A study on the Chapter of Romans 8.

Romans 8:18-39, New King James Version (NKJV)

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

Sonship Through the Spirit

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. 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.

From Suffering to Glory

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 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. ²⁴ For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My Comments: This blog entry is being devoted to the whole chapter of Romans 8, and the text is included so those in parts of the world who do not have access to the Bible may see the verses for them selves. I think it, also, helps everyone be on the same page so to speak.

The preceding chapter has to do with our being dead to sin until Jesus redeems us and addresses the law, which those who are not redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ are under. And about how one is dead without Jesus freeing us from sin.

Let’s look at Chapter 8 which is for those who have been redeemed and are walking according to the Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, which is the Spirit of God the Holy Spirit.

Paul lets us know the good news right away in verse one. “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Wow, every time I read that I smile and tingle all over. No condemnation means just that. Christ Jesus took on Himself all the sin of the world and for those who accept His free gift they are condemned no more which is what they were before.

I remember thinking all my life that I was saved and would go to Heaven because I went to church, believed in God and that Jesus was His Son and that their Holy Spirit was sent as tongues of fire. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God and the second part of the Holy Trinity. Yes, He did send the Holy Spirit into the world after He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father the first of the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. Yet I was not saved and would not have gone to Heaven because I did not take Jesus as my Savior. This verse refers to the freedom from sin by Christ Jesus. Before this time we were under the law of sin and of death and now we are free and under the law of the Spirit as verse two states.

To be under the law of the Spirit means we live our lives as Christ Jesus would as much as possible and continue with the Holy Spirits help to become more and more like Christ Jesus in all we do, think and say. Verse three goes on to tell us that the law was weak in that it could only address the flesh and not that very well. Sort of like our laws in all of our countries. But God is stronger and He sent His Son as an offering and as verse three says, condemned sin in the flesh as Jesus as man. Several of the verses address wailing in the Spirit as in verses four and five. 

I love the fifth verse it continues to edify my mind and make me look at how my walk with my Heavenly Father is. Am I walking in complete faith and trust and walking in His Spirit or am I walking in the flesh or the desires of the flesh? Do I tell the truth even if it is not peasant to hear? Do I make sure to give back money I borrow? Do I gossip or flee from saying anything about my Brothers and Sisters? Do I cause others to stumble or help them in their walk? For each of us the questions might be the same or they might be about pornography or lust of the eyes for another person or even a piece of real estate that is coveted.  As verse six says the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, and while verse seven gives the reason, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God. Then comes the reason in verse seven, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. Wow, again! Paul is really hitting straight at the heart of the matter and then goes on to tell us we are not of the flesh if the Spirit of God dwells in us.

In verse ten we are told that essentially when we die in our bodies we are alive in the spirit or in Heaven (we all will one day stand before the Throne of God in Heaven but only those who choose Jesus will stay the others will not), and in verse eleven we are promised we will be raised as Christ Jesus was by the Spirit bodily. That we know will happen in the future because we are the sons of God as it says in verse fourteen and will be resurrected to be with Christ Jesus when He comes again. Because we have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba? Father?” as in verse fifteen, the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit and we are heirs as in verses sixteen and seventeen. Then Paul goes on to remind us of the fall of Mankind when Adam and Eve caused sin to be a part of (through the first Adam sin entered and through the second Adam or Jesus, sin was conquered) all mankind.

In verses nineteen through twenty-two, Paul talks of the groaning of creation. Why? Because when Adam sinned the rest of creation was changed as well. God created the world in perfection and Adam changed that with sin. The sin of giving into the flesh or what we now call sin nature, and not obeying God, is the way we live our lives before coming to redemption.  But there is hope as seen in verses twenty-three and twenty-four.

In verses twenty-six through twenty-eight we see how the Spirit of God helps us in our weaknesses. He intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And Jesus, He searches the hearts knowing the mind of the Spirit and the will of God. What a merciful God we have for a Father. He has sent His Son to die in our place and then sent His Spirit to intercede for us and groan for us, teach us and comfort us. None of which we deserve. He did it all because He loves us and doesn’t want any to perish.

In verses twenty-eight through thirty Paul talks about predestined and there has been many denominations that confuse the thinking with some of their ideas. This text merely shows all have been called yet God knew who would accept and it had nothing to do with God choosing certain people over others. It had to do with Him being all knowing yet He gives each the same chance to know Him and to accept His Son as Savior. Those who accept are justified and glorified and then in verse thirty-one Paul reminds us God is for us and what do we have to worry about if God is with us? Absolutely nothing!

Though the world slander us, persecute us and as some are experiencing today in many parts of the world, though we be put to death as Christ Jesus we have nothing to fear because to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ our King. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not tribulation, distress, or persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or the sword because we are not ashamed of the Gospel nor of our Lord and Savior. Even though we be led to the slaughter we conquer through Him who loved us (verses thirty-one through thirty seven). As verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine, remind us, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior please consider these things and if you would like to accept His sacrifice then just confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to come in to you and be your Savior. It is easy to talk to Jesus as He loves us so much and none will be rejected because He died so all would have salvation who asked.

Abba, I place all who read Your words and hear Your call into Your loving and merciful hands. May their hearts be given to You to heal and grow in Your love. Your word promises us salvation through the blood of Your Son Jesus. We praise and glorify You Abba for loving us so much You would sacrifice Your only Begotten Son for us and that when we accept His Righteousness we are made white as snow and become Your adopted children.

Thank You Jesus for Your love, for Your sacrifice and for accepting the cup so we may be Yours and one day be with You in Heaven. All praise and glory to You who created the world and came to earth as a human baby boy and died for our sin. No mind can comprehend Your Sacrifice of Love. No human could love as You have loved us. We are humbled and rejoice that You love us so much that You would give so much to buy us.

Holy Spirit, we praise and glorify You and thank You for Your groanings on our behalf and Your intercessions for us. Thank You, for the guidance and comfort You give us and the knowledge and understanding You fill us with. Help us on our walk that we may continually grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father and You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Rebishka