Romans 8:1-17 - The Bible's Greatest Chapter, Part I

Romans 8 has the most important words ever written, but they're nothing new.

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🎧 Listen to today's reading: 

Press the green button below to play the audio.

8:20

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CONTEXT: Whenever a passage begins with the word 'therefore,' as today's does, you need to ask what it's there for. The first seven chapters of Romans show how those whose faith is in Christ have been set free from their slavery to sin...

Romans 8:1–17 (NASB95)

¹ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ 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, ⁴ 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.

⁵ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But 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.

¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 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.

Heidelberg Catechism

Q&A 1

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,

but belong—

body and soul,

in life and in death—

to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

that not a hair can fall from my head

without the will of my Father in heaven:

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation...

Summary

These words - both Romans chapter eight (we'll read the second half tomorrow) and the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism - are arguably the most important words ever written, not because they're so profound in and of themselves, but because they so beautifully summarize the entirety of God's Word. These are words that, as much as you are able, you need to have memorized.

As summary statements, these words don't introduce any new doctrine or novel concepts. Rather, in rapid fire fashion, it unpacks the primary points of Christianity:

• There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ;

• The Spirit has set you free from the law of sin and death;

• God did what you were required to but could not:

  • by sending His Son as an offering for sin;

  • so that the requirements of His law are now fulfilled for you;

• Your mindset (that which controls what you think, feel and do) has changed from being controlled by Sarx (flesh) to the Spirit;

• Since Christ is in you, your spirit is alive, as opposed to being dead in sin;

• The God who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal body;

• If, by the Spirit, you continually put to death indwelling sin, you will live;

• As one who's led by the Spirit, you are an adopted son of God. Both your legal identity and your access to God as your Father have changed;

• You are in Christ and in the Spirit, and the Spirit and Christ dwell in you;

• All of this puts you in debt (a debt which we'll see leads to freedom);

• You'll still suffer here and now, but now you'll suffer with Christ.

  Dig Deeper  

All of these incredible doctrines both necessitate and make possible this final paragraph of the answer to today's all important catechism question identifying your only comfort in life and in death:

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit,

assures me of eternal life

and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

from now on to live for Him.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who did on our behalf what we could not so that as His sons, we cry out, Abba, Father;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the incredible truths of Romans 8, and pray that you would wholeheartedly be willing and ready to live for Him;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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