• Are you a true Christian?
  Apostle Paul warns us that in last days many will appear to be very religious but without godliness
  2 Timothy 3:5 – “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”
• Not every one who cries out ‘Lord, Lord’ is a Christian
  Matthew 7:21 – “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
• A true Christian cannot be a pretentious believer. But a person who is totally yielded to the Lord
  In a true Christian’s life, nothing should take precedence, but Christ. He must have undivided allegiance to Christ.
• A true Christian belongs to Christ. He cannot have two masters.
  Matthew 6:24 – “24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

• He died to purchase us for Himself
  1 Corinthians 7:23 – “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”
  Revelation 5:9-10 – “. . . and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
• Even before our birth, the Lord has been graciously working to secure us for Himself
  Galatians 1:15-16 – “15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen” (Cf. Jer 1:5).
  It does not mean that God had actually called Paul in his infancy to be saved, for this was not so, but that he designed him to be sanctified and be sued as an important instrument in His hands in spreading the true religion. Jeremiah Jer 1:5 was thus set apart, and John the Baptist was thus early designated, for the work which they afterwards performed.
• He is coming for to take us the heavenly home
  John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

• A Christian may become very troubled by temptations and troubles that are raging against His soul. (Romans 7:23-24)
• But he is blessed with the presence of His Saviour, Jesus Christ, within His soul. (Romans 8:10a)
• This indwelling of Christ empowers the Christian to prevail the battle and be victorious (Romans 8:10-11)
• So, though every Christian is an embattled individual, he can live with a sure prospect of a triumphant life
• He may be taunted by the lust of his own flesh, but the inner presence of Christ provides him with a guarantee of spiritual victories, progress and excellence

‘If Christ be in you’ (Romans 8:10a)

• This is the true condition of the relationship between Christ and a true Christian
• What does it indicate
• The intimate relationship that Christ offers to all who trust Him
• The strong influence He exerts from within our soul in order to help us overcome all destructive lusts of the flesh (Galatians 4:19)
• How does it work? How does Christ dwell in us?
• By the presence of His Spirit, even the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9,11; John 14:16-20; 1John 3:24; 1 John 4:13; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
• The Spirits baptises us and thus keeps us united with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13)

1. Sanctification
   “the body is dead because of sin” (Romans 8:10b)
   • Body (sōma) is normally a reference to the physical body. The Greek word is different from that used for “flesh” (sarx), which refers to carnal nature.
   • Some think that Paul is here talking about death that will consume our bodies one day.
   • But in Romans, when Paul uses the word “body” in the immediate context of “sin” and “death,” it refers to the sinful nature that we encounter in our physical body.
   • Romans 6:6, 12 “but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10c).
   • Because of Christ’s imputed righteousness, the Spirit enables Christians to live a life according to His righteousness.
2. Resurrection
   “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).
   The Spirit of Christ is also the Spirit of resurrection and life. He will ensure our resurrection.
3. Life in the Spirit (vv. 12-13)
   “12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. ” (Romans 8:12-13).
   • As christians, we owe the “flesh” nothing, which brings only death unto us
   • Rather, we are indebted to Christ and His Spirit, which brings life to us.
   • So let us follow the Spirit of Christ and mortify the deeds of this sinful body.

• Churches are crowded with carnal and materialistic people
• Any form of emphasis on modesty, purity and godliness are considered weak and useless, while tolerance of carnality and worldliness are cherished as profitable virtues

• Romans 8:7 – ‘Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’
• 2 Timothy 3:16 – ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness’
• Everyone must live their life in submission to the whole counsel of God, not to part of it nor to some of it, but to the whole counsel!
• Problems begin when one starts to be selective, which counsel he would subject himself to and which counsel he would do ignore

• 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ‘And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men’

• Galatians 5:16 – ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’
• Galatians 5:19-21 – ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’

• 1 John 2:15-16 – ‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.’
• James 4:4 – ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ Whose friend are you?
• Colossians 3:2 ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.’
• Be careful of your pursuit of leisure. What are the things you enjoy doing? What is your favorite pastime? Where do you go for leisure?

