March 2, 2008 Romans 8:1-10

¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be (filled) in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, because the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. (NIV)

There=s an old southern gospel song that goes, AFree at last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty, I=m Free at Last.@ Martin Luther King made those words golden in his famous AI Have a Dream@ speech. I have never actually listened to that whole speech, but I imagine Mr. King was looking forward to a day that the African Americans could be truly Afree at last@ in America from oppression - where they would no longer have to face the racial prejudice that was so prevalent in his day - with the segregation of schools and the like.

In chapter 7 of Romans, the Apostle Paul talked about being under a different kind of oppression of something within himself. He said in 14-15 ¹⁴ I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Paul yearned to be from an oppression from within instead of without - and here=s the key - he and the Romans had it - and SO DO YOU. So using the conclusion to Martin Luther King=s speech, the theme for today is -

Thank God Almighty I=m Free At Last

I. Set Free From the Sinful Nature

This oppression from within is something like an addiction. Maybe I could compare it to my addiction - don=t worry - it=s not to drugs - it=s to twice baked potatoes. I can picture one now in my mind - the rich creamy sour cream and cheese melted into the heart of the potato, with a little pool of butter melted right on top of the surface - ah, it=s like experiencing heaven in my mouth. The problem with these little delicacies is that they aren=t very good for you - the sour cream is fattening and the butter clogs up your arteries. Yet when someone places one before me, it is almost impossible to resist. The smell enters my nostrils and pulls at my stomach. My mouth starts salivating like Pavlov=s dog. The attraction is almost overbearing. The longer I wait, the worse the craving gets. I haven=t had one for quite some time, and day by day my stomach is yearning for one more and more.

My purpose in this illustration was not to make you hungry. But I wanted to illustrate for you through the craving of food the craving of sin in all sorts of forms. This is the idea behind what Paul is talking about in today=s text. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; He is talking about a natural craving - a mind set - that we are born with - only not for food, but for sin. What kind of sin? Galatians 5:19-21: ¹⁹ The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. You might look at some of those sins and say, AI don=t crave sex.@ Or AI don=t crave alcohol.@ But this is not to say that everyone craves sex - money - or alcohol. The cravings are different for each human. Some people crave alcohol; others sex; others attention; others crave answers that are not given in the Bible; still others crave success or popularity. We crave it in a way which is unhealthy - in a way which makes it the main priority in life - where we are willing to break the law or God=s law in order to get them.

That=s why God says, The mind of sinful man is death. . . ⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. No matter how many of God=s laws are before the sinner, sinful man still does it, because his brain and heart is permeated with the desire to please the self. His very nature makes him crave things that will make him feel temporarily happy. There=s no way to stop it because it is a part of him or her. It=s like trying to stop yourself from aging. No matter how much you work out, no matter how much beauty cream you put on your face, sooner or later - the wrinkles will come - the skin will sag. No matter how much you fight it, it will come.

Therefore, in some ways we shouldn=t be surprised at the way our world has turned out; with thousands of abortions every year; rampant adultery and greed along with anger and jealousy all over the television. It=s only natural. Even if people don=t like what they=re doing and feel guilty over it, they still do it - because they can=t control themselves. This is not an excuse for what they are doing - but as God says in today=s text - the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

II. Set Free By the Son

As a result of this some people have given up trying to control the sin. Educators today have given up on the idea of stopping children from having sex - instead they just say - make it Asafe.@ Others still try to keep the sin at bay - and they should. But then the debate is as to how? Some think that the more governmental institutions we have, the better control we will have of sin. If we pass laws against abortion, will this stop it from happening? If we put more police officers on the street, will this keep the murders from taking place? Others think that science and medicine is the cure. If we can find a cure to AIDS, a cure to disease, a cure to death, then we will not have to face death. These man made remedies may slow sin down, but it certainly won=t stop it. We don=t have the power to stop it.

What we need is something beyond this world - bigger and stronger than man to take control of the situation and set us free. If you look at all of the ideas behind comic books, AA, and other institutions - even unbelievers understand this. For instance, Superman comes from the planet Krypton to come with superhuman powers to help mankind. AA recognizes the need for a higher power. The only problem is that these super heros are make believe and the Ahigher powers@ are never defined.

Paul gives us the solution to our problem in today=s text - by talking about the only specific Ahigher power@ that really exists to help us. ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be filled in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit. Look at what Jesus did - He came from out of this world to take care of the condemnation that comes from sin - the sin that was out of control in our hearts and minds.

How did God set us free from the condemnation and power of sin? He sent Jesus as a Substitute - to take our place. Paul said that God did this by Asending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.@ God said to Jesus, Ayou take the punishment of the world on your shoulders. Instead of a thousand bulls or a million sheep - I will make you the offering which will pay for the sins of the world.@ And so when Jesus went to the cross, He took the condemnation of God. Imagine it as if God were in heaven - with a big lightning bolt in His hand - angry at us for craving the things of the sinful nature. Imagine that God put all of His anger into that one jolt of lightning - throwing it at us with all of the hatred He had over our sins. But then, at the last second, Jesus stepped in front of the lightning bolt - and died in our place. That=s the picture that God is drawing for us here. God spent all of His wrath on Jesus on the cross. Therefore, Paul said, there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. What a beautiful picture! Think about what it says! There is NOW - right now - not later - NO CONDEMNATION - not even a hint of anger - not one bit of punishment either here or hereafter - for Christians! Why is there NO condemnation? Because God already punished Jesus in our place. This is what, as Paul says, Afrees us from the law of sin and death.@ The law says we are sinners. If we are sinners, the law says we must die. BUT if Christ already paid for our sins and already died in our place, that law no more can be brought on us. The law of the Spirit of life trumps the law of sin and death through Christ.

