LookingtoJesus

Heirs of God

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

A homeless woman on the streets of Astoria, Oregon, died in January 2020, having never collected a penny of the nearly $900,000 fortune she inherited when her mother passed away in 2016.  She died broke and destitute on the streets of Astoria.  This, after emails, Facebook messages, newspaper advertisements and a private investigator, failed to track her whereabouts.

That story raises a lot of questions, but especially noteworthy is the contradiction of her manner of life to the reality of her wealth.  She’d been amply supplied through her mother’s inheritance to be well provisioned, yet she was walking unawares and died in poverty.  Just like that, it is possible for us to act like spiritual paupers, despite the reality of our princely position in Christ.

Having been adopted by God, the child of God is an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ.  This inheritance is “kept in heaven” for us and described to be “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4).  Ephesians 1:3 reminds us we’ve been blessed in Christ “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”  Later in that passage, we read of how the Spirit is “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession (Ephesians 1:14). 

The Spirit’s presence in us testifies both to our identity as a child of God and the heirship associated with our adoption.  He is well able to divert our focus away from what we think we lack, so we would behold instead the glories of that which we even now possess in Christ.  Paul’s prayer in Ephesians chapter one reminds us of the strategic role the Spirit of God plays in keeping us mindful of our heavenly blessings.  His prayer was, in part, that God might give to us “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of our hearts enlighted,”… that you may know what are “the glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).  We’ll not hear or know of this glorious inheritance through emails, or Facebook messages, or newspaper advertisements, or the work of a private investigator.  We know the truth, having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, as a direct result of the working of the Holy Spirit.  How important it is for us then, to stay attentive to the Spirit’s witness through the Word so we will walk according to the reality of who we are and all we possess in Christ.

John MacArthur has noted: “Many of us are heirs of those who have very little to bequeath in earthly possessions, and our human inheritance will amount to little, perhaps nothing.  But just as God’s resources are limitless, because, as His fellow heirs, we share in everything that the true Son of God, Jesus Christ, inherits.  One day everything on earth will perish and disappear, because the whole earth is defiled and corrupted.  By great and marvelous contrast, however, one day every believer will ‘obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for (him)’ (1 Peter 1:4)!” The Spirit works to remind us.

A CHILD OF THE KING

My Father is rich in houses and land,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

Refrain: I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King,
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.

My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is reigning for ever on high,
And will give me a home in heav’n by and by. [Refrain]

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice and an alien by birth;
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown. [Refrain]

A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King. [Refrain]

The Spirit of Adoption

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”

Galatians 4:6, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’’”

I was there in the courtroom when the papers were signed, and their adoption was made official.  The brother and sister had never known their father and their mom was a drug addict, not capable of parenting.  The two had been in foster care and their foster parents decided to adopt them.  In love, they were brought into a devoted, warmhearted family.  Still, it wasn’t always easy for them.  Both children made some poor choices which lead them in a bad direction.  Yet they always were a part of the family.  They never stopped being beloved children of their adoptive parents.  Court papers witnessed to their identity as members of that family.  Likewise, you, as a believer, have a witness to the truth that you are, in fact, a child of God!

Two contrary spirits are spoken of in our passage—the spirit of slavery and the Spirit of adoption.  The spirit of slavery is what we are all born into, and what we sometimes revert to, in our thinking.  It is a harsh and demanding thing, as Octavius Winslow noted: “It exhibits itself in various forms, yet, essentially, it is the same spirit. The world, for example, holds in cruel bondage all its devotees. It enslaves the intellect by its opinions, the heart by its pleasures, the imagination by its promises, the soul by its religion- leading it a willing captive, a victim garlanded for the sacrifice… But it is the moral law- the spirit of bondage which genders fear- to which the passage particularly refers. Its commands are exceedingly broad, and the obedience upon which it insists unqualifiedly perfect; and yet, with all the breadth of the precept and the rigidness of the requirement, it offers no helping hand. It shows a man his sin, but not his pardon. It teaches him his weakness but tells him not where his great strength lies. It thunders in his ear his misery and condemnation, but whispers not a word of mercy and of hope.”

It is from that which the child of God has been delivered and it is the Spirit of adoption which testifies to that newfound reality.  In Bible times, an adopted son was deliberately chosen by his adopted father to perpetuate his name and eventually inherit his estate.  Not at all inferior to a natural child, the adopted one would likely better appreciate his sonship, having gained it through the purposeful deliberation and benevolent actions of the father.  We have been adopted by God—praise Him for it!  Now the Spirit testifies to our Spirit regarding our blessed and true identity (1 John 3:1)! 

