Life in the Spirit

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Dr. David M. Oliver

First United Methodist Church

Massillon, Ohio

July 12, 2026

Text: Romans 8:1-11

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, whose Word is authority and power and whose way is love, grant unto us clear minds, understanding hearts, and willing spirits so that we may wisely appropriate your Word of Truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

If you wish to complete the sermon listening guide in your bulletin, please take it out at this time.

The apostle Paul presents a sharp contrast between life in the Spirit and the life of the flesh. Have you ever wondered what he means when he refers to flesh?

In the Bible, flesh has a three primary meanings.

1. The Physical Body: The literal, material substance of humans or animals. For example, in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,” it refers to Jesus taking on human bodily form.

2. Human Frailty: The weakness, mortality, and limitations of being human, especially when contrasted with God’s eternal strength.

3. The Sinful Nature: This is a primary metaphorical meaning used frequently by Paul. It represents the inward drive toward selfishness, sin, and independence from God. In this understanding, the flesh is constantly at war with God seeking to assert itself rather than being conformed to Christ and submitted to the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses the Greek word sarx for flesh. This term refers to the rebellious, self-centered part of humanity that is alienated from God, is opposed to the Lordship of Jesus, and operates without the Holy Spirit.

By the way, there is always some flesh at work in our lives trying to lead us away from God, others, and our best self. That is why Paul candidly wrote about doing things he did not want to do and not doing the things he wanted to do. His flesh was at war with his spirit (Romans 7:14-20). The same is true for us.

Last week I focused on Jesus Christ as God’s rescue plan to deliver human beings from death to life, from bondage to freedom. You may recall Romans 7:24-25, “…Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In the passage we read this morning Paul writes in verse 8, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Whenever we see the word ‘therefore’ it refers back to what the writer was addressing previously. In this case, Paul was dealing with the reality that we all have an inner struggle between what we should do and what we actually do. Paul honestly admits the struggles in his own life and invites us to be transparent with God about our struggles.

Because of Jesus sinless life, his sacrificial death for our sake on the cross, and his glorious resurrection on the third day, the Good News of the Gospel is that you and I are not doomed because of our mistakes, our sin, or our guilt. Thanks be to God!

Paul writes this powerful sentence to remind us of what God through Jesus has accomplished for us. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1, emphasis added).”

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to memorize this passage along with the chapter and verse. I do it this way. I say, “Romans 8:1, ‘Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 8:1” I say this chapter and verses twice to get it firmly in my mind and hopefully down into my heart. I want to be able to turn to the passage in the future and read it again in context so I commit the biblical reference to memory, not just the words.

Let’s try this together. I will say a phrase and then please repeat after me, “Romans 8:1.” “Therefore, there is now no condemnation.” “For those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1” Let’s do it all together now. “Romans 8:1, ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 8:1”

I spent some time with you on this because I want to introduce to you the simple but valuable tool of Bible memorization. Most of us have not committed to memory much, if any, of the Bible. When we don’t have the Word of God stored up in our hearts, it is not readily useful or available to address the challenges we are daily facing. The consequence is that we default to relying on ourselves and our own judgments rather than relying on the wisdom of God for life.

There is a better way and that is to begin to commit passages like this to memory. Writing your memory verses on an index card and reviewing them periodically is very helpful for retention. It keeps the truth of God in the forefront of our minds.

I can remember in college committing Bible passages to memory. Some of them remain with me to this day. I hadn’t thought of the following passage for a long time but as I was preparing this message it came to mind. Psalm 119:9, 11. It asks the question, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” The answer is found in verse 11, “I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Friends, each of us benefits when we lay up God’s word in our hearts. There is great power in God’s Word because it contains the truth of how to live. It empowers our life in the Spirit. It corrects our thinking. The Word of God helps us examine ourselves accurately and it helps us to know and to do the will of God.

Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The Word of God helps us know and do the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

When Paul wrote to Timothy he said this about God’s Word, “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the person of God may be proficient (meaning complete), equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Friends, this is what life in the Spirit is all about. It is being grounded in the truth of God, living in obedience to Christ with the power of God, and revealing to others the love of God in our words and deeds. Life in the Spirit is living God’s way instead of our own way.

E. Stanley Jones, one of the greatest missionary-evangelists of the Methodist Church in the mid-1900’s once said, “When we live God’s way, we live within the grain of the universe.” When we live according to our way or some other way, we live cross-grain to the intent and design of God’s universe. We either choose daily God’s good, acceptable, perfect way or we choose splinters and sin and the mess that goes with it. We make this choice multiple times every day in our attitudes and actions. The question is, “What are your attitudes and actions revealing about you?” Do they clearly, unmistakably, reflect life in the Spirit or the compromises of life in the flesh?

Returning now to Romans 8:1, let’s repeat it again because repetition is important for retention. “Romans 8:1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Roman 8:1”

I want to point out something else about this potent verse. I learned this from Bishop James S. Thomas, the bishop who taught me preaching at Duke Divinity School and who brought me to East Ohio in 1979. He called passages like this luminous texts. Luminous means to emit, radiate, or reflect light. Luminous describes things that are clear, enlightening, or mentally brilliant. This text is one of the luminous texts of the New Testament. It’s luminous because it is filled with the good news of the love, light, grace and peace of God for you and me in Christ Jesus. It stands like a lighthouse, directing us into the safe harbor of the truth, the hope, and the wisdom and forgiveness of God.

