Prayer Challenges

Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk from Doug Knox.

September 2023 - March 2024

Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Introduction

Romans 7:24 – 8:11

THE UNRESOLVED DILEMMA FROM ROMANS 7

The Misguided Insistence on Praise-only Language
Let me begin with a situation that has become commonplace among contemporary believers. A friend’s Facebook post a couple years ago describes the situation perfectly. In a six-word maxim, she wrote,

Try this.
Don’t pray.
Only praise.

The implications are easy to read. The encouragement in the first line to try something new means that something else has failed. The second line tells us that, for whatever reason, the failure involves prayer. The third line offers ap proposed solution. Offer praise exclusively, to the elimination of prayer. This line of thinking has spread across the Christian culture. It is now considered more virtuous, and therefore more effective, to offer praise exclusively. Prayer asks. It approaches God from a place of need. Often, that need is an obsessive one. It is self-centered. Praise, on the other hand, gives. It acknowledges God’s greatness. And, since giving is more virtuous than asking, praise must be more virtuous than prayer. The argument has a certain factual consistency. Our personal prayers tend to go on a little too long and become too self-centered. Perhaps they ignore the blessings that God has given us already or even ignore others’ legitimate needs.

A Misguided Solution
Obviously, prayer without praise degenerates into selfish obsession. However, praise without prayer is equally imbalanced.The problem with offering praise language as a substitute for prayer is that the substitution creates a dangerous undercurrent. When we allow only praise language, worship quickly becomes a new kind of prayer leverage. “See, Lord, I’m praising. I’m sincere. Please answer me.” The problem is not with the person. It lies with the restrictions that we put on our worship. Obviously, prayer alone, absent of praise, leads to selfishness. By the same token, though, praise language without prayer is becomes insufficient to handle the breadth of our Christian experience. When we try to make it do so, we stretch it beyond the tearing point.

Romans 8, the Psalms and “The Language of our Walk”
I have talked about the subject of praise and lament in the Psalms before. The two poles form the dynamic that drives the Psalms. Recently, I realized that the same dynamic drives Romans 8. The chapter stands as one of the greatest expressions of praise in the New Testament, but at the same time, it is embedded with expressions of pleading. This shows a critical truth. Our worship language must include both praise and prayer for it to be effective. What the Psalms express emotionally, Romans 8 teaches doctrinally. This is the truth that I would like to share with you in this series.
Let me introduce is by way of Pauls’ closing comments in Romans 7.

The Glaring Hole at the Close of Romans 7
To understand Romans 8 properly, we need to pay attention to the connection that it has to the previous chapter. Romans 7 is one of the most difficult chapters in the entire New Testament. Bible scholars have debated its meaning for years, but most conservative teachers believe that it describes Paul’s day-by-day struggle against sin. By extension, that struggle is ours as well. The cause for Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 arises out of his recognition of two realities. The first reality is that he is genuinely saved. The Holy Spirit lives in him and preserves his salvation. The second reality crashes against the first. Even though he is saved, his old God-hating nature continues to live and to wreak havoc. As a child of God, he wants to do good, but he finds that his old nature throws down roadblocks at every turn. The closing of the chapter describes his internal conflict in personal terms. The words jumble together like a fifty-car pileup on an icy interstate overpass.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

--Romans 7:21-23

Paul uses the term law five times in these verses. Part of the difficulty in understanding the passage arises from the fact that he employs four distinct meanings for the word. The meanings for the word law come in pairs—two referring to contradictory realities and two referring to opposing presences. The contradictory realities arise because two opposing presences—all referred to by the same term—wage war against each other in Paul’s inner being. Let’s walk through the meanings one at a time. The use of the word law in verse 21 has to do with the reality of his moral situation. He wants to do right, but he finds evil lurking close at hand. He is conflicted. This leads to the reason for his dilemma, the two opposing presences in his Christian mind. The first presence is that of God, which he calls the “law of God.” The term refers to God’s presence, which guides him in truth. Opposite that, “another law waging war” (verse 23) refers to the other presence, the sin that continues to temp him. Finally, the fourth use of the word law in verse 23 moves back to the reality of God’s presence in his mind. Here is the passage again with Paul’s meanings for the word law inserted in bold. The words in brackets are added for explanatory purposes.

21 So I find it to be a [discoverable] reality that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the presence of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another presence waging war against the reality of my mind and making me captive to the presence of sin that dwells in my members.

--Romans 7:21-23, explanations substituted

Paul’s Unresolved Dilemma
The issues described above are more than academic. They are tragic. Paul’s dilemma causes him to cry out,

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

--Romans 7:24

Interestingly, he leaves the question unanswered. Instead, he offers praise to the one who will deliver him while his conflict rages.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

--Romans 7:25

The Setting for Romans 8
In other words, the conflict continues unabated. Yet, against the backdrop of the abiding struggle, Paul introduces his doxology:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

--Romans 8:1

The abrupt movement the despair in chapter 7 to the praise in chapter 8 almost sounds like, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” However, the word therefore in the first verse ties chapter 8 to the tragic reality in chapter 7. We cannot separate the two chapters. The warring dynamics that Paul describes in chapter 7 continue through the course of chapter 8. This is where we encounter the language of our walk. Romans 8 is not a chapter that depicts only our glorious and glamorous march to victory. As we will see, all the promises in that chapter grow in the soil of our wretchedness. Romans 8, in all its glory, acknowledges the gloom in chapter 7. For this reason, when we discuss our worship language over the course of the chapter, we must include both praise and prayer. Prayer—that is, crying out to God—is the voice of our wretchedness that makes God’s promises that much sweeter.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 1

Romans 8:1-4

THE LANGUAGE OF TRUTH

Disproportionate Realities
Romans 8 begins with the remarkable statement, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). To be “in Christ Jesus” means to rest in a place where we are free from guilt, fear, and shame.

I want to look at the functional word therefore. What exactly does this word do in its context?

The word’s basic function is to act as an indicator in a logical or persuasive presentation that leads us to a conclusion based on prior truths. That means that its place in Romans 8:1 looks to the history in the preceding chapter.

The problem is that the weight of Romans 7 drags us in the opposite direction. Paul’s cry in Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” draws the chapter to a close in a cry of defeat. The cry lacks an answer.

