Wisdom from Below

James 3:15-16

Theme: Examine your values, principles and behaviors to determine their source.

Most of us are aware that Believers have three spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the Devil (Eph. 2:1-3). All of which seek to control the way we think in order to control our behavior and our lives. Obviously, we want to understand what is driving our actions, influencing our decisions, and shaping our performance and perspectives. It does not require a rocket scientist to figure out such control can be dangerous to us and our loved ones. Likewise, in our text, James pinpoints the corrupt sources of godless wisdom as “earthly, sensual, and devilish.” This is wisdom from below! So, the question is, how can we recognize when this type of ‘wisdom’ is operating in our lives and those of our loved ones? Let’s take a moment to examine the sources for these godless forms of wisdom.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (James 3:13–16, KJV).

When we examine James 3:15, closely, we discover a self-centered brand of godless wisdom that is consumed with personal ambitions. Beloved, this is not at all from the Lord God above. Unmistakably, James frankly describes it as “earthly, sensual, devilish.” Now such self-aggrandizing behavior is not of the Lord. No, this wisdom belongs to this earth; it is the product of an un-sanctified human heart, and it originates with Satan and his fallen forces (1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 11:14, 15). Let us examine each of these closely to prevent their influence in the way we think.

Wisdom from Below is Earthly!

Earthly rightly indicates this wisdom is not from God in heaven! Instead it is from this earth and is limited to earthly rationalization, logic, reason, and philosophies. It is not truth, it is not inspired of God; therefore, it is not reliable in its concepts or premises. It is devoid of the strength of divine wisdom and marred by the flawed thinking of mere earthlings. Earthly wisdom is riddled with the assumptions of ill-informed people living without God’s illuminating perspective.

What would such wisdom lead a person to do? Well since it is worldly it will set a person on a trajectory of being covetous for more material things, yearning for selfish pleasures, accumulating excessive wealth, lurching out on senseless quests for prideful distinctions or recognitions, and pursuing more luxurious comforts in this life. John, the beloved Apostle, says such behaviors are typical evidences of worldliness (1Jn. 2:15-17). The focus is on the temporary and this life and not eternity and life with the Eternal One. Note the words of MacArthur,

It spawns a society whose watchwords are “Do your own thing,” “Have it your way,” and “Look out for number one.” It pervades philosophy, education, politics, economics, sociology, psychology, and every other dimension and aspect of contemporary human life (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 172–173).

Such wisdom is not helpful in the long run; it erodes relationships, breeds distrust, fuels conflicts, and inspires inhuman behavior. As human beings we can rationalize just about anything. For example, nearly everyone would be up in arms if a pregnant woman drinks hard liquor daily, smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, and habitually uses hard drugs. Most of us would regard these behaviors as extremely harmful to the child she is carrying as well as to the mother. However, if she decides to abort the child in the third trimester for next to no reason, too many people will claims she has the right to do this!?! Really...think about the flawed logic that leads to such decisions or positions on these type issues. This is where earthly godless wisdom leads. Many such examples could be mentioned here, but I'll spare you. In addition, the observations of Dr. Wiersbe are also helpful,      

The world by its wisdom knew not God, and in its wisdom rejects the very Gospel of God. “For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness” (1 Cor 1:18). Any person enamored with the wisdom of this world ought to read the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians and notice how much Paul has to say about God's wisdom and man's wisdom. Man's wisdom is foolishness to God (1Cor 1:20), and God's wisdom is foolishness to man (1Cor 2:14). Man's wisdom comes from reason, while God's wisdom comes from revelation. Man's worldly wisdom will come to nothing (1 Cor 1:19), while God's wisdom will endure forever. Because the world has turned from God, it has lost its wisdom. Every increase in man's knowledge only magnifies the problems. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov 9:10). "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom 3:18). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 363)).

Yes, earthly-worldly wisdom cannot appreciate the things of heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is entirely unfit for genuine Christian living. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a news article, TV show, book, radio program, or internet product that is not greatly influenced by this type of earthly wisdom.

Wisdom from Below is Sensual! 

