Series: Romans
Title: The Spirit God Gives
Text: Romans 1: 7-15
Date: May 6, 2018
Place: SGBC, NJ
Romans 1: 7: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to
be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
This is an important verse
because Paul tells us to whom he is writing this epistle
To all that be in Rome—“All” means “all kinds”: rich or poor, bond or free, male or
female. “Rome” tells us he is
writing primarily to Gentiles like you and me.
Then he qualifies it.
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God—To be beloved of God is to be loved
before of God. Before the foundation of the world, God loved his elect in
Christ. It is saying “to the elect of God.”
Then he qualifies it more.
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called saints—All who are beloved of God
before time shall be called to be saints in time. God predestinated it.
2
Thessalonians 2: 13: But we are
bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be sure to get this! Sanctification is not a co-effort between God
and the sinner. God alone sanctifies. It is the only way that God alone gets
all the glory. God the Father sanctified
his people in divine election, God the Son sanctified his elect in redemption
and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies his elect in regeneration.
To be sanctified is to be
created holy. It is far more than mere outward morality. In sanctification, Christ is formed in you,
creating in you a new, pure, holy heart. In sanctification we “obtain the glory of Christ.” It means
all that Christ is we obtain in the new man which is created in you after the
image of his Son. When the Holy Spirit creates a new man within, the new man is
created “in righteousness and true
holiness.” (Eph 4: 24) True holiness
is written as opposed to feigned, pretend holiness that men regard.
With Christ our Sanctifier and
our Sanctification formed in us, we are as holy as we will ever be. Paul told the Corinthians “Ye ARE sanctified”—not being
sanctified—“Ye ARE sanctified.” (1
Cor 1: 2; 6: 11) With Christ in you we have that “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb 12: 14)
Colossians
1: 12: Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us MEET to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light: 13: Who HATH
DELIVERED us from the power of darkness, and HATH TRANSLATED us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
And not only are we sanctified
by God, we are also justified by God. So he says,
Colossians 1: 14: In whom we HAVE redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
So God’s saints are in the world but not of the world, even as Christ is not of
the world—“our conversation [citizenship]
is in heaven.” (Jn 15: 19; Php 3: 20)
You who are sanctified, never
forget this! Our single occupation in this world is to serve God our Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ—by loving and serving one another, by providing one
another with the gospel of Christ, and by sending the gospel forth into all the
world.
So Paul is writing to ALL KINDS of believers, who are each beloved of God and called saints. And what is written to God’s saints then is written to God’s saints now.
Next, Paul gives his usual
salutation.
Romans 1: 7:…Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the
Lord Jesus Christ
Salvation is entirely by the
grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. All who God saves are chosen by grace,
redeemed by grace, regenerated by grace, called by grace, gifted by grace,
grown by grace, preserved by grace, resurrected by grace and at last presented
faultless to God by grace.
Since our salvation is all of
grace that means it is apart from our works. Grace and works are mutually
exclusive. They cannot co-exist. Paul said,
Romans
11: 6: And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace:
otherwise work is no more work.
Likewise, peace is from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ—“Grace to you and peace from God our Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Psalm
29: 11:…the LORD will bless his people with peace.
The peace God our Father gives
his saints is Christ himself. His name is “The
Prince of Peace.” Christ promises his people,
John
14: 27: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:…
John
16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
When he has sanctified us,
through faith, Christ gives us free justification by his blood and we have
peace with God,
Romans
5:1: Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ:
Then God our Father makes his covenant of peace in our hearts,
saying,
Isaiah
54:10: For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my
kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be
removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
Therefore, throughout our
lives, God says to his saints,
Philippians
4: 6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7: And the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
So whatever happens, we say
with the Psalmist,
Psalm
4: 8: I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest
me dwell in safety.
If you ever want to ask God to
bless me, this is it! This is the
blessing all God’s saints desire for one another—“Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
What is the spirit God gives
his child in sanctification?
