Romans 6-8
Writer Author Sylvia Huffnagle
Christian Article
:
Bible Teaching
- Fiction No
THE CONCEPT: Rom: 6:1-10: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7: For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10: For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
(This is God’s plan of salvation. If the gospel that is going around does not include this concept it is not “The gospel”.
THE REALITY: God planned for mankind to be RECONCILED back to Him as His children through the sacrifice of His Son. Jesus’ innocent blood cleanses the receiver from sin and guilt.
THE DELIVERANCE from sin comes through entering into Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection as described above.)
11-14: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
(HOW TO RESIST TEMPTATION: Knowing--reckon--let not--neither yield. To be under the law was to be under pressure-- one strike and you were out. But under grace, the pressure is release-- you fight until you win.)
15-16: What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(ADDED STRENGH in the battle beside, knowing, reckoning, letting not, and not yielding is knowing that if you yield to sin, you are a servant of sin. You have given it your power. That’s what Adam and Eve did. They yielded their power of choice to Satan and their carnal nature. Jesus, on the other hand, did not yield. He maintained His power over sin, flesh, and the devil. He did it the way that is describe here. So if you reckon yourself to be His servant instead of sin’s servant, He will be your way, your truth, and your life and you will end up triumphant.)
THE GAME PLAN: 17-20: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18: Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20: For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21-23: What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22: But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(REMEMBER: The WAGES paid for sin is eternal death. The FRUIT of becoming servants of God is holiness, the end being eternal life.)
Romans 7 talks about the law of sin and death. It lays out the “born again” person’s dilemma. They want to and plan to do what is right, but often find themselves doing the opposite. The chapter ends with the question: 24: O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Remember that the original text was not separated into chapters. We are about to discover the deliverance for the chapter 7 dilemma.)
Rom: 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(How does the believer overcome the weakness described in chapter 7? By walking after his born again spirit and not after his fallen carnal nature. There is a choice to be made each time a challenge comes. Will you follow your regenerated heart or will you follow your lower nature?
REMEMBER THIS: Life is about choices. And God is about goodness.)
2-7: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5: For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
(Did you get that? THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE has set you free from the law of sin and death. Notice vs. 5--are you following the flesh? If you are “born again” stop it! God has enabled you to be spiritually-minded--you do not have to please your lower nature, you can please God now. The repentance and turning experience was to make the way smooth and straight for the King. It gives God the opportunity to give the receiver a new heart--a heart to please Him.)
8-14: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10: And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11: But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12: Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(This is part of the gospel. This is the part where God saves you from sin and death. This is as true as any of the rest of it. Born again people are not to be in the flesh, but in the Spirit. What does vs. 13 say? It also is part of the gospel. If you live after the flesh, you shall die. MORTIFY the deeds of the body. Who are the sons of God that all creation is waiting, with groanings, to have manifest? Those that are led by the Spirit of God.)
15-17: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
(This is one place many people get tripped up. They feel a relationship and affection for God and think, therefore, that this scripture confirms their salvation. They think they have a spirit that cries, Abba Father! But if they are not being led by the Spirit, they do not have this relationship with God for the sprit that cries, Abba Father is a spirit of reverence and submission as well as a spirit of relationship and affection.
Somehow the whole chapter does not convince them of their error because the church has belabored the love and grace side and neglected the necessity of living a life of obedience to the Father. Yet it is that life of obedience that God wanted to give to us for our sake that we may live and not die.)
18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(This is the suffering of the Saints: to resist the devil, draw nigh unto God. To walk by the Spirit and deny our carnal nature. It calls for long-suffering, patience, and endurance.)
19-22: For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21: Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
(This talks about God putting spiritual man in an earthen body. His intent was not so much humbling man, but His intent was for spiritual man to bring the carnal nature into submission to the spirit. These are the sons who will rule with Jesus--those who have subdued their carnal nature. God wanted His sons who rule the earth to be part of it--hence the earthen body. He also wanted His sons who rule to be one spirit with Him--hence the putting the flesh under.
When this happens and Jesus comes to rule--nature will be restored, including the extinct animals. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees this. All of God’s creation--every species-- will be resurrected and the sons of God--those who suffer with Him-- will rule with Him.)
© Sylvia Huffnagle
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huffnagl@verizon.net
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