Reading through Romans-The finished work of the cross!

In 8:34 Paul asks, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Christ Jesus (1) died, (2) was raised, (3) is sitting in power, and (4) is now residing at the right hand of God, interceding for us. These four acts have accomplished and secured our salvation. We can be certain! The word “intercedes” (entugchano) is also from the courtroom. It refers to the word of a defense attorney or advocate. As your defense attorney, you can count on Jesus Christ to win your case. He now lives in the presence of God, at His right hand, pleading your case before the Father. His plea for you is based on the finished and sufficient work He did on the cross. You can be sure you are eternally saved because your sins—past, present, and future—remain paid for by Jesus Christ.

Have you been struggling with a besetting sin and wondering if God will ever forgive you? Maybe there is a sin in your past that you consider to be so heinous that you wonder if your status in the family of God is lost or in jeopardy. Perhaps you’ve been apart of a crime or lived life in such a way that you wonder if the Lord will remove your relationship with Him as a consequence. Cling tightly to the understanding that if you’ve believed in Christ as your Savior He will not condemn you nor abandon you. So don’t be paralyzed by your guilt any longer. Allow God’s assurance and security to motivate you to ensure that you’re in fellowship with Christ.

Steve Winger writes about his last college test, a final in a logic class known for its difficult exams. To help students complete the final, the professor told them they could bring as much information to the exam as we could fit on a piece of notebook paper. Most students crammed as many facts as possible on their 8 ½ x 11 inch sheet of paper. But one student walked into class, put a piece of notebook paper on the floor, and had an advanced logic student stand on the paper. The advanced logic student told him everything he needed to know. He was the only student to receive an “A.” Much like this advanced student, Jesus Christ is our intercessor. He preserves our salvation through His continual intercession. Security leads to stability and productivity.

Oh Dear God thank you for releasing me from condemnation through the power of the finished and sufficient work of the cross!  I praise your holy name!!

Reading through Romans-There is no condemnation!!!

Romans 8:33-34  “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.”

Although you may feel condemned from time to time, God’s love for you is timeless and He will never condemn you. Paul writes in 8:33, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” This is a rhetorical question, equivalent to an emphatic denial. So the question is: Who would dare “bring a charge against God’s elect?” The answer, of course, is no one. This question is from a courtroom setting. No one can charge you with sin crimes because God has justified you. God has acquitted you and declared you righteous before His perfect justice. If God pronounced this verdict, who can resurrect the charges of wrong doing that would bring you before Him again? There is no double jeopardy in God’s legal system!

As a believer, you can be sure you are eternally secure because there is no sin that has not already been dealt with by Christ. Therefore, if God the Father went to all this work to save you, it is nonsensical to contemplate the remote possibility that you could somehow be lost. If “God is the one who justifies,” who is able to “unjustify” you? Absolutely no one!

Our security is not dependent on our ability to hang on.  Here is an example:  “Jena, will you please hold on to my pinky finger? Do you have a good grip? Will you always be able to hold on to my finger? What happens if you get tired or weak?” Jena responds, “I would lose my grip and fall down.” “That’s right! But since I’m your Dad I’m going to hold your hand and never let you go. Even if you let go of me, even if you stumble and attempt to fall, I’m going to keep you because I am strong and I have made a commitment to you.” I wish I could keep this commitment perfectly, but it’s not possible. However, God is able to hold on to Jena and every other believer. He will hold your hand with an everlasting grasp. If your salvation depends upon your hanging onto God, you are in deep trouble. But you are not going to heaven because you are hanging onto God. You’re going to go to heaven because God is holding onto you.

Dear Gracious and Loving God, Thank you for hanging on to me even when I lose my grip!

