Let Freedom Reign

I read the Word of God from Romans chapter 8, three different selections from this passage. Verses 1 through 4, and then 12 through 18, and 31 through 39.

There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Verse 12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Verse 31, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Shall God that justifieth? Who is he that condemneth? Shall Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us? What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long.

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And because of this we are more than conquerors through him. When you mention the word freedom, different pictures go through the minds of different people. Mention the word freedom, and a veteran might think of a foxhole or a bombing mission or seeing the Statue of Liberty when coming back home.

Mention the word freedom, and a mother might think of that day when she hung a flag in the front window of the house to let people know that a boy had gone off to war. You mention the word freedom, and a college student might think of a visit to Washington D.C. and seeing the Declaration of Independence. A high school student might think of seeing the Lincoln Memorial.

But to the Christian, the word freedom goes much deeper. We do thank the Lord for the political freedom that we have. We are grateful for freedom of assembly and freedom of worship.

But much deeper than that is the spiritual freedom that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord. He himself said, If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I recall standing in the archives and looking at those great documents that helped to guarantee our freedom.

I remember as a high school student having to memorize a part of some of the great statements of liberty that we have. I remember driving past the field out in England, Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed as one of the first great steps toward freedom. But greater than the Declaration of Independence, and greater than the Magna Carta, and greater even than our Constitution, is the eighth chapter of the book of Romans.

Because Romans chapter 8 is the Declaration of Independence for the Christian. And beginning today and continuing, the Lord willing, for the next six weeks, we're going to be examining our Declaration of Independence, Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 is the greatest chapter in the greatest letter, Romans, that was ever written by the greatest missionary and perhaps the greatest Christian who ever lived, the great Apostle Paul. Today I'd like to survey the entire chapter.

And as you read Romans chapter 8, you discover he's writing to Christian people. This Declaration of Independence, spiritually, does not apply to everybody. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, this Declaration of Independence is not yours.

I'm sorry. You're in the same situation as an alien in a foreign country. No matter what privileges and rights may be given to the citizens of that country, if you're not a citizen, you can't claim them.

You can only claim the rights of your citizenship. Well, our citizenship is in heaven. Our Father is in heaven.

Our names are written in heaven. Our Savior is in heaven. Our home is in heaven.

And we enjoy a heavenly life on earth through Jesus Christ. And according to Romans chapter 8, if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can enjoy four very wonderful freedoms. Now what are they? Well, verses 1 through 4, freedom from judgment.

There is therefore now no condemnation. There is therefore now no judgment to them who are in Christ Jesus. And so right next to verses 1 through 4, you can write no condemnation.

Freedom from judgment. Verses 5 through 17, freedom from defeat. Here he talks about the inner nature of the Christian, the battle that we have down inside.

And he says in verse 12, therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh. So next to Romans 8, 5 through 17, you can write no obligation, no condemnation, freedom from judgment, no obligation, freedom from defeat. It is not necessary for the Christian to live in sin.

That's verses 5 through 17. Verses 18 through 30, he deals with the subject of suffering and the problems that are in this world, a world in travail. And so next to verses 18 through 30, you can write freedom from discouragement, no frustration.

We know what God is doing, and we know that all things are working together for good to them that love the Lord. Here then are three very wonderful victories, and here's a fourth. There is no condemnation, freedom from judgment.

There is no obligation, freedom from defeat. There is no frustration, freedom from discouragement. And there is no separation, freedom from fear.

Verses 31 through 39, he talks about the future. And he says no matter where you look into the future, don't be afraid. There is no separation between the heart of God and the heart of His people.

He loves us. He loved us. And He always shall love us.

It'll be our privilege, the Lord willing, these next several weeks now to examine these four very marvelous freedoms. But today, let's just survey the chapter quickly and get the lay of the land. It will mean much more to us in the weeks to come.

First freedom, verses 1 through 4, freedom from judgment. You see, the problem here is found in that little word, law. Verse 2, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

When you read the book of Romans, you discover in chapters 1, 2, and 3, you're in a courtroom. Paul summons us into a courtroom, and he calls the first defendant, the pagan, rebellious sinner, chapter 1. And he comes to the conclusion, guilty. Chapter 2, he calls the self-righteous sinner, and he examines him, guilty.

Chapter 3, he calls the religious sinner, guilty. When you come to the end of chapter 3, the conclusion is reached by God, therefore the whole world is guilty before God. You and I enjoy measuring ourselves by ourselves.