Kent Hughes has commented on this: “We sense that we are God’s sons!  So intense is the reality of our adoption that we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’  The Aramaic word ‘Abba,’ which means ‘Dear Father’ in the sense in which that we might say ‘Dad’ or ‘Daddy,’ was never used by the Jews to address God, nor do they use it today…Can anything be more beautiful… Many have never known a meaningful relationship with an earthly Father.  Or some have, but now he is gone.  God offers his soul-satisfying paternity to all who come to him.  ‘Abba Father!’” In the Spirit who indwells you, you’ve a witness to your own heart, to the glorious truth that you belong to God!

WHAT MANNER OF LOVE

Behold, what love, what boundless love,
The Father hath bestowed
On sinners lost, that we should be
Now called the sons of God!

Refrain: Behold, what manner of love!
What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
That we, that we should be called,
Should be called the sons of God!

No longer far from Him but now
By precious blood made nigh,
Accepted in the Well beloved,
Near to God’s heart we lie. [Refrain]

What we in glory soon shall be,
It doth not yet appear;
But when our precious Lord we see,
We shall His image bear. [Refrain]

With such a blessèd hope in view,
We would more holy be,
More like our risen, glorious Lord,
Whose face we soon shall see. [Refrain]

Led by the Spirit

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Not far from here, alongside a road which leads to Interstate 84, is a historical marker which commemorates the Oregon Trail.  I’m told you can still view the ruts in the soil from the hundreds of covered wagons which passed there long ago.  I’ve often thought of all those early pioneers must have endured in making the 2000-mile journey west.  Most started in Independence, Missouri.  Travelers faced rough terrain like the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains in a journey which would take five months.  The Oregon Trail was dangerous.  The real danger wasn’t so much native Americans, but diseases, like cholera.  Other obstacles included dust storms, inclement weather, accidents, snake bites, robbers, tired or sick horses or oxen, and dwindling provisions.  A wagon train was led by a wagon master.  He was the one in charge.  Assisted by scouts, the wagon master kept the wagon train headed in the right direction.  Always on the lookout for danger, if threats arose, he would direct the wagons to form in a circle for protection.  He would decide when to stop for the night and where to cross rivers.  The wagons were all dependent on the wisdom and expertise of the wagon master if they were to arrive safely at their destination.  It would be foolhardy and dangerous for any of them to dismiss or ignore his leading.

We humans are stubbornly independent by nature, in a sinful disposition we inherited through the fall.  We foolishly believe we can somehow make it on our own as we journey through this life God has given us.  The child of God is incredibly blessed to be indwelt by the Spirit of God.  We need to be led, and in the Spirit, we’ve the very best of leaders.  He will never ever lead us in a dangerous direction and is instead even praying for us “according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).  It is by Him we likewise pray “Thy will be done,” and are led step-by-step in that path.

B. B. Warfield has commented on this: “Sin has a dreadful grasp upon us; we have no power to withstand it. But there enters our hearts a power not ourselves making for righteousness. This power is the Spirit of the most high God. “If God be for us who can be against us?” Let our hearts repeat this cry of victory to-day.  And as we repeat it, let us go onward, in hope and triumph, in our holy efforts. Let our slack knees be strengthened and new vigor enter our every nerve. The victory is assured. The Holy Spirit within us cannot fail us. The way may be rough; the path may climb the dizzy ascent with a rapidity too great for our faltering feet; dangers, pitfalls are on every side. But the Holy Spirit is leading us. Surely, in that assurance, despite dangers and weakness, and panting chest and swimming head, we can find strength to go ever forward. In these days, when the gloom of doubt if not even the blackness of despair, has settled down on so many souls, there is surely profit and strength in the certainty that there is a portal of such glory before us, and in the assurance that our feet shall press its threshold at the last.”

How Slow I Wake!
Sweet will of God! How slow I wake
To hear your quiet word
That tells my inner man to go,
Uproot, depart, to leave my ways.
But I arise. I stand to find
Your Perfect way. And ah,
My heart, long trembling, now is still.
Sweet Spirit, Guide, I go to do Your will.

