WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:02.000 Well, happy New Year. 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:04.719 Maybe you have a New Year's resolution. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:12.800 Maybe you want to walk more, you want to stretch more, you want to open your hips up, you want to hydrate more, save more, give more. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:15.199 Maybe you want to drink less and hydrate more. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:15.839 That would be good. 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:18.559 Maybe your resolution is to have no more resolutions. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.760 That could be resolution. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.120 Well, I'll have an idea for you for the next four weeks. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:30.399 We're going to study the book of Romans 8, that chapter in Romans, just Romans 8, about life in the Spirit. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:38.560 Wants you to consider, consider for a new year's resolution, to begin to have a resolution to walk in the Spirit more. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:42.240 What does it mean to walk in the Holy Spirit? 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.840 What does it mean to walk in truth and grace, not fear and falsehood? 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:51.920 Theologian Sinclair Ferguson for us to have an idea of who is this Holy Spirit. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:52.960 What is this Holy Spirit? 00:00:53.119 --> 00:01:04.640 Ferguson said this: The Holy Spirit is the person who brings us into living union with Christ and makes the realities of Christ's work effective in us. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:07.680 So that Christ's work was done historically on the cross. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.599 Well, how does it get applied to us? 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:10.799 How does it get in us? 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:13.359 Well, the Holy Spirit is applying that. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:15.280 So we can say this about the Holy Spirit. 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:21.280 The Holy Spirit is fully God, third person of the Trinity, Heavenly Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.959 The Holy Spirit's personal, not an impersonal force. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:28.480 The Holy Spirit's the applier of redemption. 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:31.359 So uniting us to Jesus. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.400 The Holy Spirit's the indwelling presence of God. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:43.760 So when we think about God in us, God's activity in our hearts, that's the Holy Spirit producing faith, repentance, holiness, and assurance. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:44.799 All right, one more quote. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:54.000 John Calvin, 500 years ago, said the Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to Himself. 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:55.840 So I love that word bond. 00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:02.560 The Holy Spirit bonds us to Jesus, not your own goodness or religious resume. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.920 But the Holy Spirit does that work. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:08.080 Well, I hope you had a great Christmas. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:10.560 Hope you had lots of presents filled with presents. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:13.360 My favorite present that I got, I'm old. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:14.000 I'm old. 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:15.919 My favorite present was a heating pad. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:19.199 I mean, that's that's bad. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:24.879 But it's so my wife got me this heating pad that drapes over the shoulders and it's weighted. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.439 And so I have it in my chair in the living room. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.840 It's like a it's like a three-hour hug at night while I watch TV. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.039 If I could wear it right now and it'd be appropriate, I probably'd have it on right now. 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.680 Just like a warm, long hug. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:44.080 Anyways, my wife gave it to me and I ripped over the paper, ripped open that tape to get this gift, right? 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.360 That's how you open a present. 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.680 You rip open the paper, rip open the tape, right? 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.439 Because that tape matters, right? 00:02:49.520 --> 00:03:00.639 Like the kind of tape you use, because you want the tape to wrap a present to hold the paper, but you you want the person who can open it to be able to break that bond, right? 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:03.199 You don't want it to be super strong tape. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.360 That's very frustrating when you open the present. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:05.840 Right? 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:11.759 So you get tape strong enough to hold it, but not a bond strong enough to actually hold forever. 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:12.879 You want it easily broken. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:17.039 So we could say this Christmas tape is like minimal bond, right? 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:18.879 You want it to break. 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:24.879 So Christmas tape's the opposite of the bond that we talk about when we think about the Holy Spirit. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:27.120 Holy Spirit's bond is much more like the tape. 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:28.080 Do you remember the tape? 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.960 Flex tape, flex seal tape. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.919 So this was Phil Swift, perfect salesman. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.039 We're gonna watch a minute. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:36.000 He'll sell you on the tape. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:37.039 You'll go buy some later today. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:37.919 Here's Phil Swift. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:40.560 Hi, Phil Swift here for flex tape. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:19.600 All right, so Phil, Phil will tape up anything, right? 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:25.680 And his tape, that's that's gospel tape, like the bond that holds, right? 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:30.879 In one commercial he tapes up with clear flex tape that fits over sharks. