http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=3280
Comeback from condemnation
TEXT: Michah 7:8, Romans 8:1
8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.
Romans 8:1-3
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirt…”
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
-Introductory remarks; God wants to heal us of condemnation, we have too many Christian who have punished themselves, and disqualified themselves on the basis of the mistakes they have made-God would say to us tonight, He has written off no one, He still has need to use us, imperfect though we may be…
-yes we need to walk after the Spirit, but we need to gain a better understanding of what that means –
-crucifying the flesh and being crucified with Christ: two different things, one is a matter of action, the other is a matter of legal identity.
Galatians 2:20-21
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
-I am is not a statement of action, it is a statement of identity. Who are you Paul? I am – crucified with Christ. Was he actually on the same physical cross that Jesus of Nazareth died on, no – this is a legal identification – when we repent, and are baptized, we are crucified with Christ legally in the spirit realm. What does that mean – it mean I am LEGALLY and SPIRITUALLY no longer identified by this flesh body that my spirit lives in, I am identified with the body of the Perfect One who died on the actual cross…I am identified not by the flesh on the outside, but by the Jesus that lives on the inside…
II Corinthians 4:7-12
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
I Corinithians 15:31 – “I die daily.”
-why did Paul die every day? Because he had too. Overcoming your flesh is not a one shot deal – just because you spoke in tongues a little bit, prayed through, shouted and danced a little bit on Sunday – that doesn’t you’re flesh isn’t going to greet you first thing Monday morning…
we make a huge mistake: we think we wake up Monday morning we’re going to be this super spiritual invincible prayer warrior, and then we get caught off guard when we do or say or think something in error…
Can I give the church a liberating wake up call tonight? It doesn’t matter HOW spiritual you get, you’re flesh nature ain’t going nowhere! It will still be there, after you’ve prayed for four hours, fasted for fourteen days, preached a great sermons, taught three Bible studies, prayed 10 people through – you’re going to be dragging your flesh every single step of the way!
-THE STRUGGLE-
Galatians 5:16-17
16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).
17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.
-how long that gonna last – TILL YOU DIE. PHYSICALLY.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
So what’s the problem?
-The problem is because we have flesh, we are prone to mistakes, and to errors, and to failures, and to sin…and when those things occur there’s this little voice that starts whispering:
-you dirty rat, you rotten sinner, you hypocrite, you’ve failed God for the last time, you’ve run out of grace, out of mercy, you can’t do the work of God any more, YOU’RE NOT SPIRITUAL!
-it’s the voice of condemnation-
Romans 8:1 –
Romans 8
King James Version (KJV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
We condemn ourselves when we make a mistake, or are just tempted to make a mistake, because we define our identity on the flesh that we live in…
Here’s what condemnation is: identifying yourself on the basis of your mistakes, weakness, failures, your past, faults, shortcomings,etc, we identify ourselves because of those as not worthy to live for or work for God, and we stop pursuing God and that’s how people backslide…
-Can I liberate someone tonight – God does not define you on the basis of your flesh – he identifies you on the basis of spirit man –
-going to try it again – God doesn’t define you on the basis of the things you struggle with in your flesh – he doesn’t define you on the basis of your mistake – or your sin –
He defines you on the basis of the Cross, WHERE HE PAID FOR YOUR SINS…
-WE MUST OVERCOME THIS IDENTITY CRISIS – when we make a mistake we cannot condemn ourselves, disqualify ourselves, we don’t have the right!
-this whole thing is about investment value: even good ball players strike out every now and then. Lebron James misses a shot every now and then…but the GM and the coach don’t pull him in the front office and kick him off the team because he made a mistake or because he had a bad game –for two reasons: 1. They know that he has the potential with a little more practice to do better 2. They paid too a high a price to get him…they’re too deeply invested
Do you have any idea of the value of the price that Christ paid for you? He’s too invested in you to kick you out of the church because you made a mistake or had a bad day, and he knows you have the potential to do better.
-Jesus and Peter –
Peter: Hey Jesus, I’ll never deny you, you can count on me ( and he meant it too.
Jesus: Peter, you’ll deny me three times before the sun comes up, but I’ve prayed for you that your faith fail not.