Reading through Romans-He gives us all things

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

In 8:32 Paul answers the question of 8:31 with a rhetorical question: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If God has done the big thing, delivering up Jesus, will He not do the little thing? For God to give up Jesus to death and then abandon you on the highway to heaven would be like a rich man spending a vast sum on a car and then leaving it on the roadside because he couldn’t afford the gasoline to run it. How absurd! That is the idea behind Paul’s argument here. Since God gave up His Son to buy your eternal life, He will certainly give you whatever you need to live for Him now. But this phrase “all things” (panta) does not include Rolls-Royces, mansions, expensive jewelry, and elaborate wardrobes. The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel teaching is a false doctrine.

Thank you Dear God for saving me from the separation I deserve from you AND for all I need each day!

Reading through Romans-God's protection

Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

In spite of who or what comes against you, God is for you. In 8:31a Paul writes, “What then shall we say to these things?” This is the first of seven questions in this passage. Seven is the number of completion and perfection in the Bible. Throughout this passage, Paul’s goal is to exhaust any and every objection. “These things” (tauta) likely refers to the previous contents of his letter (1:18-8:30).4 This section is the Cliff Notes on Romans 1-8. Since Paul is astounded by God’s unconditional love he writes in 8:31b, “If God is for us, who is against us?” Notice Paul doesn’t ask the question, “Who is against us?” Rather, he qualifies the question with the phrase: “If God is for us . . .” The Greek word “if” (ei) is not a term of uncertainty, but of certainty. Paul is saying, “If God is working on our behalf (and He is), then who could succeed in opposing us?” His point is that no adversary or enemy is of any account when God is for us. Romans 8:31 was John Calvin’s life verse because it brought him much comfort and confidence. Today you may feel defeated, but Paul’s encouraging truth is that evil will never ultimately prevail. You will always be led to victory in Christ because God is for you. Today personalize the verse by adding your name: “If God is for ________, who is against__________?”

In the movie, The Lion King, the young cub Simba is being surrounded by hyenas, and he gets ready to defend himself, when his father jumps up behind Simba and roars. At that great roar, the hyenas scatter. Now the truth is, sometimes hyenas do gang up on and defeat adult male lions. But, if every created being in the universe were to gang up on God, they still would not be able to defeat Him. With that kind of God for you, who can possibly be against you? Who or what do you have to fear? No one. Nothing. Security leads to stability and productivity.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me and for being for me!  Help me to lean into your protection and infinite security and love.  How great you are!

Reading through Romans-Predestination

“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.” Ephesians 1:5 and 11 declare, “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” 

The words translated “predestined” in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of “determine beforehand,” “ordain,” “to decide upon ahead of time.” So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Essentially, God predetermines that certain individuals will be saved. Numerous scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27;Romans 8:33, 9:11, 11:5-7, 28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved.

The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? The important thing to remember is that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God. An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some.

If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true.

Dear God, I pray your Word...Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Reading through Romans-The glory of God through us

Romans 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren"

In Romans 8:28 Paul makes a general statement concerning God’s sovereignty and its goal with respect to the Christian. God’s sovereignty assures Christians He is working all things together for their ultimate good. Romans 8:29 expands what Paul has said in verse 28, for in this verse, he sums up God’s eternal purpose for the saints established in eternity past. He also speaks of God’s goal of glorifying Himself, through His saints who become like Christ.

Two major elements of Paul’s theology become evident in Romans, both bearing on the meaning of the term “foreknew” in our text. The first element of Paul’s theology is the doctrine of the depravity of man. Man is not sick, weakened by sin and in need of divine assistance; he is dead in his trespasses and sins, in need of life. As Paul summed up man’s condition in Romans 3:10-18, all mankind, without exception, is alienated from God and hostile toward Him, not seeking Him but rebelling against Him.

The second major element of Paul’s theology is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. God is in complete control. He gives men commands which they may obey or disobey. He also gives men choices to make and the freedom to make bad decisions. But in spite of all this freedom and certain failure, Paul has just stated that God causes all these things and more to bring about the ultimate good of the Christian. While men are not in control and surely do not live consistently in conformity to His Word, God’s purpose is still being achieved.

Dear Lord, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Reading through Romans-Gods' great good

Romans 8:28 "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."