We're better than our neighbors. We're better than the people who live down the street. We're better than members of Moody Church.

And so as we measure ourselves by ourselves and by other people, we're pretty good. But in the book of Romans, God measures us by his righteous law, and he says of every one of us, guilty. What do I need? I need righteousness.

And in verses 1 through 4, he says, this righteousness is made available to you through Jesus Christ. The picture here is of the Lord Jesus Christ coming and dying for my sin. You see, in order for God to free me from judgment, in order for God to be able to look at me and say, not guilty, two things have to happen.

Number one, he's got to do something about my sin. As I look back and see the record of my sin, I have to say, dear Lord, I am guilty. I am under judgment.

Something has to be done about my sin. What did he do? He sent his Son, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. He did not have sinful flesh.

He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. He came as a man. And he went to the cross and bore my sin and your sin.

And so God took care of that. But that's not enough. If God just forgives my sin, the next time I sin, I'm lost again.

He has to do one more thing. He has to give to me a righteousness that will never fail. And that he does through Jesus Christ.

When you trust the Lord as your Savior, your sin is washed away, and he grants to you the gift of his righteousness. And he says, no condemnation, no judgment, don't worry about it. You are freed from guilt.

You know, friends, it's a marvelous thing to be able to go through life and not feel guilty. It's a wonderful thing to have the conscience washed clean, the record washed clean, and his righteousness placed on that record. Now dare to believe verses 1 through 4, freedom number one, freedom from judgment.

And my friend, if today you don't know that freedom, you cannot honestly say, I'm not worried about judgment because I'm in Jesus Christ, then you'd better trust him. He that heareth my word, said Jesus, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life. Here's freedom number one, a glorious freedom, freedom from judgment, no condemnation.

The answer, the righteousness of God. Not unless there should be somebody here today who says, Pastor Wiersbe, I think my own righteousness will get me in, may I in a kindly way warn you that your own righteousness will not get you in. Isaiah, the prophet, tells us that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in his sight, and dear friend, if our righteousnesses are filthy, what must our sins look like in his sight? For the Christian, there is no condemnation.

We have received his righteousness. We're free from guilt and from judgment. Now verses 5 through 17, he moves into the second freedom, freedom from defeat.

You see, after we are saved, we fight a battle. A friend said to me this morning, I've been saved recently, and I've been fighting that battle down inside. The devil's been after me.

And I said, that's a good sign. Because when you trust Christ as your Savior and receive the Holy Spirit of God down inside, that old nature, which the Bible calls the flesh, fights against that new nature, and you've got a battle on your hands. God doesn't just save us and leave us to limp along and get to heaven the very best way we can.

He's going to take us to heaven. But he'd much rather, in the meanwhile, take heaven to us. We don't have to wait until we go to heaven to enjoy victory.

We can enjoy victory right now. Paul is telling us in verses 5 through 17, there is no obligation. None of us is obligated to live for the flesh.

None of us can ever look up to God and say, but God, I'm made this way. I can't help it. God says, oh, I've made provision for you.

Just as I made provision for you in giving you my righteousness, I've made provision for you in giving you my Holy Spirit. You see, the answer to this problem of living in victory is the Holy Spirit of God. In verses 5 through 17, the Holy Spirit is mentioned 12 times.

And as you read these verses, you find out that we have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has two very wonderful ministries that he performs. Number one, he helps us not to do bad things. He tells us this down here.

The Holy Spirit of God can give to us the power not to do bad things. Verse 13, if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. Now my friend, that applies to believers as well as unbelievers.

Samson lived after the flesh. He died. Saul lived after the flesh.

He died. The Corinthian believers lived after the flesh, and Paul said, for this cause they have died. There is a sin unto death.

When the Christian prefers to live for the flesh instead of for the Spirit, there's death. He kills his testimony. He kills his power.

He kills his service, and he might even kill his body. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit do mortify, put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

So the Holy Spirit of God can help us not to do bad things. That's what Paul means in Galatians 2.20 when he says, I am crucified with Christ. He explains this more in Romans chapter 6 where he says, you know, when you were baptized, it was a picture of what the Lord did for you.

When you were baptized, it was death, burial, and resurrection. When you were saved, it's death, burial, and resurrection. The old life was buried.

You were raised to walk in newness of life. Now, reckon yourself to be dead. When temptation comes from the flesh to do something bad, turn to the Holy Spirit and say, Spirit of God, put that to death.

You are the Spirit of death. And the Holy Spirit of God applies the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to our lives. Now, not only does the Holy Spirit of God help us not to do bad things, but he helps us to do good things.