Deadly Desires

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:12-13, “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

As you know, Cookie Monster suffers from a serious cookie addiction.  His voracious appetite for cookies is obvious, for he is always thinking about and demanding cookies.  Though his favorite variety is chocolate chip cookies, no cookie within his reach is safe.  Devouring cookies occupies his thoughts. He can never be satisfied with just one cookie!  In his spare time, he peruses cookbooks looking for pictures of cookies and new recipes.  He begs cookies from friends and even strangers.  Sometimes, under advice from his handlers, he tries to stomach healthy foods like fruits and even eggplant, yet it is cookies he is always longing for.  Unbeknown to most, Cookie Monster has tried to defeat his addiction.  He tried support and accountability groups to no avail.  He tried hypnosis, but that also failed.  He heard of a drug which would suppress his appetite, but that didn’t work either.  He even joined a religious organization, which forbade eating cookies altogether, yet no amount of external force put a stop to that dreadful longing to eat cookies.  Were it not for the fact he is a fictional character, Cookie Monster would suffer from severe obesity.

“But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”  It is impossible for the flesh to win the battle when it comes to our fleshly desires.  At the heart of Paul’s dramatic plea in Romans 7:24 was the reality that the flesh is not able to do the right thing in the choices we make.  That’s the same message we find in Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  There is only one thing that can work such that a person “will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  There is no other means or mechanism whereby the desires of the flesh can be subdued.  Cookie Monster’s addiction was relatively innocuous, but Galatians 5:19-21 speaks to a host of other works of the flesh which are both debilitating and destructive.  How then is it possible to put to death such deadly desires?

Jesus performed miracles and even cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet the Pharisees blasphemously ascribed the power behind his works to Beelzebub, the prince of demons.  In a part of his response, Jesus argued, “how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man” (Matthew 12:24-29).  The point is this—it’s going to take something stronger than the flesh to defeat the flesh in its sinful desires.  The Spirit alone can do that!  Victory over sin—the putting off of ugly sinful vices that they might be replaced with beautiful Christ-like virtues is a work the Spirit of God alone can do (Galatians 5:16-26).  No amount of human devising, determination, or effort can serve as a suitable substitute for that.  What is prescribed for us instead is a moment-by-moment walk in which we yield to and depend on the Spirit.  Such a walk is characterized by prayerful dependence on the Spirit, and ongoing attentiveness to the Word of God (Colossians 3:16-17)! The Spirit in you is well able to do that which you could never do!

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain]

The Spirit is Life

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:9-11, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”

We who work in hospice are regularly confronted with the reality of death.  For a patient to be committed to hospice—effectively, a death sentence—is not easy for either the patient or the family.  Then, as the patient’s remaining days evaporate—one-by-one—the growing reality of pending death settles in.  Hearts are increasingly burdened with the sense of expected loss. Nothing can be done to escape the inevitable.  The loving concern and care of family and friends and hospice workers is both necessary and helpful and a true blessing, yet with death comes a depth of sorrow and hurt that God alone can heal.

It is as Derek W. H. Thomas has noted: “Our bodies are dying.  This fact is true of every person in the world.  Even the fittest body is dying.  Sin brought this about… We (in the affluent West) live, for the most part, in a death-defying, live-for-the-moment-down-here culture.  Our culture has sanitized death.  Few people outside the medical and funeral professions come into regular contact with death.  When death visits, many are unprepared for it, and consequently grief counseling has become a major industry of our time.”

The believer need not live in fear of death, because he is indwelt by the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God is a guarantor to us of future resurrection.  Note the repeated emphasis on the indwelling of the Spirit in Romans 8:9-11: “in the Spirit;” “the Spirit of God dwells in you;” “the Spirit of Christ… Christ is in you;” “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you;” “his Spirit who dwells in you.”  The interplay between the indwelling of Christ and of the Spirit is interesting and instructive.  While they are two separate persons, their ministry is intertwined.  After all, the Spirit’s ministry is to mediate the presence of Jesus to us, in us, and through us.  But note further that we find all three persons of the trinity in this passage, for verse 11 speaks of “he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,” which is a reference to the Father.  All three persons of the trinity are said to have a role in our bodily resurrection!

S Lewis Johnson has commented on this: “This verse is the final answer to the cry of Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?“ The power of indwelling sin and physical death over the believer’s body is destroyed in the bodily resurrection. The logic of the apostle is clear. The presence of the Spirit of God in our mortal bodies is the guarantee of the bodily resurrection, for He is the one who raised up Jesus Christ.”

