As a Christian I believe the following:
1. The world was created by God, and we were created to rule the world under God
2. We did not like God being in charge, so rebelled. We want to be God.
3. God's just response to our rebellion, also called sin, is to want to get rid of sin. He hates it. Therefore, the consequences of our rebellion is our death and judgement.
4. HOWEVER-while we were still sinners, God stepped into the world as Jesus. Jesus was perfect, yet He died on a cross, taking the punishment of our sin and rebellion upon Himself. This was God's rescue plan for us.
5. Jesus rose from the dead three days later, endorsing the fact He was God, and will come again to judge.
6. We owe our lives to Jesus, and we should therefore be looking for ways to glorify Him, accepting God as Lord of our lives, and living for Him by doing good works. These good works do not save us. God has saved us by His grace by sending Jesus. We do good works as a grateful outpouring.
7. All this is written in the Bible, which is the word of God given to us.
In light of all this, here is some thoughts on chapter eight of Paul's letter to the Romans:
Romans 8 (English Standard Version)
Romans 8
Life in the Spirit
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Heirs with Christ
12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For 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. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Future Glory
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, there’s obviously a lot to unpack!
Awesome grace (1-5)
One of the first things Paul says is that we have “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (verse 1). He is saying this as a continuation from chapter 7, which talks of being released from the law and of course, being saved through God’s grace: “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.” (Romans 7:4). What a great delight this is! That if we were justified by our works, we of course stand condemned. But God in His grace has justified us by His work, His grace in sending Jesus Christ to die for us. Paul reiterates this in verses 2-5 “2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
So this is the background to this section I think, the fact that by God’s grace we are saved, not by what we do. If it was vice versa we would be scuppered wouldn’t we? We are saved by the grace of God alone. As Paul exclaims towards the end of chapter seven “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
Awesome Spirit-living (verses 5-11)
We live in the world around us...and no, I’m not about to accept the prize for the most obvious statement of the year! The world we live in easily influences our behaviour. For the Christian, it can be all too easy to follow the crowd, live in the flesh as Paul puts it. Living for today, letting the worries of today, and even tomorrow take priority sometimes over what really matters. But what does Paul say here, have a look at verse seven “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
Now this I think is mostly applied towards worldy thinking. Our minds quickly jump to pleasures; sex, drugs and rock and roll...whatever floats your boat really. I personally think (therefore may not be correct) that this can also be applied to worldly thinking in terms of ‘religious’ lifestyle, and also in terms of focusing too much on money and such things. Seeing as Paul has spent the last chapter on the subject of the law, and how it is grace NOT works that save us, I think there is room for this in Paul’s writing here.
For the mind of the Christian, these need to be denied, nailed to the cross with Christ, so we can pick up our own and follow Him. Be encouraged that you are saved by Christ’s blood, and deny those temptations to be worldy; “but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” as Paul says in verse six. Live for the God who has saved you, not for the worldy worries that surround you. In the world, not of the world. For as Paul says in verse nine, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Saved by grace, in the Spirit of God being regenerated and renewed, as promised back in Ezekiel 36:22-37 (Have a read of this, be encouraged how God has promised to change us and live with us as God, going back to the promises to Abraham in Genesis 12!)
In our passage here, in verses 10-11, there is great comfort to be seen. Our bodies are dead to sin, but made righteous in Christ. And that same Spirit of God, who raised Christ, that same spirit is at work in us: “he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
How amazing is that? Though our trails seem overbearing, God Himself by His Spirit, the very same Spirit who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, having died to make undeserving sinners righteous, is at work in us, giving life to our mortal bodies. God is strengthening us for trials ahead. What an encouragement. What a God!
