Living With Confidence From Romans 8Sample

Confidence in sport isn’t found in having a flamboyant nature, or walking with extra intent and swagger between holes. No, all the sports psychologists talk about confidence emerging from inner convictions. It comes from a belief in your ability that flows into what can be witnessed on the track, in the pool or on the court.Confidence stems from within and can be seen outworked on the field of play.

Where does a Christian's confidence come from?

It’s not from the external behavior, the things I do (or don’t do), the places I go (or don’t go) the things I say (or don’t say).No, a Christians’ confidence is in their right standing before God, achieved by his son the Lord Jesus and confirmed internally by the work of his Spirt within - and its fabulous!

Let’s drop back into Romans 8 and take those first four verses.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Last time we saw that there was now no condemnation for those who trust in Jesus. That’s fundamental and irreversible. Today we see how that new position before God has been achieved.

This is a work of releasing captives, of loosening chains that bound and of leading prisoners to their freedom.

In verse 2 Paul says: “through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

It’s the work of Christ Jesus and the Spirit combined that free’s the captured soul.

The work of Christ Jesus

Paul goes on in verse 3 to describe what Jesus became.

When he died on the cross he became a “sin offering”. That in effect means that he became our sin and was treated as sin deserves - condemned and punished to death.

Why did this have to happen? Why did the almighty son of God, the one who created all things have to suffer and die at the hands of those he had created?

Paul answers it in v4 “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us.”

God has established a requirement that is good and in line with his character of righteousness. This is seen in the law that he gave to Moses. Yet, the law itself cannot bring us to that right standing before a God who is Holy. Why? Because my sinful flesh is unable to keep the law and therefore meet its righteous requirements.

My confidence cannot be in the things that I do, for I always fall far short of God’s standards and therefore face his condemnation.

Jesus becomes my sinful self and whilst taking the punishment I deserve he gives me his sinless self, that means the righteous requirements of God’s law have been met.

There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

The work of the Spirit

The work of Christ is brought to life by the work of the Spirit in the heart of the believer. Back in verse 2 we see that the Spirit has set us free from “the law of sin and death”.

Not only has my standing before God been changed but my inner being has been transformed.I have a new heart and I have been set free from the chains that bound me.

What truth to take into another game day.

You have been released from captivity. You have been transformed to play with freedom.

Jesus has paid it all. The Spirit enables it all.

Go and play with an inner confidence that cannot be extinguished!

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the work of Jesus on the cross in becoming that ‘sin offering.' Thank you for the work of the Spirit that sets me free from the ‘law of sin and death.' Help me to go and play my sport today, trusting that Jesus has paid it all and that your Spirit is alive in me.

In your name,

Amen