Chapter 5: “We are God’s Children”
ROMANS 8
Intro:
Let’s study for a bit Chapter 8 of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Most of us, if not all, have been struggling with sin our whole lives up until now. And knowing this, during those moments we choose to be honest with ourselves about our spiritual condition, we admit that we’re little more than slaves to sin. We long to be free! But experience tells us that our only hope for freedom is to make it to the next world — Heaven. Well, our experience has told us wrong! We don’t have to be subject to sin until Jesus comes again: we can be made free in this world, in this life. More than that, we can not only be freed from bondage, we can also be made sons and daughters of God with the rights of Heaven while still living in this world. Romans 8 tells us how.
The Book of Romans, as a whole, discusses at length “Righteousness by Faith”, and overcoming sin through the work of Jesus. Paul speaks of individual and particular sin, and how we need forgiveness for our actions. He speaks of sin as a principle working within us and how we need deliverance from our nature. He explains how the solution to these problems is the righteousness of Christ and how He works to forgive and liberate us. Paul uses as an example how God dealt with the nation of Israel. He concludes by explaining that we are no longer individuals, but that together with all Christians we are now “one body” with Christ, interdependent upon each other.
To focus a bit more: Chapter 5 speaks of “Justification”; that is, forgiveness for our sinful actions. Chapter 6 speaks of “Sanctification”; that is, liberation from our fallen nature. Chapter 7 speaks of “Righteousness by Faith”; that is freedom from the Law of Condemnation, and God’s grace in fulfilling the requirements for us. We next come to Chapter 8, the subject of this study.
Chapter 8 explains that anyone who wishes to be reconciled to God and who allows the HS to transform his life is considered a “child of God” and will never be separated from God’s family. This is contrasted by Chapters 7 and 9.
Chapter 7 tells of those who try to get into God’s family through their own efforts, but can’t because our sinful nature is too weak. As soon as we try to please God by meeting the requirements of the Law, we set ourselves up for failure. Not because there is something wrong with the Law, but because there is something wrong with us.
Chapter 9 tells of those who consider themselves part of God’s family because of a worthy lineage, such as being Jews (or long-time Christians); but they aren’t in the family IF they don’t trust in righteousness by faith. Ro 9:16, “It does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Thus we need to become children of God and we need Jesus’ ministry for us through the HS to be freed from sin. The more we try to do God’s will in our own strength, the more we fail. We must become filled with the HS so that we can call on God’s strength, and thereby succeed.
I. FREEDOM FROM SIN
The first section of Chapter 8 runs from verse 1 through verse 13, and speaks of our “Freedom from Sin”.
A. This passage opens with a pearl of great value: verse 1 reads, “There is now NO condemnation!” What a wonderful truth to comprehend. Our record has been cleansed and nothing is being held against us, as far as God is concerned. We have nothing to fear from the Judgment. Praise God! This statement assumes, of course, that you have submitted yourself completely to the guidance of the HS so you may undergo the transformation process; as we shall soon see. Remember the Biblical story of Mary Magdalene. Although she had committed transgressions, when she found herself at the feet of Jesus, He said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (ref. Jn 8:11) She was completely pardoned and went away with no charges against her. The only admonition was to determine to change her ways.
B. Verses 2 through 4 tell us that Jesus has met the requirements for us. Christ made us free from the Law: seeing that we could not keep it, He came and met the requirements for us. Our part is to allow the Spirit to live within us; then allow Him to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. (2) “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death.” (NKJ) (3) What the Law could not do, God did for us by sending His own Son to be a sin offering. (Paraphrase) (4)“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.” (NIV)
C. Verses 5 and 6 tell us HOW this is done: we must live according to the leading of the Spirit. The HS slowly changes our desire and our actions; so that little by little we stop wanting to do those things that dishonor our heavenly Father. How quickly this change happens is dependent upon how much we surrender to His attempts to change us. (5) “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what the nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (6) “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (NIV) The antithesis of verse 5 is also very meaningful, in terms of how the process works. The verse might be read: [Those who have their minds set on natural desires live according to the sinful nature; but those who have their minds set on what the Spirit desires live in accordance with the Spirit.] Thus we can see that a very important step in our transformation is to “set our minds on the things above”; that is, what the Spirit desires. (ref. Co 3:2)
D. We find WHY we need the work of the Spirit to change our minds in vs 7 & 8. In our sinful, human condition it is impossible to do anything that would be acceptable to God. (7) “The sinful mind is hostile to God; It does not, and cannot submit to God’s law.” (NIV) (8) “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (NIV) God’s way is so high and so pure, that fallen humanity cannot reach it unaided. Whatever we might term righteousness is just “filthy rags” compared to Him. (ref. Is 64:6) Even when some part of us desires to follow God, we find it impossible because the other parts of our nature fight against us. This thought is expanded further in Ch 7. Ro 7:15, “What I want to do, I don’t do; but what I hate, that I do.”
