Romans 8
Quick Answer
God sent His son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to free us from sin and the condemnation of the law. Christ died and resurrected to restore our relationship with God and to save us from eternal condemnation. Now, saved from Hell, we can also be delivered from the earthly consequences of sin, if we walk by the power of the Spirit. We do not have to suffer from sin. Although we are not under the law, we fulfill the requirement of the law when we walk by faith in the power of the Spirit.
Romans 8 — Full Chapter Commentary
Romans 8:1
All believers are delivered from'condemnation in heaven before God just by believing in Christ (John 3:14-15). But earthly condemnation through the power of sin in a fallen world can still be experienced by believers living in a fallen flesh'if we do not walk in the resurrection power we have been gifted (Galatians 6:8).'
Paul has just finished discussing his own struggles with his fallen flesh, the sin nature that still remains within him. He has confessed to the conflict his flesh creates with his new nature in Christ. In Galatians he highlights this battle as the Spirit versus the flesh (Galatians 5:17).'
Now he states emphatically that the deliverance from that fallen flesh is through the power of the resurrected Christ. "Who will deliver us from this body of death?" asked Paul in'Romans 7:24. The answer is: Jesus. The resurrection power of Jesus is within us, and when we choose to walk in it, we can escape the power of sin, with its negative consequences.
When believers walk in the Spirit, they channel the resurrection power of Jesus, and the result is to escape from the earthly condemnation that resides in the fallen world:'Therefore there is now no condemnation'for those who are in Christ Jesus (v 1).'This likely has a double-meaning. First, when we have believed in Jesus, we are forever made righteous in God's sight, once and for all (Colossians 2:14). We cannot be condemned in God's sight, because we are in Christ (2 Timothy 2:13).'
This securing in Christ is unconditional'it depends only upon having received the grace of God through Jesus.'
But having no condemnation seems to have a second, conditional application that refers to the consequences of our actions while living here on earth. When we choose to walk in the resurrection power of Jesus, we also escape the negative consequences of sin. We escape being condemned to the adverse results of sin by escaping sin's clutches, and walking in righteousness.'
That does not mean we do not still encounter sin and temptation, because we are still in the world.'But it does mean that we can escape the negative consequences we will experience any time we succumb to sin. And we can do that through walking by faith in the power of the Spirit moment by moment:'For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death (v 2).'We do not have to walk in sin. We now have the power to escape sin. Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.'
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated law is "torah" and it means "teaching" or "instruction." Through the power of Jesus, we can have our minds renewed, and no longer choose perspectives shaped by the teaching of the world, which is ruled by the law of sin and death. In fact, in Romans 12, Paul will exhort us to take action to have our minds renewed, which will lead to being transformed, and no longer being conformed to the world, but to Christ (Romans 12:1-2). This is possible because the power of Jesus has set us free from the power of sin and death.'
The consequence of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death is separation. Sin separates us from God's (good) design for us. Through walking in the resurrection power of Jesus, we can escape these negative consequences. We can experience restoration of God's (good) design for us, which includes being whole within ourselves (living what is true) as well as being connected to others through love and service.'
In Romans 7:25, Paul sets up Chapter 8 by summarizing Chapter 7: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." Paul expresses the pain of continuing to have a sinful nature, even after believing in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, being delivered from eternal condemnation, and walking with the Spirit.'
The path to deliverance from the pain caused by the sin nature is living the resurrection power of Jesus each day, and Paul thanks God for Christ's sacrifice and the power it provides to live a new life:'For'what the Law could not do,'weak as it was through the flesh, God'did: sending His own Son in'the likeness of'sinful flesh and'as an offering'for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh (v 3). Believing on Jesus initially delivers us from the eternal consequence of sin (John 3:14-15). This is unconditional. But we must walk in faith daily in the resurrection power of the Spirit to experience daily deliverance from our sin nature.
There is still a choice in a Christian's daily life, to serve God or to serve our old sinful desires (Romans 6:11-12), and it is Christ who has given us the power to overcome the flesh.'Now, in Chapter 8, Paul discusses the impact of our new life as children of God, and advocates a perspective we should choose that makes the daily obedience of faith the only sensible path for daily living.'
There are only three things we control as humans: who we trust, the perspective we adopt, and the actions we take. In Romans 6-8, Paul explains a true (and therefore immensely powerful) perspective of ourselves, our relationship with Christ, and the path that leads to our greatest fulfillment. Adopting this perspective leads to fully trusting God, walking by faith, and taking actions that lead to the fullest experience of life.
Though we still live in a body that is full of death and sinful desire (the flesh), we are no longer condemned in God's sight thanks to Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection. While Paul expresses frustration toward the inner battle all Christians face in whom to serve daily'sin or God'he gives thanks to God whose grace is eternally more powerful than sin.'
Paul is culminating his argument here. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because Jesus Christ removed the eternal consequences of sin. Past, present, future. It's all gone. There is no more eternal condemnation.'
The perspective he will now persuade us to adopt is that since we are not condemned, we ought not be motivated by fear of condemnation under the law. And we can walk apart from the world's teaching of sin, that leads to the consequence of death. We can do this because the power of Jesus has set us free from sin, and we now have the power to choose to walk in the Spirit.'
It is important to remember Paul is writing to the Roman Christians, whose faith was being talked about throughout the world (Romans 1:8). They were already living obedient lives to God (Romans 6:17-18). Competing Jewish "authorities" were slandering Paul's teaching (Romans 3:8) and were trying to impose the Old Testament law on the Roman Christians, so Paul has continuously stressed that it is not through following the religious rules of law but by faith in Jesus that we are made righteous in the presence of God (Romans 4:9-15).'
A way to gain power over other people is to threaten condemnation if they don't "follow my rules." It is likely the competing Jewish "authorities" were condemning the believers in Rome for not "following the rules" as a coercive means to recruit them as followers. Paul wants the Roman believers to follow Jesus and live in grace, not follow these "authorities." It is likely that this letter to the Roman believers is meant to support Aquila and Priscilla, who were fellow Jews who preached the gospel with Paul in Greece, and are now returned to Rome where they have started a church in their home (Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2, 18, 26).
Paul emphasizes that they have been delivered from condemnation in God's sight by Jesus; therefore they should not worry about condemnation pronounced upon them by mere humans. They should however strive to avoid the condemnation of choosing to walk in the world's ways (of sin and death) because we have been set free to walk in the power of the Spirit, which leads to the fruit of life.
Here in Chapter 8, Paul loops back to this distinction between law and spirit, expressing how there is no condemnation for believers in Christ, that the law of the Old Testament could not save humankind from their sin, but only caused sin to increase (due to our fleshly weakness, our inability to obey it).
It is through a new "law" from the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ that sets us free from sin and death. This was done by God Himself, who sent His own Son to save us; this is the story of the Gospel in verse 3, that the Son of God came to earth in a fleshly body to defeat the sinful flesh by His death. We who believe in His death and resurrection are freely given eternal life, now no longer condemned in God's sight'this is a gift we are given freely and unconditionally. Further, we are now empowered to live in freedom from our sin nature in our daily lives. We have this power, but it is up to us to choose to use it. The requirement of the Old Testament law was fulfilled because of what Jesus did, and as a result we are justified in the presence of God unconditionally. However, it is up to us whether to walk in the flesh or the Spirit. As Paul says in Galatians:'
"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
(Galatians 6:8)
We will "reap" (experience the consequences) what we "sow" (of the actions we choose).'
