In the last blog post, we talked about sanctification as being a) a consecration – a setting apart – a separation; for the purpose and the service of God (see 1 Cor. 1,30; 6,11; Rom. 1,7; Phil. 1,1 etc.), and b) a process, whereby we are being conformed to the image of his Son. In the mind of Paul, it was unthinkable, but that the latter should be the outcome of the former; that we are set apart for him who is holy, must result in us living holy lives. This he will repeat in letter after letter.
In this blog post then, we assume that we are set apart for God, and now want to live our lives for him; bearing fruit:
FOR the Father, THROUGH the Son, and BY the Spirit – and ALL OF GRACE, that none may boast! (1 Cor. 1,29; Rom. 3,27)
THE BEGINNING, STARTING IN CHAPTER 7
In Romans chapter 7,1-6, Paul explains our relationship to the law:
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
He then goes on to explain what fruit we had from being wed to the law:
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
He continues:
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7,7-25 is a departure from Paul’s main argument: He needs to explain how it was, that the law; holy, spiritual and good as it certainly is, failed to produce righteousness in him.
We will therefore skip this, and pick up Paul’s argument again in chapter 8,1.
8,1-2: THE FIRST ROADBLOCK
Before we start: Romans 8 is the chapter of the Spirit. The word spirit (πνευμα/pneuma in Greek) occurs five times in chapters 1-7, eight times in chapters 9-16, but in chapter 8 it occurs 21 times. In the majority of incidents in chapter 8 it refers to the Holy Spirit. In the movement of Paul’s thought, from start to finish; at every point, is the Spirit.
In v. 1-2 we read:
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
The law brought condemnation. We are no longer under it.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
This is essentially the same argument as in 7,6:
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
If we know that we have sinned, we need to confess our sin. But having done that, there is no objective reason why we should feel condemnation in our lives. However, as long as we live in this body, there is going to be a disparity between what Christ is in his holiness and righteousness, and the imperfect people that we still are. Therefore, we will be prone always to feeling inadequacy and condemnation. God knows this! That is why he has given us his Spirit, to encourage us. An important part of the Spirit’s ministry to us, is to give us assurance, confidence and boldness before God. If we sin, we know how to deal with it and to be done with it! See 1 Jn. 1,9. The Spirit says to you:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 Jn. 1,7
WE NEED TO SAY EMPHATICALLY, THAT THE SUBJECTIVE FEELING OF GUILT, CONDEMNATION AND GENERAL UNWORTHINESS, IS THE FIRST MAJOR ROADBLOCK IN OUR LIVES TO BEARING FRUIT FOR GOD. IT WILL LEAVE YOUR LIFE BARREN. THE SPIRIT SAYS TO YOU:
“Be bold my dear child! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
8,3-4: WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO, GOD DID!
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
“Who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”:
This is not to be understood as expressing a condition of the law’s requirements being fulfilled in us; as though the meaning were “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us provided we walk….” As though our so walking were our own doing, our independent and meritorious work; essentially constituting a new law, and providing us with a new route to self righteousness. INSTEAD: The language is descriptive of the results that follow when we let our lives be determined by the Spirit.
God´s setting forth of His Son, as a propitiation (Greek: hilasterion/ίλαστηριον – see Ex. 25,17-22 and Lev. 16,15) for sin – a place where sin is atoned for – and God propitiated (3,25), – not in the Holy of Holies as of old, but publicly, for all the world to see; to put away his righteous indignation and wrath over wrong-doing –
this sending forth of his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (like us in every way – but without sin) – and for sin (περί άμαρτιας/peri hamartias – concerning sin) – that he may he condemn sin in the flesh (8,3) – that is, Jesus received in his flesh, the just condemnation – death sentence – for sin, which was upon our lives.
THIS HAS DONE WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO – IT HAS SET US FREE TO SERVE GOD IN NEWNESS OF LIFE!
THE PROPHETS
But that God would have the righteous requirements of the law fulfilled in us, is in fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy:
Jeremiah:
31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31,31-34
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. They shall all know me from the least to the greatest!
Ezekiel:
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezek. 36,26-27
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take out the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES AND KEEP MY JUDGEMENTS (KJV).
8,5-16: WALKING BY THE SPIRIT
Before we continue, we need to understand something of Paul’s underlying assumptions. In his mind (as in that of Luke and John); with the death and resurrection of Christ, the New Age of the Spirit (cotemporal with the Age of the Messiah) has dawned. The Old Age of the Law has been superseded. This means a new way of life, living by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit!
8,5-8: FLESH AND SPIRIT
5 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
To set one’s mind on the things of the flesh, is to set one’s mind upon oneself, and existence apart from God. This is to cut oneself off from the only source of life, and so to court death. To set one’s mind on the Spirit is to have one’s gaze focused on what cannot be seen; on God who alone gives meaning and authority to existence. This brings life and peace. Thus life and death here mean existence with and without God.
8,9-11: BUT YOU…
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
But we belong to Christ, we have the Spirit. Our lives are no longer determined by the flesh. And even though our bodies are mortal, bound for death, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, will one day also raise our mortal bodies up from the dead. And for all the time, between then and now, he will be present and active in our lives.
8,12-16: FOCUSED ON THE FATHER
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
We need to see in these verses ourselves in movement by the Spirit towards the Father.
