Letter to the Romans -- Chapter 8
In response to the sober reality of the sinful nature that hangs around our necks and continues to make us fall into the trap of our flesh, Paul brings in the comfort of the gospel: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Despite the flesh that wages war against us there is no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus. His blood overcomes all obstacles and breaks down all barriers and bars that enslave; no sin is too great and no sinner is too lost for the blood of the Lamb of God. “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). By Christ Jesus and His work in the crucifixion and resurrection we are set free from the law of sin and death that used to hold power over us. “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4). Where nothing else could help us and save us God sent His Son to be a sin offering on our behalf. In the cross, God condemned and punished all sin in sinful man so that the just requirements and demands of the law would be upheld. Because by grace we share in the cross of Christ we too have met the full demands of the law, being that we have, thru Christ Jesus, endured the punishment, judgment, condemnation, fulfillment, and perfect obligation of the law. Jesus Christ’s righteousness, work, merit, obedience, and fulfillment have become ours by the atoning, propitiatory act and substitution of Jesus Christ crucified and risen.
After reassuring us with the life-giving gospel promise Paul continues on and elaborates on the comparison between those who live “according to the sinful nature” and those who live “according to the Spirit”: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:5-7). In our minds we see the fruit of what we live according to; if we live according to sin then our minds are set on what our flesh and sinful nature desire as we look to fulfill its cravings and urges; but if we live according to the Spirit our minds will be set and focused on what God’s Spirit desires for us as we look to uphold God’s will and purpose for our life. Though the sinful mind may “feel” more alive to us it is only an illusion that brings certain death and therefore we must avoid it at all costs. On the other hand the mind controlled by the Spirit is the bringer of true life and peace that surpasses all human reason and understanding. Paul even goes so far as to state that the sinful mind and nature that we are born with is completely incapable of submitting to God’s law and will and that it is ragingly hostile to God (meaning that it is His enemy that wars against everything He desires and wills). With striking clarity and strength Paul nails this assertion home: “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). This means that man, when he is in the slavery of his sinful state (the state we enter this world in), is incapable of pleasing God in any way. This means that even the best “intentions” and “charitable” acts of the sinful man are complete rubbish and dung before God. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed this about the deeds and acts that seem “righteous” to us in this life: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). To hammer home this point in the most powerful way we should know that the literal Hebrew translation not only means “filthy rags” but in fact means “menstrual rags”; as one translator put it: “very badly soiled, filthy, smelly cloths soiled from a woman’s menstrual discharges.” The extreme language is needed here in order to illustrate how God truly sees even the “good deeds” that we try to offer Him, and also that as men who are slaves to our sinful nature we cannot please God in the least bit on our own.
Thankfully however Paul continues: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:9-10). If the Spirit of Christ lives in us then we can count ourselves as being no longer controlled by the sinful nature and therefore no longer abominable to Him. By way of Christ Jesus our bodies are dead and crucified and our spirit is brought to life because of His righteousness. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). Not only has our sinful flesh been crucified in the cross, but because of the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead we too are guaranteed new life to our mortal bodies in the life to come.
After assuring us that in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation for the flesh Paul once again in pastoral wisdom gives us a final warning about living in sin: “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:12-14). Because of what Jesus Christ did for us (literally everything!) we now have an obligation to fight against the desires of the sinful nature and to put them to death by the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we live by the Spirit of Christ and focus solely on His work for us in His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection then we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Paul’s warning about living in the sinful nature however must not go unheard. To the church at Galatia he made the same admonition: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:16-21). Even though we now live by the power of the gospel of God’s grace there is a continued need for our flesh to be mortified by the law as Paul illustrates here in this passage. We need to continually hear the real and harsh warnings that if we live according to the sinful nature then we will not inherit the kingdom of God, in order that we do not fall into complacence. These are not just “scare tactics” (and let us pray we do not “blow them off” as such!) but they are in fact the strong reality of God’s Word against our sin. To take the reality of our sin lightly is to take the reality of Jesus Christ crucified lightly. We are indeed very real sinners, in very real need of saving from the judgment and wrath of God.
