Embracing Our New Identity in Christ
Summary
In our journey through life, we often find ourselves burdened by feelings of inadequacy and condemnation, whether from our own self-criticism or the judgments of others. Yet, the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us a profound truth: we are given a clean slate, a new beginning, every moment. This transformative power of the gospel is akin to the awe-inspiring feats of modern technology, like SpaceX's incredible rocket launches, which defy our understanding and expectations. Just as these technological marvels seem impossible, so too does the gospel's promise of salvation and eternal life with God. It is a reminder that God catches us in our sin and despair, heals us, and sets us free to live a new life in Christ.
As we delve into Romans 8, we see Paul articulating the radical change brought about by the gospel. He emphasizes that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, for we live in the righteousness of Christ. This is a powerful reminder that God does not hold our past against us; instead, He offers us a clean slate. The law of the Spirit, which gives life, sets us free from the law of sin and death. Through Jesus, we are no longer bound by the flesh but are empowered by the Spirit to live a life of righteousness.
Paul further explains that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, enabling us to live according to God's will. This indwelling Spirit transforms us from the inside out, allowing us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit rather than the flesh. It is a call to truly know Jesus, not just know about Him, and to live a life led by the Spirit. This new life in Christ is marked by a deep intimacy with God, where we can call Him "Abba, Father," reflecting our adoption as His children.
As children of God, we are heirs with Christ, sharing in His sufferings and glory. This assurance of our identity and inheritance in Christ gives us hope and strength to face life's challenges. No matter what we encounter, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is the security and promise we hold onto, knowing that God is for us and with us every step of the way.
Key Takeaways:
- The gospel offers us a clean slate, freeing us from condemnation and self-doubt. In Christ, we are given a new beginning, and God sees us through the lens of His righteousness, not our past mistakes. This truth is a powerful reminder that we are enough in God's eyes, and His love defines our worth. [05:18]
- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, enabling us to live according to God's will. This transformation is not always immediately perceptible, but it is a profound change that aligns our lives with the Spirit's desires. It is a call to live a life led by the Spirit, setting our minds on things above. [09:11]
- Knowing Jesus is more than knowing about Him; it is an intimate relationship that shapes our lives. This relationship allows us to set our minds on Christ and experience the fullness of life He offers. It is a journey of faith where we are continually transformed by His presence within us. [12:48]
- Our adoption as God's children gives us a new identity and inheritance in Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His sufferings and glory. This assurance of our identity in Christ provides hope and strength to face life's challenges, knowing that we are deeply loved and secure in Him. [22:58]
- Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This unshakeable truth is our security and hope, reminding us that God is for us and with us in every circumstance. His love is constant and unwavering, providing us with the strength to overcome any obstacle. [28:50]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:14] - The Awe of the Gospel
[03:21] - No Condemnation in Christ
[05:18] - A Clean Slate
[07:14] - The Law of the Spirit
[09:11] - Transformation by the Spirit
[10:24] - Mindset of the Spirit
[12:48] - Knowing Jesus
[14:54] - The Christian Life
[16:33] - Hope in Resurrection
[18:29] - Spirit vs. Flesh
[20:58] - Led by the Spirit
[22:58] - Adoption as God's Children
[26:43] - God is For Us
[28:50] - Unshakeable Love
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Romans 8:1-17
- Romans 8:31-39
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean when he says there is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"? How does this relate to the concept of a "clean slate"? [05:18]
2. How does Paul describe the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? What transformation does the Spirit bring? [09:11]
3. What does it mean to be "led by the Spirit of God" and how does this relate to being children of God? [20:58]
4. According to the sermon, what assurance do we have about our identity and inheritance as children of God? [22:58]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the promise of "no condemnation" impact a believer's understanding of their relationship with God? [05:18]
2. In what ways does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit change a believer's mindset and actions? How is this transformation described in the sermon? [09:11]
3. What does it mean to truly know Jesus, as opposed to just knowing about Him? How does this distinction affect one's faith journey? [12:48]