Some might ask, “Why do I need luminous texts like this for my walk of faith?” I will answer that by asking a different question. Have you ever done something which you later regretted? Either by mistake or by intention have you ever done something bad, hurt another person, hurt yourself, deeply embarrassed yourself or your family?

The answer for anyone who has even a modicum of self-awareness is, “Of course!” If you and I took just two minutes and did a quick life review we could come up with a number of things that we have said or done that we regret.

What happens when we remember these experiences? They have a tendency to replay over and over in our minds. As we recall these events, we also re-experience the shame, the guilt, the fear, the remorse, and the embarrassment that originally accompanied them. With these feelings we often have a critical sense of self-judgment.

We may say something like this to ourselves, “Why were you so stupid? Why were you so hard-hearted and judgmental? Why didn’t you use your brain? Why didn’t you let it go? Why didn’t you do something different? Why? Why? Why?”

All of this internal emotional turmoil can be summed up in one word, “condemnation.” Condemnation is the expression of very strong disapproval, the act of declaring something unfit or guilty. The most common use of the word pertains to something moral, legal, or in real estate when a building is condemned because it is no longer safe.

In daily language, condemnation refers to severe criticism or blame, usually directed at an action or behavior deemed morally wrong.

When you and I review in our minds the dumb things we’ve said, done, or held as a negative thought such a racist attitudes toward someone who is different than us, we experience condemnation.

Condemnation functions like an ever-deepening trap. The more we focus on our failures, the deeper we dig that hole of condemnation and judge ourselves as unworthy of being loved. Condemnation reinforces our sense of unworthiness…unworthy of forgiveness, unworthy of acceptance, unworthy of mercy.

Condemnation is the opposite of the Good News. The Good New says that God so loved that world, you and me, that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. God sent his son into the world not to what … not to condemn the world but that you and I might be saved through him. Where is that passage found?  John 3:16-17. It’s another luminous text worthy of memorization.

I used to fall into the trap of condemnation. I would remember some event and ask Christ for forgiveness repeatedly. He clearly forgave me by his death on the cross but I had trouble letting it go. It was like an old vinyl record that got a scratch in it and the needle would get stuck, playing that part over and over instead of advancing. In the same way, I would play the negative memory over and over. It was exhausting and fruitless. You understand because most, if not all of us, have done the same thing.

I discovered a better way. It entails three steps:

1. Ask Christ for forgiveness.

2. Receive Christ’s forgiveness.

3. Forgive yourself.

Most of us have asked Christ for forgiveness but we haven’t done the other two things—received Christ’s forgiveness and forgiven ourselves. The process is simple to remember but challenging to do especially if we have been used to agreeing with our internal voice of self-condemnation.

We should also keep in mind that our adversary the devil wants to heighten and exploit this self-condemnation. In other words, he wants you and me to get stuck and stay stuck in our sin, shame, and guilt.

When you and I repeatedly replay the words of condemnation, we are agreeing with our accuser who is speaking these words to our minds. The Bible says the devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). We certainly don’t want to agree with his lies about us.

There is a better way. Jesus died for your sin and mistakes. He has set you free. It was done 2000 years ago. Yes, you can ask for forgiveness but also ask Jesus to help you to receive his forgiveness and to forgive yourself.

Please hear this next sentence clearly. God is not glorified by your self-condemnation. Your self-condemnation is not a path to greater freedom or joy. It is a path to greater bondage and hopeless despair. God is glorified when we humbly and gladly accept the full, sufficient sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins.

Hear the word of God in this regard from 1 John 1:5-10, “⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷ but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, [God] who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

I repeat verse 9, “If we confess our sins, [God] who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is another luminous text.

This is why we often have a prayer of confession in worship. We need it. We need God’s freedom from the condemnation and other emotions which accompany our sins.

The next time you make a mistake, utter an unkind word, have an ungodly thought, I encourage you to offer it quickly to Jesus. Confess your sin. Then receive his forgiveness. Embrace and accept Christ’s forgiveness for you. It’s a gift. It is nothing that we earn. Jesus paid the penalty and gave his life for you. The least we can do is to demonstrate our joyful thanksgiving and appreciation by accepting his generous forgiveness and, in turn, forgive ourselves. Having done this, we then walk forward in the freedom of Christ and share his Good News with others.

Let us pray. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord Jesus Christ. When you gave your life on the cross, you made one, perfect, sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world…for those gathered here and for me. We confess our sin to you in the silence (pause). We ask that you would set us free from the patterns of condemnation that have become so familiar.

Lord Jesus, we now receive your forgiveness with profound gratitude in our hearts. Thank you for breaking the power of cancelled sin and setting the prisoners free. Do so now as we receive your forgiveness and help us to truly forgive ourselves. As Psalm 103:12 declares, “As far as the east is from the west so far do you remove our transgressions from us.” Thank you, Lord!  May we also be empowered by you to truly forgive ourselves. Glory to God!  Amen.