The word “Sensual” reminds us of the fact that it is not the fruit of the Holy Spirit, but from man’s fallen nature. Such a person teaches only the wisdom of this natural life. It is the difference between knowing how to make a living and how to make a meaningful life. It can be seen in the emphasis on gathering more information as opposed to using information in the best ways. Read carefully the words of James in 3:14 once more, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” The verse is jam-packed with sensual motives and values. Jealousy, bitterness, resentment, conflict, pride, lies, deceptions, and bragging are common in the life of the sensual individual. They tend to cling to these devices to make themselves feel worthwhile, likable, marketable, or attractive. Such behaviors have no place in the Spirit of grace; they are rooted in human depravity and self-centeredness.  

Such motives, feelings and behaviors are light-years away from the genuine marks of godly wisdom. These individuals are not living displays of the meek spirited person who is entirely submissive to the Lord’s power and grace! No, such wisdom is sensual and is based on human feelings and human reasoning alone--especially when the decisions are made with the emotional parts of the brain. Such desires are devoid of God’s life-changing insight or aid. Some sensually motivated actions can be detected quite easily, but others are far more camouflaged and cleverly concealed. All can be correctly discerned by the Word and the Spirit of God though.

So, this false ‘wisdom’ truly has another source: remember it is “sensual,” or we could say “natural.” This fact relates to its “life,” or “soul,” it is rooted in the natural man.  In 1Cor. 2:14; 15:44, 46, we learn that the “natural,” is the opposite of the “spiritual” (Gal. 5:16-18). Such carnal wisdom is completely incompatible with Christ-filled expression! While it is natural to have a slightly inflated view of ourselves because we have comparatively more intellectual acumen, such estimations are not anchored in a Spirit-informed perspective.  You see... real wisdom, the kind God gives, consists of righteous skills for daily living--it is intensely practical and not primarily intellectual. Certainly, our lives are the product of our thinking, but merely being mentally sharp does not make a wholesome God-honoring life. It is the difference between wanting to be our children’s best friends, and choosing to be the parents they really need. Godly wisdom is also expressed by the person who intensely yearns to “fit in with the crowd” refusing immediate gratification choosing instead the course of discipline and delayed satisfaction. Someone may say, ‘If it feels right, then it is right’; the wisdom from God says right and wrong are already defined by God in the Scriptures. We must choose objective absolute truth over the world’s unfounded sensual relativism.   

In Jude 19, sensual people stylize themselves as free or emancipated, but they are the slaves of their fallen nature. Yes, they do their own thing…they make their own decisions…they are free-thinkers…independent and autonomous is how they describe themselves. God says, “they walk after their own ungodly lusts” (Jude 18). Their lives do not transcend the immediate, this life, or the mundane…. They are stuck with nothing but their feelings, thoughts, ideas, and Christ-less philosophy to guide them. Yes, they jump from one bed to another, they drink this that and the other, they smoke, shoot up, free base, and party until the clubs or bars close. They sleep it off in another strange place...as soon as they can reengage they do it all over again. They have near zero restraints or precious few limits. Their rule is simple, "If it feels good...do it." It may seem like ‘fun’ now, but payday is coming. Jude describes them as “sensual” signifying the absence of the Holy Spirit's influence.  The focus is on the dominant fallen nature as opposed to the new nature, which is given by God, influencing their lives. Beware, there is a ‘wisdom’ that has its origin in man’s depraved nature totally apart from the Spirit of God.

Recall helpful passages like Galatians 5:19-21, which describes for us the “works of the flesh.”  Accordingly, flesh refers to the sinful facet of our depraved human nature which is diametrically opposed to the “Spirit” of God (Rom 6:19; Matt 16:17).  Therefore, being “in the flesh” refers to being unsaved (Rom 7:5; 8:8, 9), and to live “after the flesh” is to live and act sinfully (Rom 8:4, 5, 7, 12). Sensual wisdom is not a viable option for God’s people! God expects all His children to walk in and live in the Spirit (Gal. 5:24-26).

Wisdom from Below is Devilish! 

Devilish means that it stoops to actions that resemble the behavior of demons rather than men. It denotes that which is evil, malicious, sinister, mischievous, and befitting of devils. The Spirit of God greatly assists us by unmasking the “wisdom of Satan” at work, fighting against the wisdom of God. Satan characteristically seeks to inspire doubting God and stimulating the elevation of humanity through prideful lusts (Gen. 3). Satan was behind Eve’s desires to become wise like God and become as God. Since then, people have continued to believe Satan’s lies and have tried to become their own gods (Rom 1:18-25). Rugged individualism and hyper-independence are just two manifestations of this. To say that Satan is cunning is to verbalize the obvious; he is the slick old serpent! He has wisdom that will confound and confuse us if we do not know the wisdom of God.