If we walk in the Spirit, putting sin nature to death daily, we cause the law to be fulfilled. In Chapter 2, Paul skewered the competing Jewish "authorities" for being hypocrites who break the law. Now, in an ironic twist, Paul demonstrates that while competing Jewish "authorities" claim to be defenders of the law, the actual reality is that the requirement of the Law has been met in Jesus, and the way to actually fulfill the Law is not to try to obey their religious rules, but to walk in obedience to the Spirit.
Paul exhorts believers to live the resurrected life each day. Not because they have to in order to "go to heaven," but because it leads to experiencing the fullness of life and the fulfillment of the law. The very law the slanderers say Paul is breaking, that is the law that can only be fulfilled by recognizing "I can't keep the law" and instead walking by faith in the power of the resurrected Spirit of Jesus, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (v 4).'
This is the second "faith" of living daily in the theme verse of Romans 1:16-17, "from faith to faith." The first faith saves us from separation from God, and gives us new life, being born again (John 3:14-15). The second faith is the faith to walk each day following God's Spirit. The faith required is the faith to believe that God's ways are for our best, and that whatever reward we gain from God is better than any reward we can gain from the world and its ways (Hebrews 11:6).'
If we are keeping the law (our own deeds) to justify ourselves in God's sight, we will always feel condemned, because we cannot live up to the law; we will always fail at some point (Romans 3:23). But if we have faith to believe that Jesus delivered us from sin and death, we can walk in freedom from the law. This allows us to live to the Spirit, and walk in obedience to God rather than under the condemnation of men or the institutions of men.
It is the Holy Spirit who lives in Christians. The Holy Spirit is a central figure in Chapter 8, as Paul doubles down on explaining the freedom and new life we have now that we possess the power to walk in the Spirit and not walk in the flesh. We finally have the power to obey God, in His grace, rather than be trapped in our selfish desires which will always cause us to experience the consequence of sin, which is death (separation).
90:T1c23,Before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples that after He returned to the Father, He would send a Helper to those who believed in Him. T
Romans 8:5
Before He was crucified, Jesus told His disciples that after He returned to the Father, He would send a Helper to those who believed in Him. The Greek word translated "Helper" in John 14, "paraklētos," also translates to "counselor," "advocate," and "comforter." This Helper is the'Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God (John 14:16,17, 26), and through Him we experience life and peace. Paul has made references to the Holy Spirit sparingly so far in his letter to the Romans, but now he discusses His role in the Christian's life.
In verses 5-8, Paul shows the relationship between actions and thoughts: for those who are according to the flesh set their minds on'the things of the flesh (v 5).'Conversely,'but those who are according to the Spirit,'the things of the Spirit (v 5).'Once again Paul is talking about living in obedience to God, in this newness of life that Christians have.
The natural outcome of putting our mind on anything is the actual practice of that thing.'For the mind set on the flesh is death, (v 6)'or disconnection.'We often cannot control the thoughts presented to us, including thoughts that come into our mind. But we can control what thoughts we dwell on. And we can choose our perspective; we can either see sin as "fun, really living," or we can see sin as "the thing that cuts us off from life, i.e., death."'
Paul is telling us here that what we dwell on and how we view sin will determine our choices. The alternative to sin, that leads to death/separation, is'the mind set on the Spirit which leads to life and peace (v 6). Satan framed sin as a path to life when he deceived Eve in Eden (Genesis 3:4-5). He and his world system still present to us sin as life, when it actually leads to death. This "law" or teaching of sin and death that the world advocates.'
Paul illustrates this outcome of death, or disconnection, in verse 7: because the mind set on the flesh is 1) hostile toward God, it does not obey what God wants, and 2) it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able'to do so.'It lacks the capacity to obey even if it wanted to, which, in the final result, 3) means those who are in the flesh cannot please God. The flesh hates God, rebels against God, cannot obey God, and cannot please God. If we adopt this perspective, then sin loses its attraction.
To please God is the path to life. To please God connects us with God, and His (good) design for us. We were designed to live in harmony with Him, and with one another. We please God by loving and serving others, which connects us to them as well. This is the path to life.'
It is important to recall from Romans 7 that this flesh Paul speaks of that hates God is still in us. It is our historical Self. The Bible does not ask us to have a positive self-image so much as a true one. A true self-awareness leads to living a transformative life; in this chapter, we will see that Jesus values us so highly He desires to share His throne with us. We were made for greatness. But that greatness comes through the humility of seeing things as they are, and walking in faith that God's ways lead to life, rather than the ways of Satan, the flesh, and the world.'
This is another reason Paul gives to show it is not in our best interest to continue in sin. Competing Jewish "authorities" were telling the Roman believers that Paul taught that sinning was acceptable (Romans 6:1). Paul asserts, yet again, the falsehood of that claim, and insists he teaches that living sinfully, selfishly, following the flesh'that kind of life displeases God and therefore is unprofitable and to be avoided.'
Paul asked the rhetorical question: Shall we continue in sin that God's grace may increase? (Romans 6:1):We can, Paul is clear about that. We cannot out-sin the grace of God. But that is not what Paul desires. "May it never be!" Paul exclaims (Romans 6:2). Sin is hostile toward God; it cannot please Him. Paul's epistles make clear that nothing in life mattered as much to Paul as pleasing God. And Paul wants us to understand, and adopt the perspective that sin brings us death; it separates us from all that is truly beneficial in our lives.
Thankfully, the result of putting our mind on the Spirit is both life and peace. This is the way God intended life to be, it is how He designed it. When we live in obedience to Him through faith, by putting our mind on the Spirit, and rejecting the destructive urges of the fleshly body, we harvest the harmonious and fulfilling joys God intended for us.'
And as Paul's life demonstrates, and his writings instruct, that fulfillment transcends whatever circumstances we might encounter. Can we follow sin and still be in God's family? Yes. If we adopt a true perspective, however, we will realize that choosing sin leads to death and destruction, our own destruction, while the obedience of faith leads to life, peace, and fulfillment. Paul advocates we live righteously not because we have to, but because we can.
91:T14db,Paul tells the Roman Christians'
Romans 8:9
Paul tells the Roman Christians'you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the'Spirit of God dwells in you (v 9). As believers, we have a new identity and new ability to obey God. Paul reiterates to his readers (Roman Christians) that they are no longer slaves to their sinful bodies, but now live with the Spirit of God as their ever-present Helper.'
But'if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (v 9).'God sent the Spirit as a Helper. All Christians have the Holy Spirit with and in them, acting as a leader, if the Christian is willing to follow Him (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 John 4:13).'
Paul states this assurance in the negative: "If you don't have the Spirit of Jesus then you are not a believer in Jesus." This is one of the amazing realities of believing in Jesus: He actually sends His Spirit to dwell in us. And there are no exceptions. We do not have to earn this supernatural power. We simply have to learn how to use it. In this sense, believers are like superheroes who must learn to use and harness their superpower for good.
In verses 10 and 11, Paul contrasts the resurrection power of life brought by the Holy Spirit with the flesh, which brings death. This connects back to Romans 7:24, where Paul asks "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" He maintains that he still lives in a body of flesh, which leads him to experience death by leading him to obey the law of sin. Paul answers his own question by declaring that Jesus is the one who frees us from the body of death, the flesh.
