March 19, 2023
Pastor John Hering
Romans 8.1-10
Romans 8.1-10
So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. God condemned sin in his flesh, 4 so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.
5 To be sure, those who are in harmony with the sinful flesh think about things the way the sinful flesh does, and those in harmony with the spirit think about things the way the spirit does. 6 Now, the way the sinful flesh thinks results in death, but the way the spirit thinks results in life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
I didn’t see that coming! You might have said that on a blind date. Or let me tell you about a couple of grandkids who didn’t see it coming. This past Christmas we purchased a trampoline for Luke & Jhett, Bobby and Bennett. This was a new experience for them and were blind to what it might be like. As we put the trampoline together the kids were running around eager to experience the fun of jumping on this new adventure. When they finally got permission to start jumping their eyes were opened to what a trampoline was all about. The giggle monster was alive in Bobby as he jumped around. Bennett started out giggling but soon found out it was not what he expected and there were some cries of fear. Same thing happened to Luke and Jhett. There are things that happen to you and the giggle monster attacks. Maybe you’ve had the giggle monster attack you while you were in church. Some of you play “close your neighbor’s worship program while we’re singing” game. This one isn’t as fun anymore because we have TVs now. Others have a cute two year old in front of you that sets off the giggles. It might continue until someone gives you an elbow or you catch the pastor looking at you and you get control of yourself again.
On the other hand, there is also the grief monster. He attacked the family that was on a cruise two weeks ago and their 5 year old just wasn’t acting right. After a visit they found out he had a brain tumor and the grief monster attacked. Maybe he has attacked you when you found out your best friend was moving away. Or maybe he attacked at the funeral, when the pent-up emotions of the event come bursting out. You know what I mean—the tears come like a waterfall, the lungs lunge up and down and it seems there is no way to stop the emotions…. until someone gives you a hug of understanding and you get control of yourself once again.
The same is true for your soul. Some of you are geared to consider just how God wants you to react in thoughts, words and deeds and respond with emotion. Others are more calm. The Word of God that we are meditating on today draws our attention to the fact that all people are born blind in sin, but through the work of the Holy Spirit we can live with giggle and grief monsters in our life because of the life Jesus provides for all people. St. Paul encourages us
Live In The Light Jesus Provides For the Blind
Shining Brightly By The Spirit
Some of you are very familiar with the giggle monster or the grief monster. But, there is another monster living in each of us. It is the monster of our sinful flesh. Our sinful flesh lives for itself, enjoying swimming around in the sewer of evil and filth. If you were to label the characteristics of this monster they would be selfishness, sinful pride, improper ego, greed, anger, insecurity and arrogance. As Christians we learn how we can fight against the sinful flesh in us. But, just how do you do that? Does it mean you go on a diet to better your health? After all healthy body and healthy mind go hand in hand. Does it mean the right clothes, sharp car, and savvy friends, after all don’t they say you feel how you look? Or does fighting against the sinful flesh mean a regular diet and exercise in God’s Word?
We all know how much we need the encouragement from God’s Word because there is a monster that is sticking its tongue out at God and pushing aside God’s will to put forward his own will. It wants position, possessions, popularity, and peace of mind but it’s going about it all the wrong way and for all the wrong reasons. St. Paul identifies him this way: “6 Now, the way the sinful flesh thinks results in death, ….. 7 For the mind-set of the sinful flesh is hostile to God, since it does not submit to God’s law, and in fact, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the sinful flesh cannot please God.” Our sinful flesh is a horrible monster that blinds us to the point of spiritual death before God.
Don’t think that this sinful flesh is all by itself, he has a partner. Satan works hand in hand with our sinful desires to distrust God and his love for us. Cain was blinded by his jealousy to grow against his own brother to the point of hating him to death! Jacob blind greed for Esau’s inheritance to grow and come up with tricks to steal it away from him. Moses thought his blind anger was just against the Israelites for grumbling against him and stuck the rock, rather than give glory to God by speaking to the rock to provide water for the people. King Hezekiah’s blind sinful nature led him to a prideful display of Israel’s wealth. Even Peter’s sinful flesh blinded him to rely on his own strength to defend his Savior. All of these examples show how desperately these people needed God’s shining light to save them from their sinful flesh that blinded them.
