In my readings and research for subjects I came across one article that put forth the Book of Romans, chapter 8 as being one of the great chapters of the Bible. I re-read chapter 8 and after spending a more in-depth read decided to share some thoughts with you. 

There are six reasonable motivations for the apostle’s writings here. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary gives us a clearer understanding of his motives…and I quote…

“to answer the unbelieving, and to teach the believing Jew; to confirm the Christian and to convert the idolatrous Gentile; and to show the Gentile convert as equal with the Jewish, in respect of his religious condition, and his rank in the Divine favor.” 

Paul plainly states that salvation and acceptance in God’s eyes is by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no implying that any distinction of nation has a place in the grace and mercy of  God or Christ in bestowing of such on anyone. We can see that there is an area of concern by a certain group within the Christian movement known as Judaizing Christians who had set terms of acceptance with God to be a mixture of the Law and the Gospel. Sometimes the mass of words are better understood when personal circumstances are at stake. For example it should be a source of comfort to know that the Lord might well rebuke the believer, but they will not be condemned with the world. This is because through Christ with faith they are secure. In these first 9 verses we read of the freedom of believers from condemnation. The Christian faith is one of restoration not condemnation. 

 The verses that follow state that there are privileges granted to those believers, for they shall be known as children of God. The gift of the spirit that dwells in us, then also shall Christ be in us. Our very soul is new in its nature, renewed by grace is engulfed by a holy happiness that will endure forever. We are blessed to know

it is our duty to walk in righteous. Those who live a life that is corrupted by sin and lusts of the flesh and mind will surely die. The spirit will allow us to be more and more ashamed of those things that corrupt our lives and put them aside. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit brings a new and Divine life to the soul. There was the  bondage of the law in the Old Testament Church but this spirit of adoption, poured out in grace now gives his children peace and hope. 

There is a turn to reality in these verses 18-25 that gives us pause to think about our lives and our place in this creation. God’s creation has suffered much since the fall of man,  impurity, deformity, and infirmity, and the hostility of one creature to another. Indeed, the creation is in a deplorable state but there is hope. The writer states that God will deliver it from man’s depravity. We are to understand that the miseries of the human race are of our  own doing. But because we have been awaken by the first fruits of the Spirit, our hopes, desires and expectations have risen. We should awaken ourselves to the fact that our sins have brought these woes upon the creation. It is only reasonable that we should find comfort in our place in this creation as believers. For us it is the hope of what is to come…our comfort does not lie in the things of this world. We wait in the certainty of a Spirit filled renewed soul resting in the goodness of God’s grace. He will come. Christians are not exempt from the infirmities of this world, which are many and could be easily overpowered by them if it were not for the Holy Spirit’s support. Verses 26-27 reveals the Spirit as an enlightening force in our lives. It teaches us to pray for our needs, fills us with grace and hope, lifts us above our discouragements.The Holy Spirit is like a well, from which all our desires toward God flow freely. Remember, ‘drink of this water and you will thirst no more.’ The enemy cannot prevail when the Spirit makes intercession. 

As we move to verses 28-31, you can read the that the apostle speaks and writes as one who is in awe and admiration of the height and depth, the inclusiveness of the love of Christ which passeth all understanding. With Gos’s love we can with assurance defy the powers of darkness. All we read in the pervious verses is good for His Children. It is necessary to bring us closer, part us from the evil of the world, lift us up and preparing for salvation and the haven to come. There is a golden chain of salvation here in these verses….take time to read vv.28-31… This empowers our hope and faith…God’s way, God’s work is perfect.

The last verses of this chapter, vv. 37-39 are assurances that that God’s grace and power can never be taken from us. We can give it away through sin and perversions of the faith but God in us…Christ in us…the power of the Holy Spirit is best summed up in these closing verses of this chapter.

Romans 8

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced 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.

Life is Good

jk