His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Here is the biblical encouragement ahead of us today on *His Perfect Love*.

Matt VanderVen: So when he says there, there is no condemnation, what he's talking about is we've gotten to this point where we can realize that when we desire and we want to walk in the Spirit of God, that when we blow it or we have those setbacks, he's saying, "Hey man, don't condemn yourself. Don't sit back and keep dwelling on that sin and saying, 'Man, I'm no good. I can't do anything.'"

Next thing you know, you're a victim instead of a victor. You're not living out the victory in Christ. And so what happens? You become defeated. You don't even want to step out of your house. You don't want to get out of bed because you're just depressed, overwhelmed. Jesus says, "No, there's no time for that. There's work to be done for the kingdom."

Guest (Male): Listening friend, are you living under the weight of condemnation? Maybe you're feeling a certain heaviness as you think back on all of your failures in life, or you're experiencing the burden of trying to please God by your own efforts.

That's where a lot of people are at today, but there is a better way. Today on *His Perfect Love*, we discuss that if you're in Christ, you're no longer condemned, but loved. And God has supplied all the power we need to live the Christian life through his Spirit. Here's Pastor Matt VanderVen in Romans chapter eight.

Matt VanderVen: Well, please open your Bibles to Romans chapter eight. While the Lord's been just taking us through a beautiful journey through Paul here, as we've seen one of my favorite chapters. I say that every chapter, I get it. But we were racked by chapter six. Chapter six was a chapter on sanctification, and that just frees us where we're not condemned by sin any longer. Not to say we don't sin, we certainly understand that, but we understand we have a new nature. We're born again in the Spirit. We have a new nature. Our Adamic nature is dead. Praise Jesus. We don't have to carry that around any longer. You're like, "Yeah, we're all blessed by that."

And then we come to chapter seven, and chapters one through eight kind of all come together. Chapters nine through 11 is going to branch off into a little bit different and then obviously the remainder, 12 through 15, is going to be the practical application in our lives. But when we look at chapter seven, we started seeing on Paul's heart is still Israel. It's still the Jew. It's still the Gentile. It's still us wondering, "Hey, are we trying to pull ourselves back and put ourselves back under a law? Are we trying to put ourselves back under works because we're used to ritual or we're used to tradition or something like that, and it feels comfortable for us?"

I know nobody here is going to readily go, "Yeah, I love religion." I get that nobody's going to stand up and just volunteer that. But do we find ourselves gravitating more towards things we can do, we can see, rather than relationship? Are we more comfortable on our knees with Jesus than lighting a candle or worshipping a statue or anything? It's something we all have to really think about. Because many of us have backgrounds. We come from maybe a denomination or we came from something where we grew up and there was something very familiar about it.

I'd suggest you this morning the thing that should be familiar to all of you is the Word of God. That's where we find our hope and our trust. This is where we find our comfort. It's not in anything mankind could ever do. It's not any works. It's always been Jesus and Jesus alone. And how precious that is because he doesn't want any distractions. He wants all of your heart. He wants all of you. He just wants all of you. He loves you so much.

So here we are, now coming up to chapter eight. And man alive, this chapter as we go through and we start looking... you can't help but string pearls through this chapter. So if you have a notebook, pull it out. If you have pens, pull it out because we're going to be going through a lot of passages. It's a very encouraging chapter.

Because he had just left off in verse 25 saying, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." He sets this up to say, "You know what? I'm not having a senior moment. I'm not struggling. It's when I sin, I realize it's not me that wants to sin. And it's also not me that can solve the problem." Remember he figured that out in verse 25 where he says, "I thank God." Why? Because back in verse 18, he said, "How do I overcome sin?" He says, "I know I have the Spirit of God in me. I'm born again and I want to do those good things. I want to live that good life."

He goes, "But I also know I have the flesh and it's a constant battle waging war inside of me." Maybe some of you know about that war. If you've been saved more than a day, you know about that war, that battle. I like to say to Christians as they get saved, "Welcome to the new battle. Welcome to the new battle in Christ." The enemy doesn't go, "Well, he's saved now, let's just take a break." No, it gets heavy. It gets heavy. Paul's going to build on this and he's going to peace us out this morning because he's just going to lay this down and he's going to say, "Hey, there is no condemnation."