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:37.759 I mean, not masking tape, not scotch tape, like like this is maximum bond you can trust. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:44.879 All right, Calvin is saying when he talks about the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit bonds us to Jesus like that. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:49.360 Like that amount of security, that amount of assurance. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.879 And the Holy Spirit is doing that bonding, not us. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:57.439 Not our commitment, not our amount of passion, not our religious resume. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:00.000 That is the gift the Holy Spirit gives to us. 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:03.839 Now, our text this morning, Romans 8, verses 1 through 4, here's what we're gonna see. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:10.079 We're gonna see our natural posture, which is guilty, defensive, and self-atoning. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.480 So this is a way to say self-justifying. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:20.000 I want to justify myself with my religious resume, with my goodness, but not necessarily help from God. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:25.199 Number two, God's decisive declaration, no condemnation. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:31.600 Number three, the Holy Spirit's ministry, applying Christ's finished work to us, to our hearts. 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:41.759 And then number four, we begin to see this week and in the coming three weeks a new way of life in the Spirit versus an old way of life of self-effort. 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.279 Romans 8, 1. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.680 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:52.160 Point number one is this life in the Spirit is life without condemnation. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:06:06.720 This chapter begins with that word, therefore, which means Paul is giving us a conclusion about Romans 7 and everything that came before, about Jesus being enough for our relationship with God. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:13.199 That Jesus actually is sufficient and enough for all the forgiveness we need and all the righteousness we need. 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:23.120 And that the law, all we should be as Christians, which is good, but all those guidelines and rules and the goodness that we should be, is not enough. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.560 The problem is not the law, the problem is us before the law. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.439 So Jesus fulfills the law. 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.399 He lives the perfect life that we don't live. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:35.360 That's how we get verse one. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.439 No condemnation. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:50.079 Theologian John Stott said this: Our justification, together with its corresponding truth of no condemnation, is securely grounded in what God has done for us and through Jesus Christ. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:56.879 So we can say it this way: the gospel tells us there's no condemnation before God and Jesus. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:06.079 Our guilt has been fully paid for by Jesus, and our shame is met not with rejection, but with welcome from Jesus. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:10.480 So this means that the Holy Spirit may convict us. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.040 We'll have conviction by the Holy Spirit. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:20.240 Now we know the difference between conviction and condemnation because condemnation leads to guilt trips and shame cycles. 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:27.439 Conviction leads to repentance, which is God's kindness to us and future growth. 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:28.959 Do you see the difference there? 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:35.279 That's how we know whether we're in the spirit or whether we're walking under the law or in our flesh. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.800 If we're feeling condemnation, that sends us into guilt trips and shame cycles, we're not in the spirit. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:49.759 If we're feeling conviction, that will lead us toward repentance in God's kindness, freedom, and growth. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:56.240 Verse 2, for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:02.480 Point number two is this life in the spirit is freedom for ongoing relationship with God. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:08.079 This freedom in verse two is joined together with the no condemnation in verse one. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:13.680 So these are the two great blessings we can think about as we walk in the spirit. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:17.680 No condemnation, an ongoing relationship with God. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:22.959 And it's bonded to you, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:36.399 Maybe you remember about a year or so ago, I was hiking out at Kennesaw at the trails, and this beautiful couple kind of hiked up behind me, and I thought I was moving pretty good, and they came up behind me and they passed me. 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:37.279 Well, it happened again. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.679 I was hiking up the back of Kennesaw Mountain, and I'm moving pretty good. 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:44.639 I'm thinking I'm an in-shape 46-year-old man. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:45.519 I'm not too bad. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:47.120 I'm not feeling too bad about myself. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.559 I'm past a couple people feeling pretty good, just like I was a year ago. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:54.399 And then I hear this young couple talking and they're gaining on me. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:56.720 And I'm like, who's, you know, is this happening again? 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:57.600 Somebody's gaining? 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:00.000 I mean, this nobody runs up this trail, it's pretty steep. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:01.039 I'm like, are they gaining? 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:04.159 And they're talking like they're sitting down, like they're not even winded. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:09.039 And sure enough, I look back, same couple, same couple from a year ago. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:11.759 Beautiful people, unbelievably beautiful. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:17.600 If they ever show up to church here, you'll know they're here because you'll be like, unbelievably gorgeous man and woman. 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.759 Tall, perfect skin. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:20.799 It'd been a year. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:21.759 I looked at them. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.039 I'm a year older. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:24.240 Somehow they're younger. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:25.039 I don't know how. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:26.799 I mean, they're unbelievable. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.279 I'm sure their marriage is even better now than before. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:30.879 No childhood wounds. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:32.960 He can still sleep through the night. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.399 Uh I mean, they're unbelievable. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:35.919 They're my ideal, right? 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:37.200 This is what I said a year ago. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:37.919 Still true. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:41.360 Somehow they're better, uh, more pristine than before. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:42.639 They are my ideal. 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:45.200 They pass me, blow by me. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:46.480 I can't keep up. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:47.679 I try to keep up. 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:49.360 I try to let them not pass me. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.519 Even once they pass me, I'm like, I'll keep up with them. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:52.080 I can't keep. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:53.519 And they're talking the whole time. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.120 Like, I can't do it. 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:56.240 I don't have it in me. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:57.200 That's the law. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:01.840 The law is the standard that we should be and we want to be. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:05.759 We just don't have the goods, the power to pull it off. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:07.120 We need help. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:14.000 Matthew 5, verse 17, Jesus teaches, do not think that I've come to abolish the law or the prophets. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.879 I've not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:24.320 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:30.240 Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:33.679 But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:40.080 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:41.759 What is Jesus teaching in verse 20? 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:48.559 Well, he's teaching us to go back to verse 17 and realize he hasn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.720 So the law is good and holy. 00:10:50.960 --> 00:11:00.399 We need the law to guide us, but the law, while it guides us, it has no power to actually fulfill the thing it calls us to. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:03.679 So that's why there's so much exhaustion in the Christian life. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:08.240 Because we're living under the law and flesh rather than living in the spirit. 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:13.200 The law is unable to produce the righteousness it calls for. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:18.879 Meaning, all the shoulds in life can't deliver your heart from guilt. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:22.480 It can't deliver your heart into righteousness. 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:24.399 We need outside help. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:31.360 We need Jesus, we need the Holy Spirit to be applying the finished, sufficient work of Christ to us. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.600 Here's how Paul explains it Galatians 3, verse 23 through 26. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:44.399 Now, before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:51.759 So then the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.799 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 00:11:54.960 --> 00:12:00.559 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons, and we say daughters of God through faith. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.519 So let's summarize it this way: just three quick points. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:05.919 Our problem is our shortcoming before the law. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:10.720 The problem is not the law, our shortcoming before the law, and our ongoing fascination with it. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:20.320 That we want to keep returning back to being good enough as to be forgiven, being good enough as to be worthy, whole, righteous enough. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:26.559 So we don't relax the law, we let it guide us, but it also shows us our need of Jesus. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:27.840 That's point number two. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.039 Our rescue is God's perfect completion of the law. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:32.559 That's what we have in Jesus. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:39.759 He is our justification and he is our holiness, even while we're still becoming holy. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:48.320 Number three, you're no longer under law, but under grace, which is what the Holy Spirit is applying to your hearts even right now. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:55.120 You're defined and secured outside of your production, good or bad, and this is the gift we have in the Spirit. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.639 Romans 8, verse 3. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:01.440 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:12.320 By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, he condemns sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:13.840 Okay. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:15.519 So how do we walk? 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.360 Well, we walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:23.919 Because the Spirit is applying that Jesus work to our hearts. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:28.000 Point number three, the Spirit empowers us to live holy and live in grace. 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:28.879 Both those things. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:29.840 They go together. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.039 We don't relax the law and say, oh, it means nothing to us. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:34.639 We live however we want. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:37.440 No, we say Jesus fulfilled the law, so we're free. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.240 Now that I'm free, what does it mean for me to grow in grace? 