You can relate to these examples in your own life of the sinful flesh blinding you to God’s love. I may not be able to see your sinful flesh in action, and you can’t see mine, but God can. You can’t get rid of your sinful nature and I can’t get rid of mine. However, St. Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to give us the Light of Life that cures the blindness of sin: “So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Shining Brightly In The Light Provided by Jesus is a miracle of the Spirit. Yes, we do have the monster of our sinful flesh living in us, but because of Jesus Christ and his forgiveness of all our sins on the cross we are not going to be condemned. Listen:
“So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. God condemned sin in his flesh, 4 so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.”
Romans 8:1-4
There it is. God’s Great Exchange! God sent Jesus to take on our flesh, and even though he had no sin, he took on ours. Then God condemned Jesus in our place. Then God took Jesus’ perfect life as the substitutionary payment and gave us credit for it. God set us free from sin, eternal death and the devil by making us free for Jesus’ sake. Jesus did was we could never do! The monster of our sinful flesh is covered by the holy blood of Jesus. You, dear Christian friends, are Shining Brightly By The Spirit have been set free by the Spirit of life—believe it! Live In the Light Jesus Provides For The Blind!
Shine Brightly In The Spirit
Last week at my Faith Foundations Class at Calvary we talked about what it means to belong to Jesus who loves us so much. I used the example of the person who is trapped on the second floor of a burning building. Some of you remember this. There would be no hope of surviving, except a fireman climbs a ladder, throws you over his shoulder and carries you out of the house to safety. You’re sitting there on the curb and overhear some firemen talking about the guy who saved you. They mentioned it was his birthday next Monday and that he loved strawberries. What could you possibly do to show your thanks? Hug him? Tell him, “Happy Birthday!“ Or Monday would you borrow the trailer in the garage and visit all the grocery stores to buy all the big, red, delicious strawberries you could find! Then you show up at the fire station and present him with your gift of thanks! Getting those strawberries would actually be fun, wouldn’t it?
Well, Jesus has saved us from the flames of hell! What sort of strawberries do you think you could find for him? You get the point. God does not want us to be forced into getting strawberries for him, he wants us who live free in Christ to Shine Brightly IN the Spirit to joyfully get those strawberries for Jesus. Why? Because we know where we came from—our heavenly Father created us. We know what’s going to happen to us when we die—for Jesus’ sake who died to take all our sins away we have heaven. And we know what our purpose is on earth right now—to joyfully and thankfully Shine Brightly In The Spirit Because We are Living Free in Christ! We are energized and empowered by his love and forgiveness for us.
But, there may be some who are still going to ask, what does it look like to live free in Christ. Or putting it another way, “What do you mean that I get to go and get strawberries for Jesus? Listen to Paul’s answer:
“4 …. not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit….5 ……those in harmony with the spirit think about things the way the spirit does. 6 …….the way the spirit thinks results in life and peace. 9 But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”
Romans 8:4b,5b,6b,9-10
It isn’t rocket science to know how the Holy Spirit does all of this for us. He brings Jesus to us through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. Neither is it rocket science to know how we can ruin it for ourselves—by avoiding the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. Living free in the Spirit means we have the joy to use the Bible, to hear the Bible, to discuss the Bible, think about it and meditate on it. When this is done the Spirit of God is unleashed in us to beat down the sinful flesh and to enlighten our faith, love and hope in Jesus—that produces Jesus strawberries.
Now, I know some of you are dying to ask, “What do Jesus strawberries look like”? It’s kinda like shopping for strawberries in the basket—you pick them up and look them over. Jesus’ strawberries look like this: How about controlling your temper. Nice! How about taking the worries you have and using them as an opportunity to place your trust in Jesus. Tasty! Now if you run across a strawberry in your life that looks dirty or wrong, how about you clean that one up. Oh look! Here’s a squished strawberry that wants you to spend your money on personal pleasures and withhold a generous offering to carry on ministry in your church. We better throw that strawberry away. Let your basket of Jesus strawberries but full of Spirit led choices that identify you as someone who is living free by the Spirit of God!
I know that you might be the type that gets attacked by the giggle monster or the emotion monster and you might need to get a hold of yourself. But, when the monster of your sinful flesh comes a callin’ to blind you, that’s the perfect time for the Spirit to Shine Brightly so You can Live In the Light Jesus Provides. Amen!