Awesome Father (verses 12-18)
So, as Paul has explained, and summarises here, we are indeed to live not to the flesh, for that leads to death. We are to put to death those deeds, by God’s Spirit. Again, we see it’s not by our strength, but by God’s Spirit. Take courage, God is most certainly in control, and indeed, has our best interests at heart? Why? Have a look at verse fourteen: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
We are sons, and indeed daughters of God. Thanks to God in Jesus, we are made righteous. Thanks to God in His Spirit, we are being changed, as we see in Ezekiel. Thanks to God, we are dead to sin, but made alive in Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ as children of God. Millions around the world who have placed their God-given trust in Jesus are sons and daughters of God. So are you. You, Joanne Marie Muckle-Jones, are part of this new Spiritual family in Christ. We have the Spirit of God Himself inside us, working in us, making us more like Christ, strengthening us for suffering, and there’s millions out there, brothers and sisters in Christ. How awesome is that?!
Have a gander at verses 15, 16 and 17: “15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” We can cry Abba, which is a word as intimate, if not more so, than ‘daddy’, to the God of the Universe! God’s Spirit testifies we are God’s children! So do not fall back into worldly fear, the way of the flesh, but be remembering that jaw dropping awesome grace of our God.
Awesome future (verse 18-26)
When thinking about what we are going through at the moment, it’s hard. I don’t need to remind you of that. Thinking of all this rubbish times we have, keep verses eighteen and nineteen in your mind. “18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Ok, so this is coming from Paul, a man having given up the stable security of a career, and a family to go out and preach the gospel. This is the same Paul who was beaten up, flogged, jailed, stoned, ship-wrecked, bitten by a snake and eventually beheaded for the gospel. Yet he can still write this passage. It really puts things in perspective doesn’t it? Though we may have the hardest times of our lives at the moment, and indeed, many more to come. Yet no matter how rubbish it gets, it’s still absolutely nothing in comparison with the glory that we will see; the glory of God in the New Creation. Just for a taste, have a read of Revelation 21 and 22! We are going to see God’s glory, as God’s child, because of God’s grace in the cross of Christ, and the sending of His Spirit on every believer, who only believes because God has given them that belief, having predestined them before they even existed! It’s utterly mind blowing and absolutely amazing!
The world awaits for this, knowing the state of sin and corruption. We as Christians, as Paul puts it “23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Life is going to be hard, whatever decision we end up making, we live in a fallen world yearning for Jesus to come back and all things be made new. We don’t know when that will happen, but praise God for that future, that we unworthy, but not worthless, thanks to Jesus, will one day see it, and indeed live in it, with God as God, pain and suffering forgotten, forever. And don’t let the fact that we cannot see it get you disheartened. Read verses 24 and 25 “24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Awesome truth (verses 26-31)
Paul again in verse 26 returns to the awesome truth of God’s Spirit at work in us. We’ve seen we can do nothing ourselves, hence Jesus. What a comfort it is how we read of God at work in us continually: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
We see God’s Spirit interceding for us in prayer, that intimate chat we have with our Father, who by His grace we call Him Father, and pray at all. And the Spirit turns our feeble prayers into:“groanings too deep for words.”
Again, how awesome is that?!
Verse 27: “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” God searches our hearts, knows our hearts, having made our hearts. We are the saints, the Christian believer, saved by God, and by His grace the Spirit intercedes for us according to the God of the Universe! It doesn’t get any better than this!
Then we come to one of my favourite passages in the Bible. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Now, we have seen how awesome God is: He has made us righteous, though we are rebels, by the blood of Christ Jesus on the cross, NOT by our sinful works. He has made us co-heirs with Christ, sons and daughters of God, with God’s Spirit in us, in order to live for Him, not for the flesh. He is changing us by His Spirit, until that day which we long for, the day He comes in glory, that by His grace we are allowed to see. We see in this verse that for the Christian, God makes all things work together for good, for those who have been called, according to His purpose.
What a comfort! The God of the Universe has called us, as we shall see later, and He makes everything work together for good for us. This is for His glory, and He lets us glorify Him as He works in our lives. God is ultimately sovereign, ultimately loving, ultimately just, ultimately merciful, and ultimately awesome! When we suffer, it is for God’s glory. What a comfort, that suffering is not meaningless, and that God is constantly at work in our lives, by His Spirit, for His glory, and therefore our good.
