Romans Chapter - 8.
As many as led by the Spirit of God, they are Sons of God.
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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Preface
The seventh chapter finishes almost with the contents of the entire chapter. "So
then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of
sin."
He concludes by showing the hopelessness, which is shown in the chapter, about a
man who had not received the Holy Spirit to overcome the sins of the flesh. "I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
So, he thanks God through Lord Jesus Christ for the Holy Spirit that he has now
received. With the Holy Spirit he can overcome sins.
This chapter is long chapter and contains few topics. Letters of apostle
Paul are little difficult to understand, than the letters of others. But his
emphasis is practical application, requiring proof; but neither theoretical nor philosophical.
Romans Chapter 8, verse by verse Study.
Walk after the flesh, or walk after the
Spirit
"
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Jesus Christ will give the Holy Spirit to those who repent for their sins and ask him for the Holy Spirit to guide them to walk after the Spirit, to escape condemnation. Having received the Holy Spirit, straight away we may not jump out of the flesh, enter the Spirit, and lead our life from then on. I realize that a child cannot do a man’s job; but a child will cry out loud for milk. Then, at least we will escape condemnation and get into new earth, which is paradise.
"2
For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death."
There are two laws, one is law of the Spirit, and another is the law of sin and
death. The law of sin and death is the religious law; it will give the knowledge
that if we live in sin, we will die the eternal death. But it cannot give us the
Spirit. The law of the Spirit tells us to repent, receive the Spirit from the
Lord, and to live after the Spirit. And if we live after the flesh, we cannot
escape sin and death. Many verses mention just the word 'law.' They serve as stumbling stones in the bible, but their context will show
whether it is of the flesh or of the Spirit. False preachers and false believers
chose, teach, and follow the law of sin and death, which is of the flesh, which
is of the religion, and
get eternal destruction. Godly people obey the law of the Spirit and inherit the
kingdom of God.
"3
For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"
Most preachers teach that God was born as a Man, and he was Jesus of Nazareth.
So, the man Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. Since he was God, he was able to
live with no sin, but we cannot live with no sin since we are not God, and we
all will be sinning as long as we live. This teaching gain grounds, and every
religious Christian believe this, but it is the lie of the devil. But this verse
says "God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,..."
So, the Man Jesus was not 100% God, but he lived as 100% sinful flesh man. Despite of this, he lived a holy and
righteous life, with no sin. So, it is possible for us also to live a life with
no sin, if we also have the same Spirit and power in us. As a man, he died on the cross, buried, and was
resurrected from death. “Acts
2:36..
God hath
made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
So, the Man Jesus is now the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Omnipotent Spirit, giving
people the Holy Spirit to live with no sin.
"4-8. 4
That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit."
So, it is possible for us to receive the Holy Spirit from the Lord, and to live
after the Spirit with no sin, and not to live after the flesh.
"5
For they that
are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the
Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6
For to be
carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Flesh is flesh and Spirit is Spirit. Jesus Christ is Spirit; so, they that are
in Christ will live according to the Spirit, and so, they will be free from
condemnation.
9:13&14 say,
"13
For if
ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14
For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
If we see the very next verse it explains the real reason. Before that let us
see what is carnally minded and what is Spiritually minded. It is in one
passage. "Ephesians
4:
17
This I say
therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18
Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19
Who being past
feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
with greediness."
This is the description of carnal mind. Next five verses are the description of
the Spiritual mind. "20
But ye have not so learned Christ;
21
If so be that
ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22
That ye put off
concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts;
23
And be renewed
in the spirit of your mind;
24
And that ye put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
It is a born-again man, and his mind is of the Holy Spirit. The person lives in
righteousness and in holiness. "7
Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be.
8
So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God."
We saw in above verses what carnal mind is, it is the state of being an enemy to God, which is
of
Satan. So, we cannot even obey God, and so, we cannot please God.
"9
But ye are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Now apostle is addressing those who have the Holy Spirit in them; telling them
that they are not in the flesh. Then what he says is a scary part. He says those
who do not have the Holy Spirit does not belong to him. So, they belong to
Satan; so, they will be cast in hell and to the lake of fire.
Study of Holy Ghost abides and
quickens mortal bodies!
We know a few things about apostle Paul that is different form the other
apostles. All other apostles were trained and disciplined by Jesus for about
three years, but apostle Paul was stricken down by Jesus Christ at only one
instant. All other apostles were not educated or taught in the scriptures and
the doctrine of the Jews and Mosaic laws, but apostle Paul was taught by the very famous expert
Gamaliel in all things. Apostle Paul was very biased and extremely zealous in
Jewish tradition, but other disciples were common men as far as Judaism and
religiosity. Apostle Paul was an enemy to Jesus Christ and to his people, and he
was doing all kinds of havoc to them, even consented to stone Stephen to death,
who was the first martyr. Jesus Christ had to strike him down to convert him.
