The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 8:1-11)‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”

The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 8:1-11)

This week we will begin reading chapter 8, verses 1-11 as we consider Life in the Holy Spirit & being Free from imprisoning Sin and Death…

As we enter the eighth chapter of Romans, the Holy Spirit's ministry comes into clear focus. Up to this point, the “Holy Spirit” has only been mentioned once in the epistle to the Romans:

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us – Romans 5:5

But now in this chapter alone, the “Holy Spirit“ is mentioned some 20 times! It is a monumental chapter and when read with an open heart and a discerning mind can be incredibly Sanctifying for the believer. And if internalized, meditated upon and obeyed, will transform your Christian walk! With that said, let’s begin with a few initial thoughts pertaining to the “Holy Spirit” as we embark upon this excellent chapter… 

 

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit:

The study of the Holy Spirit is what theologians refer to as “pneumatology” and focuses on His role as God within the Holy Trinity.

First of all, the Holy Spirit is a Person. We must never refer to the Holy Spirit as "it" but as "He." The Holy Spirit is not an influence – this is the false doctrine known as Modalism or Sabellianism and is the unbiblical belief that God is one person who has revealed himself in three manifestations or modes. Absolutely not! The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, equal to the Father, equal to the Son in deity, personhood, personality and power.

 

The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Holy and Glorious. The Holy Spirit possesses mind, emotion, will and He knows the deep things of God. He loves the saints. He makes decisions. He speaks. He prays. He teaches. He guides. He commands. He fellowships. He comforts. He may be grieved. He may be quenched. He may be lied to. He may be tested. He may be resisted. He may be blasphemed. All of these things indicate that He is indeed a Person. The Bible calls Him God, Lord, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Yahweh, the Spirit of the Lord God, the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the living God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ and He is called the Comforter – He is indeed God!

 

In the case of the Christian, the Holy Spirit is engaged in glorifying Jesus Christ in the life of a believer. He indwells, fills and imparts the fruit of the Spirit to the believer. He also imparts the gifts of the Spirit. He seals, communes, fellowships with, teaches, wars with the flesh, comforts, prays for, sanctifies and empowers for service. In fact, without the Holy Spirit we would never have been recreated. Without the sustaining preserving upholding power of the Holy Spirit, we too would implode into the spiritual deadness of Adam from which we were born. The Holy Spirit of God is the very source by which we were given eternal life and through Him that life is sustained until full consummation in eternal glory!

 

Eight is GREAT!

Now as we come to chapter 8, the Apostle Paul comes to a climactic point as he talks about the results of Justification – being born-again:

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit – Romans 8:1

That's the great epitome of Paul’s expressions of the results of Justification – the Christian will never be condemned. We will never experience eternal “condemnation” for our “sin” because we are made “righteous” in Jesus Christ! Here Paul lays down some very strong statements about why this is true. It is because of the marvelous work of the “Spirit” in those who do not “walk according to the flesh” but rather “according to the Spirit.” The reason there's “no condemnation” is because of what “Christ Jesus” has done and is doing on behalf of the believer.

 

The Apostle Paul gives three reasons we experience no “condemnation”:

 

First: The Holy Spirit has freed us from “sin” and “death”:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh – Romans 8:2-3

The Gospel is a “law” because it commands us to respond and lays down a requisite for us – demanding our “obedience.” And the “law” of the Gospel of “life in Christ Jesus” is something “God did” to us through the “Spirit” by “His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” in whom has made us “free from the law of sin and death” and has “condemned sin in the flesh” – Thank you Jesus!

 

Second: The Holy Spirit enables us to “fulfill” God's “law”:

that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit – Romans 8:4

The reason we can never be eternally “condemned” is because we've been “set free” from the “law” and it’s just punishment of “death” as we “walk according to the Spirit.” Notice here that Jesus Christ “condemned sin in the flesh” – He destroyed it – so that the “righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us…” – Amazing!

 

Third: The Holy Spirit changes us from “carnal” to “spiritual”:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you – Romans 8:5-11

We see here that the problem for the unbeliever is they “live according to the flesh” and they are “in the flesh.” This person's “sin” nature is giving rise to their thinking patterns which then manifests in their behavior and “cannot please God.” This is the flow of Paul's thought, the ability to fulfill God's “law” comes from being “spiritually minded” – not “carnally minded.”

REMEMBER: There are only two kinds of people in the world… Those who are seeking the “flesh” – unbelievers – and those who are seeking the “Spirit” – believers. 

 

In fact, Jesus Christ also spoke to this very significant issue:

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters – Luke 11:23

God never divides people by sex – male or female. He never divides them by culture or education. He never divides them by class or race. The only way God divides people is by their relationship to Him. The reason believers “live according to the Spirit” is because they “set their minds” on the things of the “Spirit” bringing “life and peace.” The reason unbelievers “live according to the flesh” is because they “set their minds” on the things of the “flesh” and live with “enmity against God” – enemies of God!

 

Therefore, verses 5 to 11 of Romans chapter 8 emphasize that the “Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead” gives you a “new nature” to now seek after His “righteousness” in all things as He provides “life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” – Praise the Lord!

In closing:

 

The Christian life is becoming more of what you already are in Jesus Christ. It's living out in your daily practice what you are in your relationship to God. You've been given the “righteousness” of Jesus Christ – Now act like it!

 

God is not offering “happiness” as the objective of the Gospel – He is offering His “holiness” as complete forgiveness and payment for your “sins.”  He is not the “Jolly Spirit” He is the “Holy Spirit!” Hence, the Christian who is “pure in heart” through the “Holy Spirit” will be happy.

 

Pastor Walter Chantry writes these poignant words in his book entitled God's Righteous Kingdom which addresses the false “felt-needs” –  “happy-talk” – “prosperity” Gospel which is so prominent in today’s evangelical environment:

"When preachers speak as if God's chief desire is for men to be happy, then multitudes with problems flock to Jesus. Those who have ill health, marital troubles, financial frustration and loneliness look to the Lord for the desires of their hearts. Each conceives of joy as being found in health, peace, prosperity or companionship. But in search of illusive happiness they are not savingly joined to Jesus Christ. Unless men will be holy God is determined that they shall be forever miserable and damned”

So, what does the “Holy Spirit” do for us? He sets us “free” from “sin” and “death” enabling us to fulfill God's “law” and changes us so that we receive a “new nature” on the inside. Although we have not yet reached perfection, we will see in our lives the decreasing frequency of “sin” and the increasing frequency of Jesus Christ’s “righteousness” and someday… we'll be made “new” on the outside – Glorified!

 

Now that is great cause for rejoicing! What a blessed Holy Spirit! – AMEN!

Please continue reading verses 1-11 of the eighth chapter of Romans.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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