“What’s Love Got To Do With It?” (Romans 8:31-39)

³¹What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Observation #1: God will not entertain charges against us, because Jesus is defending us.

–Do you ever think that because you aren’t good enough for God, he will not save you? Do you ever feel as if salvation is for everyone else but you? Then these verses are especially for you. If God gave his Son for you, he isn’t going to hold back the gift of salvation. If Christ gave his life for you, he isn’t going to turn around and condemn you. He will not withhold anything you need to live for him. The book of Romans is more than a theological explanation of God’s redeeming grace–it is a letter of comfort and confidence addressed to you.^{Living Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:31-34}

–Paul says that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven. God has acquitted us and has removed our sin and guilt, so it is Satan, not God, who accuses us. When he does, Jesus, our advocate, sits at God’s right hand to present our case.^{Living Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:34}

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation #2: God’s loving approval of us cannot be canceled by anyone or anything.

–These words were written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution. In just a few years, Paul’s hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities. This passage reaffirms God’s profound love for his people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be separated from his love. Suffering should not drive us away from God, but help us to identify with him and allow his love to reach us and heal us.^{Living Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:35-36}

–These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of his unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s constant presence with us. God tells us how great his love is so that we will feel totally secure in him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.^{Living Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:35-39}

—Powers are unseen forces of evil in the universe, forces like Satan and his fallen angels (cf. Ephesians 6:12). In Christ we are super-conquerors, and his love will protect us from any such forces.^{Living Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:38}

Application: Revel in God’s unquenchable love and live fearlessly confident as you are being conformed into Christ’s image through suffering.

“Groaning With God” (Romans 8:18-30)

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. ²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ²⁶In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

HOW CAN WE FACE CURRENT SUFFERING?
1. By eagerly focusing on our future hope instead of our current experience.

–Sin has caused all creation to fall from the perfect state in which God created it. The world is subject to frustration and bondage to death and decay so that it cannot fulfill its intended purpose. One day all creation will be liberated and transformed. Until that time it wains in eager expectation for the resurrection of God’s children.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:19-22}

–Christians see the world as it is–physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin. But Christians do not need to be pessimistic, because they have hope for future glory. They look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and they wait for God’s new order that will free the world from sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, Christians go with Christ into the world where they heal people’s bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin in the world.^Ibid

–We will be resurrected with glorified bodies like the body Christ now has in heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25-58). We have the “firstfruits”, the first installment or down payment of the Holy Spirit as guarantee of our resurrection life. (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14)^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:23}

–It is natural for children to trust their parents, even though parents sometimes fail to keep their promises. Our heavenly Father, however, never makes promises he won’t keep. Nevertheless, his plan may take more time than we expect. What are we waiting for? New bodies, a new heaven and new earth, rest and rewards, our eternal family and home, the absence of sin and suffering, and being face to face with Jesus! Rather than acting like impatient children as we wait for God’s will to unfold, we should place our confidence in God’s goodness and wisdom.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:24-25}

–In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future. It is past because we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior; our new life (eternal life) begins at that moment. And it is present because we are being saved; this is the process of sanctification. But at the same time, we have not fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ’s new kingdom is completely established.^Ibid

2. By joining God in groaning for redemption through prayer with the Spirit.

–As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don’t need to be afraid to come before him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you “in accordance with the will of God.” Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that he will always do what is best.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:26-27}

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR CURRENT SUFFERING?
1. To receive God’s greatest blessing in becoming like Jesus.

–God works in “all things”–not just isolated incidents–for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good. Note that God is ^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:28}

–God’s ultimate goal for us is to make us like Christ (cf. 1 John 3:2). As we become more and more like him, we discover our true selves, the persons we were created to be. How can we become like Christ? By reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the Gospels, by spending time in prayer, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:29}

2. To be included in God’s new family to the praise of Jesus.

–Some believe these verses mean that before the beginning of the world, God chose certain people to receive his gift of salvation. They point of versus like Ephesians 1:11, which says we are “predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”. Others believe that God knew in advance who would respond to him, and he set his mark on (predestined) them. What is clear is that God’s purpose for people was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world. People are to serve and honor God. If you believe in Christ, you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you. God’s love is eternal. His wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect you until you one day stand in his presence.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:29-30}

—Called means “summoned or invited.”^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:30}

Application: Replace a focus on current sufferings with our ultimate hope, groaning in agreement with the Spirit to be made more like Jesus.

“From Condemnation To Confidence!” (Romans 8:1-17)

¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Observation #1: Through our union with Christ in the Spirit, His achievement becomes ours.