Paul couldn't have said that if he didn't make a clear division between the idea that the Spirit can be very much alive, Galatians 5:16, and that the flesh can still be waging the war. And just because we sin doesn't mean we've blown it. It means we had a moment. We need to repent. We need to get in right relationship. But we didn't somehow lose our walk forever. Paul says even himself... I mean Paul's like a stud in the faith, right? He's like a hero in the faith, for some of you others maybe you prefer that better. He's the man. And yet Paul himself is talking about some of these things as he was in prison, as he's been struggling, as he was shipwrecked for a day and a half, as he was beaten.

We're going to read about all the things that he's going to say that he has gone through here, all but one, the sword. At this point obviously he hasn't been martyred yet. But everything else he's going to talk about, he's lived it. This isn't a man that's just speaking empirically. This is a man who's lived it. And he still comes to us and says, "Hey, sin is dead. You're not defeated because of your sin. You have victory in Christ. Amen?"

Well, verse one as I've mentioned, he says, "There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Now again, if you had just come to this passage this morning and this is the first time you are reading this passage, you may say, "Hey man, I can do whatever I want. I can live however I want and there's no condemnation." That's certainly not what Paul is saying, is it?

Paul had already made that, as we've been going line by line and verse by verse, Paul had already made that very clear in chapter six that not only is there not an allowance of habitual sin, verse one of chapter six, but then also chapter six, verse 15, he said what? There's also no occasional sin. I reversed it. Habitual sin was verse one, excuse me. Occasional sin, verse 15. He's saying, "No, we should never be content in our sin. It's not something we should sit back and go, 'You know what? Grace abounds more when sin abounds. So let's go sin more so we can get more grace.'" No, Paul never argued that. That's not his point. As a matter of fact, he argued the contrary.

So when he says there is no condemnation, what he's talking about is we've gotten to this point where we can realize that when we desire and we want to walk in the Spirit of God, that when we blow it or we have those setbacks, he's saying, "Hey man, don't condemn yourself. Don't sit back and keep dwelling on that sin and saying, 'Man, I'm no good. I can't do anything.'" And next thing you know, you're a victim instead of a victor. You're not living out the victory in Christ. And so what happens? You become defeated. You don't even want to step out of your house. You don't want to get out of bed because you're just depressed, overwhelmed.

Jesus says, "No, there's no time for that. There's work to be done for the kingdom. We're to occupy till he comes." He says, "No, absolutely not." He says, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." That's what it's about. Are you in Christ Jesus this morning? Made free from the law, we're going to read. Right? He says, "who do not walk according to the flesh." What is this flesh? Well, I'm glad you asked. Turn in your Bibles to Galatians. We're going to look at Galatians chapter five, verse 16.

Paul's going to lay this out. The Lord, obviously, has given him direct revelation. This is going to be heavy for some of you this morning. Some of you that maybe are struggling with certain sins, myself, anybody included. We're going to look at this and he's going to say, "This is what it looks like when you walk according to the flesh. If you identify with any of these this morning, my prayer for all of you is repent, get right with the Lord, lay it down, and don't pick it back up. Begin to walk in the Spirit."

Because if you walk in the Spirit, you can overcome the flesh. You can overcome that. We have a victory here. We're not defenseless. We have the sword of the Spirit. So if you look here in chapter five, verse 16, he says, "I say then," Paul writing to the church at Galatia, "walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." That's a promise, that's a guarantee. If Jesus says it, it is what it is. He's not grammatically challenged.

"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit." He explains the relationship there, that it's a battle. "And the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish." Some of you went, "That explains it, man. Because I know I'm a born-again believer in Christ. Why am I still struggling sometimes?" Boom. Laid it down. He laid it down hot. "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law," verse 18, right?

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are," and he starts going through them and he names them. He explains what the difference is. He says it's contrary from the flesh, the Spirit. He says what are some of the works of the flesh? What's this look like? Again, if you're following along chapter five, verse 19. "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery," so think of sexual immorality. He's going to tie that... "fornication," that includes also all types of sexual immorality, homosexuality and what have you.