Again, the real source of these thoughts and desires is the devil. How disturbing to realize he can control our thoughts if we allow him! It is ridiculously reckless for believers to assume that Satan does not have access to most of the knowledge available to us. Furthermore, Satan even used Scripture during the temptations of Jesus making his suggestions to him seem reasonable. He failed because he was up against real wisdom!

The devil still makes use of the same resources that God has provided for us. But his purposes are destructive; they can produce a climate in the church, at home, and at work that damages relationships. Think of how quickly our words, language, and tone of voice can create a destructive climate. –The Life Application Commentary Series

Beloved, do you now understand how our beliefs, values, governing principles, and behaviors can be tampered with by the Devil? If the Lord did not expose our enemies’ strategies here and in other Scriptures, we would be entirely vulnerable to these kinds of spiritual attacks. The Lord truly is good to free us from such seductions with the truth! Beloved, it is the truth that makes us free!

These three words . . . describe the so-called wisdom, which is not of divine origin, in an advancing series—as pertaining to the earth, not to the world above; to mere nature, not to the spirit; and to the hostile spirits of evil instead of to God” (Ropes). –Pfeiffer, Charles: The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

With these insights we are prepared to examine our thoughts, motives, and desires with real intelligence. When we say or do something that is not becoming of a Christian, pause to discover the possible origin of that thought or expression. Ask yourself, is this wisdom from below? Is it earthly, sensual, or devilish? Is it based on reason or revelation? Does it promote immediate gratification or delayed satisfaction? Is it appealing to my pride and my desire to behave independently of God?

Realizing the source and kind of wisdom influencing us places us in a powerful position. You can say no to these temptations. You can reject godless wisdom while selecting godly wisdom. You can distinguish important matters from trivial concerns. Life is less confusing and frustrating when God’s wisdom is in operation. You can not only preserve the relationships you treasure, but increase their value to all concerned parties. Remember, wisdom from above is desirable, but the wisdom from below can wreck your life and the lives of those you love. Why not choose the wisdom that is from above?  

Why Believe The Spirit is God?

Acts 5:3-4

Theme: The Scriptures reveal the Holy Spirit to be God, with all the defining characteristics of a divine being.

Saying that the Holy Spirit is a person does not say that He is God. Yet, there is ample additional evidence in Scripture to verify that He is divine.

A.     The Holy Spirit has Divine Names.

1.       The Spirit is called God in Acts 5:3-4; this is the most direct statement. And this is in opposition to a mere man; Ananias thought he was only talking to Peter.  Two converted Jews, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold a piece of land they owned and brought the proceeds of the sale to give to the fledgling church in Jerusalem. Their sin was in claiming to give all, while only giving some. No one had asked or forced them to sell their property. After it was sold, they were not obligated to give everything.  But they pretended a total dedication of all funds, while they actually kept some of the proceeds of the sale of the land for themselves and gave the rest to the apostle Peter and the church. Perhaps they wanted to make themselves look more spiritual, or desired to receive the praise of men for this act of kindness, so they sold the possession and gave a portion of the proceeds to the apostles.

                                                          i.      An Accusation.  Peter learned of their deception and said, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4, Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” Peter declares that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. Can any statement assert Deity more clearly?

                                                        ii.      A Temptation.  About three hours later (5:7), when Sapphira appeared, Peter accused her of collaborating with her husband, Ananias, “to tempt [test] the Spirit of the Lord” (5:9). Here the Spirit is referred to as “Lord”!  To tempt the Holy Spirit is to see how much one can get away with before He judges; it means to presume on Him, to see if He will perform His Word, or to stretch Him to the limits of judgment (Ex. 17:2; Deut. 6:16). They were deliberately disobeying God and seeing how far God would go. Actually they defied God and dared Him to do something about it—and “the Spirit of the Lord” acted, with swiftness and finality.

                                                      iii.      A Retribution.  Obviously the Spirit is portrayed as God in this judgment. “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:7). This was God’s personal judgment. “The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:30–31). Had Ananias and Sapphira judged their own sin, God would not have judged them (1 Cor. 11:31).