• 2 Corinthians 6:14 – ‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?’
• One effective measure against carnality is the practice of Biblical separation. The church and every individual in the church should and must draw the line to protect themselves from the influence of the world – be it personalities, principles and practices of the world.

• 2 Timothy 3:1-4; ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;’

• ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world’ (John 17:15-16)

In this parable of Jotham, a temptation was set before three trees (the olive, the fig and the wine); it was urged to become ambitious, and aspire to reign over the rest of the trees. We gather from this parable, at the outset, that we also are all liable to temptation. Though you may think yourself to be as firmly rooted and as useful as those trees, yet a fascinating whisper may be heard by you, ‘Come thou, and reign over us.’

• We shall never be out of the way of temptation so long as we grow in this earthly garden.
• Temptations frequently come in the form of very pleasing baits. In this parable, the temptations to the three trees are a throne, a crown, a kingdom, and sovereignty over all other trees. The trees of the field said unto them, ‘Reign thou over us.’
• To reign over the trees might seem to be a very strong temptation, – a brilliant offer indeed. Take heed, dear friends, lest ye be carried away by the deceitfulness of the pleasures, the profits, the honors which Satan puts in your way. Many, to obtain a higher wage, have left holy companionships, and sacred opportunities for hearing the Word, and growing in grace.
• The trees invitation was not directed by the Lord. Even though, the majority may invite and persuade to agree with a matter, but if it is not of the Lord, it must be quickly rejected.
• May the Lord help us to keep the wisdom of His Word, which is plainly taught here that we may not be tempted and become unfaithful.

‘Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go?? to be promoted over the trees?’ (v. 9b)

• Notice how the olive speaks. It says, “Should I?
• When the temptation says to us, ‘Come along,’ we must answer, ‘Should I?’
• Everything must be subjected to careful consideration.
• Ask about every thing, ‘Ought it to be so? Would it be right? Is it wise? Is it prudent? Is it just? Is it God’s will? Should I?’
• Now, there are a thousand things which may be right in worldlings which are wrong in Christians. The bramble may be king of the trees if he likes; it may be a question which the fig tree, or the cedar, or the vine, or the oak might entertain; but should I? Should I leave my fatness, and go to be promoted over the trees? Should I do this?’

• It was all very well for the trees to say to the olive, ‘Reign thou over us. Come at once. Do not give it a second thought; come along. You never had such a fine opportunity as this; here is a brilliant opening for you. Come and reign over us.’
• ‘But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’
• Be not in a hurry to make changes. Hasten not to run into evil thinking it to be good; but always look before you leap. Stop a while, and ask, ‘Should I? Should I do this or that?’

• The greatest advantage in life is to be useful to God and man. The olive says, ‘Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?’
• It was the olive’s glory that it yielded oil which was used in various offerings to the honor of God, and which was also used for the honor of men in the most sacred ceremonies at the anointing of kings and priests.
• Similarly, the highest glory of any man’s life is that he is honorable to God and useful to men.
• The first consideration of a saved soul should be, ‘How can I best magnify him who has saved me from my sins?’ a saved soul should be, ‘How can I best magnify him who has saved me How can I be most useful to my fellow-men in promoting the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ?’
• Anything, then, which robs us of that fatness, – the power to honor God and to do good to men, – anything which takes away in even the smallest degree our power to do this, is a dead loss.

• The olive says, ‘Should I leave my fatness?’
• God has made the olive full of oil that it may be useful in the worship of God and in the appointment of men in the service of God. He thoroughly enjoyed that God-given privilege all this while.
• So why should he be compelled to leave it now?

• First, let us take deeper root, The mere proposal to leave our fatness should make us hold the faster to it.
• Next, let us be on the watch that we lose not our divine appointment and blessings, which is our fatness, for other offers that distract us.
• Then, let us yield more fatness, and bear more fruit. He who gains much will lose little. The more we increase in grace, the less we are likely to leave it.
• Lastly, let us learn to be contented, and speak the more lovingly of our gracious state and service, that none may dare to entice us.
• When Satan sees us happily stablished, he will have the less hope of overthrowing us.