Lesson 17 – Romans Chapter 8:1-13
Dr. Donald Barnhouse said “that whenever a believer’s bible accidently falls on the floor, it should automatically open to Romans 8.
In chapter 7 we learned about the law vs. sin. An understandable comment might be, “If the law makes me sin, then the law must be bad.” First of all, the law is not bad, it’s holy (12) “But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.” The truth is, we can’t keep the law because we have a sin nature that dwells in us.
As we covered the rest of chapter 7, we also saw that Paul had the same struggles we experience, and with that, he defined indwelling sin. Even though we are saved, we still have to deal with our sin nature on a daily basis. Thus, the battle ensues within us, good against evil, the white dog vs. the black the dog.
We hear Paul’s frustration when he says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (24)
Then we read verse 25 for our answer, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus is the answer to our sin problem!
Knowing this, and believing this through faith, we come to verse 1 of chapter 8.
Rom. 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, (who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.)”
Our country has the Declaration of Independence; for the believer, Romans 8 can be called the Declaration of Freedom.
“There is therefore,” I believe this is the biggest “therefore” so far in the book of Romans. Paul wants us to reflect back on all that he has been teaching from chapter 1 up to this point. He has shown us the need for righteousness, the Gentiles and Jews under sin, the whole world under sin, justification explained… expressed… and experienced, our new position in Christ, and lastly, our new problem in dealing with our flesh.
With all this in mind, Paul makes the declaration to all who belong to Jesus…
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”
This statement shouldn’t send up any red flags for us, but the complete opposite, it should send up fireworks for us. In this grand statement from Paul there are no conditions to be met here for the believer. The basis for this that makes this true is found in the phrase… “in Christ Jesus.”
In Christ there is no sentencing nor any punishment for the sins we have committed or will ever commit.
As believers, (in the truest sense of the word) we are in Christ. We’re in Christ, even with all of our sinful tendencies. So, when God looks at us with all of our failures and imperfections, He doesn’t see our faults, He sees us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Isa. 61:10
“I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.”
God doesn’t see us any longer in our sin; He sees us in His Son Jesus. Therefore, condemnation is no longer in our future. Regardless of who we are, where we’ve been, or no matter how horrendous our sin was… there is no condemnation!
Now, satan and his demons will get in your head and remind you about that one sin that keeps defeating you, and how you’re a miserable example of a Christian. While it might be true to some extent, your sins have been forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus… and nothing can change that truth.
John 3:18
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” (NLT)
“Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
The New King James is pretty much the only translation that has this second part of verse 1. It shouldn’t be here according to the best manuscripts, so we won’t get into it.
Rom. 8:2
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
“And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” (NLT)
We no longer have to be controlled by sin like we did before we were saved. Everything changed for us once we gave our heart and soul to God.
John 8:32,36
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (NLT)
Rom. 6:14
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Rom. 8:3
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
The law can provoke men to sin and condemn him for it, but the law cannot save man, it has no power to put sin to death in a person’s life.
“God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,”
Who has the power to destroy sin… Jesus.
“So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” (3b NLT)
Warren Wiersbe; “The law of double jeopardy states a man cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Since Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins, and since you are “in Christ,” God will not condemn you.”
Phil. 2:6-8
Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When Jesus appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Rom. 8:4
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
“He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” (NLT)
Jesus fulfilled the law…
Matt. 5:17-18
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (NLT)
Jesus Christ fulfilled the law in at least two ways: as a teacher and as a doer. He taught people to obey the law, and He obeyed the law Himself.
In living a perfect life, Jesus fulfilled the moral laws; in His sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christ came not to destroy the old religious system, but to build upon it; He came to finish the Old Covenant and establish the New.
When Jesus came to this earth He taught us many things, He healed the multitudes, and He did countless miracles, but none of this can save us. It was His sacrifice on the cross that saves us and nothing else.
“Who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Every believer has the Holy Spirit within them…
When we give our life to Christ, when we turn to Him in repentance and faith, He cleanses us of all our sins, and He comes to live within us by His Holy Spirit. Once this happens, He begins to govern our lives.
Gal. 5:16-17
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.”
What we see hear in Galatians is reminiscent of what Paul taught us in Romans 7, speaking about the war of indwelling sin.
As believers, it should be our desire to follow God, Paul calls this walking by the Spirit. When we walk by the flesh, that will only lead us into sin and separate us from our fellowship with God.
Rom. 8:5
“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit is mentioned once in the first seven chapters of Romans, but here in chapter 8, He is mentioned nearly twenty times.
John MacArthur; “The Holy Spirit is the divine agent who creates, sustains, and preserves spiritual life in those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who ultimately will bring every believer into the full consummation of His Salvation by granting him eternal glory in the presence of God.”
“Those who are according to the flesh”
According to… refers to our basic spiritual nature, meaning a person’s true essence… what’s going on at their very core. According to the flesh is speaking of the person who is un-saved, the unredeemed. Their flesh is the major influence in their mind. The flesh represents human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore is prone to sin and opposed to God.
The flesh simply means giving priority to the things of this material world. (George Harrison had an album with the title “Living in the Material World”) Whenever we see the word flesh in this context, it’s always a negative thing.
“But those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
Here we have the believer, and their true essence is the Holy Spirit, who lives in them.
“Set their minds” this refers to a person’s thought pattern, this includes their affections, will, and their reasoning.