                                                      iv.      A Clarification.  We must keep in mind that their sin was not in robbing God of money, but in lying to Him and robbing Him of glory. They were not required to sell the property; and, having sold it, they were not required to give any of the money to the church (Acts 5:4). Their lust for recognition conceived sin in their hearts (Acts 5:4, 9), and that sin eventually produced death (James 1:15). –Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

2.       The Spirit is called the Lord in 2 Cor. 3:17-18. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 

                                                          i.      A Proposition. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  One key result of the New Covenant is liberty.  In Gal. 4:24-31, Paul compared Jews under the Old Covenant to children of slavery and Christians under the New to children of freedom. This freedom is possible because Christ has redeemed us believers from the penalty of the Law so that we have become children of God (Gal. 4:5-7). This freedom as children is confirmed by the Spirit, who enables us Christians to call God Father (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).  Therefore, wherever Jesus Christ is recognized as Lord or Jehovah, there is liberty, that is, freedom from the bondage of the law, freedom from obscurity in reading the Scriptures, and freedom to gaze upon His face without a veil between.

                                                        ii.      A Process.  Christians can experience an ever-increasing Christ-likeness, glory, as a result of the Spirit’s sanctifying work. As we are occupied with the glory of the risen, ascended, exalted Lord Jesus Christ, “we are changed [being transformed] into the same image.” This is the secret of Christian holiness—occupation with Christ. Not by occupation with self; that brings only defeat. Not by occupation with others; that brings disappointment. But by occupation with “the glory of the Lord,” we become more and more like Him. This marvelous, transforming process takes place “from glory to glory,” that is, from one degree of glory to another. It is not a matter of instant change. There is no experience in the Christian life that will reproduce Christ’s image in a moment. It is a process, not a crisis. It is not like the fading glory of the law, but an ever-increasing glory.  

                                                      iii.      A Power.  The power for this wonderful process is the Holy Spirit of God—even as by the Spirit of the Lord. As we behold the Lord of glory, study Him, contemplate Him, gaze on Him adoringly, the Spirit of the Lord works in our life the marvelous miracle of increasing conformity to Christ. Christ-likeness is the goal of the Christian walk (Eph 4:23-24; Col 3:10). The Holy Spirit is the One who produces godlike character in the believer (Gal 5:22-23), because He himself is God.

                                                      iv.      A Parallel.  It is “the Spirit of the Lord” who leads Christians from justification through sanctification to glorification.

1.       Paul’s words “the Lord is that Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:17, 18) are not meant to confuse these two Persons (Lord Jesus & Holy Spirit) of the Godhead.

a.       Instead, the phrase affirms the deity of the Holy Spirit. He is the personal “Agent” of Christ; He is “the Spirit of the Lord” (Rom. 8:9). Both divine Persons are united in purpose (John 15:26; 16:6-15) and in result (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 5:1).

b.       The meaning of the word “Lord” is “supreme authority, master, or sovereign controller.” For the Spirit to exercise sovereign universal authority, He must be God.

2.       The phrase “the Spirit of the Lord” (2Cor. 3:17, 18) again equates Christ and the Spirit in the cooperative work of salvation (Jn. 7:39; 15:26; 16:6-14).

a.       While this title does not confuse the two Persons of the Godhead, it does verify the divine nature of the Holy Spirit.  Just as Christ is Lord, so is the Spirit!

b.       The Holy Spirit’s names and titles associate Him with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ freely and often, thus revealing the Spirit’s divinity (1Cor. 3:16; Isa. 11:2; 61:1; 2Cor. 3:3; Rom. 8:9; 1Pet. 1:11; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:19).

3.       Other Passages in the Old Testament Referring to God are in the New Testament Made to Refer to the Holy Spirit. Compare Isa. 6:8–10 with Acts 28:25–27; and Exod. 16:7 with Heb. 3:7–9.

B.      The Holy Spirit Has Divine Characteristics (Attributes).

These defining characteristics of God are the fact that the Spirit is eternal in his nature, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.   

1.       He is Eternal—Eternity (Heb. 9:14).

                                                          i.      The Holy Spirit is called the Eternal Spirit signifying that He is without beginning or ending—independent of time. His duration is infinite; He is an ever remaining Presence.

                                                        ii.      “One of the deaf and dumb students in the institution of Paris, desired to express his idea of the eternity of the God, said: ‘It is duration, without beginning or end; existence, without bounds or dimension; present, without past or future. His eternity is youth, without infancy or old age; life, without birth or death; today, without yesterday or tomorrow.’”—Evans, William

                                                      iii.      Through the Eternal Spirit Christ offered Himself without blemish to God. Just as the Holy Spirit had a part in the birth of Christ (Luke 1:35), in the same way He also had a part in the sacrificial, all sufficient, atoning death of Christ.

