Message details

-Todays teaching will be part two of a series we began last week titled; “Hope for the Discouraged and Depressed.” -Last week we only tackled verses 1-2 in chapter 8, and in so doing found the first way out of the discouragement and depression of chapter 7. -Verses 1-8 it can be summed up in this way, v1-2 not condemned by the Devil, v3-4 not pressured by the world, v5-8 not controlled by the flesh.

1. Hope is found in conviction not condemnation (Verses 1-2) -v1 Paul writes what could arguably be one of the most powerful verses in all the Bible saying there’s no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. -v2 The reason there’s no condemnation is because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death.

2. Hope is met in me not by me (Verses 3-4) -v3 What the law was powerless to do, in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending Jesus as a sin offering for sinful man. -v4 He writes that God condemned sin in sinful man in order that the laws requirements might be fully met in us who live according to the Spirit. -Notice he says that this is done in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met “in us.” He doesn’t say that it’s met “by us.”

-This is huge in that the onus is not on me, thus the pressure is off of me, because the righteous requirements of the law cannot be met by me. -In other words, there’s no need to lose hope or become discouraged when I fail and fall by virtue of the fact that the law cannot be kept by me.

Charles Spurgeon – “The principle of law produced no holiness in us, but Jesus has condemned sin and created a new life in our hearts, and thus He has brought forth in our lives the conformity to God which legal terrors never produced.”

One commentator said it ever so well this way; “Moses’ law has right but not might; Sin’s law has might but not right; the law of the Spirit has both right and might.”

Zech 4:6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

3. Hope is set on the Spirit not the flesh (Verses 5-8) -v5 Those living for the sinful nature have their minds set on those desires but those living in the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires. -v6-7 The mind of sinful man is death and is hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to His law nor can it, but the Spirit controlled mind is life and peace. -v8 The Apostle Paul sort of ties it all together when he then goes on to say that those who are controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

-It’s important to note how Paul pinpoints the pronounced role of the mind, namely we can either have our minds set on the Spirit or the flesh. -This is where I would like to spend the remainder of our time today, as we would be grossly remiss were we not to investigate this further. -The reason I say that is because our minds have the propensity to sink us into the pit of despair and hopelessness when controlled by the flesh.

William Newell -“Perhaps no one text of Scripture more completely sets forth the hideously lost [and depressed] state of man after the flesh.”

-I would suggest to you if your mind is both controlled by and set on the flesh, then you need look no further as to why you’re so discouraged. -Conversely, if your mind is both controlled by and set on the Spirit, then instead of being discouraged and distressed, you will have peace. -This begs the question what does it mean to set my mind on the Spirit and how will I know if my mind is controlled by the Spirit and not the flesh.

Philippians 4:6-8 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his book titled; “Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure,” says; “Speak to your-self and say; away dull sloth and melancholy. Then stir up the gift, get up and do something.” -I’m keenly aware how one might argue it’s not that I’m depressed it’s that I’m stressed. I would suggest that the two are inextricably linked.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BURNOUT AND STRESS by Dr. Archibald Hart *Burnout is a defense characterized by disengagement. *Stress is characterized by over-engagement. *In Burnout the emotions become blunted. *In Stress the emotions become over-reactive. *In Burnout the emotional damage is primary. *In Stress the physical damage is primary. *The exhaustion of Burnout affects motivation and drive. *The exhaustion of Stress affects physical energy. *Burnout produces demoralization. *Stress produces disintegration. Burnout is a loss of ideals and hope. Stress is a loss of fuel and energy. *Burnout produces a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. *Stress produces a sense of urgency and hyperactivity. *Burnout produces paranoia, depersonalization and detachment. *Stress produces panic, phobic, and anxiety-type disorders. *Burnout may not kill you but the quality of your life is diminished. *Stress may kill you prematurely without enough time to finish what you started.

Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight around the world. After he had gone for some two hours from his last landing field, he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. He realized that while his plane had been on the ground a rat had gotten in. For all he knew the rat could be gnawing through a vital cable or control of the plane. He was both concerned and anxious. At first he did not know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing field from which he had taken off and more than two hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It is not made for the heights; it is made to live on the ground and under the ground. Therefore the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand and another until he was more than twenty thousand feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. He could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing and found the dead rat. Our being stressed and depressed is like that rodent. They cannot live in the secret place of the Most High. Stress and depression will die when we ascend to, keep our mind on, and call upon the Lord Most High.