Live Under the Influence (A sermon based on Romans 8:1-10)

Live Under the Influence
A sermon based on Romans 8:1-10
Sunday, March 15, 2009 – Lent 4B

A young pastor once tried to use an object lesson from the pulpit. He brought a jar of dirt to the pulpit in which he said were half a dozen earth worms. He then pulled a bottle from behind the pulpit and proceeded to pour some whiskey into the jar. Within a few minutes, the worms had wiggled to the top to escape the alcohol, but it was too strong. They soon died, floating at the top of the jar. Thinking he had made his graphic, yet vivid point, he asked the congregation, "Now, what have you learned about drinking alcohol?" To which a little old lady quickly replied, "Drink lots, so you don't get worms!"

Now that lady might not have been a good candidate to invite to our Six-Pack Sessions. And even though she missed the point, her pastor rightly warned against the dangers of drinking too much. Now there's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a drink now and then, but it becomes a dangerous thing when you're controlled by it. It loses jobs, ruins marriages and tear families apart, and by driving under the influence or by destroying your liver it can even be deadly.

Like it or not, every one of us is constantly under the influence of something or someone. Something influences our attitudes, guides our actions, and controls our choices. So the big question is "What is that something? What influences you?" For the unbeliever the answer is, "The sinful nature." It influences and controls every decision in life. But for the believer the answer is "The Holy Spirit." He controls our thoughts and our actions in ways that are pleasing to God.

In Romans 8, the apostle Paul reveals the difference between the two. And this morning as we consider his words, we rejoice that we live under the influence, not controlled by the sinful nature, but now controlled by the Holy Spirit. Listen now Romans 8:1-10...

¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. ⁵ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

1. Not Controlled by the Sinful Nature

Do you like to be influenced by others, to be controlled like a puppet, to be treated like a slave or to be used as a pawn? If not... too bad. Like it or not, we are all controlled. Don't believe me? Do you think to yourself, "I'm no puppet! I'm no pawn! I'm my own man! I make my own decisions and choices! I don't do what others tell me! I'm no slave to anyone!"? Funny. That's exactly what the Pharisees said to Jesus when he told them he had come to set them free. In John 8:33 they said, "We... have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" [to which] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."(John 8:33-34)

The truth is we are not only under the influence of our sinful natures, but by nature we were completely controlled by them, born as slaves to the sinful nature that controlled all we did. Listen again to how Paul describes the way we were once influenced and even controlled... ⁵ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires... ⁶ The mind of sinful man is death... ⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Worse than just being influenced, our sinful natures held us captive, like some mind-controlling drug, where every thought, every attitude, every action, was driven to serve those sinful natures. We only asked, "What's in it for me?" And while we may have looked like good and decent citizens outwardly, even our acts of kindness were driven by our desire to feel better about ourselves.

Then, God revealed his law—through someone else or just through our consciences—and while it promised eternal life if we could keep it well enough, it held a standard so high that it was impossible to keep. We could not please God. And so, the law, "powerless to [save us, being] weakened by the sinful nature" held us captive—enslaved. And with these impossible demands placed upon us by a holy God, we were inwardly hostile to him for demanding what we could never do.

Controlled by the sinful nature, we could only go on hating God, boasting in our pitiful works, while being weighed down by the law. And not keeping the law, or even coming close, we were condemned to die. Like the drug addict who is driven by that addiction ever closer to an early death, our sin addiction drove us ever closer to a spiritual and eternal death in hell.

But... that is what we were! Past tense! We've been set free! We're not controlled by the sinful or under it's influence any more! Listen to the beautiful gospel comfort Paul gives... "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do... God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us..."

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Have you shopped for a cell phone plan lately? Or at least have you seen the commercials? The latest fad is to have a network of friends who are "in" your circle—it doesn't count against you to make or receive calls from those who are in your network of friends. Most plans offer about 5 friends. But Jesus says that he has a plan where we're all in his circle. And for us who are in Christ Jesus (through faith), we're set free!

Through Jesus, who lived the perfect life that we could not and kept God's law in every way in our place, and by sacrificing his life as a sin offering in our place, you and I have been set free! We've been set free from sin since it has been condemned and destroyed in the cross. We've been set free from the impossibl demands of the law, since, through Jesus, it's requirements have been fully met in us. And we've been set free from death. Sinless and holy in God's sight, we're no longer condemned to die forever in hell!

And, now, though these freedoms, we've also been set free from from the controlling influence of our sinful natures. We're no longer controlled by the sinful nature, but now controlled by the Holy Spirit. "You... are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit..."

2. Now Controlled by the Holy Spirit

Listen to the way Paul describes the influence we're under now... "[We] do do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit... those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires... the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace... your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

What does it look like to live under the influence of the Spirit? We're now free to do whatever we want? "Wait a second!" you object. "We can do whatever we want?" Yes! Absolutely! Because what we want changes! We're not influenced by the sinful nature, but now desire what the Spirit desires as we long to thank Jesus for the freedom he won for us. And we, who were once hostile to God, now gladly submit ourselves to him and to his will! We're no longer stuck in that "me-first" mindset that once controlled how we lived. Our minds are no longer set on how to please me, but how to please God. So, yes, we can do whatever we want.

St. Augustine once put it this way: he said, "Love God, and do what you please." You see he knew that when we truly loved God for setting us free from sin, from the control of our sinful natures, and from the eternal death that should have been ours, now what pleases us most is to do whatever pleases him.

That means that following his example, we don't live to serve ourselves, but others. We don't expect to be served, but want to serve. We gladly give up our right to rest and relaxation when someone else needs to talk or needs some help—eager to please Jesus. We gladly do more than our fair share of the work to pick up the slack of others—eager to please Jesus. We gladly endure persecution and ridicule for our faith—eager to please Jesus. We love God and do what we please.

And as the Holy Spirit continues to influence our lives, keeping us focused on Jesus and his cross, then all the more what will please us most is to serve him by serving others.

Do you like to be influenced by others, to be controlled like a puppet, to be treated like a slave or to be used as a pawn? Not if it's the sinful nature, that leads us hate God, live selfishly, and plummet into eternal death in hell. But thank God there's another option. As he sends the Holy Spirit into our lives, not by force, but willingly and gladly, we let ourselves our be influenced ever more and more. And then, what life we have! What peace! Our spirits will be more and more alive because of righteousness! May God continue to bless you richly through his Word that you might always live under the influence of his Spirit. In Jesus name, dear friends, amen.