Yet against all expectation, Paul throws in a whole new interjection, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The effect is almost like the ending in H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. The Martian invaders hold complete advantage over humanity. Their superior technology thwarts every imaginable human defense. Their victory over humanity is inevitable. Then, just before the book ends in tragedy, the common cold kills ‘em off.

Well, would you look at that! Problem solved.

In literature and film, this is a lousy plot device. In truth, it is exactly what God’s pardoning grace does. It accomplishes what we never could. This is the reason why Paul’s words, “Thanks be to God…” muscle their way into the text. Our salvation has nothing to do with anything that we have done, and everything to do with what God has done.

Introduction to the Language of Truth
The word therefore at the beginning of Romans 8 stands on this new landscape.
Romans 8 shows us what his pardon looks like in practical and theological terms. The opening verses introduce us to the language of truth that guides us as pardoned sinners.

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

--Romans 8:1-4

The first statement, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” is the main statement in the first four verses of Romans 8. Everything that follows looks at the reasons why the opening statement is true.

Deciphering the Meanings for the Term, “the Law”
Let’s walk through the paragraph. First, notice that Paul mentions the word law four times—twice in verse 2 and twice again in verses 3 and 4. Like he did in the closing verses of chapter 7, Paul assigns two different meanings to the term. Here, the meanings occur in pairs. Twice in verse 2, Paul mentions “the law of ” something. In this case, the term refers to the same two realities that he talked about in chapter 7. “For the reality of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the reality of sin and death.” Our personal reality, what Paul calls “the law of sin and death,” drives us to condemnation. Over against that, the reality of the Spirit of life sets us free from the condemnation that we dread. Verses 3 and 4 move from the “the law of ” something to the absolute term, “the law.” These verses refer to the Law of Moses, or the Old Testament commandments. It is “the law” because it stands alone as God’s standard of righteousness. But we need fear it because “God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” Jesus’s death on the cross completes all the commandments’ requirements in us. Now, instead of cowering under condemnation, we “walk… according to the Spirit.”

The Meaning of “Weakened by the Flesh”
What, then, is our relationship to the law of Moses? Historically, Christians have built a wall between law and grace, making the two dynamics incompatible with each other. We tend to think in terms of law versus grace. The problem with this view is that it isolates the Old Testament from the New under the belief that the Old Testament leaves room only for righteous acts for salvation. If this were the case, then no one in the Old Testament could have been saved. Further, the Old and New Testaments would be unable to communicate with each other. The law codes never intended to convince God’s people to try, try again until they got obedience right. They were meant to direct God’s covenant people to seek his provision for their walk. The political and religious commentator. Steve Turley, makes an insightful observation on the purpose of the Law:

Biblical law brings about a personal and social order that calls on all of us to trust in the promises and provisions of God. Biblical law is not just arbitrary commands. Biblical laws are all calls in some way, shape, or form, to trust in the promise and provisions of God. [1]

As Paul affirms, the law is good (Romans 7:7-12) because it communicates God’s righteous design for our lives. It reveals God’s moral blueprint for goodness. And, as Dr. Turley observes, it directs us to trust in God’s promises and provisions. However, while the law calls people to righteousness, it cannot make them righteous. Paul affirms clearly, “By the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). In other words, no one can be good enough to meet the righteous standards that the commandments set before us. Romans 8:3 declares that the law was “weakened by the flesh.” The flesh, that is our natural ability, lacks the power to generate the faith required to please God. That power comes from a different source altogether, which is grace through faith.

The Role of the Law in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the word that is translated law is the Hebrew word Torah. The proper name refers to the books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. In a broader sense, it means teaching. For example, in the guidelines for the future kings of Israel, LORD told Moses,

“When [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And he shall read in It all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and those statutes, and doing them….” (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).

The reason why King David was so successful during his early reign was because he honored this command in his walk. David did not become righteous through his obedience. Rather, he found righteousness through faith, just as we do in the New Testament. Because of that, he could delight in God’s principles. The power that brings us salvation is something that God employs through his Son’s work on the cross. “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

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[1]Steve Turley, Turley Talks, “Courts DROPPED This ‘Law’ Over What It Implies,” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxnz8y-Wr1c, accessed July 31, 2023.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 2

Romans 8:5-11

THE LANGUAGE OF IDENTITY

Recognizing the Two Possible Human Identities
The opening section of Romans 8 speaks in two “languages”—the language of what is, followed by the language of what must be. The language of what is recognizes events that occurred in the past, along with the realities that are true in the present time.

Verses 5-9 define “those who live according to the flesh” and “those who live according the Spirit.”

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

--Romans 8:5-9

The differences are fundamental, as the chart below shows.

Defining Characteristics
The terms that Paul uses to describe each are absolute, and they are opposed to each other. No middle ground exists between the two. Their ambitions and actions define the true nature of their beings.

The meaning of those who “live according to the flesh” is dark:

• They set their minds on the things of the flesh, which is death
• They are hostile to God
• They do not and cannot submit to the law of God
• They cannot please God

The meaning of those who “live according to the Spirit” is completely opposite its counterpart:

• They set their minds on the things of the Spirit
• To set the mind on the things of the Spirit is life and peace

Three Conditionals
Beginning in verse 9, Paul addresses his audience directly with the introduction, “You, however…” Here, he moves from the language of what is to the language of what must be. This expresses our purpose as men whom Christ has redeemed.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

--Romans 8:9-11

Three conditionals— “If” statements—guide the direction of this section and cement the truth that only two states of being exist. Let’s look at these separately. The first contains the if statement at the close of the sentence. I will put it at the beginning of the sentence for clarity.

• “If the Spirit of God dwells in you, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
  The presence of the Spirit of God in us is a mark of God’s ownership and protection. He has elevated us from our natural state “in the flesh” to a purposeful life “in the Spirit.” These are the only two possible states of being for a man. Paul adds the final statement, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
• “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
  This statement looks back to the opposing realities from chapter 7 with which every believer grapples. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh…. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:19, 24). The reality of the continuing presence of sin seeks to cripple us, but the greater reality of the Spirit of life grants us freedom by giving us lif
• “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
  Here is the language of eternal life. In every case, the work of the Spirit triumphs over condemnation. If the Spirit is truly with us, our ultimate life with Christ is assured.