But what does this mean? Those who love God are, in this context, Christians, because they are called according to God’s purpose (note v. 30: the ‘called’ are also the ‘justified’ who will be ‘glorified’). Some take the present participle ‘who love’ (ajgapw'sin) as a temporal condition, as if to say, “As long as you love God, things work out; but whenever you are not loving God, things do not work out for your good.” This interpretation, however, is unlikely. First, the tense in this construction is most likely a gnomic present, indicating a characteristic rather than a temporal condition. Second, the following verses (29-30) speak of our conformity to Christ, our glorification, as the inevitable outcome of those who love God. And that is not dependent on how much we love God but on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Paul concludes this chapter by making explicit that nothing can separate us from the love of God (vv. 38-39). And by implication that would include even our temporary lapses in our love for the Savior.

When we read Rom 8:28 in its context we can give a positive answer to the questions of pain and suffering in the world. We may see nothing good come of misery and disaster in this world, but this world is not all of reality. There is an ‘until’; there is a place beyond the horizon of what our senses can apprehend, and it is more real and more lasting than what we experience in this mortal shell. God is using the present, even the miserable present, to conform us to the image of his Son. If we define the good as only what we can see in this life, then we have missed the whole point of this text. For, as Paul said earlier in the same chapter, “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18, NET). Western Christians—especially American Christians—are prone to pervert texts such as Rom 8:28. If our lives are comfortable, if we have wealth, good health, that is fine and well. But it is not the good that Paul had in mind, and it is not the goal of the Christian life.

Thank you Dear God, for your sovereignty!  For using EVERYTHING in this life for the good of your glory!

Reading through Romans-God's prayers for us

Romans 8:26-27 "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. 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."

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses: When we are weak, and do not know exactly how we should pray, God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) helps by making intercession for us.

The help that the Holy Spirit brings to express our groanings which cannot be uttered may include praying in the spiritual gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14-15), but it is certainly not limited to praying in an unknown tongue.

The idea is simply of communication beyond our ability to express - deep groanings within us, which cannot be articulated apart from the interceding work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit's help in intercession is perfect, because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God.

Oh Dear God, thank you for searching my heart.  For knowing me completely and for making prayers for me on my behalf when I am too broken or blind to see my own sinfulness and need.  I rest in your knowledge of me and love for me!

Reading through Romans-Adoption

Romans 8:23-25 "Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, . 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? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."

We, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, have been given a taste of that glory to come. Can we be faulted if we long for the fulfillment of what we have received in the firstfruits?

Eagerly waiting for the adoption: We are waiting for our adoption; though there is definitely a sense in which we are already adopted (Romans 8:15), there is also a sense in which we wait for the consummation of that adoption - the redemption of our body.

God does not ignore our physical bodies in His plan of redemption. His plan for these bodies is called resurrection, when this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53)

God's concern about our physical bodies in the here and now is reflected in passages like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

We eagerly wait for it with perseverance: The fulfillment of our redemption is something still distant, yet we hope for it in faith and perseverance, trusting that God is faithful to His word and the promised glory will be a reality.

Reading through Romans-Eagerly awaiting our glorious liberty

Romans 8:19-21 "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now."

The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits: Paul considers that creation itself is eagerly awaiting the revealing of the sons of God; because the creation was subjected to futility because of man's sin, and will benefit from the ultimate redemption of men.

Isaiah 11:6-9 describes this redemption of creation in that day: The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Him who subjected it in hope: Only God could subject creation in hope. This was not ultimately the work of either man or Satan.

The promised glorious liberty of the children of God benefits not only the children of God themselves, but also all of creation. Until that day, creation groans and labors with birth pangs.

The revealing of the sons of God: Certain groups with a "super-Christian" mentality have taken the idea of the revealing of the sons of God to say that all creation is waiting for their particular group of super-spiritual Christians to be revealed in incredibly powerful fashion. This is a purely egotistical fantasy.

The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now: "Creation is not undergoing death pangs … but birth pangs." (Morris)

Oh Dear Holy God, I look forward to the day of your glory when all of creation experiences the result of our complete hope in You!