Plants die.  Animals die.  People die.  All creation groans under the weight of the curse.  Yet the indwelling Spirit testifies to another, greater, omnipotence which works a dramatic change in us.  “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, were is you sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:53-56)! Praise the Lord! You have the Spirit and the Spirit gives life!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

By the Spirit

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Every born-again believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God.  As a result of hearing the gospel and responding with faith, a person receives the Spirit. Yet, receiving the Spirit is only the start of the Believer’s ongoing relationship of dependency on the Spirit. 

The church in Galatia had a problem.  Paul had preached the gospel to those folks.  Some believed, and a church was born.  But then the church was infiltrated by individuals who falsely taught that one’s salvation depended on the keeping of the law.  Being thus deceived, the church foolishly departed from its Spirit-led beginnings, to venture off on a faulty flesh-driven detour. Paul’s admonishment of the Galatians reminds us of a sad reality: we humans tend to gravitate towards a works-based approach to salvation.  We pridefully assume we have what it takes in ourselves to do (and not do) what is required of us.  Yet we don’t have what it takes.  We need Jesus as much now as we did when we first trusted in Him.  We need the Spirit in the same way.  The Christian life is not about trying harder to be better, it is about walking in yieldedness to, and dependence on, the Spirit.

Let me attempt to illustrate.  Some years ago, we took our two-year-old grandson to the Portland Zoo.  If you’ve ever been there, you know how big it is and how many exhibits there are.  Plus, there’s the little train to ride—he loved that!  To help visitors, signs are posted everywhere directing them in which way to go.  In addition, a map is provided showing where the differing animal exhibits can be found.  Now imagine if we had brought our two-year-old grandson to the entrance of the zoo and dropped him off.  Here you go, son, we’ve brought you to the zoo, now it’s up to you to find your way.  That’d be akin to child abandonment because he’d never make it.  He’d get lost and get weary and who knows what would have happened?

The Christian life is not easy.  It is by a miracle of God’s grace that God takes us, radically depraved as we were, and delivers us one day into glory. It’d be impossible for any of us to navigate this journey, or persevere through life’s challenges apart from the indwelling work of the Spirit of God. At the beginning of your salvation, you were born again of the Spirit.  The Spirit came and took up residence in your heart.  You began your Christian life through the Spirit, so you are to walk with Him now.  You need Him now as much as you did when you first received Him!  Every moment of every day, He is guiding you.  Always directing your heart and thoughts Christ-ward—leading, teaching and empowering.  Having begun by the Spirit, one can only be perfected by the Spirit, and to attempt to do otherwise is foolhardy!

I SURRENDER ALL

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine. [Refrain]

All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Refrain]

The Spirit in You

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Perhaps you saw the news story from May of this year…A passenger with no flying experience was forced to land a Cessna plane after the pilot had an apparent medical emergency.  The unnamed passenger radioed Air Traffic Controllers, “I’ve got a serious situation here.  My pilot has gone incoherent.  I have no idea how to fly the airplane.” How scary that must have been for that passenger!  He started the plane trip with a pilot, then suddenly he was on his own, all alone!  I imagine he listened very attentively to the instructions from the air traffic controller!  Would that we might approach life with a similar spirit of attentiveness and dependence on the Spirit who indwells us?  That we might echo that sentiment as we look to the Spirit — “I have no idea how to live this life!”

Our passage distinguishes between two different groups of people—those who have the Spirit of God and those who don’t.  Everyone falls into one group or the other.

Perhaps it would be good for us to review some important foundational truths regarding the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is a person—not an it, a force, or an energy.  Holy Spirit is a Divine person—the third person of the Trinity.  This Divine person indwells every believer in Christ! We know this is true because of the promise Jesus made to His disciples: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).  He “will be in you,” Jesus promised, and so it is for everyone who trusts in Him.  You’ll find that same truth clearly articulated in other passages (1 Corinthians 6:19, 12:13, and 1 John 4:13).

Jesus called the Spirit, the Helper, which means one called alongside to help.  Since the moment of saving faith, you’ve been indwelt by the Helper.  Wherever you’ve been and whatever you’ve gone through, you’ve never been alone.  Though it is possible for you to quench the Spirit, or grieve the Spirit, He has never left you and never will.  His ministry is to mediate the presence of Christ to you, in you, and through you.  This ministry is so intimately intertwined with Christ, He is even referred to as the Spirit of Christ.  Throughout your journey, He’s been directing your focus to Jesus, as a pilot keeping you on course!  How blessed you are in His indwelling presence!