But the Exceptions…
What about the exceptions, the passages that appear to talk about twilight zone Christians who profess to believe while at the same time they show the same spirit of rebellion as those who are lost? Many Bible teachers have taught that a third state of being exists, that a man can be a genuine Christian while he continues to live in a state of rebellion. That is, he manages to exist in an eternal state of life and peace while he sets his mind on the things of the flesh. Under Paul’s definition in Romans 8, however, these two orientations cannot exist simultaneously in the same man.
To be sure, we all succumb to sin. This is the whole point of Romans 7. But the man who shows genuine faith in Christ cannot be content to continue to practice his sin. The genuine believer always seeks restoration in his Lord. The primary source of the third position doctrine comes from a misreading of 1 Corinthians 2-3. The next couple segments will break from Romans 8 to examine what Paul means when he writes to the Corinthian church, “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as peoples of the flesh [“carnal” in the King James Version].” When we understand the passage in context, we will see that it means something entirely different than a third state of spirituality known as the “carnal Christian.” The true men of God remain faithful.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 3

Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians

THE LANGUAGE OF FACTIONS IN THE CHURCH

The Reason for the Side Trip to 1 Corinthians
Brothers, I must admit that I had not planned an excursion to 1 Corinthians when I began writing on Romans 8. However, when we recognize the black-and-white presentation of the characteristics of the lost and saved in Romans, we must consider what Paul says in about those whom he calls “people of the flesh” and “infants in Christ” in 1 Corinthians 3. To many, the chapter appears to present a third fundamental spiritual category, a man who exercises genuine faith in Christ but who has become so compromised in his behavior that he shows no visible difference from those who do not know Christ at all. The tern that has carried over from King James terminology is “carnal Christian.” Should we add this third category to the two identities that Paul describes in Romans 7 and 8? My goal with this excursion is not to generate controversy but to explain the Scripture clearly.

The Issue at the Heart of 1 Corinthians 1 – 4
Every story, novel, or nonfiction book we read is an invitation to follow the author into another world. The same is true when we watch the nightly news, a podcast, or a movie. The setting may be historical, contemporary, or alien. It may involve a new perspective on the world in which we live. Every form of written or oral communication involves two parties—an author and his audience. The author sets out to share something that is significant to him with the intent to communicate his understanding or opinions about it. When he does, he furnishes his audience with contextual cues to help them orient themselves. If we misinterpret the cues, we miss the point of the communication. Let me give you an example. My wife Patty and I are big fans of the CBS TV series, Bluebloods. In it, Tom Sellick plays the central character, New York Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. His character is an extroverted and opinionated Irish Catholic, deeply rooted in his four-generation family. The human drama is fast paced, and Sellick plays the part perfectly. However, when Bluebloods first aired, Sellick was finishing a series of made-for-TV movies called Jesse Stone, based on the character in Robert B. Parker’s detective novels. The movie series portrays him as an introverted, self-doubting divorcee who has lost his job as an LAPD detective because of his drinking. He moves from Los Angeles to become the police chief in a small town in Massachusetts. The drama is slow paced and intimate, a complete contrast to his character in Bluebloods. When Bluebloods aired, I tried to project Jesse Stone into Tom Sellick’s Bluebloods character. Of course, my interpretation refused to fit. The disconnection in my mind was so great that I almost gave up on Bluebloods. The problem? I tried to interpret Bluebloods by the wrong guidelines.

Collecting the Cues in 1 Corinthians
Though written by the same author, Romans and 1 Corinthians tell different stories. Romans is a book that teaches. Because of that, we can study Romans 8 as an accurate description of the character differences between the lost and the saved.
1 Corinthians, on the other hand, is a corrective manual. Paul spends his time addressing conflicts and errors among the Corinthian believers. The first four chapters focus on the church’s obsession with personalities. After a brief greeting in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Paul begins his message begins in verse 10:

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

--1 Corinthians 1:10-12

Something about name recognition draws crowds, and the Corinthian church boasted a stellar cast. Paul, the church founder, was the premier theologian of his day, wielding an intellect that spanned Jewish and Gentile cultures. For many, he was their man. Some found the apostle stuffy, however. In Paul’s words, “They say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account’” (2 Corinthians 10:10). Many in this group preferred Apollos, an orator who was revered for his eloquence. The story continues beyond these two intellectual heavyweights. The church also held a fair share of blue-collar workers, who craved something lighter than the high-octane teaching. This group leaned toward Cephas, whom we know as Peter. He learned from Jesus directly and taught simply. Finally, the church harbored a corner group who claimed, “I am of Christ.” Technically, they were right. All who walk in the truth belong to Christ. However, Apparently, they were spiritual elitists, because Paul includes them among the personality seekers who competed for the top rung.

Interpreting Paul’s “Voice” in 1 Corinthians 1 – 4
We can get a sense of Paul’s voice in the 1 Corinthians 1 – 2 watching where he puts his emphasis. As we see from the examples below, the book he focuses on a worldly wisdom/spiritual foolishness theme:

• “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power,” (1 Corinthians 1:17)
• “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
• “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20)
• “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

His point? In his own words, “Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

Paul’s Single Point of Doctrine
At the close of chapter 2, Paul closes with a brief doctrinal statement. It forms a mirror image of the truth that he discusses in Romans 8. The Romans 8 passage discusses the moral reality regarding what he calls “the mind set on the flesh.”

The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

--Romans 8:7-8, emphasis added

In this passage, Paul’s emphasizes the unsaved man’s personal orientation—how he thinks and acts toward God. He lives in a state of perpetual hostility toward God.
When we approach the close of 1 Corinthians 2, Paul refers to unsaved man as the “natural person.”

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they [the things of the Spirit] are spiritually discerned.