–“Not guilty; let him go free.” What would those words mean to you if you were on death row? The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God’s holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and power to do his will.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:1}

–This life-giving Spirit is the Holy Spirit. He was present at the creation of the world (cf. Genesis 1:2), and he is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian. He gives us the power we need to live the Christian life.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:2}

–Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice (“sin offering”) for our sins. In Old Testamet times, animal sacrifices were continually offered at the temple. The sacrifices showed the Israelites the seriousness of sin: Blood had to be shed before sins could be pardoned (cf Leviticus 17:11). But the blood of animals could not really remove sins (cf. Hebrews 10:4). The sacrifices could only point to Jesus’ sacrifice, which paid the penalty for all sins.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:3}

⁵Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. ⁹You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also gie life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Observation #2: The Spirit gives us His perspective and enlivens us so we can please God.

–Paul divides people into two categories: those who are dominated by their sinful nature, and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit. All of us would be in the first category if Jesus hadn’t offered us a way out. Once we have said yes to Jesus, we will want to continue following him, because his way brings life and peace. Daily we must consciously choose to center our life on God. Use the Bible to discover God’s guidelines, and then follow them. In every perplexing situation, ask yourself, “What would Jesus want me to do?” When the Holy Spirit points out what is right, do it eagerly.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:5-6}

–Have you ever worried about whether or not you really are a Christian? A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God living in him or her. If you have sincerely trusted Christ for your salvation and acknowledged him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives within you and you are a Christian. You can be assured that you have the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised that he would send him. Since you now believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and that eternal life comes through him (cf. 1 John 5:5), you will begin to act as Christ directs (cf. Galatians 5:22-23); you will find help in your daily problems and in your praying (cf. Romans 8:26-27); you will be empowered to serve God and do his will (cf. Acts 1:8; Romans 12:6-21); and you will become part of God’s plan to build up his church (cf. Ephesians 4:12-13).^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:9}

–The Holy Spirit is God’s promise or guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in him. The Spirit is within us now by faith, and by faith we are certain to live with Christ forever (cf. Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:11}

¹²Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation–but is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the Children of God. ¹⁵The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received bought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Observation #3: The Spirit proves we are God’s by fueling our witness in light of eternity!

–When we turn away from sin’s appeal in the Holy Spirit’s power, regarding sin as dead, we can ignore temptation when it comes (cf. Romans 6:11; Galatians 5:24)^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:13}

–Paul uses adoption to illustrate the believer’s new relationship with God. In Roman culture, the adopted person lost all rights in his old family and gained all the rights of a legitamate child in his new family. He became a full heir to his new father’s estate. Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he or shee gains all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit (cf. Galatians 4:5-6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:14-17}

–We are no longer like fearful slaves; instead, we are the Master’s children. Wht a privilege! Because we are God’s children, we share in great treasures as co-heirs. God has already given us his best gifts: his Son, his Holy Spirit, forgiveness, and eternal life; and he encourages us to ask him for whatever we need.^Ibid

–There is a price for being identified with Jesus. Along with being “heirs of God”, Paul also mentions the suffering that Christians must face. What kinds of suffering are we to endure? For first-century believers, there was economic and social persecution, and some even faced death. We, too, must pay a price for following Jesus. In many parts of today’s world, Christians face pressures just as severe as those faced by Christ’s first followers. Even in countries where Christianity is tolerated or encouraged, Christians must not become complacent. To live as Jesus did–serving others, giing up one’s rights, resisting pressures to conform to the world–always exacts a price. Nothing we suffer, however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 8:17}

Application: Walk with confidence in Christ, enlivened by His Spirit, while pleasing Him in anticipation of eternity!

“The War Within” (Romans 7:7-25)

⁷What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. ⁹Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. ¹¹For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. ¹²So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Observation #1: The Law reveals and diagnoses our true condition.

–Where there is no law, there is no sin, because people cannot know that their actions are sinful unless a law forbids those actions. God’s law makes people realize that they are sinners doomed to die, yet it offers no help. Sin is real, and it is dangerous. Imagine a sunny day at the beach. You plunge into the surf; then you notice a sign on the pier: “No swimming. Sharks in water.” Your day is ruined. Is it the sign’s fault? Are you angry with the people who put it up? The law is like the sign. It is essential, and we are grateful for it–but it doesn’t get rid of the sharks.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:9-11}

–Sin deceives people by misusing the law. The law was holy, expressing God’s nature and will for people. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent deceived Eve by taking her focus off the freedom she had and putting it on the one restriction God has made. Ever since then, we have all been rebels. Sin looks good to us precisely because God has said it is wrong. When we are tempted to rebel, we need to look at the law from a wider perspective–in the light of God’s grace and mercy. If we focus on his great love for us, we will understand that he only restricts us from actions and attitudes that ultimately will harm us.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:11-12}

¹³Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. ¹⁴We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Observation #2: Our old nature desires sin, while our new nature desires Christ.

