Romans 8 No Condemnation

ROMANS 8B NO CONDEMNATION
ROMANS 8:1-4
Introduction:   
I am sure that you have heard the statement, Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. 
I am going to come up with a new statement.
Laws, laws everywhere and some are pretty dumb.
Have you ever thought about some of the interesting laws that are on the books in some parts of the country.
Here are a few from PA. 
It is contrary to Pennsylvania law to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding.

It it illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.

Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue.

A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.

You may not sing in the bathtub.

Fireworks stores may not sell fireworks to Pennsylvania residents.

A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.

Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass.

In Maine   Shotguns are required to be taken to church in the event of a Native American attack.
In Delaware  It is illegal to fly over any body of water, unless one is carrying sufficient supplies of food and drink.
We are going to talk about 3 different laws that are mentioned in Romans 8.
 One of which is helpless.
One of which is hurtful.
The other of which is very helpful and very important.
Romans 8 is a very beautiful and powerful passage of Scripture.
It has some more familiar verses in it.
Mention a few.
We are going to start with one of the more familiar ones this morning and let it be our building point.
Verse 1
No condemnation
We are going to begin with the because in verse 2 and explain the steps that bring about this no condemnation.
The three references to the law show us these steps.
In many ways this passage becomes a brief summary of what we have talked a lot about already in Romans.

I.    The law of sin and death
We could look at this as one law or as two.
The law of sin
The law of death
Or we could look at it as one law that results in death.
Either way the bottom line of this law is death.

A.    The law of sin
Sin entered into the picture with the fall of man.
Genesis 3
Sin has impacted every life since that time.
Sin has impacted our life.
Romans 3:23
Romans 5:12 tells us that sin entered into the world through one man.
That one man is Adam.
We talked more extensively on that earlier here in Romans on a Wednesday night.

B.    This law of sin brings about death.
Romans 5:12
“Death through sin.”
“Death came to all men.”
Romans 6:23 

C.    This law of sin and death is still very real today.
Sin still impacts many lives.
Death is still very real to all of us.
The natural death has not yet been done away with.
Spiritual death and eternal death has been overcome. ( We will continue to see and learn that.)

II.    The law was powerless

A.    The Mosaic, the OT law.
This is a discussion that we have had several time here in Romans.

B.    The law told us what was wrong, what to do and what not to do, but not how to fix it.
Paul adds here in verse 3 that the law was weakened by the flesh.
Because we are a part of Adam’s flesh and blood the law is weakened.
It was given by God through man.
However man’s weak flesh could not do as the law has directed.

C.    The letter kills
2 Corinthians 3:6  He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
We move to the law that brings it all together for us.

III.    The law of the spirit

A.    The key is Jesus Christ.
Through Christ Jesus….
God sending His own son.
John 3:16

B.    In the likeness of sinful flesh
Jesus became flesh and blood.
He was 100 percent human.
He was as human as you and I are.
He felt what we feel, was tempted as we are tempted, put his pants on one leg at a time.
Likeness refers to the fact that he was sinless.
The virgin birth, conceived of the Holy Spirit and not sinful man.
Lived a completely sinless life.    “Tempted in all points as we yet He did not sin.”
Paul refers to Him as the 2nd Adam.
It is in him that we all are made to live.

C.    to be a sin offering
He who knew no sin became sin for us.
Hebrews 2:14-17   14. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15. and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
He was our atonement.
He paid a debt He didn’t owe, I owed a debt that I could not pay….
He took our sins and nailed them to the cross.

D.    Placing in our hands the law of the Spirit that gives life.
Living a life led by the Spirit.
Letting the Spirit be in control. 
The Spirit gives life.
Live by the Spirit and you will live.
Live apart from the Spirit and you will die.

Conclusion:   
I am thankful for the day that I realized that the life that I was living under the law was powerless to save me and that I was encouraged to rely on the law of the Spirit brought to me by Christ Jesus leaving the law of sin and death behind and living.
Are you in Christ Jesus? 
If not you are under condemnation.
You are locked into the law of sin and death.
We all need to be locked into the Spirit brought to us through Christ Jesus.
If you are not make that connection today.
We are going to celebrate communion today and in so doing we celebrate the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ enabling us to live by the law of the Spirit and live.