So I’m out, just hanging out as the ladies in our congregation are engaged in their Bible study… and they’re about to talk about Romans 8, which I’ve mentioned more than once is one of my favorite-est chapters of the Bible.
I thought, while they’re talking about it, I should go through it myself… Again. I wrote in depth about this chapter earlier this year, and before I actually go back there, I think I should go through it again.
Before I actually do, I should probably quickly share what I talked about last Sunday. It’s pretty simple, really; Even if we find ourselves struggling with sin, we should understand and appreciate three things: (1) we’ve died to sin and died to flesh, (2) Christ’s resurrection has guaranteed that we’ve been declared righteous unto eternal Life, and (3) we’ve been set free from the standards of the Law, into bearing fruit by the Holy Spirit.
We try to do good, but we could not. We avoid doing back, but we do it. In these situations, we ought to run to Christ with thanksgiving – because He ultimately set us free from this cycle.
And with that, we can keep on going.
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
We’re free from sin. Free from the flesh. We’ve been set free from the Law, and we’ve been set free to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. With this in mind, we say, consequently, that we’ve also been set free from condemnation – there is, therefore, no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; that is, those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have taken this freedom into consideration, as the impact of His birth, death, resurrection and ascension.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
See here, another aspect, another perspective to the salvation we have through Christ: We’ve died to sin and died to the flesh, and we read that we’ve been set free from the Law (which arouses sin and results in death), but INTO the Law of the Spirit of Life.
To believe in Christ, and to be consequently saved by Him, is to say that He fulfilled the Law, by becoming sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and dying as required by sin (Romans 6:23), draining the cup to its dregs (Psalm 75:8).
When we say we believe in Christ, we also say He rose from the dead – the resurrection confirms (1) He paid the wages of sin in full, and He died completely; the resurrection also implies (2) that we have also risen from the dead, being dead to sin, and now, alive in the Spirit as new creations.
Being new creations, we also have new minds – we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) that no longer sets its mind on ‘the things of the flesh’, but on ‘the things of the Spirit’ – Being new creations, with new minds, we celebrate life and peace, and that we are pleasing to God.
Seeing who we are now also opens our eyes to what we used to be before Him – unable to please God no matter how our intentions and actions seem ‘pure’, hostile to God, with our minds set on the flesh, resulting in death.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
And see here, not only do we have the mind of Christ, but as we are new creations, we also contain the Spirit of God; we have the Spirit of Christ, and can claim that Christ is in us; He IS our Life, and He IS our Righteousness.
Though we have died to sin, died to the Law, and died to flesh, our being saved by Christ means now, we’ve been made alive to God, and we read here that it’s all because of the Spirit of Life, the Spirit of Christ that ‘dwells’ in us.
So I’m just led to remember that though sin, being apart from us, also dwells in us (and again, this doesn’t mean we’re slaves to it, because we died to it) – we have something far greater than sin, dwelling in us – Through Christ, we’re dead to sin, and now we have life through His Spirit who dwells in us.
Thank You, Lord!
Heirs with Christ
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
But Paul doesn’t stop there! Remember, this same Spirit that gives us life, is also the same Spirit that convicts the world of sin, the enemy of judgment, and convicts us of righteousness – and we see here, that Christ guaranteed that we are in such right-standing with God, so much so that we not only see Him face to face and live; we not only can turn to Him and call Him our God… but by the Spirit that gives us life, we are able to call God our Father!
Man, I thought I’d keep powering through Romans, unlike last time, when I took my sweet time through 3, or was it 4 articles? Considering that these folks are almost done with their discussion, I think I’ll stop here… and end, God-willing, next article.
I’m just so happy, because every time I go through Romans 8, I am encouraged – and, more to the point, I am thankful, because of such a great salvation we have, all through the finished work of Christ!
Christ, the Truth, has set us free – and then some!
Until the next post, coming soon, may the Lord continue to bless us!
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