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:46.000 What does it mean to grow toward godliness, even while I'm going to be repenting along the way? 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.279 So the Holy Spirit is our bond, and the Holy Spirit is our empowerment. 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:55.919 Now, imagine on Christmas morning, I'm sure this happened to you. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:01.759 You wake up and you're your sweet someone, and they offer you that cup of coffee, and they say, Good morning, Merry Christmas. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:02.639 I love you so much. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:04.480 And they say, Oh, I'm so excited. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.039 I, you know, I got you such a great gift this year. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:10.399 You know, if you just come outside with me, I want to give it to you. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:21.919 And you walk outside, and you know, here is your brand new Christmas Lexus, you know, just like in the commercial, somehow they magically paid for it outside of a joint account, so you don't even feel I've always wondered this about these commercials. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:29.440 But like, if my wife gave me a Christmas Lexus, that'd be like, did you just pay$70,000 for this car and we didn't discuss this? 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.879 Like, shouldn't this be a discussion, not a gift? 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:39.519 Anyway, so in this scenario, sermon, uh, in this scenario, uh, magically the car is getting paid for outside of a joint account. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:42.720 It's you know, they say, sweet someone says, Merry Christmas, I got this for you. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.639 It's magically paid for, don't worry about it. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:48.080 And they say, you know, this is in this beautiful, this is beautiful car. 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:49.519 This is actually the car you've been talking about. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.559 This is your ideal dream car. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:54.320 You cannot believe it. 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:59.519 Your sweet someone says, you know, there's only one thing, I got a deal on it because it doesn't have an engine. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:02.720 You know, it's just a little thing. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.120 So you gotta figure that out, you know. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:06.399 And but here are the keys. 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:09.440 That's life by the law. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:15.840 You have your ideal, but you don't have any power to run it. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:20.000 Life by the law is the Lexus without the engine. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:24.000 Life by our power alone will not be enough. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:40.799 But God gifts himself to us in the Holy Spirit, bonds us, gives us the gift that we're already the status of fully righteous, even while he's empowering us to become more godly. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:45.360 So we're free in Jesus by the Holy Spirit's application to us. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:54.240 We're bonded to Jesus by the Holy Spirit, we're empowered to walk with Jesus by the Holy Spirit. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:59.600 In our back lobby, we have a copy of Rembrandt's The Prodigal, the Return of the Prodigal. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.080 Uh, in this picture is just outside those doors. 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:04.480 Uh, the child so exhausted. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.519 We look at this painting a couple of times a year. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.159 We've all been this child. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:11.279 We've felt like this. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:25.440 We have felt like this in the world because the world beat you down, or your rebellion beat you down, or you felt like this in the church, or your spiritual life because you kept trying to do enough and be enough, and man, you're just Christianity, your own religion exhausted you. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.120 You'll come to the end of yourself. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:29.039 We will all come to the end of ourselves. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:34.080 We will all end up like this child and return to the Heavenly Father. 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:46.159 And the painting gives the gospel truth for us that the Father is greater than the child's condition, the father's love is greater than the child's rebellion or exhaustion. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:48.559 And last week I learned this. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:50.639 I'd never heard this before. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:17:00.720 Many theologians, when they see the father's hands, they see the father's hand symbolic of the Holy Spirit's work. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.400 And then look at look at the painting, look at the hands. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:20.960 So when they see the hands of the Father, the application, they see that as the Holy Spirit, drawing the sinner home, holding him before he can stand, giving him strength to walk anew. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:28.799 And so as we move into the new year, I want those hands to be an image for us to ponder the Holy Spirit. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:34.799 How the Holy Spirit is working in you, holding you, bonding you, empowering you. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:36.640 Let's pray together. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:39.359 Heavenly Fathers, we come before you. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:43.839 We enter a new year, God, we have resolutions. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.960 God, help us to hydrate more and work out more and save more and give more. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:53.359 Help us with the resolutions to study more and have better relationships. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.079 Help us to do these things. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:04.799 And God help us to learn what it means to walk in your spirit, not in the flesh and not under law. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:19.279 Help us learn to receive this application of Christ's finished work, to live in the application that Jesus is enough for all my forgiveness and all my righteousness. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:29.200 Help us to receive even more that you have found us, rescued us, bonded us, and you empower us to walk with you. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:30.960 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:31.839 Amen.