Convinced: We Are God's Children

Paul is saying:

The Holy Spirit is giving him a deep desire to fight hard against sin.

The Holy Spirit is sitting him that he was a child of God.

The Holy Spirit is reminding him that our hope is not in this world but in Heaven.

Rom 8:12-25

1. If we are God's children, we have to get the IF right. v9; Eph 1:13-14. We only become God's children by salvation though placing your trust and faith in Jesus. Then we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Romans road: Rom 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10

2. If we are God's children, we will be fighting the fight against sin. v12-13; Col 3:5-10; Rom 6:1-2; Mt 5:29; Rom 8:14. The fight against sin is very serious, and if the Holy Spirit is in you, it will be serious to you.

How do you fight sin?

-Make a conscious decision.

-Don't underestimate your enemy

-Be honest about the areas you are weak

-win the battle of the mind

-surround yourself with like minded people

-Keep short accounts with God

3. If we are God's children, we will walk in confidence, not fear. v15; Mt 18:3: Rom 8:16. God doesn't want us to be in fear of whether our relationship with Him is okay. Because I'm a child of God, I can call Him Abba, Father, Daddy. The Holy Spirit prompts me to cry out to Him, He's my Daddy. 

4. If we are God's children, we will be more excited about heaven than earth. v17-18. Our view of God will shape what we think and do. There's a big difference in saying I believe these things, and living as if I believe these things. 2 Cor 11:23-28; Rom 8:19-25

Convinced: In the Spirit

This uncertainties of this world tend to get a higher place in our lives than the certainties of God. This needs to be flipped!

Rom 8:5-11 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.  9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

v5 Who we ARE determines how we live, are we of the Spirit or the flesh (sinful nature)? v9 I am of the Spirit, in Christ, and Christ is in me. 

What do we do now? Walk in the Spirit. Gal 5:13,16

1. Regularly remind yourself that your identity is in Christ. What we dwell on in our minds will shape the way we live our lives. Needs to be the Word of God. Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 2:20, 3:26; Rom 8:17

2. Regularly recognize you are in a battle. Gal 5:16-17a

3. Regularly refill with the Spirit. Eph 5:15-18. Don't procrastinate being refilled with the Spirit. Memorize scripture, Col 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. What we feed the most will grow the most in our lives.

Convinced: Grace

Convinced: to be completed certain, to be assured of something

How convinced am I of my life and relationship with God in these uncertain times?

Rom 8:1 therefore: I know what I'm not supposed to do, but I do them anyway, what a wretched man I am. BUT there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. 

Rom 8:2-4 There are 2 laws: OT law makes us aware of sin which leads to death, and NT law is grace which leads to life. We are separated from God because of our sin, but in a right relationship with God because of Jesus' death. Rom 6:14 we are under God's grace. We are IN Christ we need Him to be our LORD. 

1. Your identity is not found in your religious acts. It needs to be all about the Lord. Gal 2:16a

2. Your identity is not found in your performance. You in Christ vs You AND Christ. I don't have to do everything on my own, it's Jesus and I working together. He has the strength when I don't. Phil 1:6

3. Your identity is not found in your sin. Since I am in Jesus, I need to see myself as God sees me, through grace and Jesus' righteousness, but also with Christ inside of me. 

I am free to live my life imperfectly under the grace of God through Jesus, with Him as my Lord.