The struggle between flesh and spirit is evident throughout the book of Romans, and Paul wants to make clear that Christ's death was sufficient to bring righteousness to us in the presence of God, that Grace has abounded more than sin ever could. But for us to experience that in our daily life, we have to face two concurrent realities of having a dead body of sin that wants to control us, while also having the living spirit of Christ dwelling in us because of our faith in Him:'If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is'alive because of righteousness (v 10).
For the believer, it is through the Holy Spirit that life is given. The Spirit of Him who'raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (v 11). Eventually, this life-giving will be made totally complete; just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also can look forward to being fully resurrected when we leave this earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-53):'He who raised'Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (v 11). But in the present, we still have this mortal body with this old self, this old sinful nature in it (Romans 6:6), and also with the Spirit of Christ in it.
One of the salvations, or deliverances, that we have to look forward to is the time when we're saved from having to walk around with our sin nature. Our new resurrected body will not have a sin nature. That is our hope of glory in many respects. But that is something that's in the future.'
Paul refers to this later on in the letter to the Romans. He also expresses this sentiment elsewhere in his writings, such as in 2 Corinthians 5:4 where he refers to his body as an "earthly tent": "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life."'
In the following passage, Paul writes that God made us for this purpose, and that the Holy Spirit is a promise for this eventual Glorification Salvation, this deliverance from our current sinful body.
So, God gives life to the mortal body even though we have this weak sinfulness remaining in us. We can live, not as a slave to sin and death, but as a resurrected person. How? Through the Spirit.
92:T13f5,Paul calls the Roman Christi
Romans 8:12
Paul calls the Roman Christians who received this letter'brethren, again reminding us that these are believers whose faith is spoken of throughout the world; believers with whom Paul wants to make common cause (Romans 1:8). But that is threatened by the competing Jewish "authorities" seeking to displace the authority of Paul. This letter to the Roman believers will also help Paul's ministry partners Aquila and Priscilla, who host a church in their house in Rome, to counter the arguments of the competing Jewish "authorities" (Romans 16:3; Acts 18:2, 18, 26).
Paul makes a conclusion here, based on his reasoning in verses 1-11:'So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (v 12).'
He is telling the Roman Christians, once again, that they are freed from the flesh, and are now obligated to God. They have given themselves to Him. The flesh has no claim over them, and they are no longer condemned (v 1).
For'if you are living according to the flesh, you'must die (v 13). The wages/consequences/results/payment of sin is still death; nothing has changed in that regard. In this letter Paul is responding to the slanderers' assertion that Paul teaches that Jesus's blood covers every sin, no matter what, that if you could sin and get away with it, then of course you would, therefore Paul teaches we ought to sin (6:1).'
Paul answers this slander with the question, "Why would you? Sin is death. You don't understand what's going on, you have a faulty perspective if you say that." Paul will not let his readers forget that if you are living according to the flesh, you must experience death, death from which you have been delivered; the flesh will always kill, it will disconnect you from living the life God intended, but you don't have to live that way anymore.'
The alternative is life. Through the freedom Jesus gives us, and through the resurrection power He gives us, we can now choose life, so why would we choose death instead? The key is to adopt a true perspective, through the eyes of faith, that sees things as they actually are'to see life as life and death as death.'
How do you experience daily this newness of life? If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live (v 13). Stop listening to your flesh, stop following it. It only ends in death. Follow the Spirit, by faith in the grace and strength of God, turn your eyes to Him, and you will live. Why would we do that? Because if we adopt the true perspective Paul offers us'of who we are and how we can gain maximum fulfillment'then this is just what makes sense to choose.
It is important to note that although Paul says we as believers are obligated to God, that does not mean we have no choice. God has given us the amazing ability to choose, even when we are indwelt with His Spirit. We are forever rescued from eternal condemnation, but we still experience negative consequences of sin if we walk in our fallen nature. Our obligation to God is our responsibility to use the superpower gift He has given us (the Holy Spirit) rather than wasting it.
In verse 14, Paul comments on the relationship that Christians have with God;'For all who are'being led by the Spirit of God, these are'sons of God. There is a strong theme throughout the Bible of Christians being the adopted children of God. We were formerly apart from God, lost and living in our sin, and then Jesus Christ (through His death and resurrection) redeemed us, restoring our connection to God.'
As we will soon see, however, this seems to refer to the Roman practice of an adoption ceremony welcoming a son to manhood, and into the position of being an inheritor that manages the family. Paul has been emphatic that we cannot out-sin the grace of God. But in setting forth a true perspective of the amazing benefits of walking in the Spirit, Paul will show us there is much more in store for those who walk in the obedience of faith than just life and peace. There is the great reward of being restored to our original design to reign over the earth in harmony with God and others.'
93:T105b,Paul now makes
Romans 8:15
Paul now makes a clear distinction between the unconditional gift God gives us to be His child forever through simple faith, and the great reward He bestows on those who walk in obedience and dependence, even as Jesus walked.
So far, Paul has been prescribing the way to live contrary to the flesh, which is to live through the Spirit. He has used Spirit more times in this chapter than the prior seven chapters combined. Paul now turns his attention to a new aspect of faith; he's showing the next level of the newness of life we have in Christ. Paul has argued, practically, that it is better to walk in the Spirit rather than in the dead, sinful, former way of living. Now, at this point in his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul goes beyond his prior argument to talk about something even greater.
Speaking to the Roman Christians, Paul has already established that you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again (v 15).'We are no longer slaves to sin, and this new life we receive when we put our faith in Jesus's death and resurrection does not result in fear; it really is like being adopted into a family. So much so, that Paul declares but you have received'a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (v 15).'
God has taken us into His care, and we call Him Father. Paul expresses that when we believe on Jesus, the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (v 16). He gives us an inner testimony that we are His children. If you go to Israel today you can hear boys call their fathers "Abba," which simply means "Daddy."
This means that if we are hearing God's inner voice, it is a testimony to us that we are His. We can know we are His through faith in His word, simply having enough faith to look, hoping to be delivered from the poisonous venom of sin (John 3:14-15). But God graciously also gives us an inner voice; if that voice that testifies with our spirit then we are His children. Jesus promised we could be given new birth simply through believing. He then gives us the indwelling Holy Spirit to testify to us that we are His. Being place into Christ is something we gain and cannot lose.'
As Paul states in 2 Timothy, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." Since all believers are placed into Christ and His death, if God rejected us He would be rejecting Himself. We are God's children regardless of what we do. This is the teaching that offended Paul's opponents. They slandered Paul saying this teaching would lead to a conclusion that we ought to sin a lot (Romans 3:8). But Paul steadfastly asserts that becoming God's child by spiritual birth is like physical birth'it is just a gift.'
However, in the next section he will make clear that growing up is different'maturing and gaining the greatest benefit from life requires making good choices. All believers are children. Not all believers are sons.
94:T3c28,Paul makes two d
Romans 8:17
This second mention of'adoption again recalls the first of two stages of Roman adoption, being placed as a son at age 14, with voting rights. Every believer will gain a new, resurrected body. Some believers will also receive the reward of the inheritance of sharing Christ's reign, those who suffer with Him (Romans 8:17b).
Paul is telling his audience, the believers in Rome at the time, that we (believers) also groan and eagerly wait for the redemption of our bodies in a similar way that creation does. That longing is within us if we listen to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to believers once they believe on Jesus (Ephesians 1:3): And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit (v 23).'
