Articulating Our Faith

Romans 8 – Part 1

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“The Spirit of Life”:

 

I.                    Introduction to Romans 8

a.       Review of the principles of Romans 1-7

                                                               i.      The problem of sin

                                                             ii.      The need for redemption

                                                            iii.      The purpose of Christ’s life, death, resurrection

                                                           iv.      Our identification with Christ

                                                             v.      Paul’s “now” and “not yet”:  Living in this body, awaiting the hope of that which is coming, and that which is eternal.

b.      Understanding the word for “spirit” – (pneuma in Greek)

                                                               i.      Primarily, that which “gives and enables life”

                                                             ii.      Relationship to the Hebrew “ru’ach”, which has to do with God breathing life into creation

                                                            iii.      Creation focus:  God continues to bring creation into its fullness

c.       General principles of Romans 8

                                                               i.      The Spirit brings about the “first fruits” of that which is coming at in time at the fullness of salvation

                                                             ii.      The harvest of salvation is incomplete until the resurrection of the body

                                                            iii.      The Spirit preserves God’s purposes and plan until the fullness of salvation is realized

                                                           iv.      Because of the Spirit, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus

                                                             v.      The Spirit gets us from “enthusiasm” to “realism”, meaning that we can fully anticipate “enthusiastically” NOW, what will become REAL in the future.

 

II.                 Life by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:1-11)

a.       The two paths or the two “laws”:

                                                               i.      Life by the flesh:  which Paul has already shown can only result in death.

1.      The is what is called the law of “sin and death”

2.      The Mosaic law was holy, but could not help bring life beyond death

                                                             ii.      Life by the Spirit:  which Paul tells us is the “gift of God”

1.      The Spirit is the “law” or way in which we live that brings freedom:  both now and beyond death

2.      Christ, by the Spirit, does what the law could not do for us:  meet the righteous requirements of God.

3.      “That the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us”—this is what Christ accomplished sending Jesus, his only son.

Articulating Our Faith

Romans 8 – Part 1

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“The Spirit of Life”:

 

b.      The two planes of existence:

                                                               i.      Those who live according to the flesh—the mind is set on the desires of the sinful nature

1.      These are controlled by the desires of the flesh

2.      Are not able to submit to God

                                                             ii.      Those who live according to the Spirit—their mind is set on what the Spirit desires.  These are “led by the Spirit”

1.      These are controlled by the Spirit

2.      Although living in the “death” of the body, the spirit is alive on account of Christ

c.       The work of the Spirit in the life of the believer (Romans 8:12-15):

                                                               i.      The Spirit is at work to continue to work “life in us”

1.      The Spirit helps us now

2.      The Spirit will continue to be the agent of “life” that will culminate in the giving of the new body at the end of time

                                                             ii.      The Spirit helps us put to death the “misdeeds” of the body.  In other words the Spirit leads us, and convicts us, guides us as to how to live.  The Spirit “desires” that we live a certain way and is in conflict with the flesh that pulls us in another direction.

1.      We are not under an obligation to obey the flesh

2.      We are under obligation to follow the Spirit

                                                            iii.      We have received the Spirit of son-ship

1.      The Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are sons of God

2.      The cry “Abba, father” is the proof of our identity in Christ, and is a work of the Spirit

3.      We are children and therefore co-heirs with Christ

a.       This means we share in the glory and the sufferings of Christ

b.      This means that we have been made a part of the family of God

c.       The Spirit is the way in which we know that we belong to God, and is the guarantee of our salvation.  It is to this assurance that we have an obligation.

d.      The Spirit as contrasted to the flesh:

                                                               i.      The Spirit gives life, whereas the flesh leads to death

                                                             ii.      The Spirit testifies to our new life in Christ, whereas the flesh does not testify at all

                                                            iii.      The Spirit brings hope, the flesh brings hopelessness

                                                           iv.      The Spirit helps us do what the law, weakened by the sinful nature could not do.  The law cannot help us do what we need to do, it only points out what needs to be done.