Charles Spurgeon has spoken of how blessed we are: “You that are believers have the most forcible reasons to hold the Holy Ghost in the highest esteem; for what are you now without him? What were you, and what would you still have been, if it had not been for his gracious work upon you? He quickened you… He gave you understanding…He awakened your conscience… He gave you abhorrence of sin… He taught you to believe, and made you see that glorious person who is to be believed, even Jesus, the Son of God. The Spirit has wrought in you your faith and love and hope, and every grace. There is not a jewel upon the neck of your soul which he did not place there.”

SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart;
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart.

Chorus: Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart

I have ceased from my wand’rings and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And my sins which were many are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart. [Chorus]

I shall go there to dwell in that City I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart. [Chorus]

Songwriters: R.h. Mcdaniel / C.h. Gabriel; Since Jesus Came Into My Heart lyrics © Word Music, Llc

A Dramatic Change of Mind

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:5-8, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

“While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard, where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens. One day, a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved like the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.

“Still, it has the heart of an eagle,” replied the naturalist, “and can surely be taught to fly.” He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, “You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly.”

The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was and seeing the chickens eating their food; he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. Finally, the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly, he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens. It may be that the eagle still remembers the chickens with nostalgia. It may even be that he occasionally revisits the barnyard. But as far as anyone knows, he has never returned to lead the life of a chicken.”  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.).

Our passage speaks of two different groups which have two different mind-sets.  Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh and experience death.  Contrarily, those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit and experience life and peace.  The mind which is set on the flesh is hostile to God, cannot submit to His law, and cannot please Him.

Before you were saved, you had no alternative except to set your mind on the things of the flesh.  You were powerless to think otherwise.  Though you were created to know and enjoy and worship God, sin worked to confuse your thinking and governed your life according to sinful pursuits, which only worked to bring you harm.  You were like an eagle in a barnyard, created to soar.  Instead, you were left pecking about with the chickens.  But then you trusted in Jesus and were indwelt with the Spirit and a miraculous change took place!  By the Spirit, you’ve experienced a dramatic change of mind.  Now, to think as you used to think is not in keeping with your new identity in Christ.  By the Spirit, you are taught and empowered to think according to the reality of who you are in Jesus.  And you are like an eagle, not a chicken, created anew in Christ to soar to new heights of Christlike maturity, to the glory of God.  So spread your wings and fly!

SINCE JESUS CAME INTO MY HEART

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart;
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,

Chorus: Since Jesus came into my heart.
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart

I have ceased from my wand’rings and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And my sins which were many are all washed away [Chorus]

I shall go there to dwell in that City I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart.
Since Jesus came into my heart [Chorus]
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.
Since Jesus came into my heart.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: R.h. Mcdaniel / C.h. Gabriel
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart lyrics © Word Music, Llc

Spirit vs. Law

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:3-4, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

To run and work the law commands
Yet gives me neither feet or hands;
But better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly and gives me wings.

Jason C. Meyer, The End of the Law

The problem with the Law, which is perfect and good in keeping with the very nature of God who has given it, is not the Law itself.  The problem with the Law is we humans have no power to keep it.  It is “weakened by the flesh” (Romans 8:3).  This truth is at the heart of Paul’s discourse in Romans chapter 7.  His own inability in the flesh to keep the law was that which drew him to such a dramatic conclusion, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death (Romans 7:24)?”

In sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.  Jesus was sent in an act of substitution to take our place, to bear the punishment we deserved.  He was condemned, so we could escape condemnation.  How amazingly gracious is God’s provision for us!  Andrew Murray has commented on this: “He is concerned to show that when the Father sent the Son into this world of sin, of misery, and of death, he sent him in a manner which brought him into the closest relation to sinful humanity that it was possible for him to come without becoming himself sinful.”  And then, of course, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, He bore sins not His own, that our sin might be exchanged our sins for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The Spirit is able to do that which the Law could never do.  As we walk by the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is borne in us.  Beautiful Christlike virtues replace ugly sinful vices (Galatians 5:16-26).  This supernatural change happens not as a result of a careful and laborious attempt to do better at being better, but as the Spirit mediates the presence of Christ to us, in us, and through us.  That is why walking by the Spirit is of such importance. 

It is as Kent Hughes pointed out: “The principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the principle of sin and death.  Thus, when we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit we are liberated.  We no longer have to sin.  Through the Holy Spirit, the virtue and perfection and power of Christ’s life is communicated to us.  We actually do the Law of God from the heart.  We love him with all our hearts, and we love our neighbors as ourselves.  This is as great a miracle as when the Spirit hovered over the face of the deep and with power materialized a new creation at the spoken word of the Father.  The Holy Spirit liberates us through Christ!”

