People try to find peace in a lot of different things but the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one that can bring true peace. The God from heaven is the one that sent his only begotten Son that we might be able to have peace. There's several different ways we can lose our peace, a lot of times we are restless, to me that's one of the things that causes us to lose our peace. We talked about this morning that you can lose your peace as a saved person, a lot of times we get out of the will of the Lord, we lose our peace and we get to fretting about something and lose our peace, maybe some of these things we look over this evening we can rehearse in our mind and maybe understand that we have nothing to fret about and nothing to lose our peace about.

Romans 8;1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

John 5; 24, 25

24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

And so we understand that is says here that the dead shall hear his voice and we know that in our lost condition or lost state, if you are here this evening and you are lost and never excepted the Lord as your Savior, never had an experience in your life, you are dead, you are dead spiritually speaking. That's why in the Garden of Eden that the Lord said if you eat of the fruit you shall die, and the devil said you shall not surely die is two different deaths, he was talking about a spiritual and a carnal death the devil was saying you won't carnally die but they did die spiritually when the sin entered into their bodies.

Ephesians 2;1

1. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins;

And so we see that everyone in this building here that are saved at one time was dead and under the bondage of sin, and hell was your home without the Lord Jesus Christ. He said you hath he quickened, and quickened just means to make alive, he made you alive. In Acts where they crucified him, Peter preached and the same people that was saying crucify him, crucify him, he said they were pricked in their heart and at that moment when the word of God had cut them and pricked their hearts they undoubtedly were made alive because they were concerned about their condition, they asked Peter what shall we do and he said repent and be baptized. We know that repentance is apart of it but a person can't repent their way into salvation you have to be made alive first.

Revelation 20; 7

7. And when the thousand years are expired, (talking about the millennial reign where there will be perfect peace on the earth and the Lord will rule with a rod of iron) Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We find as the rich man lifted up his eyes in torment and he looked and seen Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, he said please send him that he just wanted a drop of water on his tongue because he was tormented in this flame and of course you understand that he said torments plural. Moses seen the bush burning and the bush was not consumed this is a picture of hell because when a person is in hell they are on fire and it hurts but they are not consumed, and they are tormented day and night forever and ever. One of the things I want you to see here is that it says that death and hell themselves were cast into the lake of fire, the lake of fire, if you could even imagine a worse place than hell, that death and hell was cast into the lake of fire. Everyone that was at this great white throne judgment was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. You think about the rich man being tormented, a lot of times you hear foolishness come out of people's mouth and they say they will have friends in hell, listen the rich man did not want his brothers there, he said send someone from the grave that they not come to this awful place. This is the thing here that us who are in Christ Jesus , if you are saved you do not have to fear condemnation, you don't have to fear the lake of fire, you don't have to fear the fires of hell because it says here that there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ, that will bring peace unto you. When you are on your death bed and I've never been there but I understand by Stephen that he just laid down and went to sleep when they were stoning him to death, he had peace. He had full faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and he had full faith in God and he knew as they were stoning him to death he had enough peace to lay there and go to sleep, and I believe he literally went to sleep.

The second thing in Romans 8; 2

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We have already covered this but the second thing you will see from this is you are free from death and sin. You know there is no more death in you, now listen your body will last long enough, or if the Lord tarries his coming long enough, your body is going to die and that kind of death is for sure for every man, the Bible says it is appointed unto to man once to die and unless you are taken out in the rapture you are going to die. Here he is talking about a spiritual death and a spiritual life and here he says we are free from that death, we are free from the bonds of sin. The Lord quickened us and we were made alive and we are free and that will bring peace to us.