The this in the phrase And not only this, refers to the creation groaning as it eagerly awaits the restoration of faithful and righteous humans reigning over it in harmony with God and one another. Paul desires the disciples in Rome to gladly endure the sufferings of Christ, even as he endures, that they might become "fellow heirs with Christ" in reigning over the earth (Romans 8:17b). Paul here asserts that the benefit of believing in Jesus is not just a future reward, there is also a current benefit, that we have been gifted the first fruits of the Spirit.'
The Holy Spirit is our first fruits, the first tangible benefit resulting from putting our faith in Christ. The Spirit is our helper, giving us the power to overcome temptation, and help us avoid the negative consequences of sin. Yet, even as believers who have the Holy Spirit, we ourselves groan within'ourselves,'waiting eagerly for'our'adoption as sons,'the redemption of our body (v 23). We have this great benefit of the Spirit, but we know that things are just not right. We long for all that is broken in the world to be restored.'
This restoration includes the redemption of our body. This refers to a time'when God gives us new, resurrected bodies. Even with the Spirit and the hope we have in Christ, we are still trapped with our old, sinful, mortal flesh for the time being. We desire to one day be fully restored to God's design, where we will be free from sin and pain, and live in perfect harmony with each other and God.'
This could be part of what Paul is referring to when he says our adoption as sons, when we become heirs of God as we enter into His presence and are given new bodies. As believers, we are children of God, and unconditionally are also heirs of God and will receive new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:17, 20).
Every believer has been saved from Hell to Heaven and will receive a new body which has no sin nature. And some believers will also receive additional rewards, as we saw in verse 17b, the greatest of which appears to be to share in Christ's inheritance.
97:Te88,In this passage, Paul
Romans 8:19
Paul makes two distinctions concerning our heirship in verse 17: and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him (v 17).
One part of this heirship is unconditional, another part is conditional. Before we were children of God, we were children of wrath, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:3. We were dedicated to following our sinful desires. Our heritage was wrath: judgement and selfishness and doom.
But now, as believers in Jesus, we call God our Father, and our hope and inheritance come from obedience to Him. There are two sorts of inheritances, those with conditions and those without conditions. Here, there is one of each.
God uses the illustration of family and children to illustrate both types. It is impossible to "unmake" a human child. The father's DNA is in that person whether they like it or not; that is unconditional. But it is not uncommon for a loving father to disinherit a son from a portion of the will, particularly if the father knows the inheritance would harm the child.
Heirs of God is an unconditional inheritance for every believer. Every believer has God as their inheritance no matter how badly they might fail. If we believe in Jesus, God is our Father, and we are His child, no matter what. Our failures will always be forgiven and undone. Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more, as Paul stated in Chapter 5:
"'but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5:20 b).
In Colossians 2:13-14, Paul also states this plainly: "[Jesus] made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions'having nailed it to the cross." There is no out-sinning the grace of God.
Having God as an inheritance, as our Father, is unconditional. All believers in Jesus are children, and that is an unconditional gift (Romans 11:29). But then, Paul names another inheritance, which is conditional. In verse 17, he writes and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Every believer is an heir of God. But only those who suffer with Him will be glorified with Him and be fellow heirs with Christ.
The if here is tied to whether we suffer with Him. This inheritance of being fellow heirs with Christ is a reward we receive only if we suffer with Jesus. This raises several questions:
As the Son of God, Jesus started off with the whole universe being His. He is God. But the Bible says He inherited something else, due to His great suffering and sacrifice on the cross: rulership over the earth. And the reason Jesus died on the cross was because of obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:8).
The books of Philippians and Hebrews discuss this notion at greater length. In Philippians 2:8-11, Paul writes out the progression of the story of Christ's time on earth:
The earth was originally intended to be a province ruled by humans. That's the way God created it. This is obvious in Genesis chapters 1-3. God put man on the earth to manage it. The Bible is also fairly clear that who was ruling it before'and even is still now on the throne, but inappropriately'is Satan. Lucifer (John 14:30, 16:11).
But God intended that man should rule earth (Psalm 8). Now He has given the earth to Jesus as a human as a reward and inheritance for His obedience to the point of death. And Jesus intends to reward those who learn the obedience He learned by sharing that incredible reward (Revelation 3:21).
Jesus died, but we died in Him through faith (Romans 6:3). So as we put the flesh to death, and walk in the Spirit, we are walking in obedience as Jesus walked. We are living a crucified life. Thus we are overcoming sin and temptation, even as Jesus overcame, and are qualifying to receive the reward of an overcomer (Revelation 3:21).
In answering the slanderous charges of the competing Jewish "authorities," Paul has made the case that a sufficient reason not to live in sin is to avoid the negative consequences (death) and experience the positive consequences (life and peace). But here in verses 17-18 is a transcendent reason to put to death the sin nature and walk in obedience to the Spirit: to overcome as Jesus overcame by being willing to suffer with Him; this qualifies us to be fully restored to our original design to reign as servant leaders over the earth, in harmony with God and others (Matthew 25:21).
In God's original design, we humans were not supposed to compete with one another to see who would rule, to see who gets to be the "exploiter-in-chief." We were supposed to rule in perfect harmony with one another where everyone's gift contributes to serving the other. That was the way it was supposed to be, (and the way it can be in the Body of Christ if we walk in the Spirit, as Paul will show us in Chapter 12). But sin and death entered through Adam'creating all the violence and failure under which we live (Genesis 6:11). Violence and death are completely interwoven.
So, Jesus inherited what He didn't already have from God: rulership over the earth as a human (Philippians 2:8-11).
Now, we Christians have the amazing opportunity to restore the heritage for which we were intended. But only if we suffer in the same way Jesus did, by obeying God and depending on Him, not caring about worldly loss and rejection, and following Him even to death.
It makes perfect sense that Jesus would only share the throne He was rewarded on the New Earth with those who have learned to live a servant life, which is another way to describe a crucified life of walking in the Spirit. In the new earth, only righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:13). Such an earth would only be possible with righteous leadership, which means leaders willing to serve and seek the best interest of others. It seems that the way to qualify for such a restoration is to live a life of service by faith, believing that the cost here on earth will be rewarded so richly that it is worth the loss (Hebrews 11:6).
So far Paul has offered many practical reasons to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, but now he addresses this entirely new reason. He tells the Roman believers to have the mindset of, "I want to not only avoid sin for practical reasons, I want to follow Jesus and live as He lived. And suffer what He suffered because of what He gained, which is promised to me as a reward for suffering."
Will all of us have to die on a cross? Clearly not. But all of us are asked to crucify our evil, disobedient Self on the cross of obedience every day (Matthew 16:24-25). Paul is blowing away the slanderous competing Jewish "authorities" now by insisting on an additional, transcendent reason to walk by faith, apart from sin (even though it is not necessary to enter heaven). The reward of obedience is to reign with Christ. This restores us to our original design, which would infer that this is the path to gain our greatest possible fulfillment. Jesus alludes to this as "the joy of your Master" in His parable of the talents (Matthew 25:21).
It is ironic that these "authorities" opposing Paul who have elevated themselves are actually giving opportunity for Paul to be elevated by enduring the suffering that they've dealt him; their slander had caused occasion for this letter to be written, and eventually elevate Paul as this letter became a part of the Bible.
If we have believed on Jesus, then we are heirs of God already; that's unconditional. But, if we want to also be joint heirs with Christ, sharing His throne as the human King of the earth, then we must suffer with Him as He suffered, and endure rejection, loss, and possibly death from the world.
