When Oliver Cromwell served as Lord Protector of England, a young soldier by the name of Basil Underwood was sentenced to die when the curfew bell rang. Basil’s fiancé, Bessie, begged Cromwell to save his life by giving him a pardon, but he refused. As the church sexton over and over pulled the rope at curfew, the bell remained silent. This story is better told through Rose Hartwick Thorpe’s poem “Curfew Will Not Ring Tonight.”
SLOWLY England’s sun was setting o’er the hilltops far away,
Filling all the land with beauty at the close of one sad day,
And the last rays kissed the forehead of a man and maiden fair,—
He with footsteps slow and weary, she with sunny floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, she with lips all cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur,—
“Curfew must not ring to-night.”
“Sexton,” Bessie’s white lips faltered, pointing to the prison old,
With its turrets tall and gloomy, with its walls dark, damp, and cold,
“I ’ve a lover in that prison, doomed this very night to die,
At the ringing of the Curfew, and no earthly help is nigh;
Cromwell will not come till sunset,” and her lips grew strangely white
As she breathed the husky whisper:—
“Curfew must not ring to-night.”
With quick step she bounded forward, sprung within the old church door,
Left the old man threading slowly paths so oft he ’d trod before;
Not one moment paused the maiden, but with eye and cheek aglow
Mounted up the gloomy tower, where the bell swung to and fro
As she climbed the dusty ladder on which fell no ray of light,
Up and up,—her white lips saying:—
“Curfew must not ring to-night.”
She has reached the topmost ladder; o’er her hangs the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her, like the pathway down to hell.
Lo, the ponderous tongue is swinging,—’t is the hour of Curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her breath, and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No, never! flash her eyes with sudden light,
As she springs, and grasps it firmly,—
“Curfew shall not ring to-night!”
Out she swung—far out; the city seemed a speck of light below,
There ’twixt heaven and earth suspended as the bell swung to and fro,
And the sexton at the bell-rope, old and deaf, heard not the bell,
Sadly thought, “That twilight Curfew rang young Basil’s funeral knell.”
Still the maiden clung more firmly, and with trembling lips so white,
Said to hush her heart’s wild throbbing:—
“Curfew shall not ring to-night!”
O’er the distant hills came Cromwell; Bessie sees him, and her brow,
Lately white with fear and anguish, has no anxious traces now.
At his feet she tells her story, shows her hands all bruised and torn;
And her face so sweet and pleading, yet with sorrow pale and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit his eyes with misty light:
“Go! your lover lives,” said Cromwell,
“Curfew shall not ring to-night.”
Young Bessie climbed into the bell tower and wrapped herself around the clapper to keep it from striking the bell. She refused to let go despite the injuries she was incurring. When she finally climbed down to the place of execution, Cromwell, deeply impressed by such heroic and sacrificial love, pardoned her betrothed from condemnation. Basil Underwood received a new life!
This story and poem perfectly illustrates the Apostle Paul’s point in Romans 8. As Bessie sacrificed her own body to secure a pardon for her beloved Basil, Paul reminds us that Jesus Christ endured the agony of the cross to deliver us from our death sentence. He willingly sacrificed his body to free us from condemnation and give us a new life. In my humble opinion, Romans 8:1 is one of the greatest verses in the whole New Testament. Hear these words again—”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
For those who have put our faith in the redeeming act of Jesus’ death and resurrection, condemnation has been canceled! We have been completely pardoned—our sins (past, present, and future) are no longer held against us. We have been delivered from an eternal death sentence in hell and have been given the gift of new life here and now and in heaven forever.
Verses 2-3 explain the reason that condemnation no longer exists for those in Christ. The Holy Spirit, who brings new life, has set us free from the power and penalty of sin, which is spiritual death. God the Father did this by sending his Son Jesus in the likeness of sinful flesh to fulfill the law by living a perfect life and then sacrificing his life on the cross, thereby transferring his righteousness to us so that we meet the laws demands. You see, Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves! He lived a fully human life in the flesh, but he was completely free from sin. Therefore, Jesus’ sacrifice can pay our ransom.
Notice how the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) all play key roles in our redemption. God the Father sends his son Jesus to condemn sin, and the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of that action to release us from sin and death. All three persons are active in rescuing us from sin and bringing us into the new life. (Moo 256)
O what a comfort it is to know that our souls are no longer condemned to hell! What a relief it is to know that God the Father sent Jesus the Son to purchase our redemption by dying for us on the cross! What a solace it is to know that Jesus paid the ransom for all our sins! What a joy it is to know that, no matter what happens to us in this life or how many times we fail, our eternity in heaven is secure! What a pleasure it is to know that the Holy Spirit has given us a new life and empowers us to walk with God! Friends, because of the Trinity’s great redeeming work, curfew shall not ring tonight!