Subject: The Spirit God Gives
Proposition: In the apostle Paul and in the saints at
Rome we see the spirit God gives those he has sanctified.
A SPIRIT OF THANKFULNESS
Romans 1: 8: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you
all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
The spirit God gives in those
he sanctifies is a spirit of thankfulness.
Those sanctified by God thank
God our Father through Jesus Christ for our brethren because God alone is to be
thanked—“First, I thank my God through Jesus
Christ for you all.” We are thankful
for God’s great gift of brethren in Christ.
When God separates us from
this world in sanctification, we no longer have the same bond we once had with
unregenerate, worldly men. Recently, I
was talking with a young lady that God has sanctified. I asked her how school is going. She said,
“The greatest difficulty is not having any real bond with my friends because
they do not believe the gospel.” God makes his children “strangers and pilgrims” in this world. (Heb 11: 13) We have to go
to school and work and be friendly with classmates and co-workers. But we have
no spiritual unity with them. Therefore,
we have no real unity of any kind with them. We are guided by completely different
principles.
Yet, between brethren, God
gives “the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.” (Eph 4: 3) He makes us “likeminded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (Php 2:2) This is
why Christ said,
John
13: 35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another.
1 John
5: 1: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every
one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Sinners can learn doctrine and
fake a zeal for doctrine. But they
cannot fake God-given love. “Charity
never faileth.” (1 Cor 13: 8) You cannot forsake those you love in
Christ. God unites his people in love in
Christ. We cannot leave the gospel nor
leave our brethren in Christ. They need us and we need them. We love them. The
charity between brethren which God gives in sanctification never fails. We are one in Christ. They love us and we
love them. Paul said, “First, I thank my
God through Jesus Christ for you all.”
Also, the spirit which God
gives his saints is thankful to God for
making brethren faithful to him—“I thank
God through our Lord Jesus Christ…that your faith is spoken of throughout the
whole world.” God teaches those he sanctifies that,
James
1: 17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down
from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning.
God teaches his saints that we
are sinners. We have what we have and we are what we are by the grace and power
of God alone! So when we see faithfulness
in our brethren, we give thanks where thanks is due—“I thank my God through Jesus Christ…that your faith is spoken of
throughout the whole world.” We are
so helpless in ourselves that it is even by him that we thank him.
Hebrews
13:15: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. So
first, the spirit God gives is a spirit of thankfulness to God for brethren and
for all spiritual blessings from him.
A SPIRIT OF FAITHFULNESS
Romans 1: 8:…your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
The spirit God gives in
sanctification is a spirit of faithfulness.
First, God makes those he sanctifies faithful to God our Father by making
them faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful rest in Christ, turning
from all self-justifying, self-sanctifying works, casting all care on Christ,
trusting Christ to be our complete acceptance with the Father.
Colossians 2: 10: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of
all principality and power:
Secondly, God makes those he
sanctifies faithful to represent God our Savior before men. We do so, not trying to be seen of men as do Pharisees.
But God makes us faithful before
men. Men who hate Christ are looking for
any reason that we give them to reproach Christ, our gospel, and our
brethren. Therefore, it is of utmost
importance how believers live and conduct ourselves: in the church before
unbelieving family, before young believers and in this world before men.
Titus
2: 2: That the aged men be
sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3: The aged women likewise, that they
be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much
wine, teachers of good things; 4:
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to
love their children, 5: To be
discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that
the word of God be not blasphemed. 6:
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. 7: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in
doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8: Sound speech, that cannot be
condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil
thing to say of you. 9: Exhort
servants [this applies to us working at our jobs] to be obedient unto their own
masters, and to please them well in all things; not
answering again; 10: Not
purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of
God our Saviour in all things. 11:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12: Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world; 13:
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14:
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify
unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
In the bulletin there is an
article by Pastor Henry Mahan, “Believers
Represent the Lord.” This illustrates what we just read in Titus. Brother
Henry wrote:
“Several
years ago I applied for a home improvement loan at a local bank. I did not deal
with the president of the bank or an officer of the bank but with one of the
employees. This particular employee was quite rude and unkind to me causing me
to cancel my account at that bank and move to another. The only contact I had
with the bank was with this very poor representative but it was enough to
discourage me from going there again.
