WORD From The Woods
Romans 8:1-17
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 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, 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. 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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 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. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 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. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.”
Last week, We talked about how the Old-Testament law convicts and condemns us. The law gave humanity a standard that God requires to be perfectly righteous before Him. The law revealed the sinfulness of mankind and the fact that there is nothing we can do on our own to measure up to God’s righteous standard. Chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture! When I was in high school, my pastor in Montana met with me two or three times a week to lift weights and disciple me. I didn’t realize at the time how impactful those meetings would be in my spiritual journey. One of the passages we studied in depth was Romans 8 and since then it’s always had a special place in my heart. I love how Paul compares the law apart from Christ as the law of sin and flesh, and the freedom found in Christ as the law of the Spirit of life. And, that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Christ didn’t do away with the righteous requirement of the law, He gave us, as weak and sinful failures, a way to meet that righteous requirement when we turn our heart to Him and are covered by His righteousness. That in itself is just awesome, but God doesn’t stop there! He doesn’t just offer us a way to escape the eternal condemnation of hell. He offers us abundant life now and for all eternity! When we put our faith and trust in Christ, God gives us His Spirit, the Spirit of life, to dwell in us. To guide and direct us as we live the Christian life. Pauls also refers to it as the Spirit of adoption as children of God, to whom we cry Abba, Father! This term Abba is like when a child first says the word daddy. It reveals the intimate, personal relationship that God desires to have with each one of us. The creator of the universe came down from his place in heaven, to live and breathe and suffer and die among humanity, to be tormented and rejected, to offer salvation to the same people who mocked and killed Him. This same God wants to have a reconciled, personal relationship with each one of us! This is what Paul means when he says we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. When we come to Christ we are adopted into the family of God and receive all the spiritual inheritance that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is so much more we could talk about in this passage. I hope you take time to study it more in depth on your own, and really grasp the reality of how glorious the Christian life is supposed to be!
God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-
Romans 8:1-17
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 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, 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. 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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 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. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 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. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.”
Last week, We talked about how the Old-Testament law convicts and condemns us. The law gave humanity a standard that God requires to be perfectly righteous before Him. The law revealed the sinfulness of mankind and the fact that there is nothing we can do on our own to measure up to God’s righteous standard. Chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture! When I was in high school, my pastor in Montana met with me two or three times a week to lift weights and disciple me. I didn’t realize at the time how impactful those meetings would be in my spiritual journey. One of the passages we studied in depth was Romans 8 and since then it’s always had a special place in my heart. I love how Paul compares the law apart from Christ as the law of sin and flesh, and the freedom found in Christ as the law of the Spirit of life. And, that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Christ didn’t do away with the righteous requirement of the law, He gave us, as weak and sinful failures, a way to meet that righteous requirement when we turn our heart to Him and are covered by His righteousness. That in itself is just awesome, but God doesn’t stop there! He doesn’t just offer us a way to escape the eternal condemnation of hell. He offers us abundant life now and for all eternity! When we put our faith and trust in Christ, God gives us His Spirit, the Spirit of life, to dwell in us. To guide and direct us as we live the Christian life. Pauls also refers to it as the Spirit of adoption as children of God, to whom we cry Abba, Father! This term Abba is like when a child first says the word daddy. It reveals the intimate, personal relationship that God desires to have with each one of us. The creator of the universe came down from his place in heaven, to live and breathe and suffer and die among humanity, to be tormented and rejected, to offer salvation to the same people who mocked and killed Him. This same God wants to have a reconciled, personal relationship with each one of us! This is what Paul means when he says we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. When we come to Christ we are adopted into the family of God and receive all the spiritual inheritance that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is so much more we could talk about in this passage. I hope you take time to study it more in depth on your own, and really grasp the reality of how glorious the Christian life is supposed to be!
God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-