Romans 8:12-30

Chad Myhre

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Romans 8:12–30

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Verse by verse study through Romans 8

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SLIDE 3

Romans 8:12–13 ESV

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.

Romans 8:12-

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Romans 8:14–15 ESV

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Romans 8:16–17 ESV

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.

INTRO:

The church in Rome was not planted and established by the Apostle Paul. It originated and grew in an organic nature, as people brought their new found faith with them from their travels.

Rome had a large population of Jewish residents and the ruins of Jewish synagogues have been unearthed to validate this. Since Judaism was an inroad for many to find Christianity… it’s likely, that Jewish travelers brought news of a potential Messiah named Jesus… and many in the Jewish community put their faith in HIm.

Based on the content of Paul’s letter, it’s obvious that he is writing to both Jews and Gentiles… so this new church, which sprung up without Apostolic intervention, was diverse, culturally, from the very beginning.

As these new believers found each other, they began to gather together, and naturally, they shared their faith, and as a result, a church community was established in Rome.

This is unique from most of the early churches that had significant input and often times, origination from one of the Apostles. Specifically, under Paul, many other churches were established through the preaching of the Gospel… and then, Paul continued to disciple them with doctrine.

If the church in Rome had any doctrine, it was the Law that they inherited through Judaism. Other than that, they only knew about Jesus.

This is the broad context of Romans. Paul is writing to a church that had a minimal understanding of the Gospel… and his letter is a comprehensive explanation of what that Gospel means, and how that Gospel is to be applied, and lived out, in the life of the Christian.

To bring a people with and elementary understanding of faith, to a place where they can embrace and experience deeper spiritual truths…

… he is bringing them up a long set of steps… - HE PRESENTS AND ARGUMENT… - then, he presents THE IMPLICATIONS AND THE THE CONCLUSIONS TO THAT ARGUMENT.

This book of full of transitional terms like: therefore, so then, because of…

Here is a truth… therefore… this is our responsibility to that truth.

Here is a wrong way of thinking… so then, if you think this way, here are the undesirable products of that thought.

Here is the conclusion of a previous argument… because of this, we are now led to think and act differently as it pertains to our new understanding..

We have been climbing these steps now for quite some time… and today, we move onto a new tread in this process. - VERSE 12 STARTS WITH THE PHRASE: ‘SO THEN’… or as the NIV and the NKJV writes: ‘THEREFORE’…

once again, we are considering the step we just climbed up on previously… and are using it to give meaning and reason, to the step that we are on now.

In chapter seven Paul shed light on the dysfunctional marriage between the fallen and broken flesh of humanity, and the Law.

To the person who is alive in the flesh, the law is binding. But, that person finds themselves in a difficult predicament. Verse 5 explained how the law did not help the flesh do what was right, but rather, it aroused sinful passions in the flesh.

Paul said, the Law taught him what it meant to covet… and then, when he was told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET’… sin within him seized the opportunity to create all kinds of covetousness.

Paul even ended chapter seven by sharing his ongoing struggle with the flesh and with the law.. - He does not understand his own actions. He does not do what he wants, but rather, he does the thing he hates.

The law has revealed, and confirmed, that our flesh is fallen, sinful, and unable to meet God’s righteous requirements.

Now as you remember, Paul laid out the argument on how we are now alive spiritually in Christ, and because our new eternal life is found in Him, the life of this temporary, broken, and rotting flesh… is no longer our true life.

We account it dead. We don’t give it authority. Sin resides in it… and that sin evens wins a few battles here and there… but it is not the true identity for the Christian..

Now remember… chapter seven began with this truth: The law is binding to the person who is alive in the flesh. - Paul then emphasizes this fact: If you are alive spiritually, and by faith, are dead to the flesh… the law is no longer binding..

Why? Because Jesus has met all of the righteous requirements of that law on our behalf. It is fulfilled. That is why chapter 8 declares:

THERE IS THEREFORE NOW, NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.

We are free. God as judge will now look to His law, and when He compares the standards of it to us, He will see, that we have met it all… we have fulfilled it all… we have been obedient to it all..

Not because we, actually have performed it… IT’S CLEAR THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO SO.. - But, because Jesus has done it on our behalf.

So last week, Paul concluded, that we have benefitted so greatly from this spiritual reality… - we should now, do what is fitting… AND THAT IS:

We, as spiritual beings, should walk in the Spirit, and not according to the hungers and desires of the flesh. The spiritual person belongs to Christ… the person of the flesh, belongs to sin and death.

CHAPTER 8, VERSES 1-11 REVEALED AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE..

Now… as we move on into verse 12… the appropriate response to that privilege is laid out.

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Romans 8:12–13 ESV

Romans 8:12

Let me word this first phrase in context to the preceeding:

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So then brothers, because the indwelling Spirit guarantees a future bodily resurrection, and we are not bound in this flesh to the obligations of the law… we are debtors…

We are debtors… - this is also translated, “we have an obligation”… your translation might say that..

Before Paul tells us what we have an obligation to… he tells us what we don’t have an obligation to.

We don’t have an obligation to the flesh. We don’t owe this sinful nature anything. Just as if you owed a lonely old man with no relatives $100.. and that lonely old man died… you would no longer owe him $100. You don’t owe this flesh anything. It is reckoned dead… and dead things don’t collect debts.

That doesn’t mean that you don’t take care of it and use it. What it means is, when sinful desire declares to you what it wants… you are under no obligation to fulfill that desire..