The Third thing we want to see here in Romans 8;3

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

The third thing we want to see is that we are no longer under the law. The law was weak and then it was weak through the flesh, it was weak through man, the law in itself was God's law and it was not weak at all in the sense of its government and in the sense of God setting it forth, it was not weak but it was weak in that nobody in this building was able to fulfill it. Nobody back then was able to completely fulfill the law and that is why he sent his only begotten son that we may obtain salvation. Without the Lord Jesus Christ coming we would have never had the perfect sacrifice that we have, we would never have the peace that we have knowing that once we are saved, we are saved and we are secure in his hands. That's what it is talking about when it says that it was weak through the flesh, we are weak, we could never pay the price Jesus Christ paid. We could never offer ourselves as a perfect sacrifice like he did, we are not worthy, there is nothing in us worthy enough of the complete sacrifice like that he paid. We are not worthy to shed our blood for any atonement, that's why the bible says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. We know that the blood of bulls and goats were not sufficient, it was good to roll over, it was good because it was the law of God but it was not sufficient like the blood of Christ.

Romans 8; 4

4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

You understand he is again talking about the life and the death, and the things he is talking about is the flesh and the Spirit, and the death he is speaking of is a spiritual death and this is something that is mind boggling, I guess in a sense that people cannot get over is that in our lost condition you have no say so over your salvation because you are dead. A dead person has nothing to do with his own burial or with anything about himself, he is dead and he has no life in him, it has to be the resurrection, the calling forth of Jesus Christ to us. There where he said Lazarus come forth, Lazarus did not move a muscle until Jesus Christ cried Lazarus come forth and he made him alive, life entered back into his body. Just as we are, we have to have that calling and listen you know tonight if you've got the calling, you know tonight if you are under conviction because it is something that you will never experience again because it is something that will not let you sleep, something that will burdened you and it is something that you can not get off your mind and as terrible as it feels right now it is a good thing. It is a wonderful thing that the Lord Jesus Christ deals with people, it is a wonderful thing if he is dealing with you tonight and you are under conviction because you are one of His and he is calling you. You know I fought it for a week, the Lord is all powerful. If the Lord calls a person why does he let them go through that thing, I believe it is so you will remember that experience and so you remember what you go through. Conviction seems like a horrible thing but it is a good thing, it is a good thing that the Lord convicts, even if you are a saved person the bible says it is a good thing that you are enduring chastisement, it is a good thing during conviction because you are a child of God.

Romans 8; 5, 6

5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6. For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Here we see once again life, life and peace. Now we want to see the subject of the lesson tonight is peace, things that bring peace. We find here that to be spiritually minded is peace. Listen, we as a people can get our minds off on all kinds of things and not be spiritually minded. If you have got things in your life that need to be gotten rid of that you listen to day to day or that you deal with day to day, and things that you kind of dabble in, your peace will be taken away. Again, not your salvation, not your redemption, something you buy is yours, and when Jesus Christ bought something he keeps it, but he deals with it as he sees fit, he demands attention, the bible says: I am a a jealous God and he demands your utmost attention, your utmost worship. Now as we read this morning in John talking about Jesus Christ it says in him was life and the life was the light of men, and we find here to understand that you are spiritually alive should bring peace to you.

Romans 8; 7, 8

7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is no subject to the law of God, neither indeed can.

8. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God.

So this tells me that there are times when we can not please God. There are times when a lost person can most definitely not please God because they are always in the flesh. This also tells me that there are times when we can please God and that we are able to please God, and something we should strive for is to please God. The bible says that they that are in the flesh can not please God, listen that is where the devil wants you, he wants you in a fleshly state so that he can get you down and then you are not pleasing to God. If you are not pleasing to God you are not putting off that you are a christian to other people and you are a miserable person especially if you are saved and you are not being pleasing to God. Keep in mind that if you are saved you are able to please God and that is something we should strive for.

Romans 8; 9

9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Notice here it says if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

We here this evening that are saved, we are known of God, we are his , he knows us. Jesus said I know my sheep and my sheep hear my voice and they know me. When a shepherd calls his sheep they come to him, I've been told that where a shepherd keeps their house that a shepherd can go in and call his sheep and just his sheep will come out from among the other sheep. I am not a shepherd but that is what I have always been told and when Jesus Christ comes and calls us forth we will hear his voice and we will come. You know that if you are saved, or if you are under conviction you hear his voice and you know when he is talking to you and you also know when you grieve the Spirit and you know when you submit and you are sensitive to the will of God. Something here that will bring peace to us is that an almighty God know us, that we are known of an almighty God. We are not worthy to be known of him, we are just a simple creature, the bible says in Corinthians 15;50..that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, because it is rotten, it is corrupt. The bible says that corruption cannot inherit incorruption.