In verse 18, Paul writes, 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. This glory will be revealed to the Christians who suffer just like Christ did, experiencing rejection from the world because He walked in obedience to His Father. The glory being spoken of is to be restored to the "glory and honor" of reigning over the earth in harmony with God and others (Psalm 8:5-6; Hebrews 2:7, 9).
Paul expresses a deeply encouraging thought, that the way in which Christians suffer here on earth is not even worthy of comparing to the future glory, where Christ will rule, where God will reward those who were faithful to Him, where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, and much more than we know. When Paul says the sufferings of this present time, it is worth noting a few of the things he has experienced as persecution for following Jesus, from 2 Corinthians 11:23-25:
It gives us insight to the extent to which Paul believes it is worth suffering in order to gain this glory of sharing the inheritance with Christ. He says that the sufferings of this present time, including the horrific trials he has endured, are not worthy to be compared to the glory that he is seeking.
Paul is not just saying "I have made a risk-reward evaluation, and it will be worth it." Rather, Paul is saying "No deliberation is needed, because there is absolutely no comparison." It is like a "Would you rather have a penny or a mansion?" type of comparison'it is a "no-brainer."
The New Earth will be governed 100% by God's will, which is true life, and it is the new life we are called to live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). Even though we suffer here and now, the future glory of Christ is unimaginably better than our current lives. This passage gives us insight as to why Paul's last recorded act was to write his disciple Timothy, urging him to continue to endure difficulty even to the point of death (as he was about to experience) because it was worth the reward (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
95:T3f16,In verse 19, Paul continues the line of thought about humans being restored to reign over a righteous and harmonious earth:'For
Romans 8:23
In verse 19, Paul continues the line of thought about humans being restored to reign over a righteous and harmonious earth:'For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. This refers to those who receive the reward of being adopted as a son. The creation is now in the futility of the fall; it was designed to be lovingly stewarded by faithful and serving humans. But that isn't happening now. But the creation waits eagerly for humans to be restored to manage it. That will be led by Jesus Christ, who had all authority given to Him for His faithful obedience (Matthew 28:18; Philippians 2:8-10). And Jesus will lead "many sons to glory" in restoring them to their rightful position (Hebrews 2:10). It is the restoration of these sons of God that the creation longs for, as they will share the inheritance of Christ (Romans 8:17b).'
In speaking of sons of God, Paul is likely referring to a custom his Roman audience would have been familiar with as a coming-of-age ceremony for Roman males to progress from boy to man. There were two stages of Roman adoption (from boy to man):'
1) to be placed as a "son" at age 14, with voting rights;'
2) to be placed as a mature son at age 25, with property rights.'
The analogy applies to believers in that all believers have "voting" rights now (free to choose sin or righteousness, Romans 6:16-19); but those who suffer with Christ will have "property rights" in the world to come (inheritance in His Kingdom, Romans 8:17b).'
This can be confusing because as children born of the Spirit, we are born into God's family as children, and we tend to think of that as the only sort of adoption. But Paul uses the term both to describe becoming God's child (which comes with unconditional benefits all believers enjoy) as well as gaining a reward as a mature believer that is conditioned on faithfulness.
This idea of adoption for adults as a means of reward was not limited to Roman culture. In Hebrews 1, there is a rather elaborate description of Jesus being adopted as a "Son" over all humanity, largely quoted from Psalms. This is patterned after a common practice for eastern rulers to "adopt" a faithful servant into the royal family as a reward for faithful service, and bestow upon them property rights, territories over which to reign.
All believers are God's children, but only the believers who suffer with Jesus receive the reward of the inheritance that comes with Jesus's authority over the New Earth.'
Right now, the creation'was subjected to'futility, not willingly, but'because of Him who subjected it,'in hope'that'the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (vv 20-21).'
All of God's creation is agonizing and waiting for a restoration: For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (v 22). The hope remains that one day all of creation will be overseen by servant kings who serve in harmony and create harmony. The creation is in angst, and can't wait for that day to come.
The Him in verse 20 is referring to God, who cursed creation along with man, after Adam brought sin into the world (Genesis 3:17-19). Paul discusses the hope that creation has, along with believers, of redemption from God.'
For creation, this redemption looks like re-creation, when God will make the new heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). This "new creation" is the same sort of language referencing rebirth, renewal, and so forth that is used when Paul talks about believers as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15, Romans 6:4).
So, just as we long to be given new bodies and the glory that is to be revealed to us (v 18), so does creation. It longs for the redemption and re-creation in the new heavens and New Earth. Creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption when it is created anew, as Revelation 21 promises. We too will be made anew when we are freed from our mortal bodies and sin nature (v 10), and given new bodies, which Paul talks about in the next verse (23).
When we, as believers, are received into heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) we will be with the Lord forever, but heaven is not the final destination of believers; our final destination is a new earth (Revelation 21:1). We can think of heaven as a train stop on the way to our true destination, the New Earth (Revelation 21:1).'
God's original design, which we find in Genesis chapters 1-3, was for man to rule over a perfect world in harmony with God, nature, and one another. But man and the earth/creation were cursed when Adam brought sin into the world. Our redemption through faith in Jesus is how God offers to restore us'and all of creation'to that original plan, serving with Jesus ruling over earth (Philippians 2:8-11).'
Here in Romans 8, Paul refers to the Fall of Man as the futility to which the creation was subjected. When Adam and Eve sinned, humanity and creation itself became corrupted. Part of that corruption comes from having a corrupt ruler, Satan, who displaced us when we fell (2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 5:19). God designed humans to reign over the earth. Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:5-9 tell us that God 'crowned' (gave authority to) humans with the 'glory and honor' of reigning over creation. But as Hebrews 2:9 notes, 'But now we do not yet see all things subjected to [humanity].' This is because of the Fall.
Thankfully, the current futility will not last forever. Hebrews 2:9 continues, 'But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels [i.e. became human], namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor.' To Jesus has been restored the 'glory and honor' of reigning over creation (Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 2:12, Revelation 2:26-27, 3:21). In the parable of the talents, Jesus teaches that the reward for faithful stewardship will be to enter His 'joy' by sharing His authority (Matthew 25:21). In Revelation, Jesus says He desires to reward believers (His servants) who overcome as He overcame by sharing His throne of authority with them (Revelation 3:21).
Jesus is the 'Son' over all creation (Hebrews 1:5). He was appointed 'Son' as a human because of His faithfulness in following the will of God (Philippians 2:5-10). The reward of being a 'Son' follows the ancient tradition moderns call a 'suzerain-vassal treaty' where the superior ruler adopts a faithful servant as a 'son' to reign over part of his realm, as a reward for faithful service.
Hebrews 2:10 then goes on to spell out that it is Jesus's desire to bring 'many sons to glory.' In context, 'glory' refers to reigning (Hebrews 2:7). All who believe on Jesus are children of God (John 3:5, 14-15). As we saw in Romans 8:16-17, the Spirit testifies to all who have believed that they are children of God. But in order to be 'fellow heirs' with Christ to share in His reign, we must 'suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.'
Again, the glory in mind is the authority to reign. The picture scripture paints is that Jesus will only appoint to reign with Him faithful servants willing to serve. His administration will be filled with servant leaders. Satan is a tyrant and the way of the current world is tyranny; it is the strong exploiting the weak. But in Jesus's reign, the earth will have no more tyrants. Only servants will have authority to reign. Creation will be restored to its original design.
That is why the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (v. 19). The sons of God are the faithful believers who have been rewarded to share in Jesus's inheritance because they shared in His sufferings'they are the sons of God. The revealing of the sons of God will take place when Jesus inaugurates His reign over the earth (Revelation 11:15). At that point Satan will be dethroned (Revelation 20:1-3).
