God's rescue from judgment and hell

Sunday 12^th December 2010 by Alan Walden

Romans. 8: 1-11

Gram Seed is an unusual name. It belongs to a very hard man. Gram Seed was a skinhead, a football hooligan, a burglar, and was charged with murder. He spent much of his early adult life in prison. His mother gave up on him. She told him he was “the son of Satan” - evil like his father, who he’d never seen. She said, “I don’t want nought to do with you. You’re dead as far as I’m concerned.”

He grew up in the roughest part of Teesside with his Gran who was drinking and taking drugs all the time. His life revolved around drugs and alcohol and sex and violence. After 3 years of living rough, he collapsed and went into a coma in 1996 and was not expected to survive. His mother was called to the hospital by the doctors to sign the papers to switch of his life support.

You might think that he had it coming, that he was suffering the consequences of sin in his life. You might more sympathetically see him as a victim of the sins of others. He was an example of what our reading describes as the law of sin and death at work.

Most of us have not experienced that level of criminality in our own life. If we know God and have an inner desire to serve him, then we can stay on the level, can’t we? Yes, and no. The problem is our own human weakness. Even when we know what is right, we find it difficult to do.

The experience of struggling with condemnation is one which St Paul wrote memorably in the section just before our reading in Romans today. (You might want to turn to Romans 7:19 ‘I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do’ and then verse 24 ‘Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Our trouble is the very nature of our humanity, what is referred to in the reading in Chapter 8 as our ‘flesh’. Human nature, human flesh is selfish, sinful, and rejects God (verse 7). ‘the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.’

If we live according to our flesh, according to our human nature and desires, then we are heading to death and separation from God, as Gram Seed was. Not in the same way, or at the same speed, but just as surely.

Elsewhere, Paul (in Galatians 5:19-21) distinguishes neatly for us between the works of the flesh, and the fruit of the Spirit:

'Now the works of the flesh are obvious’ he says. His list is tamer than what brought Gram Seed down, perhaps we can more easily find our own weaknesses here. It includes: enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness. Paul writes ‘I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.’

The endpoint of living according to the flesh is what Jesus called hell - final, eternal separation from God. What else can be possible ultimately for those who reject God? That is not God’s choice but the choice of those who go away from him. Such separation is necessary for justice and righteousness to be maintained. God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. It is not God’s will for anyone to be in hell. But people have a strong tendency to reject God.

We need rescuing, and God has a rescue plan. It is Christ in us. V1 of Romans 8 delivers that great gospel message: ‘There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. Rescue is available from God for us - even for Gram Seed.

When Gram’s mother turned up at the hospital, she found some lads who’d been trying to tell him about Jesus when he was on the streets. (He had gone after them, and chased them away). They had come to visit him. They asked, “Can we pray for your son?” and she said, “Yes, but you know they’ve given up on him.” And they said, “We know someone who loves him and wants to help him.” So they went into his room in intensive care and prayed for Gram. They said: “In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, give this man new life.” And by his own account, he woke up and started breathing. He was miraculously healed from both his illnesses and his addictions.

Gram said `Four days later, my mother told me about them praying to Jesus, and I said, “What does Jesus want to know about a scumbag like me for?” I heard all these stories about Jesus. When I came out of hospital I wanted to look into it.’ He did just that - he turned up at an Alpha course, and ended up dedicating his life to God.

The Law of Life sets us free from sin and death. There is a life and death battle going on - sin taking us in the direction of death and separation from God, and hell.

But Christ offers freedom from that battle. He does it because he came as a human being, he was condemned for us and died for us on the cross. So he gave us the Spirit which gives life, our rescue from the law of sin and death.

When I was at college, training for ministry, one of the most sought after visits was to the prison. Going to a prison, and having the privilege of preaching the gospel there, was known to be a really satisfying and enriching experience. People would return with amazing stories of people who are physically in prison, but have been set free in their hearts by the Spirit of God, by Jesus Christ.

There is a powerful and effective Christian ministry within prisons, and often that those people who are physically in prison but know Christ are more free than those who are out of prison but in captivity inwardly.

The remarkable thing about God’s rescue plan is that it is not just an external thing. Christ’s victory over death was not just an event which happened somewhere which we can assent to. When we accept Christ it transforms us. So much so that Paul can say in v9 ‘You are not in the flesh’. You are not in the flesh, ‘you are in the Spirit, because the Spirit of God lives in you’ Even though we are in a body which sins, which is perishing and which will die, because of Christ in us we have eternal life. What a wonderful transformation.

Verse 6 ^'To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.'

Gram Seed was totally transformed by Christ in him. He wanted to tell people about Jesus. Having been rescued and given new hope, he wanted to share that with other people. He started a prison ministry. After 10 years in prison trying to get out, he now spends all his time trying to get back in!. You can read more in his autobiography ‘One Step Beyond’.

Rescue comes from knowing Christ, setting our minds on him, and inviting his Spirit to come and live in us. Gram Seed did exactly that. If God can do that for him, he can certainly do it for us.

As disciples of Christ, the life which we have is God’s life. Our human nature is still at work, we are liable to sin, we are subject to sickness and ultimately to death. But with God in us, we can be confident that death is ultimately defeated. Everything which is not of God will die, but the more we are in God, the more we will defeat death and live on.

There is a life and death battle going on. Death, sin and our flesh versus life, hope and peace. Which will win? Well Christ has assured us of the victory, by defeating death for us.

The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) include love, joy, peace. If we know Christ, then we should also know the fruit of the Spirit growing in us. (Also patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.)

God has done amazing things in the life of Gram Seed. He now runs Sowing Seeds Ministries, aimed at taking God's message of hope and love to prisoners and ex-offenders.

God’s rescue plan is for us to know Christ, to set our minds on him, to invite his Spirit to come and live in us. Gram Seed did exactly that - if God can do it for him, he can certainly do it for us.

As disciples, we are called to be open to Christ at work in us. We can be confident that he has done everything needed for our freedom - from condemnation, from being spiritually held captive by our sins, from the road to destruction. Whatever darkness we know, God’s life and light can overcome it when we are in Christ and he is in us. And so as we wait to be united with Father, he assures us by his Spirit that in Christ we have life and peace. Amen.

Questions

1) How have you experienced God’s rescue - in your own life and in the life of people you know?

2) Take some time to reflect on you human weakness, considering the list in Galatians 5:19-21. You may want to share with your group, but don’t feel obliged.

3) How does Christ’s victory over sin and death help us in our Christian discipleship?

4) Re-read Romans 8:1-11. As Christians we have assurance that there is no condemnation. How does this make you feel?