"Uncleanness," right? What's he talking about there? He's not saying, "Hey, if you didn't take a shower this morning." I pray you all did, but that's not what he's talking about. What's he talking about? He's talking about anything that's perverted or impure. That's what he's describing here. "Lewdness." What is lewd? Something that's lustful. "Idolatry," anything that we worship more than the living God.

"Sorcery." Certainly when we think of horoscopes and we think of the occult, Christians, we have no business going near any of that. You have no business picking up the Sunday paper and reading the horoscopes. You have no business going to a medium or any of that nonsense. All you're doing is opening an opportunity for demonic activity. We Christians have no business with that. That's of the flesh. "Hatred." Man. You mean when I think something, when I feel something, when I'm angry towards somebody? That's heavy.

"Contentions." See now he's getting to the personal attributes that we feel in our heart and he's getting to the motives of those. It's not just the outward actions. He starts with that. "Well man, I've never committed adultery. I've never done these things." But then he starts nailing in... the bullseye narrows in on that and he says, "Hey, have you ever had an evil thought? Have you ever thought wickedly about somebody? Have you ever hated somebody, man?" He says that wasn't the Spirit of God doing that. What was doing that? Your flesh. That's what he's saying here.

"Contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath." We call them adult temper tantrums, right? Not that you all know what I'm talking about there. "Selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, rivalries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in the time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." That's heavy.

He's saying someone that's so content in their sin, the question is do they really believe in Jesus Christ? If they're more content in their sin than content in walking in the Spirit, chances are and most likely they're not a born-again believer in Christ. After all, didn't Jesus say many will say, "Lord, Lord"? He says, "But I've done your works." There it goes again. He says, "You cast out demons in my name. I cast out demons in your name. I did all these other things. I healed the sick. I did these things." But you say to me, "Lord, Lord," I did not know you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

What was he saying? He's saying there are those that are going to be doing the outward acts of religion. But who are they doing it for? Are they doing it for God? Are they doing it for Jesus? Or are they doing it for themselves? You see, it's all the motive of the heart. Some of you are like, "Man, even that's tripping me up." Yeah, it's meant to be heavy.

That's why it's not popular, friends. That's why you don't walk into the church on every corner and they're talking about this. They tend to skip over this chapter. It's not a popular chapter in many churches. But we need it. I need it. Don't you need it? I need to hear what Jesus has to say to my heart. I need to understand where I'm at. I need to be recalibrated. I need to get it right because I'm trying to. But often I can get caught up in the world. I can get caught up in different things. I need that.

But then he's going to tell us, "No, no, no." He says, "I want you to know what it looks like to walk in the Spirit. I want you to know what that joy is going to look like because," he says, "Hey, as born-again believers, you can focus on the flesh and you can dwell and be content in your sin. And I assure you won't inherit the kingdom of God." But if you walk in the Spirit... but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.

You see, without love, you can't have any of the others. Without love, you begin to think everybody who's wronged you, you want to kind of repay that, don't you? You kind of want to get back at them. But when we put love first, really agape love, not phileo. I'm not talking about the phileo love in the Greek. I'm not talking about a love of emotion or familiarity between two people. I'm talking unconditional agape love. That's the idea here.

Look, don't get angry at me if some of you are like... don't get angry with me, man. This is the word. I'm convicted by this. But I'm also exhorted. I'm encouraged because I know, Lord, this is what it looks like. Don't we want to know? Aren't you glad we have an aim? It's not nebulous. It's not kind of out there and we don't know where we're... no, we have a bullseye, man, and an aim and a target, and it's Christ.

I'm so thankful for that. I mean, think all the other religions, Hinduism and Taoism and all the other ones, Buddhism and all this enlightenment and sit there... I mean all this nonsense. And is any of that drawing you closer to Christ? No, of course not. It all is about internal getting you making yourself feel better. You can be the best dressed and feel the best and be walking right to the pit of hell.

