Who am I?

Romans 8:12-17

Good morning, my name is Graeme Pringle, and this morning we are continuing our mini-sermon series looking at Romans Chapter 8.

The apostle Paul wrote most of the letters in New Testament …and if you were to compare each of these letters to a range of mountains, then many scholars would say that his letter to the Romans is like the Himalayas.

All of his letters are great …but his letter to the Romans stands out above the rest.

Paul wrote most of his letters to churches that he knew. His normal pattern was to visit a city… stay there for a while as he preached the Good News of Jesus …set up a church of new Christians …and then move on to another city.

And he kept in touch with these new churches by letter, the letters that we now find in the New Testament. And these letters were written to address the specific issues and problems that these churches were facing.

But Paul’s letter to the Romans is different. He hadn’t yet been to Rome, but there was already an established there.

And so this is a letter of introduction in which he sets out the gospel that he had been preaching elsewhere.

(Pause)

And if you were to compare each chapter in the letter to the Romans to one of the mountains in the Himalayas, then many scholars would say that Romans Chapter 8 is like Mount Everest.

It is the high point to which the earlier chapters have been building up, and from which the subsequent chapters naturally flow.

If you are the sort of person that highlights verses in your Bible, then you have probably highlighted several in this Chapter:

And that’s why we are taking four weeks to study this one Chapter.

So let us pray…

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In Romans Chapter 7 Paul talks about his struggle with sin.

He says that he feels like he is divided in two. In his inner being he has surrendered control of his life to God’s Holy Spirit, and he delights in living God’s way.

But there is another part of him, which he calls his sinful nature, that still wants to rebel against God.

And these two parts of him are battling against each other.

It’s an experience that all Christians can identify with.

With the help of the Holy Spirit there are some days when the godly part of me has the upper hand. I feel close to God and my thoughts, words and actions are pleasing to him.

Other days, my sinful nature has the upper hand. God feels more distant, and my thoughts, words and actions are not pleasing to him.

But every day is a struggle with sin.

That’s how it feels to us from our perspective …but the good news of Romans 8 is that it’s not how God sees us from his perspective.

(Pause)

Last week Jonathan asked you to imagine a court room scene, with you in the dock and God as the judge.

And the prosecution accurately describes the struggle with sin that we all feel, and the many ways in which we have let God down.

But the judge sees things from a different perspective. And for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, God’s verdict is “not guilty”.

As is says in verse 1:

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

And the verses that we read today have even more good news for those who are in Christ Jesus …and it’s all tied up with how God wants us to see ourselves.

(Pause)

The singer and songwriter, George Harrison (one of the Beatles), said that:

“The purpose of life is to find out:

• Who am I?

• Why am I here?

• …and Where am I going”

(Pause)

“The purpose of life is to find out:

• who am I?

• why am I here?

• …and where am I going”

I don’t know if George Harrison ever found the answers to these questions.

If he’d read Paul’s letter to the Romans he would have found the answer to all three …and the answer to the first question can be found in the verses that we’ve just read.

Who am I?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

What would you say if I was to ask you “Who are you?”

(Pause)

You might reply, “You know who I am, …I’m John! (or what ever your name happens to be)”

Well yes, I know your name, …but deep down who are you?

(Pause)

I’m not playing word games here, …what I’m getting at is this, …Have you discovered your true identity?

Many people are seeking security and peace in their lives, …but I don’t think they will ever find it they can answer the question “Who am I?”

When I was a Vicar, quite a large part of my time was spent taking funeral services caring for the family of the deceased.

Sometimes I’s never met the person who had died, and so, before the funeral, I’d ask the family a few questions.

Where was Fred born? …He was born in Manchester in 1910, and came to Coventry during the war.

What was Fred interested in? …Well, he didn’t really have any interests, …although he did enjoy doing the crossword, …and in the summer he loved working in his garden, …and when he was younger he played cricket for England!

How would you describe Fred as a person?

Sometimes they struggle with that question because they don’t know how to answer it tactfully. But eventually they might say:

“Well he called a spade a spade, …and you knew where you stood with him.”

Which sometimes is a polite way of saying: “He was extremely blunt and rude”.

Or they might say:

“He was very strong willed.”

Which sometimes means: “He was a stubborn as a mule”.

I often stopped at that question …to go any further felt like I was being a little too intrusive. But there was one deeper question that I could have asked:

“Who was Fred?”

