Romans 8:11-19 * March 9, 2008
* Lent 5 *
Pastor Leyrer
Dear Friends in Christ,
For the sake of illustration, we’ll tell his story. For the sake of privacy, we’ll refer to him only by his initials.
E.M. exhausted all his appeals a long time ago and for many years sat on death row in a maximum security prison. He had committed crimes which neither he nor anyone else would dispute. In his moments of denial E.M. believed he was being treated far too severely. Sometimes he even convinced himself that he was innocent. But most of the time, when he was alone with his thoughts, he knew he wasn’t. He had broken the law, and now he was just getting what he deserved.
It was not a question of “if” E.M. would die, only “when.” He lived each day knowing that time was running out and that he was powerless to change his condition.
Nevertheless, because E.M. had nothing but time on his hands, sometimes his mind would drift. He wondered what his life would be like if he could ever get out of prison. He always promised himself that if by some miraculous occurrence this would happen, his life would be entirely different.
Then it happened. Out of the blue and as a result of an act he neither expected nor engineered, E.M. was pardoned. One day the warden simply walked up to him, slid open the door to his cell, and told E.M. he was free to go.
In an instant E.M.’s dream became a reality. He had, in essence, received a new life. Now the only question on E.M.’s mind was what he would do with it.
If this story sounds familiar, it should. Because – and perhaps you’ve already caught on – it is actually our spiritual story. E.M., you see, stands for Every Man.
Paul begins Romans chapter 8 with this simple, sweeping and
profound statement: “Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Christians are free. Not free from the earthly effects of sin. That we will always contend with on this side of heaven. But free from its eternal consequences. God granted each of us a pardon from eternal death row through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. E.M. that knows Christ has been given a new life.
What exactly this means is taken up by the Apostle Paul in our text for today.
OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
1. Its blessings
2. Its responsibilities
We’ll begin by working through the second half of our text first…
What are the blessings of new life in Christ? Paul says “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes
you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children.
The first and preeminent blessing of new life in Christ is the way in which we can identify ourselves. We are children of God. In other words, we have a family relationship with God.
But this wasn’t something we initiated. Paul mentions the work of God the Holy Spirit a number of times and reminds us of the part He plays in our lives. He is the One who brought us to understand both our need for a Savior from sin and God’s provision of that Savior in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the “Means of Grace” (the Gospel message in Word and Sacrament), the Holy Spirit brings Christians to the realization that the barrier of sin that separates us from God has been removed.
Practically speaking, this means we know God and love Him as our Heavenly Father.
Unfortunately, many don’t see God that way. Paul talks about a spirit that makes people slaves to fear when it comes to their understanding of God. That is both true and sad.
Perhaps you know people who don’t see God as a loving Father, but as some sort of celestial task-master waiting for people to mess up so he can zap them with lightning bolts. A figure to only be feared and appeased. Truthfully, anyone who is caught up in a performance-based religion (the idea that I have to earn God’s love through my actions) sees God this way. It must be awful hard to warm up to a God like that, don’t you think?
Others see God as an absentee Father. They may believe He exists, but they perceive Him as being distant and unresponsive, and have no relationship with Him.
We don’t have such problems. Paul impresses upon us the loving relationship we have with God and God has with us when he says that we can call Him “Abba, Father.” The word “Abba” is an Aramaic word (the common language of Jewish people at Paul’s time) for father which denotes affection. I recall a sainted seminary professor suggesting that the nearest English equivalent to “Abba” was “daddy;” the point again being the close relationship between God and us because of Jesus Christ.
That we can live, breathe and sleep with the knowledge that we are God’s dear children every second of our lives no matter what may happen in our lives is indeed a wonderful blessing of our new life in Christ. That we can relate to God in a context of love rather than fear is another wonderful blessing of our new life in Christ.
There is more. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we also may share in His glory.” The blessing mentioned here is the future glory we will inherit due to the fact that God is our Father. What He has, we will have. Where He is, we will one day be. We’re talking about heaven.