That's not what Christ wanted. He said narrow is the way. Wide is the gate, which is an entrance, that leads to destruction. He didn't tell us this to lay a trip on us. God our Father is so good. He wants to set us free. He doesn't want us misguided and going on the wrong path. He doesn't want our young people being misguided. He wants them to hear truth. He says, "Don't prevent these little ones from coming unto me." He wanted all of us. Aren't we all his children if you're a born-again believer in Christ?

Well, look, he says "long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control," the opposite of a temper tantrum, the adult temper tantrum. "Against such there is no law." Keep your finger there, turn back to Romans. We'll go back to Galatians in a little bit. That's verse one. That's verse one of Romans when he talks about the flesh and the Spirit and the idea here. That's just verse one what Paul was trying to convey to you and I.

You ready for verse two? Here we go. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." That's a powerful statement. He's saying that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you and I free from the law of sin and death. We're no longer condemned by that. Remember Romans chapter six? Look at verse 10. "For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God."

And then also look at verse 14. "For sin shall have no dominion over you, that you are not under the law but under grace." You're under a system of grace. That's why the law has no bearing on us. It can do nothing for us. The law can't justify. The law can't sanctify. No religion can, friends. No works can. They can't justify, they can't sanctify. Only grace, which is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

And that's what he's saying here, that when you have that Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you are free from sin and death. Turn to Galatians, as I mentioned we were just there. Turn to Galatians, let's look at chapter three. See the law was never intended to set you free, actually. Paul tells us the law was really a curse. He says, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for 'the just shall live by faith,'" chapter one, verse 16 and 17 of Romans.

"Yet the law is not of faith, but 'the man who does them shall live by them.' Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.'" Just think about that for a minute. Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, he took on our curse. Our curse, so that we could be set free. What's he talking about? Because the wages of sin was death. It had to be paid. "That the blessings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." He keeps going back to that, doesn't he? He keeps going back to the Spirit, he keeps going back to the fact that it's through faith.

Let's look at verse three, back in Romans. "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh." Well, just think about that for a minute. Whose likeness were we in before we were born again? Adam, right? Adamic nature. Genesis chapter five. We're not in the likeness of God. It wasn't until we were born again in the Spirit that we became the likeness of God. Look back at Genesis chapter five. Now originally in the garden, whose likeness were we in? God, right? Male and female, Genesis 1:26 and 1:27, he created them, right?

But look what he's saying here. He's saying that God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. Well, what's that talking about? It's talking about his humanity, isn't it? In the fact that he came 100% human and 100% divine? But it's speaking to the humanity even though he had no sin, but he became sin that we could become the righteousness of God. Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 21, right?

But this is the idea here. Look at Galatians chapter four. Look at verses three through seven. "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of this world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law." You see, Jesus was born under the law. He had to come and that's why he said, "I didn't come to do away with the law." What did he come to do? Fulfill the law.

"To redeem those who were under the law," you and I, everyone else who were to be under that law. He came to redeem us that we might receive adoption as sons. Do you see that? "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father.'" Daddy. "Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." We're going to build more on that because we're co-heirs, he says with Christ. But he's building, he's showing us who we are in Christ like that.

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt VanderVen on *His Perfect Love*. We're developing our study in Romans. And if you enjoyed today's message, we'd like to know. Email us at our website, hisperfectlove.org, and be sure to include your prayer requests. And while you're there, you'll notice a place to listen to Pastor Matt's sermons, including all of Romans. That's at hisperfectlove.org. You can also listen to us at oneplace.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

And we have a free mobile app. You know, this is a convenient way to listen to Pastor Matt on your mobile devices. Just go to hisperfectlove.org for more information. And if you'd like to support this ministry with a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support, you can do so through the website at hisperfectlove.org. Thank you so much for that. We want all of our listeners to have access to the Word of God. So if you're in need of a Bible, we'd like to get one into your hands. Just email us through our website and ask for the free Bible offer. Here's our web address again: hisperfectlove.org. This has been *His Perfect Love* with Pastor Matt VanderVen. Thanks for listening. We'll catch you back here next time when we'll share another study in Romans.

His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

[Singing] Let the word go out, the perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout, "I am my beloved's and he is mine." Every heart's in his hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is his perfect love. The word of God. It's what real love looks like. In truth and grace. This is his perfect love.

[Spoken] This is his perfect love.