4. How does the assurance of being co-heirs with Christ provide hope and strength in facing life's challenges? [22:58]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt condemned by your past mistakes. How can the truth of "no condemnation" in Christ help you move forward? [05:18]
2. Identify an area in your life where you struggle to live according to the Spirit. What steps can you take to align your actions with the Spirit's desires? [09:11]
3. Consider your current relationship with Jesus. How can you deepen this relationship to truly know Him, rather than just knowing about Him? [12:48]
4. How does your identity as a child of God influence the way you handle difficult situations? Share a recent experience where this identity provided you with strength. [22:58]
5. What are some practical ways you can remind yourself of God's unshakeable love during challenging times? [28:50]
6. Think of a specific challenge you are currently facing. How does the assurance that "God is for us" change your perspective on this situation? [26:43]
7. How can you actively surrender control to the Holy Spirit in your daily life, allowing Him to guide your decisions and actions? [20:00]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: Embracing a New Beginning
In life, we often carry the weight of our past mistakes and the judgments of others, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. However, the gospel of Jesus Christ offers a liberating truth: in Christ, we are given a clean slate and a new beginning. This means that God sees us through the lens of His righteousness, not our past failures. The transformative power of the gospel is like the awe-inspiring feats of modern technology, such as SpaceX's rocket launches, which defy our understanding and expectations. Just as these technological marvels seem impossible, so too does the gospel's promise of salvation and eternal life with God. This truth is a powerful reminder that we are enough in God's eyes, and His love defines our worth. [05:18]
"For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:12, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a past mistake that you have been holding onto. How can you embrace the clean slate God offers you today and move forward in His grace?
Day 2: Transformation from Within
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a profound gift that transforms us from the inside out, enabling us to live according to God's will. This transformation is not always immediately perceptible, but it aligns our lives with the Spirit's desires, calling us to set our minds on things above. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life led by the Spirit, rather than being bound by the flesh. This transformation is a journey of faith, where we are continually shaped and molded by the Spirit's presence within us. It is a call to live a life that reflects the character and love of Christ. [09:11]
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you sense the Holy Spirit calling you to change? How can you cooperate with the Spirit's work in you today?
Day 3: Knowing Jesus Intimately
Knowing Jesus is more than just knowing about Him; it is an intimate relationship that shapes our lives. This relationship allows us to set our minds on Christ and experience the fullness of life He offers. It is a journey of faith where we are continually transformed by His presence within us. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we learn to trust Him more deeply and follow His leading in every aspect of our lives. This intimacy with Christ is marked by a deep sense of belonging and purpose, as we are drawn closer to Him and His love. [12:48]
"That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." (Philippians 3:10, ESV)
Reflection: How can you deepen your relationship with Jesus today? What specific steps can you take to know Him more intimately?
Day 4: Our Identity as God's Children
Our adoption as God's children gives us a new identity and inheritance in Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His sufferings and glory. This assurance of our identity in Christ provides hope and strength to face life's challenges, knowing that we are deeply loved and secure in Him. As children of God, we have the privilege of calling Him "Abba, Father," reflecting our intimate relationship with Him. This identity shapes how we see ourselves and how we live, as we embrace the truth of who we are in Christ. [22:58]
"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:16-17, ESV)
Reflection: How does your identity as a child of God influence the way you live your life? What changes might you need to make to align more closely with this identity?
Day 5: The Unshakeable Love of God
Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This unshakeable truth is our security and hope, reminding us that God is for us and with us in every circumstance. His love is constant and unwavering, providing us with the strength to overcome any obstacle. This assurance of God's love gives us the courage to face life's challenges with confidence, knowing that we are never alone. It is a reminder that no matter what we encounter, we are held securely in the arms of our loving Father. [28:50]
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to be reminded of God's unshakeable love? How can you rest in the assurance of His love today?