2.       He is all-knowing—Omniscience (1Cor. 2:10–12). Someone other than man must know about God. The spirit of man (the human spirit) knows the things pertaining to humanity; the Holy Spirit knows about God. The Holy Spirit searches the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10); the same term depth (Gk. bathos) is used of the knowledge of God. It is unfathomable to man, but God the Holy Spirit knows the otherwise unsearchable and unfathomable (Rom. 11:33).

3.       He is all-powerful—Omnipotence (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Luke 1:35).

                                                          i.      The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit is seen in creation. In Genesis 1:2 the Holy Spirit is seen hovering over creation as a hen over its young; the Holy Spirit gave life to creation. Accordingly, the Spirit participated with God in the creation of the world, implying His omnipotence.

                                                        ii.      The omnipotent Spirit is the answer to Mary’s question, “How shall this be?” (Luke 1:34). How could she bear a child when she had never had relations with a man? The answer was that the Holy Spirit would creatively bring about the physical conception of Jesus (1:35). This miraculous conception and Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ was necessary because of His deity and preexistence (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Gal. 4:4). The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the awesome power of God would overshadow her.  To Mary’s problem of “How?”—it seemed impossible to human reasoning—God’s answer is the all powerful “Holy Spirit!”

4.       He is everywhere simultaneously—Omnipresence (Ps. 139:7–10; John 14:17).

                                                          i.      In Psalm 139 David exclaims that He cannot flee from the presence of the Holy Spirit; if he ascends to heaven, He is there; if he descends into the depths of the earth, the Spirit is there also. Even if he could fly away swiftly, he could not escape the presence of the Spirit.

                                                        ii.      The omnipresence of the Spirit is also taught in John 14:17 where Christ taught the disciples that the Spirit would indwell them all, another affirmation of the Spirit’s omnipresence.

5.       He is Living—Life (Rom. 8:2). Life is an attribute of deity in contrast to dead idols (Josh. 3:10; John 1:4; 14:6; 1 Tim. 3:15). As the Father and the Son have life in themselves, so the Holy Spirit has life in Himself.

6.       He is Holy—Holiness (Matt. 12:32).

                                                          i.      One important aspect of deity is that God is holy, entirely set apart and separated from sin and sinners. The most common name for the Spirit is Holy Spirit, indicating the third person of the Trinity also possesses this transcendent attribute of deity.

                                                        ii.      It is His holiness by which He desires to be remembered as that is the attribute which most glorifies Him. Let us bear this fact in mind as we study this attribute of the divine nature. It is just this vision of God that we need today when the tendency to deny the reality or the awfulness of sin is so prevalent. Our view of the necessity of the atonement will depend very largely upon our view of the holiness of God. Light views of God and His holiness will produce light views of sin and the atonement. –Evans: The Great Doctrines of the Bible

7.       He is Loving—Love (Gal. 5:22). The Holy Spirit is love and produces love in the child of God. If He did not possess love as a primary attribute He could not produce love in the believer.

8.       He is True—Truth (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit is termed the “Spirit of truth” in John 14:17 and 15:26. Just as Christ is the truth (John 14:6) so the Spirit is the truth and leads people into the truth through the Scriptures.

C.     The Holy Spirit Performs Divine Works.

The Holy Spirit was responsible for the miraculous conception of Jesus, restrains sin in the world, and gives spiritual gifts to Christians. The complete evidence from Scripture leaves little doubt that the Holy Spirit is a divine person.

1.       Creation (Gen. 1:2). Several Scripture passages affirm that the Holy Spirit was involved in the work of creation. Genesis 1:2 indicates that the Spirit hovered over creation, bringing it to life. In Psalm 104:24–26 the psalmist describes the creation, and in v. 30 he indicates how God created: “Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit, they are created.” Job 26:13 expands the creation of God to the heavens; the Holy Spirit created not only the earth but also the heavens.

2.       Generating Christ (Matt. 1:20). The overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit guaranteed the sinless humanity of Christ. Christ in His deity is eternal, but the Holy Spirit begat the sinless human nature of Christ. He brought the humanity of Christ into being. It is too often assumed that Mary the mother of Christ contributed His humanity and that the Holy Spirit contributed His deity; but a moment’s reflection would disclose that the deity of Christ was His own from all eternity, and therefore was not originated at the time of His birth. He became incarnate when His eternal Person took on the human form.  The Spirit caused the humanity of Christ to originate and that is His act of generation.