--1 Corinthians 2:14

This passage expresses the same truth as Romans 8, but in practical terms. Here, he shows how the unsaved man reacts to God’s truth. He “does not accept” the things of the Spirit because he is “unable to understand them.” Romans 8 shows that the unsaved man is actively hostile toward God. 1 Corinthians 2 describes how he is passively unresponsive to him. Both are simultaneously true. This dual reality will help us to understand Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 3, where he addresses the jealousy and strife that runs rampant among the church. We will discuss that in the next segment.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 5

Romans 8:12-14

THE LANGUAGE OF CONFESSION

The Classic Meaning of Confession
The term language of confession in the title of this challenge does not mean an admission of wrongdoing as we usually think of it. It is not the sense that we use when we quote 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive….” I want to go back to the classic meaning, which understands confession as a positive declaration of what we believe, as well as a commitment to it. The writer of Hebrews uses it in this sense when he admonishes his audience, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
For the writer of Hebrews, “the confession of our hope” is a body of beliefs, something tangible and definable. Our confession plays a key role in the language of our walk in Romans 8. As we have seen, the first 11 verses of the chapter focus on definition. What does a believer, as opposed to a non-believer, look like? However, we cannot be content simply to know what a believer is. We must commit to being that person. Once Paul makes the distinction between the believer and unbeliever clear, he moves to an appeal. This begins in verse 12. If we are true saints of God, then we must be willing to stand on the identity that God declares is ours. This is where our confession becomes crucial. It is our personal pledge of commitment to our Lord.

The Power of our Confession
The language in Romans 8:12-17 is incredibly rich—so much so that English is unable to keep up without sounding overblown. If Bible versions in this section are to sound “normal” to our modern ears, they must smooth out distinctions that were clear in the original language. For that reason, the translation in Parts 5 and 6 of this study will be my own, done in an amplified style to reflect Paul’s full intent. My purpose is not to replace our Bibles but to make his intent clearer. This segment, Part 5, will look at verses 12-14 to examine our role in our confession. Part 6 will discuss verses 15-17, the second half of the paragraph. These begin to reveal the glories of our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Paul begins the paragraph,

12. So then, brothers, we are under obligation—not to the flesh [our natural, sinful nature] to live according to the flesh,
13. because if you are living according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14. For everyone who is being led [presently] by the Spirit of God stands as an [adult] son[1] of God.

--Romans 8:12-14

The language in verse 12 is more personal than the language in the other two verses. Here, Paul includes the word brothers in his appeal: “So then, brothers…” In grammar, when a sentence includes the name of the person or people the speaker is addressing, it is called a vocative mood. This type of sentence conveys a deeper meaning than a simple statement could. He also includes himself: “We are under obligation…” He no longer speaks in an ordinary relationship as teacher and pupil. He addresses us as equals. This is the beauty in the language of confession. Paul reaches across history to speak to all of us who commit to Christ. Not only does he join us at our level, but he calls us to join him, to commit to a cause that rejects the ordinary and embraces a more noble ideal. In this case, our calling is our conscious commitment to live by the Spirit. Our purpose as brothers is to spur each other on to live in a way that recognizes Christ’s Lordship over us and commit ourselves to loving holiness more than sin.

A Common Language Among True Believers
The foundation that he has laid out in the first 11 verses of the chapter becomes critical here. Paul does not call us to embrace a higher Christian experience, as if there were two different tiers of the faith. His call is to embrace the only genuine Christian experience. He makes this truth clear in verse 13, where he says, “If you are living according to the flesh, you must die. But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” These terms reinforce what he has said all along. To live by the flesh is to be controlled by the flesh, outside of the Spirit’s presence. To live by the flesh is to be lost in sin. On the other hand, living by the Spirit means more than simply to possess the Spirit. It means to live under his control. Verse 14 reads, “For everyone who is being led [presently] by the Spirit of God is a son of God.” In the original language, the word for son almost always refers to a responsible adult. Even in the rare cases where it uses the term to refer to a young biological child, the child’s standing before his father is assumed. Sonship means complete identity with either a human father or our spiritual Father. The logic in verse 14 assumes this. We are not led by the Spirit because we have achieved the status of sonship with the Father. Rather, the Spirit’s continuous leading in us gives us that status. The next segment will explore the meaning and glory of our relationship with the three persons of our God.

[1] The word translated son is huios, which refers to one who has come of age and rests in full standing as the adult offspring of his father.”

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 6

Romans 8:15-17

THE LANGUAGE OF SONS

The Three Large Themes in Romans 8
Romans 8 takes us through three broad movements over the course of the chapter. The first movement lies in verses 1-11 and consists of the foundational truths that will guide the remainder of the chapter. They define the difference between the unbeliever. These principles stand as the bedrock reality for those who place their hope in Christ. Verses 12-14 build on the reality from the first movement and call us to embrace our mutual confession. The language of confession allows places moral weight beneath the factual reality. We who truly know Christ welcome the standard that embraces these higher-than-ordinary principles.
These two realities form the anchor points for the remainder of the chapter. With these in place, we can embrace the hope that follows. We can draw four truths from them:

• The true Christian is free from condemnation (verses 1-4).
• The true Christian has a mind that is governed by the Spirit (verses 5-5-8)
• The true Christian and has the Spirit of God living within (verses 9-11).
• The true Christian embraces his obligation to live by the leading of the Spirit of God (verses 12-14).

The rest of the chapter forms an incredible essay on the relationship between our present suffering and the future glory that God promises those who believe. In this segment, we will focus on verses 15-17. The verses used in this segment are an amplified translation for the purpose of clarity.