However, let us not fear and despair, but let us trust and cling to the mercy and grace of God who justifies the wicked in Jesus Christ, for He has made us His children and heirs thru the work of His Son: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:15-17). He has given us His Spirit so that we may shed the old deeds, passions, and desires of the flesh and in turn produce the fruit of His labors: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25). By the grace of Jesus Christ we can now call God our “Father” and be 100% assured and confident that we are His children thru the cross and empty tomb. We therefore do not live in fear of sinning, but are bold and firm in our lives because we know that in Christ Jesus we have One who has walked the path before us and on our behalf so that we may die to our former lives of sin and live new lives devoted solely to God and His will. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
After admonishing us with his warning from God’s law not to give in to the sinful flesh, Paul continues on in the last half of chapter 8 with one of the most beautiful gospel discourses in all of the Scriptures. By pointing us to the work and grace of God in Christ Jesus Paul strengthens our hope and faith as we walk thru the trials and tribulations of this life. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Here Paul tells us that no matter what horrible and painful sufferings we face in this life, they are nothing at all in comparison to the glory and joy to come. He is essentially saying, “Take the greatest, most glorious and joyful moment you have ever had in this life and multiply it by a thousand, and even then you are still nowhere near the glory and joy to come for those in Christ Jesus.” The sufferings that we face in this life are a mere blip in the big picture of our life in Christ and we need to remain focused on this hope.
Paul continues: “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21). God allowed His creation to be subjected to frustration so that thru His plan of salvation He would liberate the creation from the bondage and decay that it found in its slavery to sin. So too, God allows us as His creatures to be subjected to frustration in this life so that thru the hope of Christ we will find true liberation and freedom. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:22-25). Here Paul touches on an important truth for Christians: our discipleship to Christ is about faith and hope. Faith and hope are things that look to the future, to things yet to be revealed. At no point in this life will we “arrive” or be made “perfect” in Christ. We cling with eager faith and hope to what God has promised to come, and therefore we wait patiently for His fulfillment and His timing. The failure of many in the Christian world is that they preach a false gospel that is not about hope and faith, but is about the “here and now” and about “instant gratification.” They only worry about “what can Christianity do for me today?” when in fact the real gospel is always about these three in harmony: the past (what Christ has already done in the incarnation, cross, and resurrection), the present (our living today by faith, hope, and love), and the future (the patient waiting for the complete fulfillment to come of God’s promises and our completed redemption in Christ Jesus).
Because we live in the present awaiting the redemption to come Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit has been given to us for the very purpose of helping us in our weakness of this life: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will” (Romans 8:26-27). Because we still remain in our bodies of death as we wait patiently for their redemption, we live this life on no power or ability of our own, but we live solely on the promise of Christ and the work of the Spirit on our behalf. Where we continue to be impotent the Spirit intercedes on our behalf for the sake of Christ Jesus; where we are ignorant for what to pray for, the Spirit steps in to “pinch-hit.” This we accept not on experience or thru our senses, but as always it is thru simple faith that trusts the promise and the hidden work of the Spirit on our behalf.
Paul continues on by pointing to God’s continuing work in our life: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30). Here in these few words we have one of the greatest and most comforting gospel promises given in Christ Jesus. Here we are explicitly told that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose and election. The sinful nature in us will doubtingly look at this as a “conditional promise” from God because it says “for those who love Him” (thinking that we must attain this love before He will work for us). This however is not a condition but is actually a result of God already working for our good. Because God has already worked for our good, we love Him, and our love for Him is a result of His love for us thru the incarnation, cross, and empty tomb of Jesus Christ. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…so we know and rely on the love God has for us…we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:10, 16, 19). Because the secret of our predestination and election lie in Jesus Christ, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are those for whom God is working; He loved us by way of His Son and therefore we are guaranteed that He is working all things for our ultimate good. Thru the cross and resurrection we are transformed into men who love God, and thereby in Christ all the promises of God are ours and we are completely reconciled to God our Father thru His blood. This comforting promise of God working all things for our good and being with us at all times is spoken of and dwelled upon in the beautiful words of the psalmist: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast…You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:8-10, 13-16). Thru this awesome promise of God to dwell with us from the heights to the depths, and to watch over us all the days of our lives, we too can learn to be content as Paul was: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). God’s promises in Christ Jesus truly are the only source of real peace, contentment, and fulfillment in this life.
