Debtors? No and Yes 120610

Romans 8:12-13, "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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."

For much of man's history, debt, that could not be paid, could lead to imprisonment or even death! Paul is speaking to us from a world where that was true. Remember the story that Jesus told? It is found in Matthew, chapter 18. A man owed his master a vast amount of money. His master ordered him to be sold with his wife and children along with all that he had. He begged for forgiveness and was forgiven. That man went on to demand payment from a fellow servant and was unforgiving in his heart toward his fellow servant. The master then put him in prison until he could pay his debt! Well, in a way we owe a debt we cannot pay. Yet it was paid for us! Jesus came to set us free. So do we now owe a debt? No, at least not to the flesh, but we do owe a debt of obligation.

We are really big on being saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God. That's found in Ephesians 2:8-9. Yet we seem to forget that powerful statement in verse ten. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." I think it's wonderful that God prepared, before we were saved, work for us to do — a path for us to walk in. I know sometimes we feel like we're all on our own. We feel as though we have a job to do but were given no details and directions as to how to do it. That feeling is wrong — we have a lot of instruction and a lot of details that we need to follow. The instruction and the details are found in the Bible. We should be familiar with that book so that we can follow instructions. And yes we are debtors. We are debtors to grace and we are children of the King and as such we have lots of "family responsibilities". Instead, we seem to accept the ingrained responsibilities to the flesh that we are declared to be dead to.

Our debt is not to the flesh.

We are born of the flesh. Turn to, John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" Jesus, of course, was talking to Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews, a teacher of Israel. This is a man who knew the Scriptures. In a similar manner, Jesus confronted another group of religious leaders, and said to them, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," (John 5:39) You see, you can know the Scriptures and even search the Scriptures and still miss the point. As long as we walk in the flesh we will fail again and again. Later, Jesus said, "… the flesh is no help at all." (John 6:63) It is possible to know a lot about Scripture and little about the God who is presented in that great book. We have a problem, and that problem is that we were born of the flesh and need to be born of the spirit. Even after we were born of the spirit we fall back into our old habits. Sometimes we refer to the "comfort zone" of a person. That is what we are very familiar with but it's not necessarily good. In fact, if our "comfort zone" is not controlled by the Lord Jesus Christ, guided by His Spirit, it's for sure that it's not right.

We spent our lives developing our flesh. Look at Philippians 3:4 and read through verse 9, "I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ,"

Saul had spent his life developing a biblically-based lifestyle in his own strength and ability. When most of us talk about our old ways we're talking about some pretty bad stuff! But not Saul of Tarsus! He could begin with his birth and show that he had met all the standards of his age and race. Then, on the road to Damascus, he met Jesus and that really messed up his worldview. You can read about it in Acts chapter 9. Saul of Tarsus died that day because he had been crucified with Christ. He was buried with Christ and raised up with him to walk a new life. At some point he realized how much it changed him and he even changed his name from Saul, the Pharisee and persecutor the church, to Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ. In his religious world he had been the cream of the crop. At the same time he was the "chief of sinners". Let me explain that. In writing to Timothy Paul stated that he was the star sinner. He wasn't talking about his ongoing condition he was talking about his past record. Before he was born again he set a record that no one else had met. Like a star athlete in high school whose record is posted on the gym wall Paul could look back to the time when he had been the "star" among sinners. A Christian is declared repeatedly in the New Testament to be a saint. The Christian is not a sinner saved by grace, he or she is a saint who sins. If we'll keep our terminology right we can keep focused on our true identity.

Others of us had a much poorer version of the flesh reflected in Paul's words in Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Don't despair when you read that list and remember your past or your present thoughts and temptations. Paul is not talking about some kind of works salvation. "Those who do such things" represents a pattern of life that is consistent not temptations that are stumbled into. Remember the words of our text and I paraphrase, "We are not a debtor to the flesh". Remember also, "The law of the spirit of life has set us free, in Christ Jesus, from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2) We have spent a long time developing our flesh patterns. In fact…

Having spent our life developing our flesh it remains with us. Years after his salvation Paul still agonized over what he had been and how it still clung to his body. Read with me Romans 7:24, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" This passage is often used to show how hopeless our life is but it shouldn't be used for that purpose of all. A quick scan of Romans 7 show us that the word "sin" often refers to an evil power that the Christian struggles against. There is real hope in the fact that we struggle against this evil force. Those who walk according to the flesh don't struggle against it they just try to make it socially acceptable. Also it's not that we have two natures as some would teach. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior they become a new creature and have a new nature. Literally, in the eyes of God, a Christian dies to their old life and begins a new one at salvation. However, at the same time the flesh patterns developed throughout their life, and often reinforced even in their Christian life, provides a place (probably in our brain) where this evil force can move in alongside and mess us up. The habits of the old life are left with us. We don't have to rehearse them just because they come into our mind. We don't have to live under obligation to the old way of living. Remember, we have been set free from the law of sin and death.

We are not under obligation to live according the flesh.

We do struggle against the power of sin. Turn with me to: Galatians 5:17, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." The fact that you want to do the right thing proves that you have spiritual life given from God. One sure sign of Christian conversion is the change in the conscience. What before was simply a "personality trait" or, "that's just the way I am", changes to a sense of guilt and a sense of wrongdoing. But we struggle on, often using our old habits and walking in the flesh, even though we have been set free from it. We do improve in the world's eyes but as long as we are operating in our own flesh we cannot be pleasing to God. The spirit that's been placed in us has a jealous desire to shape us more completely into the image of Christ. That will happen but it will be slow as long as we continue to follow our old habits and ways.

