In the Bible Christian Ministry
Sunday 7-6-25 (More than Conquerors, Part 2)
- What does it mean to be a ConquerorOur based scripture.This is a key scripture:if you hurting ; If you happyIf you got questions READ THIS!!!
Romans 8:31–39 NIV 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament God’s Everlasting Love (8:31–39)8:32
Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament God’s Everlasting Love (8:31–39)8:33–34
Last week we spoke on:What it means to be a ConquerorHaving freedom to vs. freedom fromfreedom to do something feels good but are we really free from itFocus today: How?We know what to do. But How?One day you kind of wake up and say this way of life is not good for me.You make the decision.But even that same day you find yourself back in that lifestyleHow do you correct this?Flesh vs. SpiritSo I know what to do, but how do I do it?Galatians 5:24–25 NIV 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.We did a lesson earlier this year on Keeping in Step...understanding the power of the Holy Spirit.Believers are to take their old sin nature and, figuratively speaking, nail it to the cross. We crucify the flesh through repentance of sin—by turning our backs on the old way of life, by saying no to selfish and sinful passions, and by utterly renouncing the flesh:So I make a decision. I turn away from this flesh and I allow God to guide me and lead me. And that’s it.When my friends put peer pressure on me. I can now easily say noWhen I’m faced with decisions that are not Christ-like I can easily say noRomans 7:14–25 NIV 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.Paul has been describing his inability to keep the law of Moses, to consistently obey all of God's Old Testament commands to Israel. Now he uses the word "law" to describe not the law of Moses but a universal principle of human behavior:These statements of defeat do not sound like the person who says in Romans 8:2, “The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”I got it.We think of fleshly desires as SIN. And this causes us to pick these things that the world does that we say and know are bad and don’t do those.SexDrugsLate NightThings that the majority will see as wrong and you would be embarrassed to say depending on the company....If only it were that easy… There is a Moral dilemmaWallet with $600 in it$600 outside a gas station no identificationProfessor passing out test and accidentally hands you the answer keyYou get home from the grocery store and see that you have a pack of gum that was put in your bag by the cashier accidentally;what if they put in a $95 steak in your bag accidentallywhat if it was the money bag of from the registerFor many of us there is a threshold. It’s not just if this happens then I do this. It depends on many factors and what’s the right answer.But those are tough decisions what about other things- relationships.You will still make mistakesRaising your kids I’m sure you’ll say something out of anger that could have been said differentlySpouse - you were hurt so you said something hurtfulFriends told someone something that you should have kept to yourselfAll these are decisionsBut is it a sin? I need to know if this is a sin or not.Who cares —When you see that was the odd world they were living under the law. No one could really know if they broke the law or not… and the Pharisees cleared it up… but it got harder and harder.Jesus couldn’t even heal a person on the Sabbath without it being called WORKSee the flesh will always want to benefit itself. And the sin isn’t necessarily something youWe have to stop worrying about what’s a sin or not and think about What is going to benefit you in your walk with God and sin will never benefit you. NEVER— there is always a cost.Decisions are tough:::I don’t know on one hand I can say well anytime something happens that not the best it’s on you to make it right that’s being a good Christian. But how much stress does that add to life.On the other I can say well whatever you feel is best, but that doesn’t help always either.It’s just stressful.These decisions are what makes this life hard to know if you are doing the right thing.I’ll tell you this.Rather than waste your time being stressed over ALWAYS making the right decision, make the decision right.Meaning make the decision the right way.Don’t just go off of how you feel at the time or what you think.Go off of what you know and pray if needed (because sometimes you already know) and use the process God provides you with to make the right call.Guess what you are still going to make the wrong decision sometimes.That is what Paul is struggling with. No matter how hard I try.My feelingsMy thoughtsMy humanityis going to mess me up sometimes.So I realize I can’t do this and be perfect.Remember the law we spoke about last week. No way they could keep. Pharisees were always pushing the envelope so even when you thought you had it… you didn’t have it.But after all that Paul said about his struggles...And he goes right into Romans 8...Romans 8:1–3 NIV 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,The law is weakened by FLESH. Can’t do it.Conquering DecisionsRememberPhilippians 2:13 NIV 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.Got to be BetterWe try to make ourselves better.If I reach this milestoneIf I clean this part of my life upIf I … then I can be GOOD.4 We are not transformed by rising to the occasion. We rise to the occasion because we have been transformed. How are we transformed? By the renewing of our mind. By convincing our heart that God is good, even when our circumstances are not. Donna Partow This Isn’t the Life I Signed Up For (2003)Donna PartowRomans 12:2 NIV 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.We are not converted by trying hardWe are not transformed by being perfectWe are not transformed by our accomplishmentsWe are not transformed by our positionWe are transformed by our connection—our connection to God and allowing the transformation of our mind.Not to be focused on what is right what is wrong,Not to be focused on ...But focused on God and what is going to be best in this relationship.ConquerorMore than a conqueror means you have conquered our inner world so you can be effective in your outer worldYou have to conqueror what only you can see and that will allow you to then focus on what others see.We can tell others all day how good we are doingTIRED of living for the outside world.They can praise us and thank us...only for when we are alone for everything to fall apart because we have not control over ourselvesPaul said crucify your flesh—not othersTransform your mind — not othersYou don’t have to change what people think—you need to change how you think Romans 8:31–39NIV2011
Galatians 5:24–25NIV2011
Romans 7:14–25NIV2011
Romans 8:1–3NIV2011
Philippians 2:13NIV2011
Romans 12:2NIV2011