In the face of this overwhelming and incomparable gospel promise Paul actually challenges us to doubt, he openly dares us to find a “loophole” as he continues his bold proclamation of God’s goodness to us in Christ Jesus: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” (Romans 8:31-34). So what can we say in response to this promise of God to work all things to our good in Christ Jesus? What is our excuse to doubt and not believe God? If God is for us in Jesus Christ how can we have any fears and any misgivings about today or the future? Who in this life and world can oppose us if God is indeed for us and on our side? If He has given His only Son over to death for us do we really think He will not carry thru in fulfilling His promises in His Son? If we have been chosen who can stand against us and overcome us? If we have been justified who can bring any charge against us? Paul gives the one answer that is truly the only answer to all important questions, and which brings all these truths and promises together in harmony: “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). Forget all our silly worries, stresses, anxieties, and misgivings; we have Christ Jesus as our intercessor, mediator, and savior! None of our doubts and questioning have any real foundation because in Jesus Christ we have been given and promised all good things from God above!
With this the final question of doubt creeps up within us and we wonder, “This is all well and good, but what is it that can separate us from Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ and Son of God? If His love is the reason we are in good standing with God, then what should we be afraid of that can separate us from His love given to us in the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered’” (Romans 8:35-36). Paul even beats our most valiant doubting to the punch by including a quote from the Scriptures that testifies that we do in fact face death and suffering all day long in this life. So we too must ask, is this sin and suffering and the trials and tribulations of this life capable of pulling us apart from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Is death strong enough? Is life strong enough? Can the troubles of today do it? Can the unknown burdens of tomorrow? Can Satan, our evil enemy, do it? Can anything at all? Paul’s answer is clear and succinct: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). The love of Jesus Christ for us in the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb is greater than all these things and thru His love we are not just conquerors but we are in fact “more than conquerors.” Praise be to God that thru the work of Jesus Christ His grace and mercy is without compare and without fail and without separation in our life! “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
After reassuring us with the life-giving gospel promise Paul continues on and elaborates on the comparison between those who live “according to the sinful nature” and those who live “according to the Spirit”: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:5-7). In our minds we see the fruit of what we live according to; if we live according to sin then our minds are set on what our flesh and sinful nature desire as we look to fulfill its cravings and urges; but if we live according to the Spirit our minds will be set and focused on what God’s Spirit desires for us as we look to uphold God’s will and purpose for our life. Though the sinful mind may “feel” more alive to us it is only an illusion that brings certain death and therefore we must avoid it at all costs. On the other hand the mind controlled by the Spirit is the bringer of true life and peace that surpasses all human reason and understanding. Paul even goes so far as to state that the sinful mind and nature that we are born with is completely incapable of submitting to God’s law and will and that it is ragingly hostile to God (meaning that it is His enemy that wars against everything He desires and wills). With striking clarity and strength Paul nails this assertion home: “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). This means that man, when he is in the slavery of his sinful state (the state we enter this world in), is incapable of pleasing God in any way. This means that even the best “intentions” and “charitable” acts of the sinful man are complete rubbish and dung before God. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed this about the deeds and acts that seem “righteous” to us in this life: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). To hammer home this point in the most powerful way we should know that the literal Hebrew translation not only means “filthy rags” but in fact means “menstrual rags”; as one translator put it: “very badly soiled, filthy, smelly cloths soiled from a woman’s menstrual discharges.” The extreme language is needed here in order to illustrate how God truly sees even the “good deeds” that we try to offer Him, and also that as men who are slaves to our sinful nature we cannot please God in the least bit on our own.