We are bound towards him, and no longer debtors to any other route.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (v.14)
is explanatory of:
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (v. 13b)
Though the active participation of the Christian is indeed involved in putting to death the deeds of the body, it is fundamentally the work of the Spirit. Hence the passive of «being led» i.e. by the Spirit.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
“The implication of this verse understood in its context is that it is in the believers´ calling God Father that God´s holy law is established and it’s `righteous requirement´(v. 4) fulfilled, and the whole of Christian obedience is included in this calling God `Father´. The verse in fact states in principle everything that there is to say in the way of Christian ethics; for there is nothing more required of us than that we should do just this – with full understanding of what it means, with full seriousness and full sincerity. For to address the true God by the name of Father with full sincerity and seriousness will involve seeking wholeheartedly to be and think and say and do that which is pleasing to him and to avoid everything which displeases him.” ( CEB Cranfield – my old professor at Durham, who lectured on Romans)
Herein therefore is the process of sanctification – our journey to the Father; to see his face one day.
FEAR: THE LAST ROADBLOCK
NO FEAR! We have not received the Spirit of a slave! We have a different Master! FEAR IS THE LAST ROADBLOCK to our sanctification! WE SHALL NOT BE PERFECTED THROUGH FEAR! FOR PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR (1 Jn. 4,18). We learn to obey the Father because we love, reverence and revere him. We want him to be honoured! These are gifts of the Holy Spirit, who inspires them in us. Read my blog post MORE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU.
God’s dealings with us are from grace to more grace! For we are yet in our mortal bodies. There is imperfection within us, and all around us. And fear is often rooted in this very fact, that we view God as a righteous and just God; intolerant of our shortcomings. WE FEAR HIS JUDGEMENT! BUT PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR, FOR FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT (1 Jn. 4,18). But God can hate sin, yet love the sinner and this is precisely the situation. GOD LOVES US!
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5,6-8
He has reached out to us in Christ and taken hold of us. He is working in us by his Spirit.😀👍
8,17-30: THE HOPE OF GLORY
CHILDREN OF GOD
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
And like Christ himself (Heb. 5,8), we learn obedience through suffering:
“Our suffering with him is a reference to that element of suffering which is inseparable from faithfulness to Christ in a world which does not yet know him as Lord” (Cranfield).
In suffering, Christ is our example. BUT OUR SUFFERING NOW WITH HIM, is a pledge of our being glorified with him hereafter:
FROM SUFFERING TO GLORY
In the last part of this chapter, Paul looks to the future. He considers that the present suffering is not worthy to be considered compared to the glory which is to be revealed. “It is not merely that the glory is a compensation for the suffering; it actually grows out of the suffering. There is an organic relation between the two for the believer, as surely as there was for his Lord” (FF Bruce).
The final Consummation is still future. As yet, we live in our mortal bodies. We are in the “already but not yet”; the “already” because Christ has come, but “not yet”, because we still look for his Coming Again; the Parousia! (Gr. παρουσία = παρά + ειμι: meaning PRESENCE!).
But we have received the “first fruits of the Spirit” (v. 23); the first fruits of the harvest (απαρχή/aparchē in Greek), are a pledge that the rest of the harvest is to follow. It is a pledge that we, who have the Spirit shall in the end be saved.
We groan within ourselves (v. 23), as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our bodies. Indeed we groan with all creation, in its bondage to decay.
But the Spirit encourages us, the suffering is the pledge of final glory.
This then is the Christian hope; the anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast (Heb. 6,19)
The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray. But he intercedes with us with unutterable groanings, according to the will of God (v. 26-27).
And all things work together for good for those that love God, who are called according to his purpose (v. 28).
THE PURPOSE OF OUR SANCTIFICATION
In vv. 29-30, we learn of the purpose for our sanctification:
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified
“Sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Christ here and now (see also 2 Cor. 3,18; Col. 3,10); glory is perfect conformity to the image of Christ there and then. Sanctification is glory begun; glory is sanctification completed. Paul looks forward to the completion of the work: whom he ‘justified, them he also glorified’” FF Bruce.
8,31-39: FINAL VICTORY
I’ll finish off this blog post by simply reading verses 31 to 39, without any comment. They speak for themselves:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
TAKEAWAYS
There is much theological substance to be mulled over in this blog post. But the two most important takeaways in my mind, are the two roadblocks to bearing fruit for God and to sanctification.
A hymn which encapsulates much of this substance is Amazing Grace. I give you the first 3 verses:
Amazing Grace
- Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see. - ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed. - Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Comment:
When I write that Christ is our example in suffering, I do not mean that we can atone for sin through our suffering, as did Christ. What I mean is that suffering is a part of following Jesus. Paul and the first Christians experienced persecution for the name of Christ. 1 Peter is written to Christians who are suffering. The letter is about how Christians should live under persecution. Read 1 Peter 4,12-19 and Heb. 12,1-14. But read also what Jesus said: Mt. 5,10-12 and Jn. 15,18-21.
I think 1 Peter 4,1-2 is particularly interesting. It ties in with Heb. 12,1-14 as explaining the purpose of suffering for Christians. Certainly this also is a part of our sanctification. As modern Christians living in peace in the West, I think we need to be reminded of these truths. Christ is with us! Remember Mark 4,35-41, and that the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us.
And let’s also remember: NO CONDEMNATION AND NO FEAR! 😊👍
Christians and suffering is a separate blog post, where we would need to discuss: 1 Peter 4,12-19; 2 Tim. 3,12; Heb. 12,1-14; 1 Peter 4,1-2; Mt. 5,10-12, and Jn. 15,18-21 and Rom. 8,7, which explain what is behind.