God calls us, says verses 29 and 30. We may often think, and are indeed encouraged to think that we are a totally insignificant, random aspect of a random series of events that are ultimately leading to absolutely nothing. Captain Jack Harkness sums up this frankly depressing ideology in Torchwood when he says, in response to being speculated too that the latest alien threat may in fact be the end of the world in Biblical terms: “You people just fail to see the randomness of creation.”
Well here we see something different don’t we? “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” says verse 29. Though we may feel insignificant and random, we’re not as far as God is concerned. We’ve reflected on already the awesome grace of God in sending Jesus to die for us, to save us from sin and death. Here we see a shocking twist in the plot of this chapter. God has predestined us. He knew, before we even existed, that we would exist, and that Jesus would die for us. We are to be shaped into the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. We have seen we are co-heirs with Christ, with the Spirit of God at work in us, changing us. We who are unworthy, but not at all worthless. God chose for us to be saved by His grace before we were created. Still think you’re a random creation of nothing? Like Jesus before us, we are raised to life, our death crucified with Christ, our sins forgiven, co-heirs, brothers and sisters with Christ, the new Adam, firstborn among many brothers in the glory of His resurrection. Verse 30 highlights just how loved by God we are, and all of this is done in Christ on the cross. “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Awesome Love (v31-39)
Verse 31 is a very-often quoted passage in scripture. Indeed it can be seen as an encouraging stand alone sentence, but, read it again, with everything we have seen so far in mind “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
What a love! God hand picking us out before Creation, coming down into human history as Jesus Christ, dying a horrific death, conquering death itself, saving us from our rebellion against God, using our trials, which are nothing compared to the glory we have the privilege of seeing, for His glory, placing His Spirit in us to work and change us, to mould us into the likeness of Christ, our Saviour and co-heir, choosing to work in us for our good because He has enabled us to love Him. All this, and so much more in mind then, NOW, as Paul asks, what can we say of these things? The natural and logical conclusion: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
This same God, who gave up His Son for us, also gives us graciously all things, says verse 32. We’re set. I can end right here, God has given to us Christ, our life, by His grace, along with all things. What all these things are I cannot list, but looking back over what this one chapter of this letter says so far the list is pretty extensive!
Because of God’s grace, who can bring a charge against us? Yes we do wrong, quite frequently. I can bring some pretty shocking things to mind. But I’m forgiven, Christ has died for me. I’m free from the law, saved by God’s grace, the blood of Christ, just as verse one says “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The same is true for you, selected by God long ago, saved by the blood of Christ, not your own merit, so you are free from death, enabling you to live for Him, and He being a work in your life for His glory, and therefore your good. This again is not by anything you have done, will do and can do, after all, as this chapter, and indeed the entire Bible says all the way through: “It is God who justifies.” (verse 34).
It is God who justifies, God who died in Christ, God who rose in Christ, and God who intercedes for us still says verse 34. It is God alone. We are but human sinners, washed by Christ. Be encouraged the next time you feel guilty. There is no condemnation. God graciously gives us all, including chance after chance, even at the last minute, to repent.
This love of God, this jaw-dropping, mind blowing, overwhelming awesome love of God, is of course, unconditional, it is permanent. As verse 35 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Shall it be trials, or suffering, as Paul goes on to say. We know already God is at work in our trials, for the sake of God we are being killed all day long, sheep to be slaughtered. We face many, many trials that feel as if they will break us, will they break us? Will they separate us from the love of God, who died for us, equips us every day for battle, saving us by His grace not our works, and works in us always for our good, having predestined and called us for this?
Read verse 37, and take a deep breath at this: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Wow. That’s my initial response. Wow.
