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Romans 8
This study requires you to have your Bible out. I’m using the King James version of the Bible. You can use any one you want, but bear in mind some of the words may be different.
Verse 1: Condemnation is judgment of guilt which is worthy of punishment.
Verse 2: The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus is like the “law” of gravity, it’s how gravity works. That’s how this “law” of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus can be understood.
Verse 3: Interesting, according to verse 1, in Christ we are not condemned, but in verse 3, by Christ, sin is condemned. This is a figure of speech, and indicates that the source of the sin (Satan) is the one condemned.
Verses 4-12 – How to walk by the Spirit
Verse 5 do mind is the Greek word phronema, and means to hash over in the mind. Colossians 3:2, Set your affection is this same word. You could think of it as obsessing over something, trying to make sense of something, where you really consciously apply your mind to something. What you really think is important enough to think about.
Sooooo, we walk by the spirit by mulling over the things of the spirit. (remember this word “things.”).
Verse 6 Carnally minded is to be fleshly phronema‘d, (the exact same word, or root…flesh in verse 5, and carnally in verse 6)
Verse 7 Carnal mind ….same words………enmity = animosity.
When you are trying to figure it out in the flesh, you are at odds with God, because that fleshly thinking cannot be subject to the law of God (the way God works).
God is spirit, we have to learn how He works, so we can enjoy the benefit of Him working in and for us!!!
Verse 8…….Can anyone out there tell me what it means to be in the flesh? I hope so, that’s what we’ve been going over in the previous few verses. When you’re in the flesh, whether your own or someone else’s (Hey, why did he do that? Why won’t she talk to me? What did I do wrong? I’m terrible, I did such a horrible thing. How am I going to fix this? Etc. Etc.)
Verse 9….Dwell means that God can go wherever and whenever in your mind, your heart, your life. He dwells in you, He’s not just visiting. (see Visiting Heaven).
Verse 12…A verse to dwell on. Think about where in your life you are a debtor to the flesh. O, it’s my family, I have to go. Well, I don’t like that person, but I have to be nice to them. I don’t get much out of church, but I have to go, because what would people think? I have to get an “A” in this class, or my parents are going to be mad. I have to, I ought to, I need to, etc. etc. etc.
So does this mean we have no duties, no responsibilities in the flesh? The Word of God says we are not debtors to the flesh, to live after (according to) the flesh. Our duty to God is to walk by His spirit. The spirit of God will give us our duties.
Verse 15….Abba In the East, servants of the house, very close to the master of the house, might refer to him or address him as “Father”. It was a term of endearment and respect. But only the actual children of the master would say “Abba”. It’s the cry of a desire to be in the presence of your Father, like “Daddy, you’re home!” As you run up and give him a great big hug.
Verse 17….joint heirs means we share equally with Jesus Christ in all he inherited (and is inheriting) from his Father.
Verse 19, 20, 21 …creature = creation
Verse 21 … the bondage of corruption Think about it, how it’s the opposite of the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Verse 28 …All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. People really misinterpret this verse. I broke my leg…..it must be God’s plan for me. My aunt was killed in a car wreck, it must be how God wants it to happen, because all things work together for good.
No No No No No! Remember from verse 5? There are “things” of the flesh and there are “things” of the spirit. The context here, obviously, is all things of the spirit of God work together for good to them that love God………. Look at the context!
This means that anything of the spirit of God today will always work in harmony with anything of the spirit of God tomorrow. Also, anything of the spirit of God in me will always work in harmony with anything of the spirit of God in you. All things of the spirit work….together! for good!
Verse 32 – 34. Stunningly beautiful is the truth revealed here. God cannot lay anything to our charge (that means, he cannot charge us with a sin), because He’s the one who justified us!! To justify is to reckon as having had a righteous reason for doing what you did. So what is our righteous reason, or justification, for sinning? The answer will astound you.
If it’s not God, then who is it that is condemning us? It can’t be Jesus, who is standing between us and God, filtering all our sin out in the eyes of God. Then who is to blame for our sin? The devil, that’s who!!! Realize that this truth is true for those who are in Christ. When we are not in of Christ, then we are to blame for our sin.
As soon as we are back in Christ, we are free from all guilt and blame for sin!
So, in conclusion: The answer, or response, when we sin is not to feel bad or guilty or like a loser, but rather to simply get back into Christ!! And, like this chapter began, in Christ there is no judgment that says we are worthy of punishment.
Verse 35 …. all these are metaphors for mental, or psychological, pressures that are common to man. They happen because of family, work situations, friends, school, simply in our own minds, or anywhere we have dealings with others.
Tribulation – attacks from all sides, a squeezing
Distress – A confining into a narrow place…..no room to turn
Persecution – a being chased after, hounded
Famine – not able to obtain nourishment, no strength, not having the wherewithall
Nakedness – no protection, vulnerable
Peril – imminent or unseen or not understood danger
Sword – a piercing, a cutting…..not physical, but psychological
Verse 37 …..more than conquerors is literally super conquerors or hyper-conquerors. I liken it to this. I’m a black belt in tae-kwan-do and ju-jitsu (I’m not), and this 5 year old kid comes to try and beat me up. I’ll tell you right here and now, in that situation I’m a hyperconqueror. In fact, I’m so far above being a conqueror that I don’t even have to engage! And that is the way God had made us to be in Christ in any and all pressurized situations. Not that we just scrape by, but that we soar! Because we’re way above and beyond the need to engage in the lies of the evil one.
This is the power of God’s love, which we meet in Christ Jesus our Lord. It fills us, empowers us, strengthens us, assures us, makes us able and capable, wise, peaceful and ready for anything. Sin is seen as worthless; the works of Satan are obvious and rendered contemptible in our minds. Devil spirits have no power over us, because we recognize them for what they are ….. liars!
Verse 39 The love of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ is the manifestation of God’s love to the world. In Christ we are always loved by God. It is in the active lordship of Christ in our lives that God’s love has its day in and through our lives.
Amen.
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See studies:
IN CHRIST – what does it mean?
HOW to Walk by the Spirit
Justified, what it means
What is Glory?