15. For you did not receive a spirit of deeper slavery, leading to fear. Instead, you received a spirit of sonship, by which we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

From Slavery to Standing
Beginning in verse 15, Paul stresses our hope in Christ. It is one that is marked by freedom and maturity. Biblical freedom never implies license to do whatever we wish to do. Unrestrained license simply means absence of control. It is the hallmark of immaturity. Biblical freedom affirms our mature standing in the faith, a standing that embraces both principle and privilege. We “did not receive a spirit of deeper slavery, leading to fear.” That is, our salvation does far more than move us from our old slavery to sin to a new slavery to rules. We do not have to live by the hallmark of legalism, “Do this. Don’t do that.” Rather, Paul says, we “received a spirit of sonship, by which we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” The word sonship is usually translated adoption. In Romans 8, the word has nothing to do with our contemporary understanding in which children become legal members of non-birth families. Here, the word implies a welcoming into our full standing as adults before the Lord. Paul’s comment on the way that we cry, “Abba, Father!” illustrates this truth. No one of any lesser standing can have this privilege. It also anticipates his commentary on earthly suffering. “Abba, Father!” is a cry of grief. A few years ago, the CBS television series, NCIS (an acronym that stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service), featured a female character by the name of Ziva David. A former Mossad agent, she joined the NCIS team and ultimately became a US citizen. The series portrayed her as an emotionally wounded character who seldom revealed her feelings. In one episode, however, she learns that her father, with whom she has been struggling unsuccessfully to rebuild her estranged relationship, has been killed in a terrorist bombing in Israel. In a gut-wrenching scene, she breaks down into tears and cries, “Abba!” That is the picture that Paul has in mind here. Our relationship with the Father is one of uninhibited access in unhindered intimacy. It is the same meaning that Mark has in mind when Jesus prays in the Garden the night before his crucifixion. “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

And Yet Little Children
Verses 16 and 17 complete Paul’s description of our identity as believers. They read,

16. In the same way, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s little children.
17. And if children, then we are heirs—on the one hand heirs of God, and on the other fellow heirs with Christ, since we join him in suffering[1] so that we might be glorified with him.

--Romans 8:16-17

Paul’s picture of intimacy extends beyond our standing as adult sons. The words, “In the same way,” are grammatically intensive. We not only exercise complete standing as adult sons, but through the Spirit’s ministry, we remain his little children (Greek, teknon). That is, we are his dear, prized offspring. Paul draws these multiple themes to a grand conclusion under the banner of the Triune Godhead.

• The Spirit bears witness that we are God’s dear, prized children.
• Since we are children, we are heirs of God.
• We also are fellow heirs with Christ. The honor that he has inherited through his work to secure our salvation becomes ours as well.

The Place of Suffering in the Believer’s Life
This brings us to the issue of suffering in the believer’s life. What exactly does Paul mean in the second half of verse 17?
Bible versions vary on the way that they translate the second half of the verse, but they all treat the last part of the sentence as a condition. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…

• “…if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together,” (King James)
• “…if indeed we suffer with Him….” (New King James)
• “…if indeed we share in his sufferings…,” (New International Version)
• “…provided we suffer with him…,” (English Standard Version)
• “But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering, (New Living Bible

Do these renderings mean that we are God’s heirs only if we suffer with him? I do not think we have to worry about those questions. From a grammatical standpoint, the Greek word eiper (meaning if or provided) can stand as a fulfilled condition. That is, “If this happens—and it does—then we can expect that result.” In fact, Paul uses the word in this sense in his second letter the Thessalonian church. Historically, these saints suffered greatly for Christ’s testimony. However, Paul assures them that God will repay them for the suffering they endure. “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—since indeed (Greek, eiper) God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you” (2 Thessalonians 1:5-6 ESV). I believe that this is the sense that Paul addresses suffering in Romans 8:17. Every true saint endures hardship of one kind or another. Throughout the remainder of the chapter, doxology and glory will grow under the shadow of human suffering. While we are on the earth, we will suffer. But the saints’ hope remains focused on the glory that is to come.

[1] “Join him in suffering”: Johannes P. Louw, Albert Eugene Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, (electronic ed. Of the 2nd edition, New York: United Bible Studies, 1996, c1969). From Libronix Digital Library.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 7

Romans 8:18-23

THE LANGUAGE OF SUFFERING

Happy, Empty Worship
One of the most widespread assumptions among believers is the belief that the successful Christian life overcomes emotional hardship. To put the idea in simple terms, if we are saved, then we must be happy. Of course, this assumption has a flip side. If we are not constantly happy in our Christian life, then something must be wrong with us. The idea has lurked in our Christian songs and choruses for at least a century and a half. Throughout my childhood and teenage years in church, we sang the glories of happy worship.

“I’m so happy, and here’s the reason why.
Jesus took my burdens all away….”

"I’ve got the joy-joy-joy-joy down in my heart….”

“I’m in-right, outright, upright, downright happy all the time…
Since Jesus Christ came in and cleansed my heart from sin,
I’m in-right, outright, upright, downright happy all the time.”

When I graduated to adult church, the trend continued. Many of the hymns and anthems from the nineteenth century on set their eyes on the same bar:

“I heard about [Jesus’] groaning
Of His precious blood's atoning
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory”
--E. M. Bartlett, “Victory in Jesus “

“Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful singing leads us upward
In the triumph song of life.”
--Henry Van Dyke, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

Suffering and Faith
Contrary to our musical propaganda, two truths stand firm in the Bible. First, suffering is a fact of life. Everyone experiences it, and everyone knows it. The one who tries to deny this reality whistles in the dark. The second truth is more difficult to bear. Life does not become any easier when we become believers. Belief is not an immunization to ward off pain. Not only do we continue to experience difficulties, but often, we find that additional difficulties arise because we believe.

The Murky Waters that Shape Our Worship
Contrary to the happily-ever-after songs quoted in the opening, the Christian life wades through murky waters. Romans 8:18-23 affirms that reality. Here is what Paul writes about the span of human history from the beginning to Christ’s return:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

--Romans 8:18-23

Paul emphasizes two realities. On the negative side, the world has gone awry. He describes our present state in vivid terms:

• The sufferings of this present time, (verse 18)
• The creation was “subjected to futility,” or deep pain, (verse 20)
• The creation groans in the pains of childbirth until now, (verse 22)
• As believers, we groan inwardly, (verse 23)

At the same time, he balances our present suffering with the world that is promised:

• The creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God, (verse 19)
• The creation holds onto the hope that it will be set free from corruption, (verses 20-21)
• Like the rest of creation, we as believers also wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies, (verse 23)

I like to call these two realities history and hope. History is brutal. Contrary to the expectations of the anthem, no “triumph song of life” exists. When we try to convince ourselves that such an attitude is biblical, we lie to ourselves.

