The Bible Archive

In this portion I will keep using the Hebrew names for continuity.

We get to a verse now that is largely taken out of context. I don?t
know if you?ve heard it but it goes something like ?A person who
doesn?t believe God can?t personally believe God and can?t even please
God because they are in the flesh. They are carnal and the carnal mind
is hostile toward God for it does not subject itself to the Law of God
(Rom 8:8).?  Thing is, Sha?ul is still defending God?s righteousness in
the believer?s mind and is currently dealing with the death wrought by
sin through the power of the Law versus the newness of life found in
the Spirit. The carnality spoken of here is still in context of that
which is wrought through the law, which pertains to the flesh.

We left off thinking how a believer is now walking ?according to the
Spirit? instead of ?according to the flesh? (Rom 8:4, 5)?this
distinction previously expanded by the fact that Law-keeping was done
in the flesh, but now we have died to that and been married to
another?yet still failing at the Law-keeping bit. Believers now in a
stance of No-Condemnation?how does God deal with their sin? Does He
simply soften His response to sin? (Rom 8:1)

We should note that God?s response to sin in the believer is as radical
as his response to sin in the unbeliever. In the one case the believer
was positionally dead before God?s righteous judgment, but God sent His
Son while we were yet sinners to serve as a propitiation. In so doing,
sinful men who have placed faith on God would be saved from wrath.
Galatians would have us see the importance of our salvation in The
Spirit and our subsequent walk in The Spirit.

So then, Chapter 8 aligns our thinking not on the flesh and the oldness
of the letter but on the Spirit and the newness of life. This is
fundamental because without this alignment we find that we cannot
please God. If anyone does not have The Spirit then they cannot be
rightly called to please God in The Spirit (Rom 8:9). This portion is
referring then to the believer?s wealth for pleasing God, not the
unbeliever?s drought. This wealth is not found in the Law but it is to
be found in The Spirit.

But a believer, who awaits the life giving in our own mortal bodies,
can know that he is not obligated to live according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit?putting to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom
8:12-13). Some of them? The bad ones? No, all of them perishing in the
flesh?note that context please. The believers who are being led are
being led by the Spirit are full grown sons of God (Galatians 4:1-7).
Not as slaves living in fear but as adopted sons crying out ?Abba!
Father!? (Rom 8:15)

The unbelievers fear??there is no fear of God in them. Fear of death?
Then why reference a slavery which leads to fear again? He is referring
to that fear that was found in Chapter 7 but disarmed by death and in
Messiah?s rescue (from condemnation) in Chapter 8.

Now then, as free children of God, not slaves, but heirs of God and
even fellow heirs with Messiah we are glorified with Him?eventually
seeing the very glorification ourselves.  The Spirit in us bears
witness that we are his in the mutual internal groaning with that of
creation itself which awaiting the setting free from  its slavery.

Here a person can say ?ah, you see, Sha?ul is referring to slavery to
sin not to the Law.?. Partially true?but note what is groaning.
Creation, which is amoral in its actions, is groaning for the freedom
of its slavery. It was subjected to death brought by sin. Man?s slavery
is also wrought by sin and subjects Man to death. Here?s the crux for
Man?the Law entered in to make sin all the more sinful and therein
death all the more deadly. Creation groans for its freedom, as does
what we have in ourselves, the firstfruits of the Spirit. (Rom 8:20-23).

Therefore, the Spirit gives a newness of Life, a walk without
condemnation, a mind for the pleasing of God, a coheirship with the
Son, a yearning for the redemption of our bodies, an eagerly waited for
hope (Rom 8:25), help in our weaknesses, teaching and interceding in
our prays and communicates with the searcher of hearts seeking His will
in our lives. This string of God provided benefits, without the old
fear and bondage, is so perfect that God sees those who are the
Respondents to the Call as not only justified but already perfected,
glorified and complete. (Rom 8:28-30)

Who therefore can be against the believer as to bring a charge? If God
is for the believer, for us, who can possibly take the stand against
us? Who can bring a charge against God?s choice people if God is the
one who justifies? Who can condemn if Messiah is the one who condemns
but actually intercedes for us? The condemnation is removed. The
slavery leading to fear is nullified. The Believer is Justified
(declared righteous) and Glorified (made perfectly righteous) by the
working power of the Spirit and not the Law. (Rom 8:31-34)

Sha?ul?s defense then of the Righteousness of God in the mind is this:
Man is sinful because of action by someone else, now man can be
perfected by the actions of someone else. Whereas Man would work in the
flesh resulting only in death, made all the more evident by God?s Law,
Messiah has died and the sinner who identifies with that death is freed
from death the penalty of God?s Law. Whereas Man constantly fell short
due to His own flesh, Man can now be renewed in the mind and eventually
the body by giving the Spirit to work within, alongside and as an
Intercessor. Whereas death was the ultimate end of Man, now those who
are in Messiah Yeshua are inseparable from His love; be it tribulation,
distress, persecution, powers, principalities, all things?nothing can
separate them from Messiah. (Rom 8:35-39).

-r-

Other articles in this series?specifically the second movement: God’s Righteousness Defended in The Believer’s Mind.

Justification’s Hole: God’s righteousness in the mind introduced (Rom 5b)

Reckon Yourself Dead (Romans 6a

Which Part Got Crucified (Romans 6b)
The Dilema of Law (Romans 7)

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