The sons of God are the believers who overcome this world as Christ overcame, living with Christ's mindset and obedience through suffering (Philippians 2:8-9). To become a son is to gain the great reward for faithful service. This is the great reward promised in Revelation 1:3. To 'heed the things' written in the book of Revelation is to overcome as Jesus overcame. Jesus overcame the temptation to follow His own way and instead lived in perfect obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:8).
Paul writes that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (v. 21). The glory of the children of God will set creation free, because humans will through the 'suffering of death' in Christ (Hebrews 2:9) and the sharing in His sufferings (Romans 8:17) gain through Christ the 'glory and honor' of reigning over creation with Him. They will not reign as exploiters but rather as stewards. All will be set right, according to God's good design.
This is why creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. When the sons of God are revealed at the founding of Christ's kingdom on earth, creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption. It will be set free to share the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Because we will reign with Christ, the glory of the children of God will help set creation free.
The parallel between the sons and heirs described in Romans 8 and in Hebrews 2 is evident. Christ is in the process of bringing 'many sons' (sons of God ' v. 19) 'to glory'/to be 'fellow heirs with Christ' (Hebrews 2:10, Romans 8:17).
This is why we live in hope (v. 20). Currently, none of this is a reality. We are in the process of being brought up as sons into glory through sufferings. Due to the Fall of Man, we do not see humans reigning as servant leaders over the earth. We do not observe a broad pattern of humans collaborating with one another or thriving in harmony with God and His design for the earth. Instead, we see death, destruction, wars, and turmoil. Paul describes this reality, For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (v. 22).
However, as Hebrews 2:9-10 tells us, we do see Jesus 'for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor.' This 'glory and honor' is the authority over heaven and earth given to Jesus as a reward for His obedience to God as a faithful witness. Jesus was given the reward of being the Son (ruler) over all creation, as a human (Hebrews 1:5).
Jesus's desire is to bring many sons to glory with Him. Faithful believers are these sons of God, mentioned both here and in Hebrews 2. The perfecting or 'completion' of our journey to becoming sons is attained 'through sufferings' (Hebrews 2:10), just as Paul explained in the prior passage, that we will be fellow heirs with Christ 'if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him' (Romans 8:17). We will be 'glorified with Him,' given His throne to share (Revelation 3:21) to rule over the earth, which was our original designed role when we were created.
The Apostle Peter likewise describes suffering to be our present 'purpose,'
'Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose.'
(1 Peter 4:1)
Our current purpose is to 'suffer with Him' what He suffered 'the rejection of the world, 'the suffering of death.' Death means separation; if we are faithful, the world will reject us and we will experience loss by earthly standards, so that we gain eternal rewards, as the 'many sons' whom Christ brings 'to glory.' Then we will regain the purpose for which God originally created us (Hebrews 2:7-8).
This means that when believers glorify God by doing the work He leads us to do, we are promised that Jesus will reward us by sharing His glory with us (1 Peter 4:13). As we see in Romans 2:6-7, those who seek glory from Jesus by doing good deeds will be rewarded with 'eternal life.' In this instance, 'eternal life' is a reward and seems to refer to the marvelous opportunity to serve with Christ in His 'administration' during the Messianic Kingdom.
Jesus endured rejection and death from the world in order to please His Father, and in doing so gained His Father's joy, which was the greatest of rewards (Hebrews 12:1-2). The Father exalted His Son because of His obedience (Hebrews 1:5, 8, 13, 2:9-10, Revelation 3:21, Matthew 28:18). And the Son of God taught His disciples to follow His example to inherit the same joy and reward (Matthew 25:21).
(This inheritance of Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross and the opportunity we have to be fellow heirs with Him, is further explained in the commentary for verses 15'18.)'
So, just as creation was cursed alongside man, it will be redeemed with us (believers) through faith. The suffering of creation is described as the pangs of childbirth together until now. This indicates that the earth will go through convulsing cycles until there is a great pain at the end, then a new creation is born. This is verified by Revelation and Daniel, which predict that the time of the end of this age will be accompanied by enormous tribulation (Matthew 24:22). But at the end, Jesus will return, and thus will begin a process of rebirth for all of creation.'
96:T1004,This second mention of'adoption again recalls the first of two stages of Roman adoption, being placed as a son at age 14, with voting rights. Every believe
Romans 8:24
In this passage, Paul is confirming that it is with hope that Christians, along with creation, eagerly await the time that our bodies are redeemed (v 23). For in hope we have been saved (v 24).
When we see the word saved we should ask, "What is being delivered from what?" In this passage, believers are being delivered from the corruption of the Fall, but the deliverance hasn't happened in its entirety'yet. When we believe, we receive spiritual deliverance in the sight of God, with the Spirit as the first fruit. Through walking in the Spirit we can experience deliverance from the power of sin through a walk of faith daily, in opposition to the world. But our hope also looks forward to a time when our bodies and the entire earth will be redeemed as well, and no longer resists the will of God.
This hope is not seen: But hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees (v 24)? If you already know the outcome of a sports game you can't hope that one team beats the other because you've already seen the outcome; you already know who will win and who will lose.
Hope is not something that you can have if you already see the outcome. So, we as believers are waiting eagerly in perseverance for Jesus's return and His restoration of creation as though we see it: But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (v 25).
Hebrews tells us that faith is believing in what cannot be seen as though we can see, and hoping for what we do not yet have as though we already possess it (Hebrews 11:1). It takes perseverance to continue in hope for what we do not see.
Therefore, we should steadfastly walk in the Spirit and redeem the earth, in part, through a walk of faith. We have the privilege to do this until God restores it completely (vv 15-19). As we walk in faith, we are suffering as Jesus suffered, and laying up treasure in heaven.
This notion of walking in perseverance in the hope which we cannot see is restated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8:
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
As believers, we should live by faith, persevering and walking with the Spirit, while we wait (in hope) to be at home with God. Paul discusses this desire to be set apart from our sinful bodies at length in Chapter 7.
98:Tf3b,Paul m
Romans 8:26
Paul mentions in verse 4 that when believers walk in the Spirit, they fulfill the law. This is a reiteration of the contrasting point Paul makes against the competing Jewish "authorities" who slandered his teaching to the believers in Rome (Romans 3:8). It seems probable that this letter is also a defense for Paul's friends Aquila and Priscilla (who host a church in Rome) to use against the competing Jewish "authorities" (Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2, 18, 26).'
The slanderers claim they are champions, saving the law from the heretical teaching of Paul. Paul says the law is no longer our authority, the Spirit is our authority.
The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a Helper (John 14:16,17, 26), in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness (v 26). One of the ways that the Holy Spirit helps us is in our communication with God. Because we still have a sin nature and are weak, we often don't know how to talk with God, for we do not know how to pray as we should (v 26). So, the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (v 26).'He'serves as our voice, our helper, to communicate to God for us.
One simple example of this is how a babysitter might need the help of one of the older children they are babysitting, to help them understand what the younger sibling (perhaps a toddler) is asking for. We are weak and flawed, the Holy Spirit helps us (in our weakness) and intercedes for us. Jesus also interceded for us to God in His sacrifice on the cross (v 34). In a similar way, the Holy Spirit is given to believers to intercede for them to God.