The answer, joyously, is no. We cannot be separated from God’s love, let alone by trials we face. Paul has already said in verse 18 that he considers his present sufferings, and there were a lot of them, NOTHING, compared to the glory he would later see. And now, here we see that awesome truth. We are more than conquerors, more than overcomers. We smash down those trials. Not because we are good or have a special superpower to crush suffering into dust. No, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We cannot deny the love of our God, our Abba in this passage, nor indeed in the whole Bible. This truth is affirmed, God sent Christ to die for us, and is at work in us now, by His powerful love and glorious grace, He works us in us, calls us to overcome. For how will we see His promises fullfill if we do not overcome? We do not overcome alone, we cannot. God takes us through it, though many times we just sit down and sulk. God takes us by the hand and drags us through, drags us through everything, so we may overcome and see the glories on the last day, which will knock the worst and indeed best times we have been through out of the park.
This is love, and this is truth. To recap. This passage is about the grace and merciful love that can come only from God Himself. This is God, He who deemed us worthy before we existed, He who stepped into history in Christ, to die for us, wash us clean by His blood, rise again the first-born of many-us, co-heirs sharing in the resurrection. He who set us free from ourselves and our failure to live for God, and therefore from the just condemnation of the law, He who puts His Spirit, His breath in us, to enable us to live for Him, making us more and more like Christ, interceding for us in prayer, He who takes us through any trial we face, and uses that trial for His glory, and our good, and therefore be always at work in our lives for our good, though we do not deserve it and do not see it as we ought to. This is awesome love and awesome truth from our awesome God, who permits us to call Him Abba, and too, finally, in verses 38 and 39 of this amazing passage, we see this love affirmed greater still. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We have this love, and by God’s grace, it isn’t going anywhere.
Let me ask you a question, how can you now feel guilt or fear? For the love of God permanently holds you fast and strong forever. But you are human, you will feel guilt and fear. But never feel hopeless. As times are hard, as we face times of great trouble, remember the truths of this passage. As an application question:- How can you apply what you have learned today in your attitude towards suffering and trials?
One final thought to leave you with:-God is sovereign, He is in control, He died for us, and is at work in us, always for our good. This love He has shown since before you first opened your eyes has not stopped, nor will it ever, not ever.
Two songs come to mind, one is written around this passage, in conjunction with another great chapter, Romans chapter 5. The second song I came across while searching for the first one. Be encouraged, remember the truth of the gospel, the everlasting love of God, shown for us on the cross, our hope, our foundation.
There is a hope that burns within my heart;
that gives me strength for every passing day;
a glimpse of glory now revealed in meagre part;
yet drives all doubt away;
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiven; and Christ in me, the hope of heaven;
my highest calling and my deepest joy;
to make His will, my own;
There is a hope that lifts my weary head;
a consolation strong against despair;
and when the world has plunged me in it’s deepest pit;
I find the Saviour there;
through present sufferings, future’s fear;
He whispers “courage” in my ear;
for I am safe in everlasting arms;
and they will lead me home;
There is a hope that stands the test of time;
that lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave;
to see the matchless beauty of a day divine;
when I behold His face;
When sufferings cease, and sorrows die;
and every longing satisfied;
then joy unspeakable will flood my soul;
when I am truly home;
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he has said
to all who for refuge to Jesus have fled.
In every condition - in sickness and health,
in poverty’s grip or abounding in wealth,
at home or abroad, on the land, on the sea -
as days may demand shall your strength ever be.
Since Jesus is with you, do not be afraid:
since he is your God, you need not be dismayed;
he’ll strengthen you, guard you, and help you to stand,
upheld by his righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters he calls you to go,
you will not be drowned in the rivers of woe;
for he will be with you in trouble, to bless
and work for your good through your deepest distress.
When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
his grace all-sufficient shall be your supply;
the flames shall not harm you: his only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.
The soul that in Jesus has found its repose,
he will not, he cannot, desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,he’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
Review of Alister McGrath, Inventing the Universe
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A media dream (despite its lack of substance, it was certainly a
sensation), New Atheism continues to sell. It seems we can't stop talking
about science,...
8 years ago
