Sunday, May 04, 1997 In Your Absence:
In this week's lesson, which came from Romans 8:1-17, we saw that we are free from the Law, that we are free from sin's control over our life, that we are free from death, and that we can be free from fear. Each of these types of freedom are important, and each is beneficial. An Old Testament parallel to a life in sin can be seen in the nation of Israel as it existed in bondage to Egypt. Most of us have probably seen the movie, "The Ten Commandments", and even though Hollywood may not often produce much that can be considered high quality entertainment, that movie did at least give a realistic picture of Israel's servitude toward Egypt. In the same way that that whole nation had had to submit to their hard taskmaster, the person who is still under the condemnation of the Law is in servitude, as well, not to a nation like Egypt but to the power of sin, itself.
In looking at the last part of our lesson first, which was in verses 8-17, we saw that we can be free from death and fear. Does being free from death mean that we do not die? That is certainly what one might think, but is that really what the Apostle Paul was trying to say? The answer, in my opinion, is sort of yes but with an important qualification. Most people do not have a good biblical understanding of what it means to die, either to die physically or to die spiritually. We often hear and ponder things like the medical definition of death. We have probably been to more funerals than we would ever care to attend, plus we have probably looked into our fair share of coffins at those who have gone on before us. But is death really this kind of implied cessation of bodily activity? According to the Bible, it certainly is not! A more accurate way to view the process of dying is "to see ourselves and others as being separated." When the Bible speaks of us as being dead in our sins, it is teaching that we are "separated" because of our sins and that the One from Whom we are separated is our heavenly Father. In Christ Jesus and through His finished work on Calvary, we can have victory over that separation. Through Him and because of Him, we can be restored to fellowship with our heavenly Father, and then, we can "have confidence" that when we die, or are separated from the things of this world, that we will spend eternity with Him. The words "have confidence" in the previous sentence are another way of saying that we can be free from fear. Once we have placed our trust in the work of our Lord, we do not have to ever worry about Him turning His back on us. He will stick closer to us than a brother (see Proverbs 18:24b), and what a precious blessing that is for each of us! "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (I Corinthians 15:55).
Now that we have seen the victory over death and fear that can be ours because of Jesus, let us look at the other freedoms that we have, namely freedom from the Law and also freedom from the power of sin. When we were not in Jesus, we did not have freedom from death and fear. We also did not have freedom from the Law or over the power of sin. It is when a person sees him or herself as a sinner, recognizes Jesus as their Sacrifice and Savior, and then places their trust in His finished work on Calvary that these freedoms become real. Until then, one cannot have this victory or the freedoms which go along with it. When a person rejects what Christ has done, he or she remains guilty under the Law or in servitude,as it were. Therefore, do not resist when the Holy Spirit beckons to you! Come to Jesus and enjoy a peace and freedom that this world cannot comprehend or understand. Then, make it your goal to serve Him during this and each day of your life, and as always, be sure to tell others what the Lord has done for you.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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