Freedom in Becoming

Lesson Romans 8:18-25

Text: 8:21 "... the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God."

INTRODUCTION

Holiness is belonging to God. [This is what we have been talking about the past three Sunday mornings.] Holiness is also the freedom to enter into the glory of being God's children (text.) Holiness is being like Jesus, or at least, becoming like Him, the One who was and IS pure and holy. As the hymn writer penned it, and we pray as we sing:

"Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus, Make me holy as He is; May I prove I've been with Jesus Who is all my righteousness."

Is it realistic to speak of becoming like Jesus Christ? One thing I am sure of, if any Christ-likeness is possible, and if it ever takes place in your life and mine, it will be the result of God's grace!

I. ROMANS: A HANDBOOK ON GRACE

  1. We think of "grace" as salvation FROM sin— and so it is. There certainly is a glorious negative side of God's GRACE:
    1. FREEDOM FROM A "WORKS SALVATION"

      Romans 4 - Freedom from having to EARN salvation: [Romans 4:4 "Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness." 6: "... David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works ..."]

    2. FREEDOM FROM SIN'S GUILT

      Romans 5 - Freedom from the GUILT of confessed sin: peace WITH God / justification [Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..."]

    3. FREEDOM FROM SIN'S DOMINION

      Romans 6 - Freedom from the DOMINION of sin ... [Romans 6:1 "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!" 6:22 "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness (i.e., sanctification) and the outcome, eternal life!"]

    4. FREEDOM FROM "LEGALISTIC SALVATION?"

      Romans 7 - Freedom from LEGALISM: [Romans 7:6 "But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."]

  2. GRACE ALSO HAS A POSITIVE ASPECT! We are not merely set free FROM EVIL, [although we have just looked at quite a litany of God's great grace!] NOW HERE COMES Romans 8— which speaks of the victorious LIFE IN THE POWER OF THE INDWELLING SPIRIT!

    Where may we look for an example? Who, do you suppose, best embodies what this life in the Spirit can be? You are right! Jesus does!

II. ROMANS 8: FREEDOM IN THE SPIRIT: A PROFILE OF JESUS

[It may seem strange musing on Romans 8 as a profile of Jesus. But when you think about it, EVERY high point in the NT is a lesson on how we can and should live, and is a candid shot of Jesus. These great chapters of the Bible are not simply theological wonders. They serve to help us become holy. And to be holy is to be like Jesus!]

  1. JESUS LIVED IN THE FREEDOM OF THE SPIRIT. Can anyone doubt or deny that? If ever anyone was filled with the Spirit, it was Jesus! If ever anyone lived to please God the Father, it was Jesus!

    Not in an ideal, sterile situation, but in the living out of real life at its best and its worst, Jesus showed us how to live in the freedom of the Spirit:

    Romans 8:1

    1. [Jesus was accused! But] JESUS WAS FREE FROM CONDEMNATION

      Freedom from condemnation, but not from controversy. Accusation will come to us all! Remember how it came to Jesus?:

      Brothers: You are crazy! Pharisees: He has a devil! Pilate: This man is irrelevant! Priests: He saved others! He cannot save Himself!

      God the Father: This is My Son!

    2. [Jesus was tempted! But] JESUS PLEASED THE FATHER!

      Romans 8:8 (Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" ...but we know that Jesus pleased God!)

      Jesus lived above sin, He was FREE from its power, but not from temptation. Recall how He was tempted?:

      Temptation of the flesh: (Make bread from stones.) Temptation of the spirit: (Cast yourself down!) Temptation to get things done quickly: (Compromise! Short-cut!)

    3. [Jesus HAD to pray!] JESUS HAD A VICTORIOUS PRAYER LIFE!

      But even Jesus had times when prayer was not easy! He had freedom and victory, but even He was not free from groaning. (8:34 Says that this praying Christ intercedes for US!)

    4. [Jesus knew loneliness!]JESUS WAS ONE WITH THE FATHER

      But even Jesus was not excluded from the realities of of the struggles of the spiritual realm.

      And on the Cross He suffered alone-ness like we will never need to know! Because He loves us! (8:37-39 We overwhelmingly conquer through HIM that loved us... nothing .. shall separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus our Lord.")

  2. Jesus is our Great Example of the Life of GRACE! We can actually read Romans 8 by overlaying it with Jesus' life; and we can know Jesus better by seeing in HIM all this fullness of the Spirit. If we want to, we can know Jesus ... and become LIKE Him, by the power of His Spirit! (text) "Free from slavery ... into the freedom of the glory of the children of God!"

III. ROMANS 8: LIFE IN THE SPIRIT: IS FREEDOM TO BECOME LIKE JESUS!

  1. (Verse 2) THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS SET (US) FREE ... [look at that phrase!] We are enabled to become all that has been described here: free from condemnation, victorious in temptation, coming to God in prayer, never to be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
  2. THIS IS NOT A SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED 'FREEDOM'
    1. By looking to Jesus, we see that "FREEDOM" GOES BEYOND MERE "INDIVIDUALISM."

      It is wonderful to be set free so that we can be ourselves. It is wonderful even to LIKE ourselves! (Most of us are at least a little ambivalent.)

      We tend to relate freedom to individualism. But individualism can be a prison, a strait-jacket, if we descend into the strictures of our own desires. Hell, said one very wise man, could be getting exactly what we want for all eternity!

      Individualism can be a prison— about the size of a small telephone booth— bounded on all sides by our own limitations. Freedom in Christ is more a freedom TO BECOME a part of the larger community. A church is a community of incomplete and imperfect people who can find completeness as they come together in Christ and His family.

      The kind of "freedom" that glorifies "Individualism" can be a conformity to non-conformity. Some of the saddest uniforms I ever see are garish fashions, or punk dictations, which say: "We will NOT conform!" From kindergarten on, we are somehow taught to be afraid to be different. [I know one missionary who returned from a different culture and at some expense bought his children everything that the other children had, so far as he could tell. But the "things" were not the right "brands." And the children were humiliated! And by other "Christian" families' kids!]

      Jesus was Unique! And he has made every one of us an "original!" But Jesus also bound Himself to you and me— to His church— which He loved! Our FREEDOM is to be like Him!

    2. JESUS DID NOT LIVE OR DIE TO HIS OWN INDIVIDUAL GLORY He came to be the Father of a new kind of race. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul writes: "The last Adam (Jesus Christ) became a life- giving spirit."
      1. Jesus was to be THE FIRST-BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN (8:29 "His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.")
      2. Jesus lives to MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US (8:34)
      3. Jesus LOVES US (8:38-39 "Nothing can separate US from HIS love!"
  3. IT IS REALISTIC TO SPEAK OF BECOMING LIKE JESUS CHRIST! The FREEDOM is there! The Holy Spirit makes it possible to begin!

    But if we are like Jesus

    1. WE will live for others, like Jesus did!
    2. WE will PRAY for others (become INTERCESSORS) like Jesus did!
    3. His LOVE will UNITE us with God and with each other, just as Christ's love reaches you and me!

CONCLUSION:

Paul writes (in Philippians 2) "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!" Here in Romans is something of the power to make it really happen!

If God calls you, you can be FREE! But remember, you aren't REALLY free unless and until you are not just free FROM ... but free TO BE, to BE BECOMING.. like Jesus Himself!

#60 Sitting at the Feet of Jesus