God’s not surprised by your mistake, but he wasn’t so much concerned about Peter’s mistake, but how Peter would respond to his own failure
-you may have failed in your flesh, but God is challenging someone to pick up their faith and walk on anyway…
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
-walking after the Spirit has to do with our conduct, but that is a result of the greater meaning – the meaning is not just that conduct ourselves spiritually – it has to do with how we identify and define ourselves.
-Justification doesn’t come by obedience to the law, but Christ’s death, which we identify with by repentance, not lack of error, or lack of sinful desire or temptation, but REPENTANCE-
Repentance doesn’t take the sin nature out of your flesh – KEEP DREAMING – it puts you as a person, your identity in a place that has a provision for your sins…
-We need to be led by the Spirit right? The first place the Spirit is going to lead you is to repentance
Matthew 4
1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred…
Rom 8:3 – God condemned sin in the flesh: amplified: “subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power –
Its not flesh that’s deprived of its power –its sin.
You’re flesh still has desires, needs, wants – it’s the sin that results that doesn’t have any legal hold over you anymore. Sins effects on us legally and eternally are nullified by the blood, paid for by Christ on the cross-
What does that mean – The devil has no right nor power to condemn, even if I make an error, or make a mistake – and here’s the kicker:
Neither do I. I don’t have a right to condemn myself, or to disqualify myself – it would be insult to Calvary.
Satan is called the accuser of the brethren for good reason. If Christians never made mistakes, he wouldn’t have anything to accuse us of – he accuses us because we make a mistake – YOU DID THIS, AND YOU FAILED GOD –
If we get to listening to that junk it will lead us away from God, if we make a mistake, we need to run to God just as fast as we can…God steps in and says to the devil “It’s ok, he’s with me, that thing you’re accusing him of, I already paid the price for so get your hands off my kid”
YES we need to be led by the Spirit – the Spirit, the word will teach us, but our carnal nature going to be drug right along with it, looking for the first opportunity to do something stupid.
We must learn to be consistent…
Realistic tips on how to be led by the Spirit and overcome the flesh:
YOU WILL NEVER GET TO A PLACE IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE FLESH – but we can learn to minimize it, corral, and control it by the word of God and the power of the Spirit.
-crucifying the flesh is not a one shot magic wand that happens at church one night because you shouted enough – crucifying the flesh is a daily process, FIGHT, to learn how to do the right thing, and minimize the opportunities to do the wrong thing
-be honest with yourself, don’t feel like you have to be perfect or pretend to be perfect all the time
-identify specific weak areas and target them with safeguards and accountability-this minimizes potential damage
-study scriptures that deal specifically with you area of struggle.
-WALK –one step, one day at a time, and if you happen to trip or stumble, get up and keep walking – allow conviction to lead you to repentance
Realize your true identity
Do not allow condemnation to rule your decisions, or emotions.
Here’s another point, and I’m not pastor of this church, not about to be, not pastoring to night…but if I could just say something in the hypothetical…
There are three accusers. One is the devil. The other is our self. The third accuser of the brethren…are the brethren.
Galatians 6:1-3
Amplified Bible (AMP)
6 Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.
2 Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and [a]troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete [b]what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
3 For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.
This is where we have missed the mark. We have created a church culture that doesn’t allow people to be transparent and to get help when they have a struggle, because they are afraid of what the saints are going to say…we’ve created a culture where we pursue holiness, inward and outward, and we should – but we have come to a dangerous place of identifying and defining ourselves by outward standards of measurement and by the places we don’t go and the things we don’t do-so that when one of us doesn’t measure up we have mistakenly taken that as a license to judge.
Tell you the final step in liberation from condemnation? Let the pastor take care of church discipline – its his job, not yours. Your job is to give out some grace…
-recount the story of the woman caught in adultery John 8:1-11
Church, its time to put the rocks down and be willing to get your hands dirty to help out someone that has made a mistake, because they just like you have flesh.
-We need to create a place of healing, not a place of putting people out of their misery…
I Sam 16:17 – God looketh not on the outward, but on the heart.
No, grace is never a license for disgrace – but its nice to no its there when I need it, and because we have flesh we need it…
ALTAR CALL - HEBREWS 4:14-16
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
-men of God who fell, who are being restored-
-you can be restored here tonight-