He is not only the Spirit of death in verse 13, but he is the Spirit of life. He's called the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It's not enough to go through life not doing bad things.

Some Christians are only known for what they don't do. I don't smoke, and I don't drink, and I don't go here, and I don't go there. And I'm glad people don't go here and don't go there, and I'm glad when they take care of their bodies.

So is the Holy Spirit who lives down inside. A man came to Mr. Moody one day and said, Mr. Moody, do you know of any verse in the Bible against smoking? In his own sweet way, Mr. Moody said, No, but I know of one in favor of it. He said, You do? He said, Yes.

It says in the book of Revelation, Him that is filthy, let him be filthy still. It convicted the man. But you know, a person can stop his smoking, and stop his drinking, and stop his gambling and still not do good things.

I can take you to places here in Chicago where nobody smokes, or gambles, or drinks, or gossips. They're all dead. They're six feet under.

You see, my friend, it's not enough for me to come to church and say, Oh God, I'm glad you ought to be that I am here. I don't do things other people do. He looks at me and says, I'm glad you don't, but now what about the things you do do? Are you worth anything? The Holy Spirit of God not only keeps me from doing bad things, but He's the Spirit of life who enables us to do good things, to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

In my limited ministry of about a quarter of a century, I've noticed that many people who are proud of the fact that they don't do some things are so hard to get along with. They've taken care of the weeds in their lives, but they haven't yet produced the fruit of the Spirit that makes them so much easier to get along with. Well, the Holy Spirit of God is the one who enables us to live above defeat.

No obligation. We do not have to live for the flesh. We have the Holy Spirit of God given to us, and He enables us not to do bad things, and He enables us to do the good things.

That's verses 5-17. Freedom from defeat. Now in verses 18-30, Paul deals with a third freedom.

Freedom from judgment. No condemnation. The righteousness of God.

Freedom from defeat. No obligation. The Spirit of God.

Freedom from discouragement. 18-30. No frustration.

Why? The glory of God. The whole emphasis here is on the glory of God. Look at verse 18.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Paul admits that this world is in a mess—earthquakes and famines and pestilences and wars and class struggles and fights and thievery and murder.

And even apart from these immoral things—sickness and suffering and death and little babies born deformed and young people taken out of this life when they're just getting started—and the atheists and the agnostic look at all the sufferings of this world and say, there cannot be a God. Ah, but the Christian looks at all the suffering in this world and he says, I know there is a God. God didn't make the world like this.

God made the world perfect. Sin has come into this world, and sin has put this world into bondage, and now the creation is under bondage, but the creation is in travail. Now when a woman is in travail, she's going to give birth to something, and the pain of the travail leads to the joy of the birth.

And Paul said all of history is in travail, all of creation is in travail, and one day will give birth—not in an evolutionary sense, but in a revolutionary sense—will give birth to God's kingdom on this earth. Jesus shall return, and when He returns, He will establish His kingdom, and we're going to share in His glory. The older we get, the more we understand the groaning that He talks about in this section.

In verse 22, creation is groaning. In verse 23, we are groaning. My friend, have you ever groaned in your body? Oh, many of you, I know, when you come to the Moody Church, you come with bodies that are filled with pain, and you say, oh dear God, how long? You groan in your body.

If not against the pain of the body, we groan because of this old nature of ours that keeps us from being all we'd like to be. I've not yet preached the perfect sermon. You know that better than anybody.

I've not yet made the perfect house call. We've not yet sung the perfect song. We've not yet done the perfect deed.

And oh, we groan and say, dear God, we want to be better. How much longer will we be shackled? And He says, just wait. All things are working together for good, and one of these days I'm going to return and you'll share in my glory.

I should think unsaved people would be terribly frustrated. If I were an unbeliever and did not know Jesus Christ, I would be terribly frustrated because everything around us is falling apart. You can't depend on anything.

But oh, those of us who are Christians, there's no frustration because we know that all things are working together for good. We know where history came from. We know where it is.

We know where it's going. We know He is coming. We have in ourselves the down payment of the Holy Spirit, and we know that one day we're going to share in His glory.

And that's why Paul says, the sufferings of this present time aren't worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Which leads us finally to the fourth freedom that Paul discusses. He comes to the climax of this tremendous chapter, verses 31 through 39.

Freedom from fear. I meet people all over who are afraid. They're afraid of the future.