Thankfully however Paul continues: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:9-10). If the Spirit of Christ lives in us then we can count ourselves as being no longer controlled by the sinful nature and therefore no longer abominable to Him. By way of Christ Jesus our bodies are dead and crucified and our spirit is brought to life because of His righteousness. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). Not only has our sinful flesh been crucified in the cross, but because of the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead we too are guaranteed new life to our mortal bodies in the life to come.
After assuring us that in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation for the flesh Paul once again in pastoral wisdom gives us a final warning about living in sin: “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:12-14). Because of what Jesus Christ did for us (literally everything!) we now have an obligation to fight against the desires of the sinful nature and to put them to death by the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we live by the Spirit of Christ and focus solely on His work for us in His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection then we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Paul’s warning about living in the sinful nature however must not go unheard. To the church at Galatia he made the same admonition: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:16-21). Even though we now live by the power of the gospel of God’s grace there is a continued need for our flesh to be mortified by the law as Paul illustrates here in this passage. We need to continually hear the real and harsh warnings that if we live according to the sinful nature then we will not inherit the kingdom of God, in order that we do not fall into complacence. These are not just “scare tactics” (and let us pray we do not “blow them off” as such!) but they are in fact the strong reality of God’s Word against our sin. To take the reality of our sin lightly is to take the reality of Jesus Christ crucified lightly. We are indeed very real sinners, in very real need of saving from the judgment and wrath of God.
However, let us not fear and despair, but let us trust and cling to the mercy and grace of God who justifies the wicked in Jesus Christ, for He has made us His children and heirs thru the work of His Son: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Romans 8:15-17). He has given us His Spirit so that we may shed the old deeds, passions, and desires of the flesh and in turn produce the fruit of His labors: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25). By the grace of Jesus Christ we can now call God our “Father” and be 100% assured and confident that we are His children thru the cross and empty tomb. We therefore do not live in fear of sinning, but are bold and firm in our lives because we know that in Christ Jesus we have One who has walked the path before us and on our behalf so that we may die to our former lives of sin and live new lives devoted solely to God and His will. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
After admonishing us with his warning from God’s law not to give in to the sinful flesh, Paul continues on in the last half of chapter 8 with one of the most beautiful gospel discourses in all of the Scriptures. By pointing us to the work and grace of God in Christ Jesus Paul strengthens our hope and faith as we walk thru the trials and tribulations of this life. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Here Paul tells us that no matter what horrible and painful sufferings we face in this life, they are nothing at all in comparison to the glory and joy to come. He is essentially saying, “Take the greatest, most glorious and joyful moment you have ever had in this life and multiply it by a thousand, and even then you are still nowhere near the glory and joy to come for those in Christ Jesus.” The sufferings that we face in this life are a mere blip in the big picture of our life in Christ and we need to remain focused on this hope.
Paul continues: “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21). God allowed His creation to be subjected to frustration so that thru His plan of salvation He would liberate the creation from the bondage and decay that it found in its slavery to sin. So too, God allows us as His creatures to be subjected to frustration in this life so that thru the hope of Christ we will find true liberation and freedom. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:22-25). Here Paul touches on an important truth for Christians: our discipleship to Christ is about faith and hope. Faith and hope are things that look to the future, to things yet to be revealed. At no point in this life will we “arrive” or be made “perfect” in Christ. We cling with eager faith and hope to what God has promised to come, and therefore we wait patiently for His fulfillment and His timing. The failure of many in the Christian world is that they preach a false gospel that is not about hope and faith, but is about the “here and now” and about “instant gratification.” They only worry about “what can Christianity do for me today?” when in fact the real gospel is always about these three in harmony: the past (what Christ has already done in the incarnation, cross, and resurrection), the present (our living today by faith, hope, and love), and the future (the patient waiting for the complete fulfillment to come of God’s promises and our completed redemption in Christ Jesus).