ROCK OF AGES

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

A Higher Plane

Bible Reading: Romans 8

Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Tom had a vibrant and encouraging personality, formed no doubt in part from his diverse life experiences, but mostly because of his relationship with Jesus.  Long before his long career as a dentist—in which he would provide free dental care to pastors and missionaries—Tom had served in WW2 as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps.  Perhaps that’s why he had no fear of heights.  Once a year or so, he’d bravely climb the tall steep roof of our church building with one of our deacons to clean the green moss off the steeple.  He owned a biplane and would frequently take it up for flights over the scenic north coast.  One day, Tom was up in a tree at his home trimming branches when he fell and landed flat on his back.  Tom was subsequently paralyzed from the waist down, and that led to bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts.  But Tom had Jesus, and he was not a man who could be held down for long.  Physical therapy worked to restore some use of his legs, so much so he could get around with a walker.  He and his wife eventually moved into assisted living, from which you’d sometimes see Tom buzzing around Astoria, not in a fighter plane, but in his motorized wheelchair.  Then one day Tom’s wife flew away to heaven.  And then a little later Tom made that flight too.  What a wonderful man!

Our text speaks of two laws, the law of the Spirit of life and the law of sin and death.  It is not The Law which is spoken of here, but rather two divergent guiding principles.  Let me try to illustrate.  We know of the law of gravity.  Simply stated, one component of the law of gravity is the axiom that what goes up must come down.  Every human on this planet is subject to this law and if you doubt me, go jump in the air!  My friend Tom had little a fear of heights, yet he experienced the harsh reality of gravity’s demands when he fell to the ground out of that tree!  There is a spiritual law which governs all humans on this planet, which is called the law of sin and death.  No one is exempt from its influence.  We are all born sinners (Romans 3:23).  Because of that, we are all deserving of death (Romans 6:23). 

There are ways to escape or overcome the law of gravity.  There are laws associated with aerodynamics which will allow for that.  Tom managed that both in WW2, as a fighter pilot and whenever he flew that old biplane.  You’ve probably flown, so you know how that works.  As a plane builds momentum, the law of aerodynamics works to lift a plane upward, overcoming the law of gravity.  Just like that, there is a law by which a person can be set free from the law of sin and death.  That law is called the law of the Spirit of life.  In ourselves, we’d never be able to overcome the law of spiritual gravity, which works to doom us in sin to its tragic consequences.  But the law of the Spirit of life works to do what we can’t!  As a believer in Christ, that law is now working within you.  You are no longer devil-bound to the domain of darkness and helpless when it comes to sin. Christ has worked to set you free!

It is as Ray Pritchard has explained: “You don’t have to sin anymore. You don’t have to live in defeat anymore. You don’t have to be down anymore. You don’t have to go years and years and years committing the same old dumb sins over and over again. Why? Because the law of the spirit of life of Jesus Christ has set you free. Because of this, if you choose to dwell in sin, if you choose to be defeated, it’s because you’ve chosen to live that way, not because you must live that way.”

When I was new at Western Seminary, I joined the school choir.  We were learning a new Steve Green song, a song which sticks in my mind to this day.  It speaks to how we’ve been set free in the law of the spirit of life to soar in the blessings of living for Jesus:

COME AND SEE

To all who are tortured and ravaged by sin
The frail and the wounded about to give in
There’s news of release and captivity’s end
We’ve been set free, come and see
Oh sleeper awake, come out of the night
Throw open the door and step into the light
For sin is undone and the wrong is made light
We’ve been set free, come and see

Chorus: Come and see, the power of sin has been broken
The gates of your prisons stand open, come and see
Arise, believe, for the power at work both to rescue and save
Is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave
We’ve been set free, come and see

I, too, lived in slavery, unmercifully bound
Battered and broken I finally knelt down
And there in obedience freedom was found, I’ve been set free
And now through the dungeons of darkness and night
I run in the freedom of liberty’s light
And shout to the captives, “Oh prisoner take flight
We’ve been set free, come and see” [Chorus]

If the enemy’s holding a knife to your chest
Demanding you give up or die
In Christ crucified you’ve already died
And now you are free [Chorus]

c Birdsong Music. Words and music by: Jon Mohr, Steve Green, David Huntsinger, Bonnie Huntsinger