Satan uses the habits of the past. Read with me Romans 7:9-11, "I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." Paul's old flesh patterns were stirred up by the commandment not to covet, and the more he struggled the more he coveted. Sin deceived him by coming in alongside the commandment and showed him how hopeless it was to fight in his own strength against the power of sin. It killed him spiritually. In the sermon on the Mount Jesus talked about sin being in the mind before the action. To hate one's brother was the seed of murder. To look and lust is the seed of adultery. The more we struggle to overcome the evil the more in bondage we are. If you ever heard the stories of Uncle Remus, you will remember the story of the Tar Baby. Br'er Rabbit was always being chased by the Fox but never caught. One day Br'er Fox had a great idea. He would fashion a doll out of a lump of tar and he would dress it up like a little boy and put it by the road. When Br'er Rabbit approached, since he was very good mannered, he spoke to the tar baby but he got no response. He was offended by this lack of manners so he punched the tar baby and found himself stuck. The more he struggled the "stuckter" he got. Now, Br'er Fox had captured Br'er Rabbit! Immediately Br'er Rabbit begged not to be thrown into the briar patch. He told the Fox to do anything he wanted to do with him but not to throw him into the briar patch. Of course, that's exactly what the Fox did and Br'er Rabbit was able to run away. Well, fighting the flesh with the habits of the past is like fighting the tar baby. The more we struggle the more we are in bondage. We need to remember who we really are and what has really happened to us. Our true biblical identity is what we need to live up to. As we struggle with the flesh we need to remember that…

Christ has set us free. Turn with me to, Romans 7:25a, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" In Romans seven Paul clearly states again and again that his desires have been changed and he has to struggle against "Sin" that lived in his body! His desire was to do right, to do good. He said he delighted in the law of God in his inner being but the law of sin that lived in his body waged war against his choices. So that he asked the question, "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" And immediately answers it with, "thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We cannot free ourselves. If we could then God is very unjust and we know that's not true. If man can save himself them Jesus' prayer in the garden would've been answered with by legions of angels who would have delivered him. You remember he prayed "Let this cup pass from me". But he went on to say that he only wanted the will of the Father. Only Jesus' death on the cross would satisfy the righteous anger of God at the sin of mankind. The debt had to be paid. Remember, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and wages of sin is death. But thanks be to God, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! So that, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10) and the result is that…

We are a debtor to grace. 

By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is our only hope.

We need to put to death the old way. Turn with me to, Colossians 3:5-6, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming" This concept is taught many different ways in the New Testament. In Ephesians 4:22 Paul says we are to put off the old man. The ESV and many other modern translations uses "self" rather than "man". That is a poor translation. The "old man" is the Adamic nature we are all born with. We need to consciously put that off. To the Colossians Paul said we are to put off the "body of flesh" by the circumcision of Christ. And again, he told the Colossians, "seeing that you have put off the old man with its practices." We should apply ourselves to the process of putting aside the old. It is identified only with our old life before we met Christ. We may have set some real flesh records in the past but they are just garbage compared to knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection. Jesus used the term "born again" to identify the relationship we have with God. John wrote about it in his gospel at the very beginning…

We have a new identity set by birth. Turn with me to, John 1:12-13, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Born of God! What a wonderful phrase that is! We once were part of a family known for its rebellion against God. We were born into a family of sinners. Upon our confession of faith in him we are born again into a family of Saints. Saints that sin for sure but Saints nonetheless. We need to research our new identity by studying the word of God. We need to practice our new "family values". Many times in my childhood I remember hearing my mother or father say to me, "We don't do that (whatever it was I wanted to do) in this family." Or, "They may do that in your friend's family but we don't do it in ours." Being a Bray was a very serious business and how we acted was an important part of it. I thank God for that upbringing. But mostly I thank God that my parents came to know Christ and made sure that we kids were exposed to the gospel every week. One of our "family values" was seen on Sunday morning. We went to church and I never remember a time when I would've questioned that. If I had asked, "Are we going to church?" The answer probably would've been, "Is it Sunday?"

Since we have a new identity we need to live like who we are. Turn with me to, Ephesians 5:8-10, "at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." You are not a sorry sinner just doing what comes naturally. It’s important that you understand this. What you believe about your identity is going to make a huge difference because you will “life out” whatever you believe is your true self, your true identity. We are the holy sons of God in Christ Jesus. We don't get holier, more accepted, more justified, or more forgiven. We are to simply experientially “life out” who and what we already are. We are a holy people. Now let's get on with living like who we are.

This passage, Romans 8:12 & 13, sets forth very clearly who we are and how we need to respond to the world around us. If you get nothing else out of this message, I hope you get the statement, clearly stated in the Bible, that we are not in debt to the flesh. When we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead we are: saved, born again, crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, seated with him in heaven, a Temple of the Holy Spirit, a new creature, a child of God… etc, etc.. In short, we now have a new identity but we still have all the old habits and memories and wrong thoughts and decisions ingrained in our lives. We do have a responsibility — a debt — to fulfill if we are to live the Christian life the way it was intended by God. We cannot earn our salvation but we can, should, must, live lives that honor our new identity. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do the works that he has prepared us to do. 

All Scripture quotes are from The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.