The Indivisible Connection between History and Hope
The passage reveals another equally important truth. History is much more than a cosmic “Oops” moment, an accident from which God must rescue his creation. Notice what Paul says in verses 20-21. “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption….” The opening clause, “For the creation was subjected to futility,” clearly refers to the curse that came upon the creation when Adam and his wife rebelled in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Creation is passive in arriving at its present state. “The creation was subjected to futility…” In other words, It did not bring the curse upon itself. Someone else did. Whenever I teach this part of Genesis, I like to ask who brought the curse. Invariably, people jump either to the serpent or to Adam and his wife. Both choices are incorrect. In the Genesis text, God pronounces two curses. To the serpent, he says, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock… (Genesis 3:14). And to Adam, he declares, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife…cursed is the ground because of you…” (Genesis 3:17). This is not simply textual nitpicking. The distinction is important for doctrinal reasons. In his commentary, Paul continues. The curse came upon the creation for an unexpected reason, “…because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption…” (Romans 8:20-21). The serpent and the first couple participated in an insurrection. Their motives were selfish from the beginning. They were incapable of bringing hope. Only God could cause hope to rise from condemnation. That hope came with the words that God pronounced against the serpent:

“I will put enmity [irreconcilable hatred] between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

--Genesis 3:15

The pronouncement is cryptic. Neither Adam nor Eve would understand it fully. All they knew was that God intended for a descendant from Eve to restore righteousness in the world and eliminate the suffering that crushed them. Outside of a misguided expectation on Eve’s part for God to use her firstborn son to fulfill his promise (see Genesis 4:1), the hope of the promise goes underground over the course of the book. Only at the close of Genesis does it surface again when Jacob utters prophetic blessing for his twelve sons. In Genesis 49:10, we learn that a ruler will arise from his son Judah’s descendants. He knows not when or how. Only that the promise will come to pass. We now know what none of the Old Testament saints could, that the ruler is Christ himself, who came as a sin offering for his people and who will reign over his creation. That is our hope. In our next segment, we will observe how our hope in Christ energizes our worship.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 8

Romans 8:26-28

THE LANGUAGE OF LONGING

The Anatomy of Longing
A year and a half ago, I wrote a wrote on Psalm 62, a psalm about worship and yearning. Upon studying it, I realized that the essence of worship is not an activity that we perform. Instead, it is a recognition of an internal absence that must be filled. David expressed the idea this way:

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken..

--Psalm 62:1-2

The conscious need to experience God’s presence is a beautiful longing because it drives us away from the tyranny of doing and settles on waiting. When we wait, panic gives way to patience. The opening lines of the psalm contain four key elements:

• Unstated but understood present pain
• Longing for deliverance from the pain
• Understanding that God alone can deliver
• Assurance that deliverance will come

Out of a Tragedy
In our church, attendance had been dwindling, and once-fruitful outreach programs produced only limited results. Some of our elders called for change. We had to do something, and we had to do it fast. Behind closed doors, discussions turned toward a complete restructuring of our church. We held multiple meetings with a large church in our area, one that knew how to get things done. If we wanted to becoming a “doing” church, we would have to become their satellite. We would acquire a new name, new identity, and new goals. Even our building would undergo remodeling to attract a contemporary audience. We would relinquish our ideals for theirs. Many of us were troubled with what we perceived as an obsession with outcomes. When I had an opportunity to preach, I spoke on the foundational nature of worship in Psalm 62. I wish I could say that we came to a resolution, but we did not. On a Friday evening in July, a large part of our elder board sent a group email to the entire church to announce their resignation from the church, effective immediately. No goodbyes or apologies. No invitation to discuss the matter with them. They were through with us. Other members followed, leaving us further decimated. The remainder of our church called a special meeting. We mourned our losses and resolved to uphold each other as a local body of Christ should. We vowed to maintain the ideals that had been ours for so long.

The Language of Longing
The months following the betrayal were brutal. We asked out loud how those who had stood by us for so many years could abandon us so casually. We wondered when our pain would end. One thing that we did not have to wonder about was the matter of our principles. To a person, we reaffirmed them, and in doing so recognized that those roots grow deeper than simple success. During our period of mourning, we learned the reality of what Paul tells us in Romans.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God.

--Romans 8:26-27

The language of longing turns out to be a rich vein. What David understood intuitively in Psalm 62, Paul teaches theologically. Both David and Paul recognized an important but seldom stated truth among believers. In real life, weakness is a far more common experience than victory. Such a thing is only to be expected, however. God never promised us that we would be trample the enemy if we only take care to assemble the right strategy. We are not that good. Paul tells us, “We do not know what to pray for as we ought.” As humbling as that thought is, it is true on two levels. The first is personal. As much as I like to think that I am wise, I still struggle with my most fundamental spiritual needs. This is a good thing, though. If I were smart enough to figure things out on my own, I would not need to wait in silence for God. The second level is equally true. We cannot know the future. No one in our church, for example, could have guessed that our elders would abandon us simply because they failed to get their way. Yet, we know that the Holy Spirit did know the future. He knew what was to come, and he made intercession for us beforehand with unutterable groanings.

The Victory in Longing
It is in the context of unfulfilled longing that Paul pens one of the most quoted passages in the Bible:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

--Romans 8:28

My church has been blessed to be able to witness some of the good that God has planned for us. Our entire body emerged from our ordeal with renewed senses of unity and purpose. We are more committed to upholding each other while we work together toward our common goal of making disciples. The absence of oh-how-I-wish reminiscing among us shows that we have learned to focus on our mission and to forgive the ones who have abandoned us.

God’s Unfailing Purpose
My church’s story is nothing new. Betrayals like ours have occurred throughout history. We can face such crises knowing two things. One involves the reality of true worship. The engine that drives our longing for God grows during crisis, and that is a good thing. The other truth is promise. God will never—ever—fail his saints. Even when we wonder, we can know that God remains true. His promise to work good in all things is a solid one.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 9

Romans 8:28

THE LANGUAGE OF FOUNDATIONS

Thinking about Romans 8:28
The previous installment closed with one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible, Romans 8:28. “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I want to consider just that verse in this segment. We quote it all the time, but have we thought seriously about what it means? The verse begins with an affirmation, “And we know that….” Our assurance for knowing that God controls our circumstances lies in the comprehensive nature of our salvation rather than our feelings at any given moment. God’s grace covers us. He leaves nothing to chance. Verse 28 reveals just one more facet in the deep body of truth in the chapter. God controls our circumstances, the day-to-day events that so often make us feel like we are in freefall. When we recognize God’s protection over life—an exercise that I must remind myself to do practically every day—we can discipline ourselves to trust him who is altogether trustworthy. Following his affirmation, Paul places the main clause between statements that specify who receives the benefit:

“…for those who love God…
…all things work together for good…
…for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Some modern versions place the two for clauses together for clarity, but the original language has them in this order. I want to consider three questions on this part of the verse:

• First, what does Paul mean by the word all in “all things”? How comprehensive is the term?
• Second, how does Paul’s description of the saints as “those who love God” relate to his description of us as “those who are called”?
• Finally, how should we understand the word good?

