Key Verse:
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus.” (8:1)
What does it mean to be spirit-filled? How does
one live life empowered by the Spirit(of God)? How does one become
of-the-Spirit?
To understand the mind of Paul (the author), it
is necessary to consider the context of Romans chapter 8:
The apostle Paul addressed this letter to “to all
who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints” (Rom.
1:7). By this time, the church was beginning to take form – meeting in Priscilla’s
home (16:5) and elsewhere (use of “saints” instead of “church”; 1:7). The Jewish
diaspora in Rome was still small in comparison to the Gentiles of Rome.
Therefore, when Paul spoke, he used words directed to his audience
(2:17;4:1;11:17-31;15:14-16. Paul had not yet reached Rome, neither Peter, and
Rome was still his goal (15:20). So, how did the church in Rome get started?
There were visitors from Rome in the crowd on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10).
No doubt the witness of the Spirit returned to Rome with these visitors.
Migration patterns and the economic attractiveness of Rome made this city a
magnet.
Paul took advantage of Phoebe’s trip to pen this
letter to a people he so desperately wished to visit (16:1-2). He wrote the
letter from Corinth, during his third missionary journey in late winter or
early spring A.D. 57-58.
His purpose for writing was to announce his
planned visit (15:24, 28-9;Acts 19:21), and to prepare the Christian community
for his coming. They had been on his mind for quite some time now (Rom. 1:9-10),
and in light of the impending visit, sought prayers in regards (15:22,23,29,30-32).
He also wished to declare the Gospel (1:15; cf. Jude 3). Then there were
tensions between the Jews and Gentiles at Rome. Paul would face major
oppositions by the Judaizers (Gal. 5:1); even experienced physical attacks. In
this, he wished to express the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), God’s universal
plan of salvation of grace through faith. Key themes of this letter will be
sanctification, justification, righteousness, regeneration, glorification
(8:23,29).
The Text:
Romans 8
Having described how the law is incapable of
saving anyone, the unity of Christ and believers and the “conflict of both worlds
experience” in chapter 7, Paul now digs into the power of sanctification.
Should a believer
continue to spend their entire life “frustrated by ongoing defeats to
indwelling sin?”
Paul just shared his own personal struggles in
7:21-25:
21 I find then the principle that evil is
present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For
I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but
I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against
the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin
which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am!
Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks
be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with
my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law
of sin.
How then does the believer achieve victory over sin? Paul’s answer
is “the indwelling-spirit of God,” the ministry of the Holy Spirit! “God is the
only source of divine power for sanctification and the secret for spiritual victory
in daily living.”[1]
“Therefore, (based upon the witness of Christ Jesus [7:25])
no punishment awaits those who are in-Christ Jesus!” Not guilty, charges set
aside! The believer has been declared righteous (Rom. 5:2), will not face His
wrath (1:18) and have eternal life (5:17-18, 21). Isn’t that the whole point?
You are free and safe in-Christ – that is if you have belief in him (Jn.
6:47-51).
8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus set free me from the law of
sin and of death[2]
The Holy Spirit (Spirit of life) regenerates every believer –
“He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”
(Tit.3:5). He gives us new life and power (Jn. 3:5-8; Rom. 6:4,8,11; Acts 1:3-5).
This is the law of the Spirit of life. It has set us FREE (freed at the
point of salvation).
What are we freed from? Another law – the law of sin and
death (5:15,17,21; 6:16,21,23). Look at the contrast:
Sin=death……………Spirit
(of God) =life
How was all this achieved?
8:3-4 The law
could not set humans free from sin and death
The flesh is weak (sinful nature) – 7:5,18,25;
8:4-5, 8-9, 12-13.
BUT, GOD accomplished victory of the law of sin
and death through the atonement and incarnation. He sent his SON to do the job
(Jn. 1:1;3:16).
His SON came in the likeness of sinful flesh, but
his divine nature protected in that he knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21). He was sent “concerning
our sin” (8:3a). His death condemned sin (on the cross). That is why he uttered
“It is finished,” mission completed (Jn. 19:30). He passed “a judicial judgment
upon sin” (katekrinen), so that
believers are not condemned (8:1).
The goal – Believers will live holy through the
Spirit of God through Jesus raised from the dead. In this believers will “not
walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (8:4). So the victorious
power comes through (only) the Holy Spirit.
While we experience continued warfare (flesh vs
spirit), believers should take comfort in knowing that Christ’ atoning work on
the cross has provided us with present power and a promised future (Jn. 14:3).
Walking by the flesh (sinful nature) or the
Spirit
8:5-8
Paul answers this question in the next four
verses. He describes two people – those who walk after the flesh and those who
do not (cf. Rom. 6:6-8; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:3-15).
Those who walk after the flesh have their mind
(desires, aspire to, seek for) whatever their nature desires. They care for “me
first.” Usually having no regard for God and the things of God. Believers have
a God-focused worldview.
The difference is the mind-set: of the flesh, of
the spirit. One leads to death, one leads to life and peace (5:1).
The unbeliever (sinful man who walk according to
the flesh):
ü Is hostile to God (5:10)
ü Does not submit to God’s law (8:7), because he/she cannot
ü Therefore, the believer who lives in sin is acting like the
unsaved
3 “For you are still fleshly. For since there
is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not
walking like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:3)
Paul speaks now to his immediate audience
(Roman Brethren)
8:9-11
You,
believers! You are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit – that
is (if) you are a believer (for real)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the
old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 20 Therefore, we
are ambassadors for Christ… 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor.
5). If you never confessed Christ, then you are NOT a
believer! “But if anyone does not have
the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (lit. “this one is not
of Him”) 8:9. You cannot be related to God apart from the Holy Spirit.
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the identification
mark of the believer (1 Jn. 3:24; 4:13).
You are still in the body, but Christ can be
alive in you. It is the righteousness of God imputed to you (1 Cor. 1:30) that
makes you alive in a dead body! (8:10). If God can (and he did) raise Jesus
from the dead – “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus” (8:11), then Paul states
this same Spirit is promised for the believer’s dead body (6:4;8,11). That is
victorious power now over the body and a future resurrection of that body (1
Cor. 6:14;15:42,53; 2 Cor. 4:14).
Paul’s
Application
8:12-14
Therefore!
Now that I have said all this to you…..
Be responsible! Live responsibly! We have an
obligation to live as Christians, in-Christ. Not in-flesh! Live under the
control of the Holy Spirit. You have no obligation to the flesh! No obligation to
live according to your sinful nature!
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
men,12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to
live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Tit. 2:11-12).
ü Refuse to follow the inclinations of the flesh – this only
leads to death (6:23)
ü Living in the flesh results in a strained relationship with
the Holy Spirit, and you will not enjoy the indwelling Spirit.
Live by
the flesh – dying……..Live by the Spirit – living!
You can only put that past behind you through the
Spirit of God – put to death the flesh and you will live (8:13). Remember,
believers are led-by-the-indwelling-Spirit, having rights and privileges are
responsibilities (8:14, 5-17).
Live FREE. Live controlled by the Spirit!
[1]
John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (David C.
Cook, 1983), 469.
[2] Literal
translation from the Interlinear Bible (1985).
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