They're afraid of demons, or they're afraid of people, or they're afraid of circumstances. Paul comes to the climax of this chapter and he says, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? And God is for us. God's not against us.

People look around at the circumstances of life and they say, God, you've forgotten me. God, why are you against me? God says, I'm not against you, I'm for you. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? You see, in our first freedom, freedom from judgment, it's the righteousness of God.

In our second freedom, freedom from defeat, it's the Spirit of God. In our third freedom, freedom from discouragement, it's the glory of God. But in our fourth freedom, freedom from fear, fear of the future.

The answer is the love of God. You see, when a child knows that father and mother love him, he doesn't worry about the future. When a wife knows her husband loves her, she doesn't worry about the future.

And when the child of God can look into the face of God and say, Father, no matter what happens, sickness, distress, difficulty, none of these things can separate me from your love. And Father, I'm going to walk into the future unafraid because you love me. You love me too much to harm me, and you're too wise to make a mistake.

What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Paul invented that word, super conquerors. For I am persuaded that neither death, that's the greatest enemy you'll face in the future, death.

Death is the last enemy, and Paul puts it first, death. Don't worry about death. Your death or the death of a loved one, death.

Nor life, nor angels, nor principalities or powers, the devil, nor things present nor things to come. How many people here today are fearful of things to come? Someone has well said that most people are crucified between two thieves, fretting over the past and worrying about the future. Nor height, nothing can come from above.

Nor depth, nothing can come from beneath. And lest he forget something, Paul says, nor any other thing in all of creation, nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a tremendous thing.

Paul begins with no condemnation. That's my past. No obligation, no frustration, that's my present.

No separation, that's my future. He gives me the righteousness of God. He gives me the Spirit of God.

He gives me the glory of God. He gives me the love of God. You see, you and I are perfectly adequate through Jesus Christ to face life.

If I look back and I'm worried about judgment, He's given me His righteousness. If I look within and I'm worried about the old nature, He's given me the Holy Spirit. If I look around and I'm worried about circumstances, He's given me His glory.

If I look ahead and I'm worried about the future, He has given me His love. God has made provision for us. We're free from judgment and free from defeat and free from discouragement and free from fear.

And you know who did all this for us? Jesus Christ. Never forget this. Your liberty as a citizen of this country was purchased by the blood of people who died.

And your liberty as a Christian was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. You see, judgment, He died for me. Defeat, He lives in me.

Discouragement, He comes for me. Fear, He intercedes for me. This is what He tells me here.

Jesus Christ is now pouring out His love and the Father's love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Romans 5.5, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that He gave to us. I think it would be good for each of us to reread our spiritual declaration of independence and walk into each new day and say, there's no condemnation.

He died for me. I have His righteousness. There's no obligation.

He lives in me. I have His Spirit. There's no frustration.

He's coming for me. I already have His glory. There's no separation.

He's interceding for me, and I'm experiencing His love in my heart. If each of us would enjoy these four freedoms, we would enjoy life a lot more. I think people would enjoy living with us and working with us a lot more.

It's no wonder that the Apostle Paul cries out and says, If God be for us, who can be against us? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Oh, my friend, if you've never been saved, enter into this freedom through Jesus Christ. If you have been saved, by faith lay hold of it and enjoy it for His glory.

Now, our Father in Heaven, we pray in Jesus' name that You will forgive us for living like slaves when Jesus purchased us to be free-born children. Lord, forgive us for being enslaved to guilt. When there is no condemnation, oh, Father, to think that we stand righteous in Jesus Christ, to be condemned, accused at Your law, never.

Oh, how marvelous, how marvelous. Thank You for the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can have freedom from defeat. Oh, we pray, Lord, this coming week help us to walk in victory.

Through His victory, may we mind the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh. Thank You that we don't have to be frustrated by circumstances. Thank You that You've put Your glory within us.

Whom He justified them, He also glorified. Thank You that all of creation is just waiting for that day when our glory shall be revealed in Christ. Amen.

What a blessing. Oh, Father, we just rejoice today that nothing shall separate us from Your love. Oh, we're grateful that we can walk into the future unafraid.

Thank You for this marvelous freedom from fear because of Your love. Perfect love casteth out fear. Lord, we're mindful of many who, instead of having freedom, are in bondage—bondage to guilt, bondage to failure, bondage to frustration, bondage to fear of the future.

Oh, may they trust Christ and believe and experience liberty. Father, we would just simply say thank You for setting us free. Thank You for giving us this Declaration of Independence. Thank You so much. In Jesus' name, amen.