The “All Things” God
Whatever else we notice about this verse, it is comprehensive. Can we think of a more audacious claim for Paul to make than to say that all things work together for good for those who love God? Given what we have considered in the first part of the chapter, we have only one way to understand the meaning of the term, and that is exactly the way it appears. Everything that happens to us works together for good. Nothing can happen to us that God cannot work for his good purpose. But “all things” are not limited to the world outside of us. The context extends to what we do as well. One pastor said, “When Paul says, ‘all things,’ he means even our sin.” Think about that for a moment. God’s grace is literally creative. That is, he does not have to stop after he fixes what we have broken. He is able to call new things into existence out of rebellion. David wrote in his psalm of confession following his violation of Bathsheba, “Create in me a clean heart, O God…” (Psalm 51:10). The word in this psalm is the same one that Moses uses in Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning, God created…” The Old Testament word for create is barah. It is only used of God. Paul writes that those who are saved by faith are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). When God grants salvation, he does not help marginally bad men improve their resumé . He recreates broken men and gives them purpose. The once critical man becomes known for his compassion. The formerly aggressive man grows into someone who is gentle. He who once was obsessed with his personal success becomes humble under the Spirit’s ministry. When we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works,” God makes something absolutely new.

Those who are Called
If anything is clear from the earlier part of the chapter, “those who love God” and “those who are called” are one and the same. We do not come to life in Jesus because we are intelligent enough to recognize our need. We come to him because he calls us. Calling in the Scripture always emerges from God. We will discover the place of calling in verses 29 and 30, which we will examine in the next session.

The Meaning of God’s Purpose
The term good in Romans 8:28 has a definite meaning in the context of God’s purpose. It does not mean “good fortune.” I used to work with a lady who often testified about her faith in God. I believe that her faith was real, but at the same time, she talked about how she prayed that God would grant her a winning state lottery ticket on her next purchase. Such prayers miss the purpose of a life built on faith. We are not the focal point of our salvation. God is. And his understanding of “good” is far deeper than ours. God brings difficulties into our lives to strengthen us. Sometimes, he calls us to suffer and even die for his name. His purpose spans all of history and focuses on bringing glory to himself. Since no greater being exists than God, no greater purpose can exist than to see God magnified. This is not to say that he selfishly pursues his goals without regard for the servants whom he calls. His act of redemption cost him nothing less than the death of his Son. He counted his chosen people as his treasure and chose to pay the cost for our redemption. His people will stand forever as a testimony to his infinite grace and love on our behalf. Therefore, the “good” for which God works all things looks toward his eternal purpose rather than our momentary comfort. His good becomes evident in the way that we reflect his grace. When we grow the fruits of salvation, we become a testimony of the altogether good King of salvation.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 10

Romans 8:29-34

THE LANGUAGE OF HOPE

The Eternal Foundation for “All Things”
Romans 8:28 is rightfully famous among believers. Why do all things work together for good for those who love God? Because we are “called according to his purpose.”
However, it is more than a stand-alone verse. It is the centerpiece in our fellowship with our God. For Paul, to be called by God is so closely tied to loving him that he can use the clauses identically. To be called by God is to love God. The reason for Paul’s confidence in God’s gracious purpose for us lies in his eternal plan for our salvation. The verses that follow have become known in Christian theology as the ordo salutis, or order of salvation.

For those whom he foreknew…
…he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called…
…and those whom he called he also justified…
…and those whom he justified he also glorified.

--Romans 8:29-30

The opening word For in verse 29 means because, making the passage look back to verse 28. The reason why all things work together for good for those who love God is because God’s comprehensive plan for our salvation left nothing to chance. Notice that the elements here span the distance from eternity past to eternity future:

• Eternity past: Foreknowledge and predestination
• History: Calling and justification for God’s people
• Eternity future: Glorification for God’s people

The Father’s plan for us is so secure that Paul can declare that even our glorification, which has yet to take place, is accomplished. When Jesus made his victorious declaration on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), our salvation was made complete. Our future with God is guaranteed with absolute certainty.

The Significance of the Ordo Salutis for Us
Paul leaves out certain elements of the ordo, such as regeneration, the act of making us alive, and faith (see Ephesians 2:4-9 where he mentions them specifically). He is not ignoring them. This presentation focuses on the landmarks that God alone accomplishes. Having disclosed God’s indestructible foundation that upholds God’s people, Paul introduces to the next step with an overarching question, “What shall we say to these things?” (Romans 9:31a). In other words, what do these truths mean for us as we continue our walk with Christ? He answers this question with four question/answer pairs, all of which deal with human interference.

The First Question
Paul’s questions address titanic issues. The first question deals with those who oppose our beliefs: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b). Is Paul trying to blow smoke in our eyes? Ideologies oppose us every day. In many places in the world, people confess Christ at the risk of their lives. Even in this nation, the cost for following Jesus is rising. A year ago, for example, a young police officer in Georgia was forced to resign after he made a Facebook post (on his own time) defending his opinion on the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman.[1] According to his interview on EWTN News Nightly, his superiors told him that his moral position might influence his behavior in an incident involving anyone in the LGBTQ community. His supervisors admitted that they could not fire him, so they gave him a “choice.” He could become silent on his moral stand and keep his job, or he could quit the force. He chose the latter. So, yes, the threat is out there. It is real and Paul knows it. His question, however, has a different frame of reference. If God is for us, who can oppose us ultimately? The answer takes the form of a rhetorical question: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). That question goes back to God. He already gave us his own Son. Of course, he will give us all things, including the courage to stand for truth when the lie becomes absurd beyond all reason.