In other words, “What was the one thing in Fred’s life that was most important to him?”

Sometimes the family would tell me without asking …if not, I didn’t usually ask.

(Pause)

And I’m not asking you to let me either.

But I am asking you to think about it.

Who are you?

(Pause)

We often define other people by the jobs they do.

At work I might say,

“This is David, he’s Finance Director.”

At church I might say,

“This is Ellie, she’s one of our churchwardens.”

There’s nothing wrong in defining other people in these ways, (I’m sure we all do it all the time), …but is that how we define ourselves?

(pause)

Is your job, or an activity you do, the most important thing in your life?

(pause)

It’s true that I am Communications Director. Is that the most important thing in my life? …No! I think it’s a great privilege to have that job, but it’s not the most important thing in my life.

But sadly, for some people their job, or an activity they do, is the most important thing in their life.

For such people the answer to the question “Who am I?” is very simple, … it goes something like this:

“I am a doctor.”

“I am an education assistant.”

“I am a painter.”

What they do is the most important thing in their life. And it’s sad for two reasons:

• First, because there’s an answer that’s even better.

• And second, because “What happens when you can’t do that thing anymore?”

Mentioning no names, how do you think ex-Prime Ministers have coped when they’ve been removed from office?

Closer to home, I guess many of us have met people whose lives have been devastated when they had to retire from a job that they lived for.

It’s good if we enjoy the things we do. But if what you do has become the most important thing in our life, …then I’m sorry to say that you’re missing out.

So who are you?

(Pause)

Other people define themselves not by what they do, but by their family or friends.

Once again we sometime define people in terms of their relationship with others.

It a wedding I might be introduced as “Jan’s husband”.

When my children were still at school, at a parents’ evening I was “Christopher’s dad”.

Again, there’s nothing wrong in defining other people in these ways, …but is that how we define ourselves?

(pause)

Is your relationship with your family or friends the most important thing in your life?

(pause)

It’s true that I am Jan’s husband. Is that the most important thing in my life? …No! I think it’s a great privilege to be married to her, and I love her very much, but it’s not the most important thing in my life.

But sadly, for some people their relationship with others is the most important thing in their life.

For such people the answer to the question “Who am I?” is very simple, … it goes something like this:

“I am so-and-so’s mum, …or husband, …or best friend, …or whatever.”

Their relationship with others is the most important thing in their life. And it’s sad for two reasons:

• First, because there’s an answer that’s even better.

• And second, because “What happens when that relationship changes?”

Many people here have lost loved ones, be it through death, divorce, or some other reason. Relationships are very precious but fragile things.

I hope that you do enjoy your family and friendships. I thank God for the family and friends he has given me. But if such relationships are the most important things in our life, …then I’m sorry to say that you’re missing out.

So, who are you?

(pause)

I don’t know how George Harrison answered that question, …and I don’t know how you would answer that question, …but for me the answer lies in Romans 8 verses 16 and 17.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

For me that’s the answer to the question “Who am I?”, …I’m a child of God.

(pause)

Yes, I’m Communications Director, and I enjoy the job very much, …but more importantly I’m a child of God.

Yes, I’m a husband and a father and I love them very much, …but more importantly I’m a child of God.

Having the assurance that you are God’s child is the best gift that anyone could receive this Father’s Day.

“But”, some of you might say, “Isn’t everyone a child of God?”

I often hear people say “We are all God’s children”.

But that’s not what the Bible says.

It’s true that everyone is made in God’s image, but it’s not true that everyone is God’s child. John’s Gospel, chapter 1 says:

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be children of God.

And in Romans 8 Paul says that Christians are adopted into God’s family …the implication being that we are not God’s children prior to adoption.

God wants everyone to become his children:

• that’s why Jesus came to earth;

• that’s why Jesus died a painful death on the cross, to earn the right to allow us to become God’s children.

But not everyone wants to become God’s child.

They don’t want Jesus to become that important to them, …either they refuse to believe in him, or else they want to keep him at a distance.

But to those who receive Jesus into their lives as Lord and Saviour, Romans 8 has some great verses to highlight…

1. (v1) “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

2. (v16) “We are God’s children“

3. (v17 We are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ”

(Pause)

Have you taken that step of receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?

If you have, then I suggest you underline these verses in your Bible …and there is even more good news next week

And if you haven’t, what’s stopping you?