The great book of Romans, Paul's incredible letter, written while he was in Corinth, written between 54 and 57AD, 25-30 years
after Christ.
It is said to be one of the fullest, most glorious
statements of the Gospel and it is filled, among other things, with meaty truth
on grace, sovereignty, sanctification, election, overcoming sin, salvation and
the life of a believer in the Spirit.
Great saints of our faith down through the ages like Augustine, Luther and Wesley have pointed to this
book of Romans as the key deciding Scripture which God used to bring them to faith in
Christ.
It is a powerful treasure of truth and Romans 8 is
smack in
the midst of all that great wisdom and teaching. All that to say that it
is well worth our time for us to open up the window just a
little and take a good look at Chapter 8 of this powerful book. Let’s get started -
If we get nothing else from our look at the 8th
chapter over these 3 weeks, I want us to get this – we have done wrong things,
sinful things, and will continue to do so to some degree until the Lord takes
us home or He returns. Nonetheless, Jesus
Christ paid the full price for our redemption and salvation and THAT is a truth
worth living for every day!
Now, here are the key verses for these next 3 lessons delving into Romans 8. Why provide them in advance? So you can read ahead, of course!
Lesson 4 – GROANING WITH CREATION – Romans 8:22-23
22 For we know that the whole
creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that,
but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Lesson 5 – HE DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON – Romans 8:32
32 He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things?
And now this Lesson 3, – the Key Verses for the beginning of our Study on Romans 8 are FROM ROMANS 7!!!!
O WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM – Romans 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! Who
will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank
God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 8:1-17
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ
Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law
of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through
the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on
account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement
of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit.
Let’s look at this a bit closer
What are the different “laws” mentioned?
Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
Law of sin and death
Law (could not do)
This “law” God gave us was to show us how to live holy lives.
Why is the law “weak through the flesh”?
Because in our flesh we are sinful and can not live
perfectly according to it.
Do you see the Gospel here? What the law / flesh could NOT do, God DID!
By sending His own Son.
He condemned sin through Jesus for those who trust in Him and
walk by His Spirit, verse 5 continues
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, the things of
the Spirit.
What are some things we do that might mean we “live
according to the flesh” or “according to the Spirit”?
Flesh – greed or hunger for money or possessions/material
things, envy, gossip, bad language, lack of prayer, no interest in Bible
reading, selfish type things
Spirit – well we know the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self control
And, according to the Scripture, how do we do one or the
other?
We purposely, consciously, work at setting our minds on them! There is no other way.
And now look what Paul says
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Many search for the "mystery" of life. We wonder and explore, looking to "find" ourselves. Do you see the secret to life that everyone is always
seeking? What is it?
To be Spiritually minded, yet so many pursue EVERYTHING and ANYTHING else.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject
to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh
cannot please God.
You can NOT please God, in ANY way, if you are in the flesh
- this is a stern WARNING to all of us.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit
of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is
not His. 10 And if Christ is in
you, the body is dead because
of sin, but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What does all of this mean?
We have HOPE! If you
have received Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have life and you
CAN please God. In fact, He will give
real life to your flesh filled, mortal bodies through the indwelling of His
Spirit which will give you strength to live for Him and bring Him glory.
12 Therefore, brethren, 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.
How do we avoid our fleshly desires? By the Spirit is how. This is one of my all time favorite fighter verses. You know what that is, right? When I come up against a temptation, and there are many, I have tried to train myself to call on God's Word and ask that "by the Spirit" I put to death the deeds of the body. Then I overcome; then I live.
14 For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry
out, “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 joint
heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
We have been made free. We are not to be all tied up and dragged down by this spirit of bondage again, this bondage that brings fear and anxiety. No, we RECEIVED a Spirit of adoption by whom (attribute of a Person) we cry out "Abba, Father", Daddy, Dad, Pa; intimate, close, personal, warm and inviting - the Spirit of adoption, where there is no fear or anxiety drawn close to Him.
The Spirit Himself bears witness (again attribute of a Person),
and the Scriptures say the Holy Spirit dwells in us after we believe in Jesus,
and that same Spirit bears witness that we are children of God – and heirs!
Next time we will cover Romans 8, verses 18 through 30 with
the key verses again being 22 and 23
But for now, let’s finish with a reminder of the verse we
started with today, that first cries out with the Christ follower’s lament and
then answers with the only answer that matters at all - from a Romans 7 view -
24 O wretched man that I am! Who
will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank
God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
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