(RASV-1901)

ROMANS CHAPTER 8

   CHAPTER eight essentially gives us a summary of the three preceding chapters. Practically speaking, it explains the spiritual (inner or invisible) freedom that is to be found in Christ. Where the evidence of the individuals state is desirably reflected in their visible fruit. That is, are they following after the flesh or are they following after the Spirit? The real challenge for every Christian is revealed in the fact that we are all endowed with two minds: The mind of the flesh that has the control over our visible natural character, and the mind of the Spirit that has the control over our invisible Spiritual character. Then these two forces, the mind of the flesh and the mind of the Spirit, constantly struggle for the controlling influence over every individual’s life experiences. Ref.Gal.5:16-18 Nevertheless, we must always be ready and willing to thank God for His wonderful grace:

   ROMANS 8—“¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, made me free from the law of sin and of death.”

   aaron-Jesus’ propitiatory work on the cross was necessary for the full and complete manifestation of God’s gracious reconciliation:

    “³For 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. ⁴That the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

   aaron-Every instruction that we find given here in the book of Romans, is given with respect to the Christian’s life and walk. You will simply know them by their fruit:

    ^"5For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

   ⁶For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: ⁸And they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

   aaron-We must know with certainty that the entire Bible is written just to the peoples of God. But here, when v.8 is speaking about God’s peoples, it is talking about just God’s visible institutional corporate peoples. And then following on a bit further in v.9, we will find that he is then speaking specifically about God’s invisible peoples /or priests:

   “⁹But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Ref.1Pe.1:11

   ¹⁰And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Ref.Rom.7:25

   ¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you.” Ref.Jn.5:25

   aaron-Then vv.9-11 also describe the desired walk for the invisible peoples /or priests of God. 1Pe.1:11 also informs us that just God’s prophets in the Old Testament dispensation had Christ’s Spirit “in them”. Now this having the Spirit or not having the Spirit must not be seen as an all of nothing situation for the peoples of God. Having the Spirit in this definitive sense is the necessary attribute for the invisible peoples or priests of God. And not having the Spirit here in this instance would seem to indicate that these peoples are not a participating part of the invisible peoples or priests of God. But they would still continue to be an inclusive part of the visible institutional peoples of God, and would still be counted as a part of God’s corporate peoples. This might also be analogous to the life and death positional situations that we have also encountered here in the book of Romans. That is, this life or to live [zao/zoe] or death or to die [than-at-os /nek-ros] is not an all or nothing situation either. The death spoken of here is not meant to be understood as eternal death /or “the second death”, but the physical death that would apply to the institutional corporate Jews /or Christians and would result in their intermediate soul state of rest—“the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” Rev.20:4-6. The regenerated souls that are pictured here in this Revelation passage are living and reigning, while the unregenerate souls of God’s institutional corporate peoples are pictured as not living—they are residing in the place of the dead awaiting their resurrection on the last day. Rev.20:11-15 These will represent the dead, the great and the small /or the sheep of Mat.25:31-46

   ^“12So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh; ¹³for if you live after the flesh, you must die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live." (zao)

   aaron-These two verses are critical for any real understanding into the meaning of ^"you must die^" and ^"you shall live^". If we have received these passages in their proper context, then these definitions are to be eschatologically viewed in the immediate or present sense.

Remember, this life or death that is being defined here, is referring to the two potential conditions for the soul state of those who are received into God’s reconciliation: Especially applicable during this dispensation of grace. Ref.Jn.5:25-26; Jn.11:25 And now to repeat this point once again, we are plainly told in Rev.20:4-6 that the departed souls of God’s institutional corporate peoples can have a living or a non-living existence during their intermediate state. That is, the living dead are seen as the soles of those who live and reign with Christ during their intermediate state: Who are then resurrected as the completed Kingdom. Ref.1Cor.15; 1Th.4; Mat.24:31; Mk.13:27 Then the rest of the dead must be seen as the souls of the dead who will come to life at some future time, when they are to inherit the new earth kingdom that was prepared for them—the sheep. Ref.Mat.25:31-34; Rev.20:11-15; Rev.21 and Rev.22 This interpretation recognizes the indispensable eschatological fulfillment of both visible Israel and invisible Israel. Ref.Rom.4:17; 11:5-6; 11:7-10; 11:25-27 Then this complex understanding for defining God's peoples can be achieved only through our thorough understanding of the complexities of God's first peoples Israel. That is, both visible Israel and invisible Israel have an indispensable role in God’s reconciliation.

   ^"14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵For you received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but you received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

   aaron-v.14 defines exactly who "the sons of God" are. They are just those individuals who "are led by the Spirit of God". Then we must always remember that the New Testament dispensation is specifically designed to manifest and explain God’s invisible dispositions: God’s invisible priestly line.

   “¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: ¹⁷And 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 with him. ¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.”

   aaron-According to v.16, we must receive the witness of the Holy Spirit to know for certain that we are individually a part of God’s elect children /or priesthood. We must also recognize the special promise that is given here for this select group who is identified as the "children of God". But then we must also notice the added burdens that this special group must share with their Lord.

   “¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creation, waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creature was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

   aaron-There are two specific groups that are being identified here: 1. The creature /or creation. 2. The children of God /or the sons of God. And we can see that the deliverance of the former—the creature /or creation, is predicated on the positional state of the latter—the children of God /or the sons of God. I would also like to add this important point, that to move into the “liberty of the glory of the children of God” is to move into a state of resurrection life. Ref.Jn.11:4 and 40

   ^“22For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. ²³And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

   aaron-Noticing once again, that vv.14-18 are specifically defining only those who belong to God’s mystical priestly line. Then "the glory of the children of God" would represent the manifestation of the completed Kingdom of God—the resurrected priests of God—the resurrected body of Christ. The very same kingdom that God’s creatures [God’s visible institutional corporate peoples] are to inherit. Ref.Mat.25:24; Rom.8:20-23 Additionally, this promise of "the redemption of our body", is a specific promise that applies just to those "who have the firstfruits of the Spirit": Just the children of God; just the sons of God. This is that separate pre-Armageddon gathering that will manifest God’s priestly line as the glory of the first resurrection: The body of Christ. Ref.1Cor.15:23, 24

   aaron-Here is an example of the invisible character of God’s reconciliation:

    ^"24For in hope were we saved: But hope that is seen is not hope: For who hopes for that which he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

²⁶And in like manner the Spirit also helps our infirmity: For we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. ²⁷And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.

   ²⁹For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰And whom he foreordained, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

aaron-Verses 29 and 30 speak about the process of regeneration. The resultant of being “glorified” in this instance, is, I believe, referring to the regeneration /or resurrection of the soul—the JN.5:25 zao experience for the elect priesthood.

   “³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?

   ³³Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies;

   ³⁴who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus that died, yes rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

   ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶Even as it is written, For your sake we are killed all the daylong. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

   ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."