Romans 8

Our observation of life and history and our own experience with suffering supplies us with many situations where we would rightly say, "This can't be God's final answer." In the first eight chapters of this book, the Apostle has been unfolding before us a wonderful theological tapestry; an intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually satisfying explanation to the story of God and life. That story comes to something of a delightful crescendo in Romans 8. We get a sense of that immediately with the opening words: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The first three chapters of this letter told us the truth of the universal guilt of mankind, both Jew and Gentile. We needed to hear of some way consistent with the glory of God that we could somehow be found to have no condemnation before God. The great plan of the Almighty in Jesus Christ has provided us with this way.

The way did not come to us through the Law or through our nature. The holiness of God and the depravity of man could only yield a just sentence of condemnation upon us. We needed help from outside ourselves in order to have a new and secure life before us. That help has come from the Spirit of life sent forth from on high. In Christ Jesus we have been freed, and the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirits concerning this and much more. We needed victory over our sinful flesh nature in the face of the righteous Law of God. That victory has been granted to us through the actions of Christ, and we have come to experience this victory ourselves through the work of the Spirit of Christ. Instead of our eternal condemnation, only our sinful flesh nature has been condemned, and a new spirit righteousness nature has come to life, so much so that we are setting our minds on the things of the Spirit and walking in obedience to God according to that same Spirit.

Not only that, we can now actually please God in a way that was impossible before, since "those who are in the flesh cannot please God." But now the Spirit of God dwells within those who truly belong to Jesus Christ, our own spirits have been brought to life, and God will eventually give life to our mortal bodies. We have a great debt as a result of the gift that was given to us, but it is certainly not a debt to our sinful flesh nature or even to the Law. Our debt is to Jesus, who took the weight of our sin upon Himself on the cross. There is no way to pay that debt, but we do the most honorable thing that we can do in that regard when we walk in the way of new life.

What is this way of life? Jesus told His disciples that it was a life of cross love, and that this was the only way to follow Him. Here Paul says that it is life of being led by the Spirit, and a life of being sons of God. These are not three different lives, but one life. We who have been adopted by God have been granted that spirit of sonship; and it is through the leading of that Spirit that we are enabled to pick up the cross as followers of Jesus. This is a pathway that leads to the blessing of the promises of God in the fullness of glory, though we are led through the valley of the shadow of death now. That glory life is so great that every sacrifice we need to make for Jesus now is well worth it, and our suffering is even working for us and not against us, yielding a great weight of heavenly gold in due time.

This does require some patience, but the day will come when the faith will be sight. We will see a world of sinless glory in the presence of Jesus. We will see that world descend upon the earth, working the most profound and beautiful renewal upon the world that we know now. This present world is groaning under the weight of decay at the present time as a result of the sin of man and the judgment of God. But the day of new birth will come, not only in our hearts, which we experience now, but in the world all around us when the King of glory comes again from a place where there is no decay. Therefore we wait patiently for this hope, which has been promised to us by God, who does not lie.

Until that day we have many encouragements. We have the Spirit of God helping us in our weakness, particularly in prayer. We have the truth of the eternal love of God proclaimed to us in the Word. We have the promise of God assuring us that even our suffering is not random, but purposeful, and ultimately for our eternal good, and we have the assurance that the Judge of men is the same Man who Himself suffered and died for us. There is an unbreakable golden chain binding us to God and His love for us in Christ. That chain began in eternity past, winding its way through the central events of salvation history, keeping us secure in God through this present evil age as we serve Him here, and continuing on all the way through the present heavens and into the fulfillment of the resurrection age to come.

Particularly when we consider the cost of our salvation to the Father in the death of His perfect Son, we are persuaded that God loves us, and that He will never let us go. Though hell would assault and accuse, heaven and heaven's God will never allow us to be snatched from the embrace of our Husband and Redeemer. With this confidence, it is ours to boldly serve Him. Even if He seems to slay us, He is still entirely to be trusted. One day we will be openly acknowledged as more than acquitted by the One who says to us even now, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."