What’s heaven going to be like? I’m sure we all have our own ideas. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul
tells us that God at one time gave him a glimpse of heaven. He described the experience as being “caught
up to
In the Book of Revelation the Apostle John is also given a
glimpse of heaven. He, too, is limited
by words and consequently describes heaven as a place of immense beauty with
streets of gold and city walls made of every conceivable precious gem. More importantly, he describes heaven as a
place where God will dwell with His people in a face to face relationship and
where every bad thing on earth – pain and hardship and death – will be
noticeable by its absence. The hymnist
summarized it as well as any: “I know not, oh I know not, what joys await
us there; what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare.”
And here’s the best news yet. All this is ours as a blessing of our new life in Christ. Some of us may claim it this year yet. For others of us it may take decades. When heaven becomes our home only God knows. That heaven is our home, we know now. This is a singular blessing of new life in Christ. We know where we’re going.
However, the other point that Paul makes in our text is that
along with all these blessings also comes responsibility as God’s
children. This, too, is part of our new
life in Christ. “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not according
to the sinful nature, to live according to it.
For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because
those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God…”
Paul talks about being led by the Spirit of God. What does he mean by this? Earlier we talked about how the Holy Spirit brought us to faith through the “Means of Grace” – the Gospel message in Word and Sacrament. He strengthens us in our faith through the same Means of Grace.
What I mean is this:
As we spend time in the Word of God – through Bible reading and Bible
study – we become more spiritually knowledgeable – and the Spirit is leading.
As we come to the communion table where Christ assures us of
our forgiveness by giving us the very body and blood He offered in our behalf
on the cross of Calvary in, with, and under the bread and wine, we become
spiritually stronger – and the Spirit is leading.
Every time we spend time in Word and each time we partake of the Sacrament the Spirit is leading us into an ever-deepening appreciation of what God, through Christ, has done for us. And that is going to transfer over into our daily lives.
So, while it is true we have an “obligation” to live the Christian life and honor our Heavenly Father, it is a willing and unforced “obligation.” It is an obligation based on love and gratitude that comes naturally to those who understand the Gospel message.
Paul mentions one last thing in our text in reference to the “obligation” connected with our new life in Christ. Maybe you picked up on it when it was read a moment ago. It’s the obligation to share in Christ’s suffering.
To the Christians originally receiving this letter – and even to Christians living today in many parts of the world – this meant something far different than it does to us. These words of Paul were meant as encouragement to stay the course of faith at a time when allegiance to Jesus Christ was cause for persecution and even death. Paul wants the Roman Christians to know that just as suffering for us was part of the life of our Lord, so suffering for Him would likewise be a part of the life of His believers. Paul knew this from personal experience.
But Paul also clearly points out the bottom line on this subject when he says: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” When viewed from the perspective of eternity, today’s challenges seem light and momentary compared to the glory that will be.
We have spoken of this many times. Today our suffering for Christ may consist of an intense feeling of loneliness at times when we do the right thing while the world we live, work and play in has no qualms about disobeying God. Or the sting of betrayal when we see fellow Christians, whom we count on as our allies in the faith, fail to give the same witness for Christ we are striving to give. Or being looked at differently by those around us because first and foremost we live not for ourselves, but for the One who has given us new life in Christ.
Whatever the case may be, Paul’s words continue to be both true and comforting: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” In whatever form it may take, suffering for Christ will always be a part of our new life in Christ. But a part which we willingly accept – and even embrace – as we contemplate the suffering that Jesus underwent for us.
What is the message of our text? We have been rescued, delivered, and saved from eternal death. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been given a new lease on life – and a new life in Christ. Now we know God as our Father, and we look forward to life eternal. Until then, we willingly live our lives as the Children of God we are.
May God grant us daily knowledge of who and what and why we are. Amen.