Romans 8; 10, 11

10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11. 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.

Another thing we want to see is that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Let's go to I Corinthians chapter 6; 19, 20

19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20. for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The next thing we want to see is that we are debtors to Christ and the reason that the Holy Ghost dwells inside of us is because of the price that was paid.

And the promise, Jesus said it is expedient for me to go and he said if I go I will send you a comforter. How miserable a shape would we be in without the comforter, how miserable would we be in waiting for the Lord to come back without His sweet presence, that is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not always come our way, it is not always visiting with us but when it does it is so very precious. When the Holy Spirit reassures us, that when we remember that time when we were saved, you remember that time when I spoke life unto you it brings peace to us.

We are debtors to Christ, he says that ye are not your own, you are bought with a price. Back years ago there was such a thing as slavery, if you read in the Old Testament you can read that slavery was very prevalent then as well, a lot of times debtors are slave to their lenders and we are in a sense, now slavery is not as it was back then but it is very much real today because if you have a debt you owe you pay it or you have consequences and that is why the bible says the borrower is slave to the lender. We are Jesus Christ, he bought us and we are his slaves and you know that is not a bad thing that is a very good thing and we are indebted unto him so much we will never repay. We are indebted to him above any and any thing and we owe him everything we are indebted to him until the day we die. If you give your very life for the Lord Jesus Christ it is better than going to hell. The bible says blessed are those that are persecuted for my name's sake and persecution will come. We don't see it that much ourselves but in the foreign countries where he is hated even more so than he is here, people endure persecution very much so and it will come here and it is very much on its way. It will come here just in a different form. We find here we are debtors unto Christ and be very glad, that is a debt that you don't want to be without. Death to the world is a horrible thing, but death in Jesus Christ is the most wonderful thing in the world. Again, he don't need your money, we are not talking about money, we are not talking about that kind of debt but he wants you, he expects you to work and do his commandments.

Romans 8; 13

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 12; 2 says not to be conformed to the world but we are to be separate.

So we see here that one of the things about being in debt and is similar to being in debt to the world, is that you give up something. With us, being any kind of debt we are in, it is money, weekly, monthly or however it may be. You have to give up something.

With Jesus Christ you have to give up something, you have to mortify the fleshly deeds of the body.

I Corinthians 6; 9,10,11

9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

He said such were some of you, it should not be a problem for a person that has been saved to give up the fleshly things that are wrong whether it be music, ungodly dress, or whatever it may be it should not be a problem for a person to give up these things. That's one of the things about being in debt to Jesus Christ he said if you love me do my commandments. Listen if it says it in the bible we are to do it, but you know a lot of things are hard to get rid of, people try to hold on to things but we are in debt to him and that is part of the payment. He says with the spirit we do mortify the deeds of the flesh .

We want to see three more things here that are combined together.

Romans 8; 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. A very blessed verse here to know that you are the sons of God.

Romans 8; 15 says.....For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. We call him Father.

And the next thing Romans 8; 16, 17....The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs (joint-heirs) with Christ;

Now we see three things here together that we are the sons of God, we are able to call him Father and we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. You understand how blessed and precious that is to know that being a joint-heir with somebody that means you receive the same things they receive, we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, God's only begotten son. We are just not to speak but we are able to cry Abba Father, which if I am not mistaken is Father, Father. That is a blessed thing because a lost person has not God as their Father, the bible says you will do the deeds of your father the devil. Listen, if you are in a lost condition you have not God as your father you are in a very dangerous situation, you are in an unstable situation because that's where the devil wants you to be and he will try to deceive you in every way.

Another thing that will bring us peace is to know that we are a son of God. Just as the prodigal son went away, he was as much a son when he came back as he was when he left. He strayed and was down eating husk in a pig's pen and the father brought him back and fed him, he was still his son. We stray but we have got to come back, got to come back to the Father, we have to come back to him because he is our father, he is our Godly Father and he will never leave us nor forsake us.