You and I represent our Lord, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus, and the church of the first-born. The only contact some
people have with the church and kingdom of God is through us. What kind of
impression do we leave on them? What idea of Christianity do we convey to
them?
I wonder if they do not sometimes walk
away offended, disappointed, and resolved not to inquire any further into our
faith or listen to our message. I realize that we are frail creatures, subject
to all of the limitations of the flesh, but we need to set a watch on our lips,
control our tempers, and put forth a special effort to adorn the gospel of His
grace. If we endure persecution for the gospel's sake, well and good, but not
if we bring it on ourselves by our own faults!”
God gives his saints a spirit
of faithfulness to Christ and a faithfulness to represent Christ before men.
The saints at Rome were known by all men—“your
faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”
A SPIRIT TO SERVE
Romans 1: 9: For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in
the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my
prayers; 10: Making request, if
by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God
to come unto you. 11: For I long
to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may
be established; 12: That is,
that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and
me. 13: Now I would not have you
ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let
hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other
Gentiles. 14: I am debtor both
to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15: So, as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
The spirit God gives those he
sanctifies is a spirit to serve. We see
this in Paul. Paul was an apostle but this is the spirit the Lord gives to all
his people, including his pastors.
First, God gives a spirit to
serve him—“WHOM I serve…” After
Christ spoke to Paul on one occasion, he said, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom
I serve.” (Acts 27: 23)
Notice, it is in the new
spirit that God gives his child this desire to serve him—“whom I serve WITH MY SPIRIT…” Our
old, sinful man of flesh only hinders us. But “Paul purposed IN THE SPIRIT, when he had passed through Macedonia and
Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see
Rome.” (Acts 19: 21)
Furthermore, it is in the
gospel of Christ that God gives us a spirit to him—“whom I serve with my spirit IN THE GOSPEL OF HIS SON.” God calls some to preach Christ. Others, God
calls to support those he sends forth to preach Christ. That service takes on
many different forms from keeping the grounds of the church house to keeping
the nursey to supporting the gospel financially to being a traveling companion
and whatever else God puts in our hands whereby we can contribute. But whatever we do, it is for the furtherance
of the gospel of God’s Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Secondly, God makes his child faithful
to serve our brethren, including those lost sheep we are seeking. Listen to
this spirit of a servant toward his brethren—“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift,
to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together
with you by the mutual faith both of you and me…”
God gives us a spirit to serve
whomever God sends us unto—“I am debtor
both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the
unwise.” Our God is no respecter of persons and the spirit he gives his
saints is the same. Paul knew himself a debtor to preach the
gospel to whatever kinds of sinners God sent him unto—“to the wise and to the unwise.”
God gives us a spirit to serve
by preaching wherever God sends us—“So,
as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome
also.” Paul knew he had more enemies
than friends at Rome. He knew chains and afflictions awaited him for preaching
Christ at Rome. Yet, the spirit that God gives his servant makes him ready to
go wherever God would have him to go. Paul said, “I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”
This is the new spirit that
God gives when God sanctifies us in regeneration: a spirit of thankfulness to God: for brethren and for all God’s
gifts to our brethren; a spirit of
faithfulness: faithfulness to Christ and faithfulness to represent Christ
before men; a spirit to serve: to
serve God in the preaching of his Son and a spirit to serve our brethren. This the spirit God gives in sanctification.
Let us ask ourselves, “Do I
have this spirit?” We are not born again full grown. We never become more holy but we do grow in
the grace that our Lord gives. Let us forget our past and reach forth asking
Christ to grow us in spirit by growing us in knowledge of him.
Amen!