Bible Study Moments: Emancipated: No Obligation
Snippets From the Word
Romans 8:5-13
Emancipated: No Obligation
The next sermon of the series on Romans 8 at Grace Church in Des Moines, Iowa, causes me to evaluate what I routinely and generally think about. What do I do with my thoughts?
This brings new meaning to the phrase, “I think I’ve lost my mind.”
So how does one manage all our random thoughts—both positive and negative—and have peace with God?
I remember the marvelous excerise my mentor gave to me during my first year as a believer.
I made a chart from the categories listed in Phillipians 4:8 and I wrote down everything I could think of and if it didn’t fit into one of the categories that God says we should let our minds dwell on, I would place it in a “to get rid of” category. The following verse outlines the either categories to think on.
“…Whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence,
and if anything worthy of praise,
let your mind dwell on these things.” ~Phillipians 4:8 NASB
So, as the pastor said, “How can we, though still sinners, walk like saints?”
The things we think about matter to God. They matter to others because what we think, “determines…
where we are headed.
who we are becoming, and
who is at home in our heart.
The main points of the sermon are as follows:
RECOGNIZE the problems in our mind. (Rom 8:5-8)
RELY on the promise of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 8: 9-11)
REJOICE in the proclamation of freedom. (Rom 8:12-13)
So much of our thought patterns and ideas of our own devices, are not honorable nor what God would want of us. We can only be truly free of our old sin nature and find freedom from our old life when we rely on the Lord for our inner thoughts and learn to take captive our mind.
I cling to some verses and repeat them here. 2 Corinthians 3:17 is one of those verses.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
I know this doesn’t mean to just go ahead and think and do whatever you please. Quite the contrary. It means that I don’t have to think about sin and contemplate evil because I have been changed. I have been made new in my mind. I am no longer under obligation to sin. But I have been made free!
Jesus Christ is our marvelous freedom to think about all that is good, and noble and pure and holy. Hallelujah!
God has adopted me into His family and calls me His own child. And I am His. Forever.
I am loved, saved, privileged, liberated, emancipated, and comforted.
The book of Romans, chapter 8.
Praise the Lord!
An ongoing photographic journey of sermon art journaling, Bible marking, and Scripture illustrations.
Please freely share on Pinterest or social media or download for your personal use.
SERMON NOTE PAGES
If you enjoy these pages, please press the pinterest share button which hovers over many of the photos OR send the website link to your friends. Have a lovely spirit-filled day.
Grace Church in Des Moines, Iowa, hosts live streaming of worship services and FB live on Wednesday evenings.
Check on the Church website for changing details, and join us each Sunday and Wednesday.