Here’s what we are debtors to… - and the grammar isn’t absolute on this, but the implication is strong… - .... WE ARE DEBTORS TO… - or, “our obligation is… “by the Spirit” to ‘put to death the deeds of the body.. or ‘the deeds of the flesh’ or … ‘the deeds of this sinful nature’.

And you might ask: “How do I do this? Can I do this in my own strength? Is this a matter of will power? Is this simply a matter of putting my mind to it?”

I would say, the answer to every one of those questions: Is no. -If living a life that pleases God was possible for you to do in the strength of your own flesh, then there would be no need for Jesus to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law for you.

You could fulfill them yourself.

This passage tells us that we are debtors, and and we fulfill our debt, or our obligation.. look at verse 13… right in the middle… there are three important words that tell us how we are going to fulfill it.:

SLIDE 8

…by the Spirit

It is by the grace of God working in us that we put to death that old way of living.

And here is where a little grammatical insight helps us. This term, “put to death” is in the present continuous tense… Which means… this is an ongoing activity… right now, and every now… moving forward until we are set free from this flesh

As long as you are in the flesh, it will oppose the spiritual life, the struggle that Paul shared at the end of chapter 7 will continue to be a reality… and fighting this battle… is going to be an ongoing activity.

Jesus referred to this as a daily activity…

SLIDE 9

Luke 9:23 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Let’s read on..

SLIDE 10

Romans 8:14–17 ESV

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, 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.

vs. 13 ended with this statement: “you will live”… why will you live? Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Here’s a spiritual principle: ‘adoption into God’s family, guarantees eternal life.’

tells us that He has predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ…

says that Jesus died to ‘redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.’

Back in today’s passage, it makes it clear to us… that: to be a son of God (vs. 14), is to be a child of God (vs. 15)

Now, don’t be off put by the word ‘son’. In Paul’s culture, the son was the one who came into the father’s inheritance. Paul was speaking to His culture, using terms that his culture would understand.

In , Paul used ‘sons of God in verse 14, giving us that strong link to the idea of inheritance… but he switches over to the term ‘children in vs. 16 and 17. This doctrine isn’t reserved for a first born son only… it is not misogynistic in nature.. . - It’s for everyone..

Look at the end of verse 15… look at what the spirit of adoption produces in us… - “by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

The Holy Spirit bears witness internally, in our experience, that we really are God’s children.

The cry, ‘Father!’… is a realization… that our trust and security is firmly planted in Him.

The Holy Spirit creates an awareness of our status as children of God… That’s what verse 16 is saying… We are not being made children of God by the Spirit… we are simply being made aware of this reality… we are awakening to a belief and understanding, that God truly is our Father, and we truly are His children.

Have you ever thought about this… we all have or have had earthly fathers. Some of them are good some of them are not… some were present, some were not… but whatever the case may be… there was a father…

AND YET… we have no problem.. referring to God as our Father. It’s not awkward. It doesn’t feel wrong. It doesn’t give off any sense of betrayal to our earthly father to make reference to God as our Heavenly Father.

...

Think about it in terms of any other family relationship… you don’t have a mom and call someone else your mom… you don’t have a spouse and call someone else your spouse… That just comes off as being wrong..

But with God… it just seems right. We find comfort in His fatherhood. We use the term Father because it denotes a greater sense of intimacy. We believe in Him and think of Him in terms of Fatherhood… Why? Is it just because the Bible tells us, or is there something else going on?

This passage confirms that yes… something else is going on. We think of God as a Father, because the Spirit of God has born witness with our spirit… that we are children of God.

and if children… then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..

We are in a privileged family, and we all share together… now, and even more in the future… the great blessings of being with God…

But… Paul is going to say one more thing in this verse that will bring us to the end of this step… His lesson transitions right here with a reminder..

We are heirs.. and co-heirs… provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

In the years ahead, this will resound with great understanding for the church in Rome. Specifically, because of their faith in Jesus.. they will face suffering. - Because of faith… suffering will sometimes ensue.

We might not experience it in our culture… but many in our world are experiencing it. It’s not big news, so it is pretty much ignored by the media… but persecution agains Christians, world wide, is at an all time high. In some countries, it’s epidemic… which reminds us, when we read the Bible… we shouldn’t interpret it in our own cultural context.

And yet… at the same time.. we might not suffer persecution… but we will suffer. We will suffer the conflicts between our flesh and our spirit. We will suffer the brokeness of our flesh with illness and injury. We will suffer the consequences of the sinful desires of other people. This flesh is reckoned dead. We are not obligated to it. We are striving to walk in the Spirit..

But, it’s not going to go out silently.

Jesus displayed for us, on the cross, what our life long conflict resembles. His flesh.. His body suffered greatly. It suffered under the weight of the sins of all humanity. And then, it was dead. And on the third day, He rose again… resurrected into a new glorious state.

He is the first fruits of those risen from the dead… -indicating to us… that second fruits and third fruits.. and more crops… more harvesting… more who were dead and then risen… would follow.

We too… will suffer in the flesh. Not with the intensity and the concentration that Jesus suffered… but we will suffer, simply because of the conflict between spirit and flesh.

We too… in the flesh… will die.

And we too… will rise again.. there is life beyond all of this.. a life that follows after the resurrection of Jesus..

Paul introduces the reality of suffering… because he intends to introduce a perspective of hope… A perspective which is laid out in the following verses…

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Those are the words of hope that we’ll pick up with next week.

And that’s where we’ll close today.

pray.

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