If a person’s mind is consumed with constant fleshly desires, that’s a red flag, a warning that something is wrong within. Not to confuse it with the occasional temptation that can infiltrate and person’s mind.
Rom. 8:6-8
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 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 cannot please God.”
“For the mind set on the flesh is death,”
• Why is death the outcome for the person whose mind-set is on the flesh?
…the flesh is hostile toward God, it’s unwelcoming toward God, it really wants nothing to do with God. The flesh is at war with God.
Isa. 48:22
“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.”
But with the mindset of the Holy Spirit, there is life and peace.
John 14:6a
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
What life? We have eternal Life through Jesus Christ.
The moment we gave our life to Christ, His Holy Spirit came into us giving “new life.” The Holy Spirit is in all believers, enabling and empowering them. He has always been convicting man of his sin, giving His salvation to those who believe, He teaches, admonishes, corrects, trains in righteousness, He prays for us and shows us how to serve God, so that we are equipped for every good work.
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
“Peace,” the mind set on the Spirit will bring peace into your life.
Peace for the Christian is the unworried state of a person, assured of his salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and content with his position in Christ.
The peace that Jesus spoke about was a combination of hope, trust, and quiet in the mind and soul… this all takes place because we have been reconciled to God.
The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are. The spirit is the immaterial part of humanity that connects with God. When we have peace with God, our soul and spirit are both affected in a good way. Paul calls it “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”
(7) “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,”
“For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.” (NLT)
Remember we said that the flesh is apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. The flesh will never want anything to do with the things of God, and God will never accept anything from our flesh. (Filthy rags)
(8) “And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Our flesh cannot please God, but it is our spirit and soul that God wants to hear from, as well as our heart.
Spirit, soul, and heart are all inner-connected. When we confess to God that we’ve sinned and want to repent, it has to be heartfelt, coming from the very core of our being… and this requires faith.
Heb. 11:6
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”
We have been created for the very purpose to please God. The first step toward that is receiving His gift of salvation.
Remember when we talked about times when we gave a gift to someone, and all they needed to do was receive it? Take it to the next step, when the person was happy with your gift, it was pleasing to you. Us receiving God’s gift of salvation is pleasing to the Lord.
Heb. 12:28
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.” (NLT)
Rom. 12:1
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (NLT)
Worshipping God with our heart, soul, and spirit is pleasing to the Lord. The flesh does not please the Lord.
Rom. 8:9
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” (NLT)
In speaking to Christians, Paul is saying you’re not in the flesh, in fact, you have the Spirit of God in you. He follows up with, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, meaning if you really did give your heart to Jesus. This is something that is between you and God; you’re the only one who knew the condition of your heart when you gave your life to Christ. The decision for Christ must be heartfelt to be real.
“(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)”
Nobody can tell you if you belong to God, only you and God know the answer to this. If you’re not sure, go to the Lord in prayer and speak to Him from your heart… He’s listening.
Rom. 8:10
“If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
We can split this verse and say, “If Christ is in you, your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”
Though the body is dead because of sin, these bodies of ours are dying, they started to die the moment we came into this world. Things would have been different for our bodies if Adam and Eve didn’t sin, but they did. Our spirit is alive because of Jesus, He imparted His righteousness to us at the cross. And the good news is that we will receive “new bodies” at the resurrection.
Rom. 8:11
“But 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.”
• Who raised Jesus from the dead, was it the Holy Spirit, God the Father or Jesus Himself?
Gal. 1:1
“This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.” (NLT)
I Thessalonians1:10
“And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.” (NLT)
I Peter 3:18
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.” (NLT)
John 10:18
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (NIV)
I think it’s safe to say that God raised Jesus from the dead. In the context of verse 11, Paul is speaking of the Holy Spirit, who will also give life to your mortal bodies.
John 4:24
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The truth here is that God has every believer in His hand, and nothing can take us out of His hand. When the time comes for the great resurrection, God will raise every believer from the grave and give them glorified bodies.
Rom 8:12-13a
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh… for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die;”
We are not under obligation to the flesh.
Obligation: figuratively it means, a delinquent; morally: a transgressor against God)… a debtor, an unsaved sinner. This defines our former condition… dead in our transgressions.
“for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die;”
Rom. 6:23a
“For the wages of sin is death.”
Death here doesn’t refer to a physical death, but a spiritual death. This describes the people who choose to live their life apart from God, and there are those who will even deny that He exists.
Paul is saying that for those who belong to God, they are not under obligation to the flesh; this is in the past, it’s not who they are anymore. We are no longer obligated to the evil that once ruled in our bodies.
Rom. 8:13b
“But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
“But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” (NLT)
The first step in putting to death the deeds of your sinful nature is receiving God’s free gift of salvation. After that, it’s about “walking in the Spirit” (vs 4), growing in Christ and becoming a mature Christian. This involves another aspect of putting to death the deeds of your sinful nature, by us being spiritually minded (vs 6).
“You will live.” Meaning that we will possess and persevere to the fulness of eternal life given to us in Christ Jesus.
We are promised eternal life in Christ, that’s good news number one. And then, the person who lives for Christ on this side of eternity will have a life filled with His joy.
So far, we’ve seen that those who belong to Jesus don’t have to worry about God’s judgment and wrath that is coming. Once that truth settles in and takes root in us, we are to walk by the Spirit. Hopefully it becomes our heart’s desire to seek God with all diligence and perseverance… this would be pleasing to God.