3.       Inspiration of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21).

                                                          i.      There is an analogy between the Holy Spirit’s generating Christ’s humanity and the Spirit’s superintending the writers of Scripture; just as the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, guaranteeing the sinlessness of Christ’s humanity, so the Holy Spirit superintended the human writers to guarantee an inerrant Scripture. By analogy, a denial of one necessitates a denial of the other.

                                                        ii.      The writers of Scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing the inspiration of the books of Scripture. The Spirit’s work in inspiration is synonymous with the Father’s activity who breathed the Scriptures (2Tim. 3:16).

4.       Regeneration (Titus 3:5). To regenerate means to give life. The Holy Spirit causes the new birth; He is its author. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the spiritual counterpart of human reproduction in the physical realm. Human generation produces human life; spiritual regeneration produces spiritual life. The Holy Spirit produces the new birth, but He does it through the instrumentality of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). The same truth is taught in John 3:6 where Jesus indicates the Holy Spirit produces the new birth in that He regenerates the person.

Clearly, based on all of this biblical evidence, we can conclude the Holy Spirit is indeed God very God. By His holy names, all the defining characteristics of a divine being, and common activities with the other members of the Godhead, we can correctly view Him as distinctively God. I have a friend, Missionary-Pastor Woody serving in Germany, who would periodically say, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like duck, flies like a duck, and swims like a duck, then it is safe to conclude it is indeed a duck." I also learned in one of my first theology courses years ago that "things that are different are not the same." I'd like to suggest that the opposite is also true..."things that are NOT different are the same!" Beloved, just as the Father and the Son are indeed God very God, so it is with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is wonderfully deity like the other members of the Godhead. Again, all of the evidence in Scripture verifies that He is divine. Will you then relate to Him and treat Him like God?

Not Condemned!

ROMANS 8:1-4

THEME: practical righteous living is ours through our Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

How do believers live holy unto the Lord? Is it by trying really hard to observe laws and rules? Could it be that it is through the Spirit of Christ empowering submissive believers to obey God’s will? Trying to obey spiritual laws without the Holy Spirit’s power will only lead to carnal living in bondage to sin, self-sufficiency, and selfishness. It is the equivalent of forsaking the gift of a brand new luxury car insisting upon crawling on your knees to your various destinations! Relying on personal strength and determination will only make us more aware of our need for a way of escape from the constant, wearying struggles of trying to live holy. Beloved, it is through Jesus Christ our Lord and the power of the Spirit that our lives are changed for the better. So, how can we escape and truly practice righteousness in our daily experiences?

Again, the key to holy living is the Holy Spirit. He is highlighted about 19 times throughout this great chapter. Someone has wisely observed that, this is in contrast to the “I,” “Me” and “My” of chapter 7.  When we attempt to live up to God’s high standards of perfection in the energy of our human strength, we become a miserable, struggling, sin dominated, contradiction of paradoxes!  But as the Spirit works in us Believer, we discover positive changes, freedom from sinful practices, power to walk in the truth, and real sanctification.

Now let us look together at how the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. Once more the key is the person of the Holy Spirit; victory over habitual sin does not rest solely in human will power and determination but in the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

LESSON:

WE ARE DELIVERED FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LAW  

Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The characteristics of the carnal Christian are that he is defeated and frustrated by the law of God.  He is keenly aware of what the law demands but finds no ability to perform on that level within the realm of his own strength and ability.  Such a person is still held tightly within the bandage of the flesh and cannot behave in a manner pleasing to God.  The result is a discouraged, defeated, disillusioned, and frustrated existence. They feel condemned!  

THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION

The Law condemns the guilty sinner to death and hell forever!  But not so for the repentant sinner in Christ!

There is therefore now no condemnation! This is the victory cry of the saint who stops trying in their strength and starts trusting in God’s redeeming power.  Paul here claims from the valley of despair and defeat in chapter 7 to the mountain top of triumph in Chapter 8 and proclaims that He is no longer Condemned!

No condemnation means that the believer is not doomed or damned to Hell, but is forever freed from the penalty of sin and has the power to conquer habitual sin.  There is no divine condemnation to all believers!  We have credit for righteousness because of faith in Christ as Savior.  The Law Condemns but the Believer has a new relationship to the Law.