I know that I say this a lot, but if there is anyone here this morning who has not put your faith in Jesus Christ, do it before you leave church this morning, so that you may experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing that you are no longer condemned!
Blessings of New Life in the Spirit (5-17)
Paul recognized that after bearing the bad news that the old sinful nature will continue to plague us until Jesus delivers us from our earthly bodies (the subject of Romans 7), that we would feel discouraged. That is why he immediately injects the good news that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ in 8:1-4! After this, he goes on, in Romans 8:5-17, to encourage us by highlighting four blessings that the Holy Spirit brings to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. These blessings of life in the Spirit include: a new mindset, a new indwelling, a new allegiance, and a new identity.
1.) A New Mindset (5-8)
The first blessing of life in the Spirit is a new mindset. Verses 5-8 describes two mindsets—one without Christ and one with Christ. The mindset of those without Christ has distinct characteristics: death, hostility toward God, and the inability to subject themselves to God. Those who are controlled by the flesh cannot please God. But to those who are in Christ, the Holy Spirit blesses them with a new mind-set that desires to please God, which leads to life and peace. (Hughes 144-145)
This new mind-set that focuses on pleasing God really does lead to a life of peace. Think about it! When we tell the truth, obey the laws of our land, treat others with kindness and compassion, honor God with our bodies, are faithful to our spouse and family, are generous with our money, and forgive others when they hurt us, we can rest peacefully at night. Those who live according to the flesh—the relentless cycle of lies, deception, adultery, addiction, greed, selfishness, and bitterness—are absolutely miserable!
Now that the Holy Spirit has given us a new mind-set, let us take advantage of this blessing every day! May we continue to set our minds on the Spirit!
2.) A New Indwelling (9-11)
The second blessing of life in the Spirit is a new indwelling. When a person becomes a genuine believer, the Holy Spirit actually takes us residence in their mortal bodies. This becomes a distinguishing mark of a Christian. By this, believers experience something of Jesus’ disposition—his kindness, his gentle care, his sacrificial love, etc. (Hughes 145)
As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, our character is conformed to the character of Christ. We actually take on the ethos of Jesus. The Holy Spirit imparts the fruits of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Over time, the Spirit transforms us into more virtuous people. What an incredible blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit living within us!
3.) A New Obligation (12-13)
The third blessing of life in the Spirit in a new obligation. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like any type of obligation is a blessing, but it is in this case. Paul realizes that though all believers have the privilege of victorious Christian living through the Holy Spirit, they will not automatically follow God’s will. Therefore, he exhorts Christians to “live in the Spirit.” This obligation compels Christians to continually put to death the deeds of the body. (Hughes 146)
Friends, let us fulfill our new obligation by seeking God’s will and yielding to it every day! May we conform our will to God’s will by resisting temptation to return to the sinful lifestyles that once enslaved us!
4.) A New Identity (14-17)
The fourth blessing of life in the Spirit is a new identity. Those who are in Christ are called “sons of God”, have received “the Spirit of adoption as sons”, and “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Paul introduces this familial language to show how the Holy Spirit people move from being God’s enemies to actually being adopted into his family. In the legal act of adoption, a man could formally confer on a child all the legal rights of a birth child. This, Paul suggests, is what God’s Spirit confers on every believer—the rights and privileges of God’s own children. (Moo 261)
Therefore, since we have been adopted into God’s family, we are given the right to call God “Abba.” This was the Aramaic word by which Jesus addressed his heavenly father; it denotes a relationship of deep intimacy. This new identity assures us that God loves us as much as he loved his own Son Jesus.
This new identity provides us with an incredible sense of security! We are all too familiar with feelings of rejection. Husbands reject wives and wives reject husbands. Parents reject children and children reject parents. School students reject each other because they are not one of the “cool kids.” The sad fact is that it is increasingly difficult to find a secure and permanent relationship. As a result, people feel uneasy and uncertain. It is no wonder we have so many problems with anxiety and depression in or society.
But for those who are in Christ, we will never be rejected by our Heavenly Father. We have nothing to fear! He will always love us and be there for us because we are his own sons and daughters!
Friends, the bad news is that we will continue to struggle with sin for the rest of our lives. But the good news is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit continues to bless us with a new mindset, a new indwelling, a new obligation, and a new identity! As we move forward through this life, may we always remember that “Curfew Shall Not Come Tonight!”