After that Paul was chosen of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. At one point
apostle Peter, who was chosen by Jesus Christ as the leader of the pack, told
about apostle Paul this verse: "2
Peter 3:
15
And
account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved
brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As
also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some
things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
Even apostle Peter acknowledges that his epistles are hard to be understood,
unlearned and unstable false preachers of Satan, twist them on purpose; it works for their
own destruction. They twist other scriptures also. So, let us be aware of this.
"10&13. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." If we are born again of the Spirit, we are complete with body, soul, and Spirit, even though the flesh and Spirit are opposite to each other. The Spirit guides us to mortify the deeds of the flesh, which is sin, and to live in righteousness. As we grow in righteousness, we will grow in the Spirit. In the beginning, the Spirit is compared to a candle light, and it has the potential to shine as even the sun. We know that the Holy Spirit is in the flesh body, and if it grows to the point to mortify the deeds of the flesh, then we will live in the righteousness of God, and the Spirit has grown enough to receive the abiding of Jesus Christ in him. So, Jesus Christ will be in us now. But religious Christians always use the cliché saying 'Christ in us' and that is a meaningless gibberish. But here in this verse Christ be in you is for real. "11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Here it is a doctrinal puzzle. Flesh body will not be raised to life after we die; it came from dust and it will return to dust. So also, the flesh body of Jesus Christ could not have been raised to life, despite people saw him in flesh body, which most times they could not recognize, his body passed through walls, and often vanished in thin air. His flesh body did not do it. But as the Spirit body of Jesus Christ was taken to heaven from the worldly level, our bodies will also be taken to heavenly level from the worldly level. This what is referred here as '
quicken your mortal bodies', since it is with the possibility to die as the Spirit of Adam died. The one who raised up Jesus was God the Father, and the Holy Ghost. So, if the Holy Ghost abide us, we will also be raised to heaven after we die. "12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh." So, we are not living because of the flesh, but because of the Holy Spirit, with the possibility that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost may also be abide in us. When we die, the flesh will go to dust, and we are not debtors to the flesh. "13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." I think that this is repetition; if we live after the flesh, which is sin, we shall eternally die. But if we mortify the deeds of the body that are sins, we will have eternal life.Holy Ghost abiding makes you to
be adopted as Son of God
"14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Spirit of God refers to the holy Spirit that God gives to people, when they ask him with repentance. It is also called the Spirit of man. Those who are perfectly lead of the Spirit in life will be the Sons of God.
"15
For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Spirits of bondage are demonic spirits. Probably it may be refered to the sins of the flesh
also. There is no name as Spirit of adoption, but
it refers to the holy Spirit, who leads us to live a perfect righteous life and
to be adopted as the Sons of God, and
so, it is also a symbolic name. If we become perfect, then we are Sons of God, and we should call God as our Abba,
which is Father
in English, looking forward to the day of adoption.
"16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" Most preachers exploit this verse and teach that if we believe that we are children of God, then we are children. This is nonsense. Here, when a person lives a perfect life by the guidance of the holy Spirit, God the Holy Ghost will abide in the person, and it is the bearing witness with their Spirit. And such people are the children of God.
"17
And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
Children could be boys and girls, or they could be adult sons and daughters.
Those who are in the status of boys and girls will inherit paradise that is new
earth, and those who are in the status of adult Sons and Daughters here will
inherit new heavens, with the glory of the Sons of God. "1
John 3:
1
Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall
see him as he is."
If we become nobody to the world, and if we suffer by persecution for the names
of Jesus Christ, then we will be glorified together with Jesus Christ as Sons of
God and become joint heirs with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God in heaven.
"18
For I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us."
Our glory will be as the same glory of Jesus Christ
as in 1 John
3:2.
What is an example of our suffering? Let us look at “Matthew
5:
11
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
So, a common person can become a Son of God, with the glory of God, and be the
joint heir with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God.
New Creature into glorious liberty,
Manifestation of Sons of God.
"19
For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."
Who are the creatures? “2
Corinthians 5:
17
Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new.
Galatians 6:
15
For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creature.”
Those who are in Christ Jesus are new creatures. They are waiting for the
manifestation of the Sons of God, rather
"20&21. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." We are all, including those who will become new creature, created in the vanity of the world. But those who could be new creature will have hope. And those who have hope will be delivered from the corruption of the world, and they will become the new creature, who are the children of God. Those who have become perfect in righteousness, are the Sons of God, and if they have not attained perfection, will inherit paradise, which is new earth, as children of God.
"22&23. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." A few things are in these two verses: When it says whole creation, the context refers only to the new creature, it is only spiritual creature. Then it says: '
not only they, but ourselves also', so, among the creature there are two groups. Then it refers 'the firstfruits', which is the New Jerusalem, as ourselves. Then it says that they all groan. So all levels, children, Sons, and Bride all are groaning for adoption. Then we see that it is after the 'the redemption of our body.' This does not refers to the flesh body, since it will go to the dust, but it is the body in the terrestrial level, to be raised to be the body in the heavenly level. Let me repeat 'the redemption of our body' again. Our flesh body came from dust, and it will return to dust. Most preachers preach that our flesh body will be raised as glorious body with no sickness, and so on. It seems to be reasonable and understandable, but it is not so, and it is ignorance.