Reading through Romans-Glory!

Romans 8:18 "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."

The future happiness of the saints is expressed by glory, of which the glory of this world is but a faint resemblance; a glory which is already given to Christ, and he is entered into the possession of; it is already, but as yet it is unseen, but will be "revealed" hereafter, when Christ himself shall appear in it; and it will not only be revealed to the saints, as the glory of Christ, as Mediator; and it will not only be visible upon them, upon their bodies, which will be made like to the glorious body of Christ; but it will be revealed in them, and greatly lie in the perfection of knowledge and holiness in their souls: now between the sufferings of the saints in the present state of things and their future happiness, is no comparison, either with respect to quality or quantity.

Dear Glorious Father, Thank you for the gift of perfecting my body and soul through the Sacrifice of Christ!

Reading through Romans-Suffering with Christ

Romans 8:18 "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."

And if children, there heirs: Because we are in Christ, we have the privilege of relating to the Father as Jesus does - therefore, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

Being a child of God also means having an inheritance. In Luke 18:18 the rich young ruler asked Jesus, what must I do to inherit? But the rich young ruler missed the point because inheritance is not a matter of doing it is a matter of being - of being in the right family.

If indeed we suffer with Him: Because we are in Christ, we are also called to share in His suffering. God's children are not immune from suffering.

If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together: In fact, our sharing in present suffering is a condition of our future glorification. As far as God is concerned, it is all part of the same package of sonship, no matter how our flesh may want to have the inheritance and the glory without the suffering.

Oh Dear Holy Father, Thank you for adopting me into your family as a daughter.  I pray that I may willingly suffer for you as I glorify Your Name and not my own.

Reading through Romans-Children of God

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God"

The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God: Plainly put, Paul says that those who are God's children, born again by the Spirit of God, know their status because the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that this is so.

John 1 tells us how we can become children of God: "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name"

This is not to say that there are not those who wrongly think or assume they are God's children apart from the Spirit's testimony. There are also Christians whose heads are so foggy from spiritual attack that they begin to believe the lie that they are not God's children after all. Nevertheless the witness of the Spirit is still there.

We are children of God: If we have accepted the gift of eternal life through the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf then we don't have to wonder if we are really Christians or not. God's children know who they are.

Dear Holy and Loving God, Thank you for adopting me into your family!  I am so grateful that you found me and showed me my need for a Savior so that I could accept your gift and become your child!

Reading through Romans-Adopted by God!!!

Romans 8:14-15 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 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.""

The Spirit does not enslave us or frighten us with threats of condemnation, but gives us a secure membership in God’s family: “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. 

(Ephesians 1:5-5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.) Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children”

We cry out, "Abba, Father." It is easy for us to see Jesus relating to the Father with this joyful confidence, but we may see ourselves as disqualified for it. However, remember that we are in Christ - we have the privilege of relating to the Father even as Jesus Christ does.

"In the Roman world of the first century A.D. an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature." (Bruce)

Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family; the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out, with all debts being canceled, with nothing from his past counting against him any more.

Dear Holy God, Thank you for adopting me into your eternal family!!

Reading through Romans-life in the flesh

Romans 8: 12-13 "Therefore, brethren, 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."

We are debtors - to the flesh, to live according to the flesh: The flesh (again, in the narrow sense of sinful flesh in rebellion against God) gave us nothing good. So we have no obligation to oblige or pamper it. Our debt is to the Lord, not to the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die: Paul constantly reminds us that living after the flesh ends in death and we need the reminder because we are often deceived into thinking that the flesh offers us life.

By the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body: When we put to death the deeds of the body (force the sinful flesh to submit to the Spirit), we must do it by the Spirit. Otherwise we will become Pharisees and spiritually proud.

Paul tells us that not only are we saved by the work of the Spirit, but also we must walk by the Spirit if want to grow and pursue holiness in the Lord. We cannot be like some among the Galatians who thought they could begin in the Spirit but then find spiritual perfection through the flesh (Galatians 3:3).