E. Next verses 9 through 13 tell us WHAT it is the Spirit does in us to change us and free us from sin. The HS takes your sinful nature under control, by your consent of course; then little by little puts to death your wrong desires, replacing them with new desires. With the Spirit living in you, you become transformed, so that you reach the place where your old nature is dead to sin and your new nature is alive to righteousness. (9) “You are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” (NIV) (10) “If Christ be in you, the body is dead [to] sin; but the Spirit is life [to] righteousness.” (NIV) You may say, “But I don’t have any strength to resist sin.” I would answer, “You’re absolutely correct!” We don’t have strength. But we can’t stop with only that realization; we must go on to the next step. God will place within us Christ’s power to resist sin. He will break the chains that Satan has on us, and change us until we are no longer slaves to sin. Just ask Him to remove from you those things which you can’t stop by yourself. (11) “If the Spirit is living within you … He will give life to your mortal bodies.” (NIV) (12) “So, dear brothers, you have no obligations whatsoever to your old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do.(TLB) (13) “For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its deeds, you shall live. (TLB) As we submit to the HS and receive Him within us, we are freed from slavery to sin, our old nature is replaced with a new nature, and we become empowered to faithfully serve our heavenly Father.
II. CHILDREN WITH FULL RIGHTS
The second section of Chapter 8 runs from verse 14 through verse 18, and affirms that with our new nature we are now “Children of God with full rights” before Him.
A. By accepting the HS within, we receive a new status before God as His sons and daughters.
When we consent to be led by the HS rather than leading ourselves, we change from being rebels against God to being children who belong to His family. Recall that when the Prodigal Son of Jesus’ parable returned home he acknowledged that he was no longer worthy to be called a son. Yet by coming to the Father, he was accepted back into the family and given full rights as a son in his Father’s house. (ref.Lk 15:21-24) We don’t need to FEAR anything anymore once we’re in God’s family as a child of His. We don’t fear that we’ll be rejected from the family: our Father will not disinherit us, the relationship can only be broken by our deliberate choice. We don’t fear that we’ll remain in slavery to sin: we are being freed step by step from the chains of the Enemy. We don’t fear that our needs and desires won’t be met: our Father loves us so much that He gives us our every want. As He said to King David, “I’ve given you houses, wives, and kingdoms, and if that were too little I would give you more.” (ref. 2Sa 12:8) We are accepted as full sons and daughters; and what child is afraid to come to a loving father? He desires that we confidently come to Him for everything. (14)“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (15)“You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” (16)“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (NIV)
B. As children we are also heirs, so that all He has becomes ours and open to us. He has said “every animal of the forest is His and the cattle on a thousand hills”, (ref. Ps 50:10); He also lists the spiritual gifts He has available — healing, miracles, prophecy, etc, (ref.1Cr 12:7-11). As His heirs, anything that is His is open to our use, as we need and desire them. We only need to come into full “sonship”, and believe that what He has promised us as His children is really available to us. He also promises to share with us His glory. In addition to spiritual and physical blessings, we may also take part in being glorified; in a righteous way. We’ve been told He will invite us to sit with Him on His throne in Heaven. (ref. Re 3:21) But we can also share His glory now. Wouldn’t you find it glorious to be able to do the things that His early Disciples did? We as His latter day disciples have open to us that possibility; depending upon how completely we surrender ourselves to Him. (17) “If we are His 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.” (18) “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (NIV) He wants us to grow into glory, then continue growing spiritually “from glory to glory”. (ref. 2Cr 3:18).
