now. And and I did that just for women. You know, there's women I was dating and they did they wanted me to stop smoking and I was like, okay. I'll I'll stop smoking.
Well, that lasted for a week maybe. Who knows? But I went back to it. But when I accepted Jesus Christ, I had the power to say no to all the things Amen. Incredible addiction to my life.
Now I know the 12 step program out there, people have committed their lives to it, and I went personally went through the one step program of Jesus Christ. And I think that is available for anyone who wants to appropriate the power of Jesus Christ into their lives, into the addictions that you have. Well, thanks, Kevin. Romans 85 says that those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires. Yes.
They have no other choice. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law nor can it do so.
Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Why? Because without faith, it's impossible to please God. Amen. So if you're not born again and you're not saved, you are not having faith in Christ, and that if you wanna please God, it's not by the things that we do and the things we think.
It's by faith. Faith is what pleases God. Oh my gosh. Yes. Okay.
I'm gonna make a, quick plug for this book I just started listening to on Audible. It's called purpose fooled. Purpose fooled. Okay. F o o l d e d.
The basic premise of it is is that if your life purpose has a verb attached to it, then you are tied to that verb for your life purpose. Yes. And in Christ, you you don't have a verb. You you are in Christ. Christ is the verb.
It's not but it's not a verb, it's a noun. You know, Christ you we our purpose is Christ to live and to glorify God. And I mean, the woman made an incredible point. I mean, obviously, for me to download her book and start listening to it, it was a pretty good premise. But I wanna, just know what you said here, in verse the end of verse 6.
But letting the spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Amen. Okay. So you gotta think the big picture here. Okay?
And you gotta think and I know this is gonna be a stretch for some people because some people are under a lot of stress. And I'm I'm under stress too, but when you are on when I'm I personalize it here, when I'm under stress, I I just think, oh my god. If the worst thing that could happen right now happens, you know, what's gonna happen? So I lose something of earthly significance. But only if you're only in Christ and the holy spirit is controlling your mind, that is the true life and peace that we can have in this world, that the world cannot offer, that doing things cannot offer this.
Being busy doing things cannot offer true life and peace. Only when we let our spirit let the spirit control our mind will it bring us life and peace? Yeah. Galatians 5 says, walk in the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Yes.
I mean, if you want to avoid sin, put your mind on the spirit of God. Christ living in you. That'll never leave you once he's living in you. That you're completely forgiven by God, that you're no longer under the law but under grace, that you have eternal life and will be with God forever one day. That will you that will stop all of fear, anxiety, depression.
All of that goes away as your mind is on the things of God. Yeah. Amazing. Romans 12:1, your mind is renewed by Christ. And we're gonna get there eventually, Romans 12.
Alright. So Romans 9, you, however, talking to a born again Christian, you are not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death, and we all know that, because of sin, the spirit gives life because of righteousness.
I love this verse. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit which lives in you. That is a dose of encouragement. That is why this chapter is the the diamond of the book of Romans. And Romans is, in my opinion, one of the most foundational truth books in the whole bible.
It's just plain it out plain and simple. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh my god. Soak it up, friends. Soak it up.
Well, let's stop here, Kevin. We'll pick up, Romans 812 on the next podcast. This has been fun to read this. And like you said in the last podcast, you says, you know, when I see Jesus, I'm gonna ask him, why didn't you make this clear to understand? And I thought that was very funny, and I liked it.
Friends, we just want to just extend this invitation that if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, it is as simple as just acknowledging to god that you have incredible need, that you're you are dead in your sins right now as we speak. And all you have to do is say, god, I finally believe that I'm dead and separated, and I'm gonna spend eternity without you. And all you have to do is receive the gift that Jesus Christ did by his death, burial, and resurrection on the cross. And the bible says that god will come into your heart, and he will live and abide with you. So you don't have to make any, you know, special things.
God knows your heart, people. So if you do say this prayer, please let us know. It'd be a great encouragement to us. Peace out. Thank you for listening to Grace Coach.
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