Dear Holy Lord, thank you for the new life you have given me!  I pray that I will allow your spirit to guide my life to glorify you!

Reading through Romans-His Spirit in me!

Romans 8:9-11 "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. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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."

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you: Because the Holy Spirit is given to each believer when they are born again, every Christian has within themselves a presence more powerful than the flesh.

"Many sincere people are yet spiritually under John the Baptist's ministry of repentance. Their state is practically that of the struggle of Romans Seven, where neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit is mentioned, but only a quickened but undelivered soul in struggle under a sense of 'duty,' not a sense of full acceptance in Christ and sealing by the Holy Spirit." (Newell)

Our old bodies are dead because of sin, and they received their wages on the cross (6:2-6). In Christ, though, we have new life — “If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness” (8:10). Because Christ is righteous, and we are in him, the Spirit gives us life.

Those who are saved, evidence = Holy Spirit indwells you, because He does, your very body becomes the house, temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19, 20). Even though this mortal body is destined to die, for the believer death is not our ultimate destiny, we too have an eternal life with God awaiting us - by the same Holy Spirit power that rescued Christ from the grave, lives in us, will resurrect us to eternal life with God too. 

Dear Holy God, I thank you every day for the gift of your Holy Spirit!  Thank you for the new life you gave me and for filing me with your Spirit on that day!

Reading through Romans-The Lost state of man

Romans 8:5-8 "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. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Set their minds on the things of the flesh: Paul gives an easy way for us to determine if we walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh - to simply see where our mind is set. The mind is the strategic battleground where the flesh and the Spirit fight.

We shouldn't think of those who set their minds on the things of the flesh are the notorious sinners. They may be noble people who have good intentions. Peter meant well when he told Jesus to avoid the cross. Jesus responded to Peter with these strong words: you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. (Matthew 16:23)

For to be carnally minded is death: When our minds are set on the things of the flesh (carnally minded) we bring death into our lives. But walking in the Spirit brings life and peace.

We must, however, guard against a false spirituality and see that Paul is talking about the flesh insofar as it is an instrument in our rebellion against God. Paul is not talking about normal physical and emotional needs that we may think about, only the sinful gratification of those needs.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: The flesh battles against God, because it does not want to be crucified and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not want to live out Galatians 5:24: those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In this battle to tame the flesh, the law is powerless.

Paul didn't say that the carnal mind was at enmity with God - he put it even stronger than that. The carnal mind is enmity against God. "It is not black, but blackness; it is not at enmity, but enmity itself; it is not corrupt, but corruption; it is not rebellious, it is rebellion: it is not wicked, it is wickedness itself. The heart, though it be deceitful, is positively deceit; it is evil in the concrete, sin in the essence, it is the distillation, the quintessence of all things that are vile; it is not envious against God, it is envy; it is not at enmity, it is actual enmity." (Spurgeon)

It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be: We can try to do good in life without being subject to the law of God. We may hope to put God "in debt" to us through the doing of good works, putting God under obligation to us. But it doesn't work. In the flesh we cannot please God, even if the flesh is doing religious things that are admired by men.

Newell on Romans 8:7: "Perhaps no one text of Scripture more completely sets forth the hideously lost state of man after the flesh."

Reading through Romans-I am made righteous!!

Romans 8:2-4 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 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, 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."

Romans 8:1 tells us we are free from the guilt of sin. Romans 8:2 tells us we are free from the power of sin.

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh: The law can do many things. It can guide us, teach us, and tell us about God's character. But the law cannot give energy to our flesh; it can give us the standard, but it cannot give us the power to live pleasing to God.

In that it was weak through the flesh: The law is weak because it speaks to our flesh. It comes to fleshly men and speaks to them as fleshly men. But the work of the Spirit transforms us by the crucifixion of the old man and it imparts the new man - a principle higher than the flesh.