III. SERVICE AND BLESSING TO US & OTHERS
The third section of Chapter 8 runs from verse 19 through 30, and describes how the children of God not only receive blessings for themselves, they are also of service and blessing to others.
A. The natural world is depending on us to receive the HS and become children of God. All of physical Creation is waiting for the sons and daughters of God to come into their rights, because then it too will begin to be liberated as God works through us to reverse the curse of sin. (19&21) “The earnest expectation of the Creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God … Because the Creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (NKJ) (20) “The Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it. [Satan]” (21) “In hope … the Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (NIV) This is not only speaking of the Earth made new; it also applies to this world and this age. When God begins revealing His glory prior to the Second Coming; ALL of Creation — mankind and nature alike — will begin receiving blessing after blessing. The signs and wonders He will do will be indisputable. Then people will no longer be able deny His existence, and everyone will be pushed to make a choice, either “for” or “against” Him.
B. All of Creation, man and nature, is groaning in pain as we wait for Redemption. Although we are mostly deaf to the cries of nature, it’s suffering terribly from the effects of sin. Fallen man, provoked by Satan, is working to destroy this world as fast as possible. Nature is calling to God for relief. During Creation, once God made Adam, He gave Adam control of the natural world. (ref. Ge 1:26) Adam could tell the animals to come, tell the plants to grow, and even tell the ground to produce. Once Adam sinned, his authority passed to Satan. Then the Evil One began bringing about all sorts of evil in nature. Seeing Satan as an usurper, Nature doesn’t cooperate as readily as it did for Adam; but in many ways it has no choice. When Jesus came to this world He was sinless, so He too had authority to command nature; He was the Second Adam. Yes, Jesus had taken on a deteriorated human body; but His character was sinless, so nature was able to respond to her Lord. Thus we see Jesus controlling nature by turning water into wine, calming a storm, and telling a fig tree to shrivel up, and if it had been necessary, the stones would have sung for Him (ref. Jn 2:7-8; Mk 4:39; Mt 21:19; Lk 19:40). This also explains what He told us that once we’re children of heaven, we too can tell trees to jump into the sea and make mountains move, (ref. Lk 17:6; Mt 21:21). Once we are given authority over nature again, Creation itself will be looking to us to start relieving its suffering. Mankind, too, recognizes the need for something to be done about the level of suffering in the world; even while denying any responsibility for causing it. Those who have been adopted into God’s family are waiting in hope and expectation for the outpouring of the HS, which will bring a time of refreshing before the closing events of this age. Our redemption is to come upon us very soon; but as we wait for it in hope, we wait patiently; happy in the knowledge that our Father is working things in His timing. (22) “For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (KJV) (23) “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoptions as sons, (and) the redemption of our bodies.” (NIV) (24-25) “We are saved by faith, and faith means looking forward to something we don’t yet have, … So we learn to wait patiently and confidently.” (Paraphrase)
C. Since we don’t even know what would be best for us, the HS prays for us, and puts in our hearts the way we should pray. The HS searches our minds and hearts, then prays for us those things which we don’t know how to put into words. (26) “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (KJV) (27) “… the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (NIV) Once we become sons and daughters of God, our prayers become “powerful and effective”, (ref Ja 5:16). So we then have a responsibility to be careful what we pray for. Having committed ourselves to serving our Father faithfully, we must be sure to pray only in accordance with His will. Therefore, prior to making a request, ask if you may even offer the prayer you are contemplating. The HS will guide you and let you know what you should pray for.
