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- Romans Chapter 8 is the most Spirit -centric chapter in the whole Bible. The Holy Spirit is mentioned more here than anywhere else, 20 times as a matter of fact.
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- We are going to embark on a study of Romans Chapter 8 today when we understand the text. This is when we understand the text, a daily study of God's Word that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will.
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- Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. Hey, we're back at this. Thank you so much for letting me have last week off, which really wasn't a week off.
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- We had Passion Week at our church, is what we called it, evening services that went from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
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- It was a great time, but a lot of work committed to that, and so I couldn't do that and keep up with this program at the same time.
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- So thank you for letting me have the week to do that, and we're back in our study of Romans, starting with Chapter 8 today.
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- We're actually doing a study of Romans in our sermon series at church as well. We get back into it this coming Sunday in Chapter 12.
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- Eventually, this program is going to sync up with where we're at in our sermon series, which is what
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- I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get the two of them to sync together. But anyway, if you want to catch some of those sermons and also some of the sermons that we did for our
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- Passion Week, I know the Easter sermon is still online. Go to firstsouthernbaptistchurch .org.
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- Here's what I would like to do today. When we started a study of Romans 8, when we got there in our sermon series, what am
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- I elders? Chris Solano. He mentioned that he has a desire to want to memorize the entire chapter, wants to know it verse by verse, word for word memorization of Romans Chapter 8.
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- He gave us kind of an overview of the chapter, highlighted key passages, and then we read the entire chapter before devoting two or three months for the amount of time that we were studying in Romans Chapter 8.
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- So I would like to do that here, not take two or three months in Romans 8, but read the whole chapter.
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- An illustration that I've given before is that if Romans was a windmill, then
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- Chapter 8 would be the middle that the rest of the windmill is revolving around. All of the theology that we've looked at up to this point flows into Chapter 8.
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- And what we're going to go to from here flows out of Chapter 8.
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- So it's right in the middle of Paul's letter to the Romans. Romans, the
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- Holy Spirit is quite highlighted here in this particular chapter.
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- In fact, the Holy Spirit is mentioned 25 times in the entire letter to the Romans. 20 of those 25 mentions are in Chapter 8.
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- If you were going to do a systematic theology study of the Holy Spirit, this is one of those chapters that would have to fill up a great deal of that study.
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- In fact, the editors of the ESV Bible have titled this section, Life in the
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- Spirit. And that's what we read about right at the very beginning of the chapter. Let's go ahead and do the whole thing today.
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- We'll read all 39 verses, beginning at the start of Chapter 8, verse 1.
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- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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- For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
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- For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do by sending his own
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- 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
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- Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the
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- 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
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- 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.
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- Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the
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- 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.
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- But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
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- 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
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- Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
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- 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.
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- For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the
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- Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry,
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- Abba, Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
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- 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.
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- For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
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- For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
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- For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
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- For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
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- And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly, as we await, we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
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- For in this hope we were saved. Now, hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees?
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- But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
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- Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray as we ought, but the
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- Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
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- And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the
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- Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love
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- God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.
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- For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
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- Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called.
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- Those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.
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- What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
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- He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
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- Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?
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- Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
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- Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
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- As it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
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- No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
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- For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our
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- Lord. What a great chapter to be reading to right after Easter, amen. Our Lord God, we thank you so much for these words and the gift of your spirit.
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- By your spirit, we're able to understand the very words of God. So I pray that we meditate on these things as we go.
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- And in the coming days, as we kind of digest and pick apart some of the things that are being talked about here in Romans 8, it fills us up with a greater understanding of your spirit, the sacrifice of your son, and the wonderful benevolence that you show to us as your children, as our heavenly father.
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- Guide us and lead us in these things and help us rejoice in restored hope coming out of an
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- Easter weekend where we are remembering the sacrifice of Christ who died. And more than that, was raised so that we might have eternal life with our creator
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- God. By his stripes, we are healed. By the sacrifice of Christ, we are justified.
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- Embolden us with this message so we might take it to the world. In the name of Jesus, amen.
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- Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Find out more online at www .utt