So, even in the suffering and the tribulations we experience on this earth, we have the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness. In contrast to the competing Jewish "authorities" who claim we can adhere to the law and become righteous, Paul insists we can only achieve righteousness through dependence upon Christ and His Spirit, both to gain the new birth and forgiveness of sins as well as to walk in the newness of life with the resurrection power.
Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as He who searches the hearts (v 27). This is one of the ways that the Holy Spirit helps our weakness so that He can intercede, or speak on our behalf, to God. He knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (v 27).'
This should be a great encouragement to all of us, that the Spirit prays for us according to the will of God, even when we don't know how to. Paul has already told his audience that one of the primary things that the Holy Spirit does is give believers life in their mortal bodies, providing the ability to do God's will (verses 5-16) This ministry to intercede to God on our behalf is another way the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
99:T2d0e,Paul
Romans 8:28
Paul uses the same word'called in verse 28 that he uses in Chapter 1 to refer to the believers in Rome (Romans 1:6-7). As believers, we are saints called for God's purpose. Paul now states a truth that applies to all believers, all who are called:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (v 28).'
We can be tempted to say "Great, then that means God will do such-and-such for me." But God does not leave it to us to decide what is good. God tells us what is good. It is good for us to be conformed to the image of Christ (v 29). God intends to utilize every single thing that happens in our life to conform us to the image of His Son.
This does not mean it will always be apparent to us how something might be good. But sometimes God reveals to us how He is working. For example, even when Paul was wrongfully imprisoned, he saw that God was using it for good, because Paul was able to share the gospel message to the people that guarded him in prison, and other believers were encouraged to share the gospel message without fear, even though they faced imprisonment and death (Philippians 1:12-14).'
So Paul saw that God was working through bad circumstances to bring others to Christ and conform them to His image. This letter Paul wrote to the Romans was a letter he undoubtedly hated having to write. His entire ministry was being put at risk by competing Jewish "authorities" seeking to undermine his message. His ministry partners Aquila and Priscilla, fellow Jews who preached the gospel with him years earlier in Greece, had returned to Rome and started a church in their home (Romans 16:3-5; Acts 18:2, 18, 26). They too were doubtlessly in conflict with these underminers, and were desperate to keep the members of their church walking in the Spirit, not by the law.'
But because of these difficulties, God used this resulting letter to the Romans to conform millions to His image through Paul's diligence in writing this epistle.
Paul now sets forth how God causes good to come from every circumstance, from all things: that each believer will be conformed to the image of His Son (v 29).'
Paul now uses another term for believers. In verse 28 he referred to believers as being those who are called according to His purpose. Now Paul refers to believers as those whom He foreknew. Paul then asserts regarding a destiny for each believer, each one who is called and who He foreknew:
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (v 29).'
Predestined means that something is predetermined. What is predetermined in this particular verse is that every believer will become conformed to the image of His son, so that He (Jesus) would be the firstborn among many brethren (v 29). This indicates that God will utilize every circumstance to accomplish this purpose. Our choices are real, but no matter what we choose, God's purpose to conform believers to His image stands.
Clearly one way we can be conformed to Christ's image is to learn obedience through difficulties, even as Jesus learned (Philippians 2:8). If we don't learn in this life, it appears we will learn in the next, even though our rewards won't be as great if we wait to learn then.'
From other passages Paul has written, such as 1 Corinthians 3:11-17 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, it appears there is a process that conforms us to the image of Jesus based on learning from God's evaluation of our choices made while here on earth, even after we are in heaven. These passages use the image of a refining fire burning away impurities. So it seems that all believers will be conformed to the image of Christ, but only those who take advantage of being conformed in this life, by faith, will be joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).'
How exactly this process occurs is not delved into here, but what is certain is that we can absolutely count on the fact that every single thing that comes into our life will be redeemed by Jesus to conform us to His image. This includes even our own mistakes, which is very assuring. Perhaps this process ends when all tears are wiped away in the new earth (Revelation 21:4). Regardless of how this operates, it is reassuring to know God will redeem all things. It is also sobering to know that we will be conformed one way or another, and that to be conformed to Christ's image through His sufferings is offered as a vastly superior choice.'
The people that are predetermined to be conformed to the image of Christ are the people who God foreknew. The debate over this concept usually centers around whether humans choose but God knew, or God predetermined, but people's choices impacted God's choice. This debate generally falls into the category of Greek minds seeking linear solutions. But God is paradoxical to us, and much of life is paradoxical. Nature is paradoxical.
The God described by the Bible is paradoxical. God is outside of time but also works inside of time. Jesus was fully man and fully God (Hebrews 2:3-18). God is everywhere at once but in one place. The only non-contradictory explanation for these descriptions of God is to accept that God is the beginning of all that is or has been, and that is how the Bible begins: "In the beginning God." This is also consistent with God's description of Himself. When asked His name by Moses, God answered that He is the "I Am." God is the very source and essence of existence, so existence does not explain God, but God explains existence.
In the same way, God gave us the freedom to put our faith in Jesus and also foreknew who would become believers. Both are true. How can that be? Because God is God, God is the I Am. So, we who have chosen to believe were chosen by God, we are also called by God to do His will and will be glorified when we receive new bodies (v 23): and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (v 30).'
Paul speaks of those whom God justified as being glorified. This is in the past tense in the NASB translation. In Greek, the word glorified is in the aorist tense, which has the sense of something active being done over a period of time. Paul could have in mind that God has a plan for each one of us that has a beginning and an end. He could also be mirroring the Old Testament prophets who often spoke of future events in the past tense to emphasize the certainty with which the future event will come to pass.'
God states definitively that He will see to it that we will become conformed, or changed, to resemble Jesus. If we choose to do that while living a consistent life of faith, we will receive an amazing and special reward to be a joint heir with Christ in reigning over the earth in harmony with Him and others (Romans 8:17b).
Paul refers to Jesus as the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus, because of His faithfulness and sacrifice on the cross, will inherit the new earth (Philippians 2:8-11). He has already been given authority over creation as a human (Matthew 28:18). Believers have the opportunity to be fellow heirs with Jesus if we suffer with Him (Romans 8:17b). This is a part of God's plan of restoring the earth to His original design that we see in Genesis 1-3.
Paul began this chapter by telling the believers in Rome that there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ, meaning there is no heavenly condemnation no matter what we might do, and no earthly condemnation (negative consequences for sin) for those who are living the resurrection life found in Jesus, which comes through daily faith.'
The law of sin and death does not have power over believers who walk according to the Spirit of life. Here, Paul is showing that as believers we can know that God chose us and has given us the opportunity to become fellow heirs with Jesus if we suffer with Him (v 17).
Paul will discuss predestination/predetermination more in the next chapter, Chapter 9.
9a:T1a94,In Rome, there were Jewish "authorities" who accused Paul of suggesting that, because God's grace is increased when
Romans 8:31
In Rome, there were Jewish "authorities" who accused Paul of suggesting that, because God's grace is increased when we sin, then we should go ahead and sin more (Romans 3:8). In this passage, Paul restates that because of grace, there is no condemnation before God, regardless of what the competing Jewish "authorities" might say:'
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us (v 31)?'
The world can't bring charges against us. We are in perfect standing with God, as far as eternity is concerned, because of Christ, and we can experience God's love and approval if we walk according to the Spirit of life. Nothing can condemn us of wrongdoing if we walk in the newness of life. No circumstance or enemy can separate us from God's love. God is sovereign over all. How unappealing the world and sin should be when we remember this.