This passage does not teach that we won’t ever sin again, nor that we are incapable of making mistakes. It does not say “no failures” “no mistakes” or “no sins.”  We do fail and make mistakes and we do sin.  And we suffer the consequences of our actions. It is the work of the Spirit of God to enable us to live righteous and put sinful practices out of our lives.

THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS

Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So, who is not condemned? The key to this blessed deliverance from condemnation is to be “in Christ!” Genuine believers are the focus in this incredible passage because we reside in Christ. Note how Paul uses the term “in Christ” often.

2 Cor 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Rom 16:7, Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Gal 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s favorite phrase “in Christ” denotes a new sphere into which the Believer is brought at conversion. Because we are in Christ we are entirely new creatures, identified with other saved individuals, and share a common bond with believers that transcends and supersedes our nationality, ethnicity, social status, and gender. Beloved, it is one thing to anticipate living in Heaven one day, but right now we live in an excellently extraordinary place called “in Christ”! This is the place we inhabit and here we are free from divine judgment, condemnation by the Law, the threat of Hell and the wrath of God in any shape or form. Our new Position frees us from any threat of condemnation because the crucified and resurrected Christ cannot be judged for sin again! The believer is eternally safe from divine judgment because we are in Christ!

Consider for illustrative purposes NOAH and The ARK. Sometimes it is difficult to understand New Testament truths, and it helps to go to the Old Testament and find an adequate illustration.    When Noah was finished with the Ark a perfect way of escape from divine wrath was provided.  Then the invitation was given, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Gen. 7:1). Now the ark was pitched “within and without witch pitch.”  The word “pitch” is interesting because it is the same word in Hebrew for “atonement.” Therefore, between the waters of Judgment outside and the saved individuals inside the ark was the Wood of the Ark and Pitch.  A Picture of salvation through bloodshed on a wooden cross providing atonement. Once Noah and his family were safely in the Ark, we read that “the LORD shut him in” (Gen. 7:16). Inside is where we find complete security. God did not say to Noah after the ark was completed, “Now Noah, I want you to take eight spikes and drive them into the outside timbers of the ark.  So long as you and your family hang on you will be saved, but if you ever let go you will be lost.”  No!  God shut him in. What it meant for Noah to be “in the Ark,” it means for us to be “in Christ.”  In Him, God has placed us in a sphere where His wrath can never ever ever reach us, and we are as secure as Christ can make us. Beloved, there is absolutely no condemnation for sin.

Condemnation is for those who are "in Adam" according to Romans 5:12-21. Such persons are lost without God and eternally hopeless because they have never embraced the Lord Jesus by faith. Sin dominates, controls, and motivates them just as it once did to us. They still need to acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God sent into the world to provide a means of redemption. These folks have not come to the conclusion there is nothing they can do to rescue themselves from eternal separation from God. They must turn from their unbelief, rejection of God, acknowledge their sinfulness, and trust Jesus Christ, the Savior.

In addition, one cannot be in Christ and in Adam at the same time. To be “in Adam” is to be lost, condemned, without hope, and separated from God. Nor can one go back to being in Adam again, that is losing their salvation. Deliverance from eternal condemnation is salvation, and it is based entirely on the undeserved favor and mercy of God. Such deliverance is NEVER based on our performance, church membership, baptism, other church rituals, or good deeds in the community. Salvation is always all of God's Grace, and God’s salvation keeps the repentant sinner “in Christ” secure from the rains of God’s wrath! We are as free from condemnation as Christ is! Note what John says,

John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

“Reach my blest Savior first, Take Him from God’s esteem; Prove Jesus bears one spot of sin, Then tell me I’m unclean.”--W. N. Tomkins

By virtue of this wonderful truth, we can also apply it to our tendency to condemn ourselves.  Paul actually described this in Ch. 7's struggling and frustrating experience.  Yes, we cannot fulfill the law’s requirements in ourselves, but there is no need to live in condemnation and defeat! The Spirit of God will empower us!

WALKING AFTER THE FLESH

Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So, real believers are not condemned because we are "in Christ" and we do not walk after the flesh.  No, real believers are after the Spirit. 

Well, what is the flesh? The flesh in this text refers to the old sinful nature and not the physical human body. It is human sinful corruption and the associated weaknesses we all were plagued with before we trusted Christ. We were born this way—sinful and motivated to sin more and more. Our tendency was towards sinful living. We had nothing to do with God and were free of any legitimate relationship with Him. There was no strength and power but human fallen inability. The Spirit did not indwell or empower us.