III. Set Free with the Spirit

You and I know this. We cut our spiritual teeth on this truth. It is the heart and core of the Lutheran Reformation. It gives us comfort and confidence to die. But don=t lose sight of what this law of freedom does for us NOW as well. God didn=t do this so we would just sit and stare at heaven waiting for Christ to come. Paul writes, Ahe condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be filled in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit.@ God did this in order to free us to perform in the way that God wanted it to be done - out of thanks and praise to God.

How does he do this? He does it by taking over and infiltrating our mind, body and soul with His Holy Spirit. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, because the Spirit of God lives in you. Now God has possessed your eyes, hands, toes, nose, and mouth. He has enabled you to live a new life. A story was told of a three year old boy who had been in a car crash with his mother. His mother died instantly, but the boy lived. For five days he remained down in a gully, curled up in the fetal position without food or drink. When the police came, they thought he was dead. He could barely move and hardly had a pulse. But it wasn=t too late. As they fed him food and drink, it revitalized the boy, enabling him to now live a normal life. Just as food nourishes our muscles and gives us power to live - the Holy Spirit directs our bodies and enables us to have our minds set on what the Spirit desires.

What does the Spirit want? The Spirit wants all men to come to a knowledge of the truth of salvation in Christ. The Holy Spirit wants all men to be saved. The Holy Spirit wants the poor to be fed. He wants the lowly sinners to have hope and forgiveness in Christ. The Holy Spirit wants to unconditionally love people by covering them in the blood of Christ. So if this God is really living in us - He has to influence us. He is the reason that when we hear someone say, AI don=t believe in God,@ that we naturally want to tell him or her about Christ. He is the reason why when we see someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, we want to do something to try and get them to treatment and also to give them forgiveness and hope in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes us want to come to church and take the Lord=s Supper on a Sunday morning. He is the one who drives men to read the Bible and try to be Christ to their wives. He is the one who makes wives willing to say, AI want to help my husband be the man God called him to be.@ This is what the Holy Spirit does. He frees us to stop thinking about ourselves and start looking at the world from a totally different point of view.

But you might say to yourself, Aif that is true, pastor, then I am not sure I have the Holy Spirit. I still have a part of me that doesn=t care what my spouse wants. I still have a part of me that doesn=t really care about the drug addict as long as he isn=t bothering me. I don=t really have much of an urge to tell unbelievers about Christ.@ So you may wonder - am I a Christian - does the Holy Spirit still live in me? Paul also still struggled with his desires, even after he became a Christian. But the difference between us and unbelievers, is that sin is not our master. It is dead. Imagine it this way - you are still carrying around a dead slave master on your back. He may not be able to tell you what to do - but he still slows you down - so that you can=t do as much as you=d like to. And so your thinking and your feelings are still contaminated by sin - you still have a part of you that is lazy and self centered - but your spirit is alive and can=t be ruled by it any more. The Holy Spirit inside tells you to keep on moving - keep on trying - even though you=re not perfect. The Holy Spirit still cries to you that Jesus still died for you. You are still forgiven in spite of your ongoing sinfulness because of God=s promise to you, Athere is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.@ The Holy Spirit reminds you that you are in Christ from your baptism. He reminds you of it in the Lord=s Supper. He reminds you of it in the Gospel - Anever will I leave you, never will I forsake you,@ even when you=re weak.

One day a child came home from school and said to his mom, AI=m sick of school. I=m not learning anything. I don=t seem to be getting any better. I might as well quit.@ Come to find out, the child was upset because he just couldn=t get to drawing an elephant the way he wanted to. So the mom got out a picture of last year=s art projects that she had saved. When she showed the pictures to her son, he could see a night and day difference! Even though his elephants weren=t perfect, he had progressed. He stopped kicking himself and was re-energized to keep trying in spite of his slow progress.

Like the boy who was frustrated over his drawing abilities, we often are frustrated with ourselves over our own lack of progress. We want to be better witnesses, harder workers, stronger fathers and children, but we are so weak. We wonder to ourselves if we really have a Holy Spirit living in us or if God really will take us into heaven because we aren=t the people we ought to be.

Don=t ever forget what Paul tells you today. Jesus didn=t go to the cross to just make you feel guilty for your sin. He went to the cross because He knew it would pay for your sin - all of it - and make you acceptable in God=s sight. Paul promises you by inspiration of the Holy Spirit that there is no more condemnation for you - even though you remain a sinner to the day you die. You=ve been given freedom from sin and death and hell. You=ve been given freedom from thinking that if you don=t progress to a certain point God won=t accept you.

If you=re getting frustrated over your Alack of progress,@ remember what you are trying to deal with - a dead body that has been contaminated with sin. The very fact that you believe you are forgiven, that out of thanks you even want to serve God and feel guilty about your failures; the fact that you think about and strive towards these heavenly things; it is a miracle of freedom from the Holy Spirit in and of itself. The fact that you aren=t living in outright rebellion with God=s gifts of sex, money, jealousy, pride - all those things; they didn=t come about by your own work; they are miracles of freedom that the Holy Spirit has brought about by faith. Thank God Almighty You=re Free at Last. Amen.