Summary: In the last episode we discussed what it takes to "Live a Life with God in Freedom." 1. We Need faith in God... 2. We Need to believe in our forgiveness... through Christ 3. We Need to keep our eyes on the prize... * We have No more Sin... because of Christ... * Our accuser is destroyed... by Christ... * We are Reconciled with God forever... through Christ Does God judge us? No we allow ourselves and others to condemn us.... No one knows how to overcome a problem like someone who has overcome the same problem... So we need to turn to someone who struggled with "Living with God in Freedom" just like us... Someone credible like The Apostle Paul... Paul was just like any of us. After His conversion Paul was haunted by his past... 1Tim 1:15 - Paul says of himself that among sinners he's foremost... 1Cor 15:9 - He says he's the least of the Apostles... Eph 3:8 - He says he's the least of the saints (believers)... Romans 7 - we see how Paul struggled with his failings... Acts 26:9-11 - Paul recounts his actions that haunt him... But, Paul found the key to set himself free from his guilt and condemnation... And He gives us this key in Rom 8:1-4... The Law of Sin and Death vs. The Law of the Spirit of Life - Paul didn't say the Law of the Spirit of sinlessness and life vs. the Law of Sin and death... Why? Because the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ doesn't make us sinless... we are sinners justified by the sacrifice of Christ... and we should never forget this... Why can't we accept the fact that we're sinners? Jesus accepts us the way we are... We also need to see this and break free from the lie... The Law of Sin and Death vs. The Law of the Spirit of Life Paul puts our situation like this, "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good." Rom 7:21 And Paul concludes in Rom 7:25... There is a Law of Sin and Death that's governed by the physical world (flesh). There is a Law of Life that's governed by the spiritual world. The Law of the physical world can't give us life because the flesh is weak. The Law of the spiritual world can give us life because the spirit of Christ is strong. The Law that governs our physical existence condemns us. The Law that governs our spiritual existence justifies us because Christ is the Spirit. To the Corinthians Paul calls these 2 Laws, "the ministry of condemnation vs. the ministry of righteousness." (2 Cor 3:9). In 2 Cor 3:17 Paul says this "Spirit" is Christ, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." When Moses gave the Law to Israel he had to cover his face with a veil because he was in the presence of the Glory of God and it made the face of Moses glow, and the people couldn't bear to look upon him. Paul explained that this showed that the glory of the Law was hidden to the people. But, Paul says in 2Cor 3:18, "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." Paul is contrasting Moses and Christ. When Christ gave the Spirit to believers there was no such veil that hide the glory of Christ from us. We behold Christ like looking in a mirror, and seeing that glory we are transformed into the same image. The Glory of Christ is Salvation! What image do we see in the mirror? A sinner? A Saint? Do we see someone who works really hard, but always seems to stumble? Do we see a self-righteous person? Or do we see Christ? We change or grow into the image we see. "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Job 33:4 Job is speaking of the spiritual man here, not his physical body. The Spirit of Christ has made me, and that Spirit has given me life! And it makes you and gives you life also.... In the physical world we are Ambassadors of Reconciliation, not by our actions,
