LIFE IN THE SPIRIT - ROMANS 8

 

This chapter is one of the most comforting and inspirational chapters in the Bible. It is the conclusion of Paul’s argument concerning justification by faith. It also show us the Christian life is one lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

No Condemnation

8:1-4a

There are no sweeter words than those in verse 1: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Again we see those words “in Christ”. Those who are in Christ are those who believe in him and have committed themselves to follow him. The apostle John said: “whoever believes in him is not condemned”. (John 3:18) 

There are two types of people in the world: those who are in Christ and those who are not, who are in the flesh. 

Those who are not in Christ are condemned, meaning they face the judgment of God against sinners. The apostle John put it this way: “…whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the holy Son of God”. 

Revelation 20:15 puts it more graphically: “And if anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is speaking of the final judgment. 

The reason we are not condemned is that God did what the law and our weak flesh could not do. He sent his Son, who took on human nature (“flesh”), and received the Father’s condemnation of our sin in his flesh. He received physical death. And he did this to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. 

Jesus fulfilled the law by obeying it completely. He lived without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Yet, he took the penalty for sin on our behalf. Those who believe in Jesus receive the benefit of this. We are set free from the law of sin and death to live in the “law” of the Holy Spirit. (2) 

Not only are we free from condemnation, we have been delivered from our slavery to sin. We are free from the law of sin and death. (2) As Paul said in 7:25, Jesus delivered us from the body of death. We see this in that we, as believers, have the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Life. (2)

Life In The Spirit

8:4b-6

Now that we are in Christ (4b), we live by the Holy Spirit and set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Those things bring life and peace in contrast to the things of the flesh bring death. (5-6)

We know from Chapter 7 that there is a struggle involved. The flesh is still present. So, we need to set our minds on spiritual, heavenly things, not the things of the flesh. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Life In The Flesh

8:7-8

Paul here gives a startlingly blunt assessment of the non-believer, those whose minds are set on the flesh (controlled by the sinful nature). 

Those people are: 

1. hostile to God; 
2. not submitting to God’s law and unable to do so; and 
3. cannot please God. (8) 

Without the work of the Holy Spirit, men and women do not seek God and do not obey him. As Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…”. (John 6:44)  

We Have The Holy Spirit

8:9-12

Paul made a clear statement that believers, those who are “in Christ” have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. If you are in Christ, you have the Spirit. If you are not in Christ, you do not have the Spirit. 

John 14:17 also says this: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

If you have the Spirit as one who is in Christ, your body will still die as a result of Adam’s sin and your own, but your spirit will live forever. The Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, and he will also give life to our mortal bodies at the resurrection. (11) He is the guarantee of this and seals us in Christ until that time. (Ephesians 1:14) 

Takeaways

Rejoice that you have been set free from slavery to sin.

Set your minds on the things of God, not on things of flesh.

Remember your hope and encouragement: you will be with Christ forever.