What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son: The law could not defeat sin; it could only detect sin. Only Jesus can defeat sin, and He did just that through His work on the cross.

By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh: In order to defeat sin, Jesus had to identify with those bound by it, by coming in the likeness of sinful flesh. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul carefully chose his words here, indicating that Jesus was not sinful flesh, but He identified with it entirely.

He condemned sin in the flesh: Sin was condemned in the flesh of Jesus as He bore the condemnation we deserved. Since we are in Christ, we have already had that condemnation come and pass us over.

That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us: Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, and because we are in Christ, we fulfill the law. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to obedience, because Jesus righteousness stands for ours. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to punishment, because any punishment demanded by the law was poured out upon Jesus.

Simply put, Jesus is our substitute. Jesus was treated as a sinner so we can be treated as righteous.

"Observe carefully that the flesh is there: he does not walk after it, but it is there. It is there, striving and warring, vexing and grieving, and it will be there till he is taken up into heaven. It is there as an alien and detested force, and not there so as to have dominion over him. He does not walk after it, nor practically obey it. He does not accept it as his guide, nor allow it to drive him into rebellion." (Spurgeon

Dear Holy Lord, Thank you for making me free from the power of sin and death by sending Jesus to defeat them.  I am made righteous!!!!

Reading through Romans-No condemnation!!!!

Romans 8:1 "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."

There is therefore now no condemnation: The simple declaration of no condemnation comes to those who are in Christ Jesus. Since the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can He condemn those are in Him. They are not condemned, they will not be condemned, and they cannot be condemned.

Paul's therefore is important. It means that what he says comes from a logical argument. It's as if Paul begins, "I can prove what I say here." This is what he proves: if we are one with Jesus and He is our head, we can't be condemned. You can't acquit the head and condemn the hand. You can't drown the foot as long as the head is out of water. Joined to Him, we hear the verdict: "no condemnation."

In Christ: "This phrase imports, that there is a mystical and spiritual union betwixt Christ and believers. This is sometimes expressed by Christ being in them … and here by their being in Christ. Christ is in believers by His Spirit, and believers are in Christ by faith." (Poole)

The verdict is not "less condemnation." That's where many of us are at - we think that our standing has improved in Jesus. It hasn't improved, it's been completely transformed, changed to no condemnation.

We perhaps need to consider the flip side: If you are not in Jesus Christ, there is condemnation for you. "It is no pleasant task to us to have to speak of this matter; but who are we that we should ask for pleasant tasks? What God hath witnessed in Scripture is the sum and substance of what the Lord's servants are to testify to the people. If you are not in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the flesh, you have not escaped from condemnation." (Spurgeon)

No condemnation: This place of confidence and peace comes after the confusion and conflict that marked Romans 7. Now Paul looks to Jesus and he finds his standing in Him. But this chapter is more than just the answer to Romans 7; it ties together thoughts from the very beginning of the book.

Romans 8 begins with no condemnation; it ends with no separation, and in between there is no defeat.

Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: These words are not found in the earliest ancient manuscripts of the Book of Romans and they do not agree with the flow of Paul's context here. There were probably added by a copyist who either made a mistake or thought he could "help" Paul by bringing in these words from Romans 8:4.

While it is true that those who are in Christ should not and do not consistently walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, this is not a condition for their status of no condemnation. Their position in Jesus is the reason for the standing of no condemnation.

"The most learned men assure us that it is no part of the original text. I cannot just now go into the reasons for this conclusion, but they are very good and solid. The oldest copies are without it, the versions do not sustain it, and the fathers who quoted abundance of Scripture do not quote this sentence." (Spurgeon)

We receive this glorious declaration from God's court: "no condemnation." We don't receive it because we don't deserve condemnation; we certainly do deserve condemnation. We receive it because Jesus bore the condemnation we deserved, and our identity is now found in Him. As He is condemned no more, neither are we.

Oh Dear God, THANK YOU for freeing me of the condemnation I deserve simply because I accept the blood of Jesus as the payment for my sins.  I praise you!