D. Verses 28 through 30 tell us that God has chosen us. In every event and every circumstance we face, God is there to help those who love Him. (28) “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (NIV) God has chosen us — each one of us who is responding to His call — and He is working in our lives to bring us to a complete understanding and a full acceptance of Him and our place in His family. Jesus came to be our model. We now must follow His example of dependence and obedience, to receive justification, sanctification, and glorification. By surrendering to God and accepting His Spirit we are brought to where we are forgiven and made righteous; this is justification. We are then changed in our desires and given Jesus’ strength to live holy lives; this is sanctification. Finally our adoption is made complete and we receive our full rights as sons and daughters; this is glorification. While Jesus was here, He did not have His heavenly form; yet He was able to call on His Father to extend to Him the right to heal diseases, to cast out demons, and to command nature. Jesus also gave this ability to His Disciples and students, as seen when sending out “the 12″ and “the 70″, (ref. Lk 9:1-2; Lk 10:1). Likewise, He gives the same to us, once we are given our full rights. Yes! We will receive even more glorification once we get to Heaven; but the impartation to us of our rights as sons and daughters begins even while we’re still here. (29-30) “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.” (NIV) (30) “Having chosen us, He called us to come to Him; and when we came, He declared us, ‘not guilty’, filled us with Christ’s goodness, gave us right standing with Himself, and promised us His glory.” (TLB)
IV. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US
The fourth section of Chapter 8 runs from verse 31 through verse 39, and gives us assurance and reassurance that God’s love for us is so strong that nothing will be able to take us from Him.
A. Verses 31 through 34 ask if God is for us, who can be against us? No One! The Father loves us so much He gave His Son to die for us. Jesus died to take our penalty; so the charges have been paid. The Accuser comes to condemn us, but we’ve been justified. Jesus, who redeemed us, is now interceding for us. With the Father and the Son FOR us, who can say anything against us? Not Satan. Not other men. (31) “What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (KJV) (32) “[The Father] did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us. How will He not also … graciously give us all things?” (NIV) (33) “Who can bring any charge against God’s children? God justifies: who condemns?” (Paraphrase) (34) “Christ Jesus, who died and was raised to life, is at the right hand of God interceding for us.” (Paraphrase)
B. Verses 35 through 39 tell us that People and Events cannot separate us either. It is true that bad things will happen to us, and bad people will do things to harm us; but this doesn’t mean God has stopped caring for us. Jesus, our Teacher, suffered while living here; and He told us that we will suffer too (ref. Mt 10:22-25). Yet this doesn’t mean we’ve been rejected. To the contrary, this is what we’re told to expect and called upon to bear. Despite anything that may happen, we can know that He loves us. Consider what He did for you; then you’ll know that once you’ve accepted Him, He will take you through to victory. (35) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or distress, or persecutions, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (KJV) (35-37) “Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because He doesn’t love us anymore? No! For the Scriptures tell us that for His sake we must be ready to face death at every moment of the day — we are like sheep awaiting slaughter. But despite this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.” (38-39) “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are — high above the sky or in the deepest ocean — nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when He died for us.” (TLB)
V. CLOSE
A. When we invite the HS to live within us and begin following His leading, we are freed from slavery to sin and given a new nature. But we must make this choice intentionally and wholeheartedly. We must also make this choice now! It is not something that can be put off until later. Some people mistakenly think they can wait and let the “Latter Rain” fix them when it comes. But this plan won’t work. If you think you can wait until ‘the time of the end’ to try to change, you will find it is then too late; the work of change must be done now so that you will be able to even stand in the time of the end. Now is the time of grace: then is the time of judgment.
B. As we accept God as our Lord, He accepts us as His children; and He prepares us to receive Full Rights. With this we are given access to all that He has and are given powerful Spiritual Gifts. We come into our full rights as sons and daughters of God; and bring glory to Him through our use of divine power for the healing and salvation of others.
C. With our rights and gifts as sons and daughters of God, we then become of service to others; and even to all of Creation. We are called to cooperate with God to relieve the suffering found in the world and to lead as many as are willing into a relationship with their Creator. Jl 2:28, “It shall come to pass, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” (KJV) Jn 14:12, “Verily I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also.”
D. Once we begin working with power for our Father, the Evil One and all those who follow him will array themselves against us to try to destroy us and our relationship with God. Evil men hate whatever is holy and which reminds them of their true condition. Bad things will happen to us. But we can trust the assurance given by our Father that He will be with us. No matter what happens to this earthly body, nothing will keep us from being united with Him for eternity.
E. Thus we see that Romans Chapter 8 gives us a summary of the method, and the benefits of accepting Righteousness by Faith. We are given freedom from sin, adopted as children with full rights, empowered to be of service to others, and assured that we will never, ever be separated from our Heavenly Father. What a remarkable chapter! And what a tremendous Lord we have.
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