–Paul shares three lessons that he learned in trying to deal with his sinful desires: 1) Knowledge of the rules is not the answer. Paul felt fine as long as he did not understand what the law demanded. When he learned the truth, he knew he was doomed. 2) Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed. Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. 3) Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life. Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. Paul compares Christian growth to a strenuous race or fight (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7). Thus, as Paul has been emphasizing since the beginning of this letter, no one in the world is innocent; no one deserves to be saved–not the pagan who doesn’t know God’s laws, not the person who knows them and tries to keep them. All of us must depend totally on the work of Christ for our salvation. We cannot earn it by our good behavior.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:15}

–This is more than the cry of one desperate man–it describes the experience of anyone struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. We must never underestimate the power of sin. We must never attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with human willpower, we must take hold of the tremendous power of Christ that is available to us. This is God’s provision for victory over sin: He sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power. And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us up.^Ibid

²¹So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Observation #3: The antidote to our inability is the grace of God.

–The “law at work in me” is the sin deep within us. This is our vulnerability to sin; it refers to everything within us that is more loyal to our old way of selfish living than to God.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:23-25}

–There is great tension in daily Christian experience. The conflict is that we agree with God’s commands but cannot do them. As a result, we are painfully aware of our sin. This inward struggle with sin was as real for Paul as it is for us. From Paul we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginnings of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory.^Ibid

Application: Admit in prayer that apart from God’s grace you cannot obey Him!

“The Newness Of Life” (Romans 7:1-6)

¹Do you not know, brothers and sisters–for I am speaking to those who know the law-that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? ²For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. ³So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. ⁴So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another…

Observation #1: We are united to Christ as our new spiritual husband. (Relationship) [cf. Romans 6:2-5, James 2:8]

–Paul shows that the law is powerless to save the sinner, the lawkeeper, and even the person with a new nature. The sinner is condemned by the law; the lawkeeper can’t live up to it; and the person with the new nature finds his or her obedience to the law sabotaged by the effects of the old nature. Once again, Paul declares that salvation cannot be found by obeying the law. No matter who we are, only Jesus Christ can set us free.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:1-25}

–Paul marriage to illustrate our relationship to the law. When a spouse dies, the law of marriage no longer applies. Because we have dies with Christ, the law can no longer condemn us. Since we are united with Christ, his Spirit enables us to produce good fruit for God. We now serve God, not by obeying a set of rules, but out of renewed hearts and minds that overflow with love for him.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:2-6}

…to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.

Observation #2: Our union with Christ produces God’s righteousness in us. (Resource) [cf. Matthew 5:6, John 15:1-8, Galatians 2:20-21,3:3-5]

–When a person dies to the old life and belongs to Christ, a new life begins. An unbeliever’s life is centered on his or her own personal gratification. Those who don’t follow Christ have only their own self-determination as their source of power. By contrast, God is at the center of a Christian’s life. God supplies the power for the Christian’s daily living. Believers find that their whole way of looking at the world changes when they come to Christ.^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:4}

⁶But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Observation #3: Our union with Christ frees & empowers us to serve by His spirit. (Recommission) [cf. John 8:36, Galatians 5:18,24]

–Some people try to earn their way to God by keeping a set of rules (obeying the Ten Commandments, attending church faithfully, or doing good deeds), but all they earn for their efforts is frustration and discouragement. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, the way to God is already open, and we can become his children simply by putting our faith in him. No longer trying to reach God by keeping rules, we can become more and more like Jesus as we live for him day by day. Let the Holy Spirit turn your eyes away from your own performance and toward Jesus. He will free you to serve him out of love and gratitude. This is living “in the new way of the Spirit.”^{Life Application Bible study notes, Romans 7:6}

–Keeping the rules, laws, and customs of Christianity doesn’t save us. Even if we could keep our actions pure, we would still be doomed because our hearts and minds are perverse and rebellious. Like Paul, we can find no relief in the synagogue or church until we look to Jesus Christ himself for our salvation–which he gives us freely. When we do come to Jesus, we are flooded with relief and gratitude. Will we keep the rules any better? Most likely, but we will be motivated by love and gratitude, not by the desire to get God’s approval. We will not be merely submitting to an external code, but we will willingly and lovingly seek to do God’s will.^Ibid

Application: Relate to God on the basis of your union with Jesus by relying on His Spirit, who produces in you the newness of life for service.