Reformation 2 – November 5, 2017
Bible Treasures from the Reformation #6:
Bondage Vs. Freedom
Romans 8:5-10
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus,
After the 95 theses had spread like wildfire thanks to the printing press, Martin Luther realized what an amazing new invention this was. It was truly bigger at the time than the internet and computers and iphones all rolled into one. People everywhere could read articles and get information, when before it was word of mouth or handwritten messages. So Luther became a best-selling author because all of his articles and commentaries were the hottest sellers for the new printing industry. And he didn’t get a dime for any of it, he was just happy that they were getting the message of the Gospel out.
Of all his many articles and treatises that he wrote, there is one that was considered to be one of his most important works. It is called “The Bondage of the Will.” And it is also one of hardest to read, because it was a point by point rebuttal of another article called “The Freedom of the Will.” This had been written by a well-respected theologian named Erasmus, and many people were being persuaded in the wrong direction. That is our topic for today, but I am not going to give you extensive quotes from either article. I want you to see the important points directly from Scripture, which is God’s Word of course and the basis from which Luther was writing in the first place. The debate on this subject between Luther and Erasmus is the classic debate between two authorities. Is the final authority for our teaching going to be based on Scripture alone, or on human reason?
What makes this debate so important is that is very much with us to this very day. And just as in Luther’s time, the popular opinion today would probably agree with Erasmus and human reason. It has to do with choices that you and I make. Do you have free will to choose what you want? Or is your will bound and damaged by sin? The most popular answers to this day, is that you are free to choose what you want. You are free to choose Jesus or the devil, it’s up to you. Doesn’t that sound right? We’re going to see something else directly from the Word of God.
What’s the truth: is it bondage of the will, or freedom of the will? In order to clear out the clutter, I’d like to state the two main points right from the beginning, and then we’ll see it from the Word of God. So here it is:
- When It Comes to Salvation, we are bound.
- When it comes to our Christian life, we are free!
- When It Comes to Salvation, we are bound.
This means that our will is in bondage, we are not free to choose. We just sang about this in our Amazing Grace song: I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see. I was in chains with my sin, but now: “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free!” People in all Christian churches sing that song, but they don’t always consider the implications. The point is: we do not have free will to choose. If you’re lost someone has to find you. If you’re spiritually blind, someone has to heal you. If you’re chained up by sin, someone has to free you!
The way Paul describes the human race is not a pretty picture, which is why most Christians don’t want to take this very seriously. It’s so popular to say: “There’s a little bit of good inside everyone.” But God said, all the way back to the time of Noah that he would not send such a flood again, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. Gen. 8:21
Oh, how we wish this were not true. And you might object: Don’t all people, not just Christians, but doesn’t everyone, make choices? I’m going to be good or I’m going to be bad. I’m going to do the right thing, or I’m going to do the wrong thing. And that is true – everyone is born with a conscience, that tells them: this is right or this is wrong. The OT also says: He has also set eternity in the human heart. Eccl. 3:11. Everyone has a soul, from the image of God, everyone has a sense of the eternal, there’s just got to be something more than this messed-up earthly life. We all have a sense of God. But how do we get past the evil that is also in our hearts? There is nothing we can do for ourselves.
So once again, when it comes to our salvation, we are in bondage, born with the sinful flesh. What Paul says in our text is not pretty.
- They have their minds set on what the flesh desires v.5
- The mind governed by the flesh is death, v.6
- It is hostile to God. v.7
- It does not submit to God's law, v.7
- It can’t submit to God’s law. v.7
- It cannot please God. v.8
And without Jesus, that’s all we’ve got! We’re in bondage to sin and death. That’s why Luther once said that before he really knew the truth about Jesus, he was in prison.
I am surrounded by Four Walls with no escape:
1. God is holy and righteous.
2. God sees that I am a sinner
3. God punishes for sin.
4. God must punish me.
He was in a prison caused by his sins and there was no way out. It was not until he discovered that Jesus had the key to his prison cell. Because Jesus took the punishment we deserved, God no longer punishes us. We are free!
St. Paul’s key thought is this: Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 8:2 The Spirit of life sets me free. His law is the law or principle of faith, and that’s really the Gospel! He uses the Gospel to bring you and me to faith, and that sets us free from sin, death and condemnation. We are free! And Jesus is the key to it all. He has unlocked our prison cell.
So Paul assures us: You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. 8:9 When the Holy Spirit brings us to life and lives in us, we are no longer hostile to God, but we rejoice in everything about God. We have been changed. The sinful flesh no longer controls us, or rules us, but we are controlled and ruled by the Holy Spirit.
With faith in Christ we are free! But then what? What’s next is that we have some choices to make.
- When it comes to our Christian life, we are free!
Are we going to choose to live like Christ, or live like the sinful world? You are now free to make those choices. This past week, most of our children dressed up for Halloween, and they made choices. Do I want to be a superhero, or a princess? Or do I want to be King Kong or some other scary kind of creature? For the little ones, parents probably guided their choices away from the scary costumes. Some of you older ones might have wanted to have fun scaring other people. So let’s apply. Now that you are alive by the Spirit, you are free to choose. So, are you going to choose to be a monster or a superhero?
Paul says it this way: 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
What is your mindset? Do you have your minds set on what the Holy Spirit desires or do you have your minds set on what your sinful nature desires? When your mind is set toward keeping some sin in your life, you will live according to that. When your mind is set on what the Sprit desires, you will live according to that. You are free to choose! So what are you going to choose?
You see, with the Spirit’s power, we are truly free to do things that we could never do without him. What I mean is this: What is your pet sin? Greed? Lust? Pride? Anger? Worry? Gossip? You don’t have to follow them. You are no longer in bondage. The Holy Spirit has freed your will. You have free will to follow the Lord. Or not. The Spirit gives you the strength! Will you listen?
What are you addicted to?
Alcohol? nicotine? Caffeine? Prescription drugs?
They don’t have to control you. You are not in bondage anymore. You are free from the sinful flesh, free to follow the Lord. The Spirit will give you the strength! You don’t have to pretend to be a superhero or a princess for one night.
You have superhero strength because the Lord is in you. You are children of the king, so that make each of us a prince or princess.
Look at verse 9 again: You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. You are in the realm of the Spirit, you are part of his kingdom, you are a royal prince and princess. You are free! And the Spirit does live in you. You know because you trust in Jesus as your Savior. You have a sinful nature yes, the old sinful flesh would still like to drag us down, but who is in control? It’s the Holy Spirit He is the one who controls you!! That’s the part of you that counts! You’re free!
Oh, we still have a battle at times. That old sinful nature still is hostile to God, doesn’t want to do what he says, makes us think that the sinful ways are more fun.
But the work of Jesus has opened the door of the prison of sin and death. You are free! Free to make the right choices. What choices are you going to make?
So we pray: O Lord God, Father we praise you because we are now your children. O Jesus we praise you because you freed us from bondage. O Spirit, we praise you because you give us freedom and strength to follow. O Triune God, help us to make the right choices. Guide us to stay free from the bondage of sin. Give us strength to fight off the attacks of the devil. Help us to freely live as children of God. In Jesus name. Amen.