Quotes
1. "God gives us, miraculously, this clean slate, this new beginning every single minute, and the problem is, is we often live our lives beating ourselves up over whatever we perceive to be wrong or inadequate or not enough, or we listen to other people beating us up about how we are not enough or we are somehow less than, and we start to believe it, and we start to forget that the gospel actually changed everything." ([00:00:01] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "And I think if that's so mind-bending and I can't get my head around it, what about the gospel of Jesus Christ? The gospel is the power of God for salvation. Death is conquered and eternal life with God is secured. He catches us impossibly in our sin, in our death, in our despair. He catches us. He heals us. He restores us. He sets us free to relaunch into our new trajectory of life, our new life with Jesus Christ. Impossible." ([00:01:59] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "We co-live with Jesus Christ now. This is the symbolism of baptism. We co-died with Jesus as he died on the cross and paid the price for sins. We die with him. When he rose again, we rise with him. And in that way, we have new life because we participated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as he did it. And it's, of course, a huge idea that we can't really get our minds around. But this is what Paul is saying happened. This crazy new reality that really we didn't do, we have access to by grace through faith." ([00:03:21] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. No condemnation, not from God, not from anyone else, because we live in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, as if it were our own. It's hard to remember sometimes, especially when you're going through something. But how important to remember when God says, lovingly, looks into your eyes and says, you are not condemned. I will not condemn you. There's nothing to condemn. You have a clean slate." ([00:04:10] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "The Holy Spirit now, through Jesus, dwells within us, so the righteous requirement of the law is made in us, from the inside out, because the Holy Spirit now lives inside of us. Again, another huge idea that has taken 2,000 years to unpack. What Paul is saying is, is that these are the mechanics. You have now this new spirit, the Spirit of God, the law of the Spirit that will be dictating your life, or in your, in a present in your life in a different way than it was before." ([00:08:48] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "But the truth is, you can't set your mind to something that you don't know. This is Paul's point. You can't set your mind on Jesus without knowing Jesus and this is the big important distinction of church life is that you could know all about Jesus and not know Jesus in the same way that I could probably look you up on Facebook and I could know a lot about you scarily it doesn't mean I know you I don't know you at all." ([00:12:48] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "And that this regenerative experience enables us to set our mind on Christ because now we can know him. Why? Because he dwells within us through the Holy Spirit. And well, you probably know this to be true. You ever have, I know I've had this in my life where, you know, I have friends or family and I'll say something and they will not understand what the heck I'm talking about." ([00:14:54] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. And if you don't know In other words, if the same Spirit that was in Jesus Christ, is now in you, you're going to see some of the same effects of the Spirit. It's the same Spirit at work. That's why we have hope for resurrection." ([00:16:33] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "But it's, this is the surrender part. Yes, there's a new reality. The Holy Spirit now sits in the driver's seat of our lives. Praise God. Which makes everything possible in our new life with Christ. But now we've got to keep surrendering so that we allow the Spirit to take us where he wants us to go. That's like the rest of the Christian life. So there's the regenerative. Now we've got the new resident spirit within us, the Holy Spirit. And now there's the rest. The rest of the Christian life." ([00:20:26] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "And he says now, Paul's saying now, we can be that intimate with God because he's living in us. He has adopted us as his children. I've told you this story before, but I was adopted legally when I was in high school. Even though my stepfather's a father that really. He raised me since I was five. But it wasn't until high school that we made it official. And I thought the weirdest thing, but also the coolest thing. I was always embarrassed by my birth name. And you know, every school year I'd have to try to catch the teacher before class started. Because I didn't want to hear him say the wrong name. Him or her say the wrong name. And then I'd have to correct it. And everybody would look around. It just, it was a weird feeling I didn't like. And, but I remember after the official court date. And in the mail a few weeks later, I got my birth certificate. With, with Tucker on it." ([00:22:09] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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