Welcome to Gospel in Life. In today's teaching, Tim Keller explores the implications of the cross of Christ and how it is the way to freedom, forgiveness, and truly knowing ourselves.

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I'd like to read to you from the passage in Romans chapter 18, I Romans chapter 8, which you've got printed in your bulletin.

It's a long passage and we're going to look at it for two weeks in a row.

And I'll start off by mentioning the fact that though I'm going to be looking at a dynamic in this passage that's got two parts to it,

the two part dynamic is going to be looked at this week, mainly the first part, though with reference to the second.

And next week we're going to look at mainly the second part with reference to the first, which means if you're here this week, it would help to get an overview to come back next week.

If you are listening on a tape, it would help you to shell out the money for the tape for next week that hasn't happened yet.

This is Romans 8, 1-17, where Paul writes, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Because through Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their mind set on what the nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their mind set on what the Spirit desires.

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit. If the Spirit of God lives in you, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, it is not belong to Christ.

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your Spirit is alive because of righteousness.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of Sonship by Him we cry, Abba Father.

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