This ties in with Paul's insistence that although we are given a free choice to walk in sin, even though we have been freed from condemnation, when we choose to walk in sin, we place ourselves back under that earthly condemnation (negative consequences) from sin in this lifetime. Where we experience the consequences of sin, we experience a disconnection from God, but not in the eternal sense, only experientially.'
Paul warns the Roman believers that to follow these competing Jewish "authorities" will lead to being controlled by their threat of rejection and condemnation unless their rules are followed. The result will be actually living under the condemnation of the law, from which Christ delivers us.
But we do not need to follow such manipulators: 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 (v 32)?'
As believers, God is for us, the creator and master of everything. So if God is for us, if He has named us His sons and daughters based on our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, who can condemn us before God? Who will bring a charge against God's elect (v 33)?'
The expected answer is: No one. God is the one who justifies (v 33). And certainly not these competing Jewish "authorities."
That God will freely give us all things again refers back to the blessed hope that creation will be restored to its original design. God will see that all our deepest longings can come to pass. It is God's desire to do this'He is FOR US. It is important to remember that all our deeds will be judged (Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:11-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10), but they will be judged by someone who wants to freely give us all things. God is for us. He wants us to win.'
Paul asks: Who is the one who condemns (v 34)?'The expected answer is, again "No one." And again, the reason is that God is the one who justifies. He did this through the death and resurrection of His Son, who died for us because He loves us (John 3:16).'
Just as no one can condemn us before God (because God is for us) nothing can separate Christians from the love of Jesus: Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us (v 35).'
This ties in with Romans 8:29 where Paul states with emphatic certainty that every believer will be conformed to the image of Christ. Paul is speaking to believers, those who have put their faith in Jesus. Because of this, Paul is proclaiming that nothing, absolutely nothing, not even ourselves, can separate us from Jesus:'
Who will separate us from'the love of'Christ? Will'tribulation, or distress, or'persecution, or'famine, or'nakedness, or'peril, or sword (v 35)?'The expected answer, again, is "No one" and "nothing." Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.'
The love in the phrase the love of Christ is "agape" in Greek. This is the love of choice. It is love that seeks the best for others, regardless of what the other person is doing (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Jesus is love, and He chooses to love us regardless of what we do, or what we experience.'
Our choices do make a very significant impact on how we experience conformation to Jesus Christ. But even if we succumb to the flesh and go back into the death, slavery, and condemnation from which we have been delivered, we are still justified. And no matter how bad our choices might be, God will never stop pursuing our best interest. This is because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
9b:T2735,As Paul has made clear, nothing we can do and nothing we can experience will se
Romans 8:36
As Paul has made clear, nothing we can do and nothing we can experience will separate us from the amazing, infinite love of Jesus, including our own failures. The competing Jewish "authorities" are trying to use the threat of rejection (condemnation) to pressure the Roman believers to follow them. Paul argues "You don't need their affection'if you understand the affection Jesus has for you, their love pales to nothing."'
If they follow Paul, that would mean the Roman believers would experience the suffering of rejection by the competing Jewish "authorities," and rejection is painful to experience. But Paul is urging them to adopt a perspective that will cause them to realize that their true best interest lies in rejecting the false teaching of these competing Jewish "authorities."'
Even if we make choices following the flesh, which reap the consequences of death (disconnection, despair), condemnation (we bring on ourselves), and slavery/addiction, Jesus is for us. But Paul does not want us to endure self-inflicted suffering. We have been given resurrection power to walk in the newness of life daily, which continues to deliver us from the power of sin when we choose to walk according to the Spirit.
There is however a suffering of a completely different sort we will endure if we walk in righteousness and follow the path of obedience Jesus staked out for us. We will suffer rejection from the world. Or, as in this case, rejection from religious leaders who have embraced false teaching. This is to be expected, Paul says, and Paul uses a quote from Psalms to prove that it has always been this way for the people of God.
In verse 36, Paul refers to Psalm 44:22, which is about the affliction that God's people were facing at that time:'
Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered" (v 36).
Chapter 44 of Psalms talks about all sorts of suffering that God's people went through, including being sold into slavery'and even death. Paul is bringing up this passage to remind believers of the affliction and pain that they will face if they walk in obedience. However, Paul asserts that when we remain faithful, we win:
But in all these things we overwhelmingly'conquer through'Him who loved us (v 37).'
The word that is translated overwhelmingly conquer is the Greek word "hypernikao." The prefix "hyper" is rendered overwhelmingly and "nikao" is rendered conquer. The same Greek word "nikao" is translated as "overcomer" in Revelation 1-3, including in this verse that speaks of the great reward we have if we "overcome":
"He who overcomes ('nikao'), I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame ('nikao') and sat down with My Father on His throne."
(Revelation 3:21)
We are conquerors (nikao) when through Jesus, Him who loved us, we live and walk in obedience.'
We are also conquerors over being separated from God, because of what Jesus did for us, because no affliction or tribulation can separate us from God's love. God wants to give us "all things." This includes eternal life for those who believe (John 3:14-15) as well as the reward of the inheritance of Jesus, if we suffer rejection from the world, as He suffered (Romans 8:17b).
Paul runs through an extensive list of all sorts of extremes that are unable to separate us from the love of God: For I am convinced that neither'death, nor life, nor'angels, nor principalities, nor'things present, nor things to come, nor powers,'nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from'the love of God, which is'in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv 38-39).'
The list ends with the all-inclusive nor any created thing. His point is that no matter what you put on the list, it is not powerful enough to separate believers (those who have placed their faith in Jesus and His sacrifice) from the love of God. There is absolutely nothing we can do to cause God to reject us. We are accepted by Him unconditionally. We cannot be separated from Jesus's love by:
Paul ends Chapter 8 in the same way that he began it, by stating clearly that there is no condemnation for believers before God. That nothing, not the law, not the Jewish "authorities" who made slanderous claims against Paul (Romans 3:8), not death, not our sinful actions, nothing can separate us from God and His infinite love for us And this is irrespective of our actions or choices. We can harm ourselves and others with bad choices. We can lose opportunities for benefits from bad choices. But nothing we can do will make God stop loving and seeking the best for His children, those who have believed in His name.
Chapters 1-7 have been building up to this point. Paul was proving why the slanderous claims from the Jewish "authorities" (3:8) are dead wrong; they claimed Paul was saying that if God's grace increases when we sin then we should sin more so we can increase God's grace. This is profoundly incorrect.'
These "authorities" were arguing that believers are still under the law, and obedience to the law was necessary to attain righteousness. In Chapter 8, Paul tells his audience that the condemnation of the law (which he laid out in Chapter 7) is no longer applicable for believers because of their faith in Jesus and the power of the Spirit.'
Chapter 8, from beginning to end, makes it clear that believers are now empowered to walk in the life-giving Spirit and not under condemnation from anything whatsoever. We, believers, cannot be separated from the love of God by anything, ever.
With respect to the objections raised by the competing Jewish "authorities," Paul has now comprehensively demonstrated the theme verse of Romans 1:16-17, that the power of salvation creates righteousness in the presence of God by faith, when we first believe, and the power of salvation creates a lived experience of righteousness (living in harmony with God's good design) in our daily lives when we walk in faith by the power of the Spirit. So, righteousness does indeed come by faith, from first to last.
a0:T3b37,All believers are delivered from'condemnation Original source: https://thebiblesays.com/en/commentary/Romans+8?bible — content copyright The Bible Says; reproduced here solely as a GEO methodology demonstration by AnswerShare.