You see, there are two natures that are within every true believer, and they are the Adamic nature and the Godly nature. The Adamic nature is the one each sinner is born with and renders us incapable of doing anything good or right from God’s perspective. This nature does not evaporate when we are saved; it’s power is broken, but it remains a part of our lives. The godly new nature, which is literally the nature of God, is only capable of doing everything right. It can do no wrong at all according to 1 John 3:9. The two natures obviously exist in conflict and contradiction and are totally irreconcilable. In Romans 8:1, Paul is referring to the old fallen Adamic nature and lost condition. While all believers possess two natures, we do not remain in two states! 

To walk after the flesh is the same as saying a person is lost—they reside in the old nature. Understand this is not a reference to a carnal believer struggling with sinful habits and actions. This condition is the same as mentioned in verses 4 and 5, “they that are after the flesh” and in verse 6, “For to be carnally minded is death.” The individual’s entire orientation is that of a lost and condemned person. Being after the flesh and being after the Spirit are mutually exclusive. Then the same thought appears in verse 9, “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”  To be in the flesh is obviously the position of the lost person--the unsaved state or condition. To be in the Spirit is the position of a saved individual. Again, the two positions are mutually exclusive. We are in one state or the other, but not both at the same time. This describes the persons who are not in Christ and are not in the Spirit but instead are in the flesh and carnal—lost and without God having not the Spirit. Paul is emphasizing that those "in Christ" are definitely not those who "walk after the flesh."

The point here is real believers have life in the Spirit and are NOT of those who are still condemned because they are still oriented to their fallen carnal unredeemed human nature. Those of us "in Christ" do not walk "after the flesh" because our position and orientation is "after the Spirit." It is either one or the other here, and never both.  We are either in Christ or in Adam, but never both. We are not condemned because of this vital position “in Christ” who satisfied all the Law’s just requirements on our behalf. Thus, Paul describes us as "after the Spirit"--a saved individual; saved persons are not condemned. 

In contrast, to live after the flesh (Rom. 8:12, 13) is referring to a carnal lifestyle of a believer. This individual fails to recognize the value of Christ’s death and resurrection. They have not realized the life and power available to them in the Holy Spirit in daily practical ways. They may even be sincerely trying to live godly in mere human strength alone as Paul was in Romans chapter 7. Such persons do not habitually yield themselves to God to live out His plan for them. Clearly, the believer is called to abandon any carnal living and, we are obligated to live decisively in the power of the Spirit.

WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT

Rom 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

To walk after the Spirit here just simply means that the person is saved. This is not a reference to our behavior as worldly, carnal, fleshly, or even spiritual. The phrase does not describe godly expression, but an “in Christ” position. Those of us in Christ are walking after the Spirit; this is our true spiritual orientation. We are saved by grace and through faith in the finish work of Christ at Calvary. Paul refers to us as walking after the Spirit. Again, this phrase is not a description of a deeply spiritual lifestyle! To define the phrase this way would actually destroy the gospel of grace and establish a work’s basis for remaining saved! The declaration of “No Condemnation” would make no sense at all if this was the case!

The wonderful truth here is that real believers are delivered from the condemnation of God’s Law through the Lord Jesus Christ. We need not worry about being finally condemned by God, because God already condemned the Lord Jesus in our place. The Law required perfect justice—death is the penalty for braking God’s holy Law. Well, we all were guilty before God for violating His perfect standard of righteousness. The Law shows us we are sinners in need of a perfect Savior. Jesus Christ is the only one who ever lived up to God perfect expectations in a human experience. Jesus then paid for all sin through His sacrificial death at Calvary. Anyone who accepts this payment for their sins by faith will be forgiven and accepted by God. You see, the Christ who died for us is alive to save those who trust him for forgiveness of sins and a new beginning. 

Beloved, real believers are free from any obligations to the Law because we are in the Christ who satisfied all its demands. Thus, we are not condemned by God or His Law. We have so many reasons to rejoice and thank God for His perfect solution to our incredible sin problem--Jesus Christ. Our obligations to live for God are not eliminated by this, but instead they are escalated and further amplified by it. We are not free to live lawless and ungodly, but to live holy in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, because of faith in Jesus Christ we are not condemned by God. Have you placed your hope and trust in Jesus Christ, The Savior?