By: Fred Reid
Good God up in heaven, if Romans 8 aint one of THEE greatest chapters to read! There’s no much to learn, apply and be excited about it one chapter! But let’s start with an overview first.
1-4
These verses inform us of the benefits of the New Covenant that Jesus has made available to us. Our old sins are completely washed away because the new law established by Jesus allows us to be redeemed when we fall. Jesus as a PERFECT sacrifice died for ALL of the entire world’s sins. In order to use that payment on our behalf we must walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. Jesus had to live in flesh to condemn sin in the flesh, meaning that Jesus defeated flesh because he part took of it but successfully resisted it’s pull towards sin.
5-8
These verse explain what it means to be spiritually minded. Quite simply, they that are after the flesh carry out the things of the flesh while they that after the spirit carry out the things concerning the spirit. In case that sounds complicated apply it to something else. They that are about good grades carry out good grade activities (studying, asking questions, doing extra work etc) but they that are about having fun do the things that concern having fun (NOT studying, schedule fun events with friends, skipping class etc). However on a much more seirous note, to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death, because the carnal mind is not concerned about the things of God neither CAN it be. On our own we can’t please God, we can’t even figure out how. Think of some friends or people you know that don’t really know anything about God and His will, now think of how confusing or complicated a conversation about who God really is would go. Point proven lol
9-18
There is a lot in these verses! A further explanation of what it means to after the spirit instead of the flesh, and how one day your body will die and decay but Christ has made it so that your spirit will live with God in eternity (that’s a long time ya’ll! Lol). But a SUPER important part to point out amidst all these blessings and promises are the “if”s. I didn’t go through and count them but there are A LOT of if’s in all these clauses. These if’s are your basic cause and effect model. In order for all these benefits of Christ to take place in your life you must accept Him, and accepting Him means doing things His way. To expect/claim God’s benny’s without lining up with God’s commands is utter foolishness…trust me I know! Lol Verse 17 sticks out with me because it points out that we are God’s children by way of adoption. And thus heirs, but not just heirs but JOINT-HEIRS with Christ!! Now somebody PLEASE tell me what God won’t give to Jesus? What a privilege!! But notice this is LATE in the chapter after all the ifs…
19-23
These verses explain how the world and everything in/on it are awaiting for the glorious return of Jesus. It also explains that we ourselves have to be patient and wait for Jesus to come back and take us to glory.
24-27
These verses explain how that patience for Jesus and furthermore God’s will are so important. If God were to give us everything that we wanted on our schedule we would have no patience and mistreat what we have. However, if He allows us to develop patience and other character traits while He gives us what we hope for we will be much better for it. I like verses 26-27 because they explain how the holy spirit not only helps with our infirmities, but also intercedes for us because we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for! Wow that’s true and quite the relief! But what is most important is that these prayers are concerning God’s will and come from our heart.
28-30
The most famous all things work together script followed by a more detailed reassuring explanation of how God has called us, and when we accepted the called justified us, and once we were justified, glorified us. It’s already been done just walk into the call and the rest will fall in place! MY GOD!
31-39
Thirty one sets us up for the grand finale and recap of the show lol I like all of this but especially 32, it points out that what will God keep from us if He allowed His only son to die such a brutal death that He could have us!!! That gets me everytime! But I’ll stick to the overview. It goes on to point out that no one can (rightly) condemn us because God says we are free. Jesus won’t condemn us because He’s the one that died (and more ROSE) for us and that’d just be stupid lol. In the end it points out how nothing can separate us from the love of God; but a part that is usually not given so much acclaim is the fact that we are supposed to live our lives in way they we could die at any moment for Christ. Now while things for Christians aren’t quite as extreme here as they were back for Paul’s day, this is just a good example of how much your life REALLY isn’t yours. You are simply a sheep LED around buy the GREATEST shepherd who loves you enough to give you things you don’t deserve along the way. But PLEASE don’t forget the if’s lol
Over and Out J
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