Because we live in the present awaiting the redemption to come Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit has been given to us for the very purpose of helping us in our weakness of this life: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will” (Romans 8:26-27). Because we still remain in our bodies of death as we wait patiently for their redemption, we live this life on no power or ability of our own, but we live solely on the promise of Christ and the work of the Spirit on our behalf. Where we continue to be impotent the Spirit intercedes on our behalf for the sake of Christ Jesus; where we are ignorant for what to pray for, the Spirit steps in to “pinch-hit.” This we accept not on experience or thru our senses, but as always it is thru simple faith that trusts the promise and the hidden work of the Spirit on our behalf.
Paul continues on by pointing to God’s continuing work in our life: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30). Here in these few words we have one of the greatest and most comforting gospel promises given in Christ Jesus. Here we are explicitly told that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose and election. The sinful nature in us will doubtingly look at this as a “conditional promise” from God because it says “for those who love Him” (thinking that we must attain this love before He will work for us). This however is not a condition but is actually a result of God already working for our good. Because God has already worked for our good, we love Him, and our love for Him is a result of His love for us thru the incarnation, cross, and empty tomb of Jesus Christ. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…so we know and rely on the love God has for us…we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:10, 16, 19). Because the secret of our predestination and election lie in Jesus Christ, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are those for whom God is working; He loved us by way of His Son and therefore we are guaranteed that He is working all things for our ultimate good. Thru the cross and resurrection we are transformed into men who love God, and thereby in Christ all the promises of God are ours and we are completely reconciled to God our Father thru His blood. This comforting promise of God working all things for our good and being with us at all times is spoken of and dwelled upon in the beautiful words of the psalmist: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast…You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:8-10, 13-16). Thru this awesome promise of God to dwell with us from the heights to the depths, and to watch over us all the days of our lives, we too can learn to be content as Paul was: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). God’s promises in Christ Jesus truly are the only source of real peace, contentment, and fulfillment in this life.
In the face of this overwhelming and incomparable gospel promise Paul actually challenges us to doubt, he openly dares us to find a “loophole” as he continues his bold proclamation of God’s goodness to us in Christ Jesus: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” (Romans 8:31-34). So what can we say in response to this promise of God to work all things to our good in Christ Jesus? What is our excuse to doubt and not believe God? If God is for us in Jesus Christ how can we have any fears and any misgivings about today or the future? Who in this life and world can oppose us if God is indeed for us and on our side? If He has given His only Son over to death for us do we really think He will not carry thru in fulfilling His promises in His Son? If we have been chosen who can stand against us and overcome us? If we have been justified who can bring any charge against us? Paul gives the one answer that is truly the only answer to all important questions, and which brings all these truths and promises together in harmony: “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). Forget all our silly worries, stresses, anxieties, and misgivings; we have Christ Jesus as our intercessor, mediator, and savior! None of our doubts and questioning have any real foundation because in Jesus Christ we have been given and promised all good things from God above!
With this the final question of doubt creeps up within us and we wonder, “This is all well and good, but what is it that can separate us from Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ and Son of God? If His love is the reason we are in good standing with God, then what should we be afraid of that can separate us from His love given to us in the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered’” (Romans 8:35-36). Paul even beats our most valiant doubting to the punch by including a quote from the Scriptures that testifies that we do in fact face death and suffering all day long in this life. So we too must ask, is this sin and suffering and the trials and tribulations of this life capable of pulling us apart from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Is death strong enough? Is life strong enough? Can the troubles of today do it? Can the unknown burdens of tomorrow? Can Satan, our evil enemy, do it? Can anything at all? Paul’s answer is clear and succinct: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). The love of Jesus Christ for us in the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb is greater than all these things and thru His love we are not just conquerors but we are in fact “more than conquerors.” Praise be to God that thru the work of Jesus Christ His grace and mercy is without compare and without fail and without separation in our life! “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
2 comments:
Amazing...truly amazing...I will never understand His love, but it only makes me love Him even more.
By the way, Psalm 139 is my favorite Psalm. Probably my favorite part of the Bible.
Yeah, this chapter of Romans is truly one of the most comforting and encouraging passages in the entire Scriptures. Its message is purest gospel as it clearly and succinctly proclaims the UNconditional love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. After the law has beaten us down nothing is quite so soothing and healing!
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