Dec 29, 2010

Paul's Letter to the Romans; Ch8:1-13

I love this Chapter. (Read the entire Chapter on the post below) It is one of my most favourite passages of Scripture. I want to share it with you all, and give an exegesis of it's great truth.

To do so, I want to first explain the two contrasting positions of mankind before the one true and only living God. This is the contrast, you are either an enemy of God (yes, created by Him, but because of our sinfulness, made His enemy), or you have been redeemed from your position of an enemy and now made a child of God, destined to receive great blessings from Him and spend all eternity in His glorious presence.

Are you a partaker of God's great kindness? Does the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwell within you and bear witness with your own spirit of your adoption into the first and foremost family of all creation?

I would plead with everyone who hasn't; turn to the Lord our God and repent of your sinfulness and turn to Him who died for you, and thereby Him we now receive the right to be called Children of God.

Unless this happens we are enemies with God. Why? Because God requires perfection and holiness from His creation. His standard of perfection can be summed up in the 10 commandments. Have you kept them all perfectly? Of course not, no one has.

There is no way we can be righteous before God, for it is within our very nature to sin. This is what is spoken of as "the flesh" in this chapter. The flesh (our very selves) is in opposition to the righteousness of God. Therefore we are condemned. God doesn't magically and unjustly separate us from our deeds. We sin because we are sinners, it is our corrupt and evil nature.

"For those who are according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh...For the mind set on the flesh is death...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; and those who are in the flesh can NOT please God (Rom8:5-8)(emphasis mine).

All is not hopeless though, is it? Because of God's great kindness and mercy and love for us, God has given us great hope!!

"For what the Law could not do', (make us righteous by giving us understanding of what sin is so that we would not transgress), 'because of our weak and corrupt 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, (This is my favourite part) in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Rom8:3-4)

Meaning - Jesus lived and obeyed the Law perfectly. Our sins are forgiven, the penalty for sin which is death was fully paid for by Jesus' blood, and because of His perfect life, we are accredited with having lived perfectly before God.

This amazing gift is offered and open for all of mankind to receive, no matter how sinful we are.

Unfortunately, not all will.

Remember...For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh... Meaning, those of the flesh set their minds on all manner of sinfulness; i.e. murder, theft, lies, drunkenness, sexual immorality, and creating a god in our own image to suite ourselves so we might continue in our sin.

Because of their love for their sin they will not repent. Therefore, not all will receive the Spirit of Christ, and if you do not....you do not belong to Him (Rom 8:9). "...for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die"....(Rom8:13)

Please, consider what I've said here. Read the 8th chapter of Romans (It's posted below). See how kind God is, and the great reward He offers to you. Is your sin worth it?

"...but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom8:13)


Next week, we will continue through Romans 8 from verse 9 until ???

3 comments:

  1. Juat read this chapter. I loved it, too. Good job on the post.

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  2. Thank you Warren. This is a wonderful reminder of the great kindness of our God.

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  3. Hey Dakota,
    Cool man, thanks for signing up. I look forward to any discussion you bring to the table.

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