The Second Question
The second question is objective. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” (verse 33a). Again, we must look for the deeper issue. People will stand in line to slander a vocal Christian, and Paul knows this. Accusations against Christians rain down like magma from a volcanic eruption. The book of Acts is full of such happenings. Paul deals with eternal issues. The term any charge revers to any eternally binding charge. We could phrase the question, “Who can jar us from our standing before our Lord?” In answer, Paul goes back to the origins of our salvation. “It is God who justifies” (verse 33b). Here we need to pay attention to Paul’s wording. When Paul talks about God, usually he refers to the Triune Godhead. Sometimes, however, the title refers specifically to the Father. For example, in Ephesians 1:2, Paul writes, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This greeting differentiates between the Father and the Son (both of whom are God). He does the same thing in this context. Where Romans 8:33 declares, “It is God who justifies,” verse 34 makes the differentiation that “Christ Jesus is the one who died….”

Each member of the Trinity carries out a specific task in our salvation:

• Election and justification belong to the Father (see John 17:1-11 and Ephesians 1:1-10).
• Redemption is the work of the Son, which he accomplished on the cross (Romans 5:6-11).
• Calling, enlivening, and preserving all belong to the Spirit (John 6:63; Romans 8:9-11)

The Third Question
The third question is like the second. “Who is he to condemn?” (verse 34a). In other words, who can stand up and declare, “I have something to say about that.” Where the second question directs itself toward the Father’s ministry, the answer to this question focuses on what Christ has done.

Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

--Romans 8:34

Jesus’ four-part work includes his death, his resurrection, his session (that is, his current heavenly reign, Acts 2:33), and his intercession for us. Not even Satan can force his way into that level of authority, even though he tries (Revelation 12:10).

Looking Ahead
The fourth question/answer pair is the most involved, both in the depth of the question and in the comprehensiveness of the reply. We will save it for the final segment in this series.

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Romans 8 and the Language of our Walk, Part 11

Romans 8:35-39

THE LANGUAGE OF GLORY

A Final Language
To this point, we have considered nine “languages” over the course of Romans 8. I have used the term to express the thematic ideas that Paul stresses in his discourse. The ideas meld into one final declaration—the language of glory. The prior languages work together to show the certainty of God’s commitment to preserve his saints as we wait for eternity. Near the close of the chapter, Paul introduces four summary questions under a lead header, “What shall we say to these things?” (Romans 8:51). We discussed the first three in the previous segment. Here they are again, with their answers:

If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?”
It is God who justifies.
Who is he to condemn?
Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

--Romans 8:31-34

These bring us to the final question/reply pair in the series. The chapter closes with these dramatic words regarding our security in Christ:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, but in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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.

--Romans 8:35-39

This section proclaims with certainty that no power—internal or external—is capable of severing God’s people from his eternal love.

What about Personal Failure?
Here, we run into one of the mysteries of human superstition. As ironclad as this statement is, something in people’s thinking fuels their darkest fears. I have discussed this passage many times over the past fifty or so years, and in every dialogue that I can remember, one question arises. “Yes, but what if we fail?” When people ask this question, they miss one of the key elements in the bridge between Romans 7 and 8. Paul has addressed these very anxieties already. We all fail. Romans 7 shows us that no one scores above 0 %. However, the whole point of Romans 8 is to show that God’s rescue is exactly 100 % effectual. He cannot fail. Paul’s own cry, “Wretched man that I am!” in Romans 7:24 is followed almost immediately by the victorious words, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” at the beginning of the next chapter. One commentator from a generation ago stated the matter bluntly.

Many timid and unintelligent and even unbelieving things are said; how one may yield to temptation, may lose the Spirit, or his faith may fail. The one overwhelming answer is, “If [since] God is for us, who can be against us?”[1]

In other words, if God’s choosing, saving, and preserving work has made us secure in Christ, what glue could we possibly add to help his cause? To express the question in Paul’s words, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Granted, the list of candidates is long—tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword. Some of these contenders are circumstantial while others are malicious. All are real.

A Cry of Desperation from Psalms
Paul acknowledges the reality of the crises that plague us. Instead of dismissing them, he enforces his picture with a quote from the Psalms. “As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
The passage comes from Psalm 44. The psalm was penned when the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was about to break through the walls of Jerusalem following a two-year-long siege (2 Kings 25:1-2). Jeremiah the prophet, who endured the siege, records that the famine inside the city became so severe that women cannibalized their own children (Lamentations 2:20).

Out of that horror, Psalm 44 emerges, a plea that rivals almost any other passage in the Bible for its eloquence. In this psalm, the set-up is meticulous:

• Verses 1-4 set up a historical prologue that affirms God made victorious history during the Conquest.
• Verses 5-8 declare the people’s undying faithfulness to their God as they wait for him to rescue them again.
• Verses 9-22 lodge their complaint against the LORD for his silence during their crisis.
• Verses 23-26 close with a desperate—and ultimately unanswered—plea for help.

The third section (verses 9-22) is where the writer goes toe-to-toe against God. He speaks for all the people, and his language expresses their outrage at what God has done. Here is a short quote from that section:

But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.

--Psalm 44:9-11

If we look at the historical picture, God is silent in Psalm 44 because he judges Judah. Yes, the people are faithful to worship, but they have been practicing injustice toward their neighbors for decades, despite the prophets’ many warnings. They have ignored the pleadings from the poor, and now God ignores them. Paul quotes the line that declares that the people are being slaughtered like sheep. The people in the psalm setting stare death in the face. This line that reflects wholesale genocide, brings us face to face with the grimmest possible reality. And that is precisely Paul’s intent. Even when life drives us to doom, God maintains his grip on us with perfect confidence.

No, but in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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.

--Romans 8:37-39

The conclusion is inescapable. Our salvation, our worship, our walk, our future, and our ultimate glory are all in God’s hands, and those hands will never let us go.

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[1] James A. Stiffler, The Epistle to the Romans, Sixth Printing, (Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago,1973), 149. Brackets in original.

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