Live in the Spirit and Righteousness

We pick up our study through the Letter to the believers in Rome in Romans 8. Today we will be looking at the first 17 verses.

Romans 1:1-17 : This letter is about the Gospel - the righteousness of God

Romans 1:18-32 : God’s wrath against mankind who rejected righteousness and God

Romans 2:1-3:20 : No one is righteous

Romans 3:21-31 : Righteousness is given freely, through faith in Jesus to all who believe

Romans 4 : Salvation has always been unearned, by grace through faith

Romans 5 : The Gifts of Salvation: Justification (Righteousness), Peace with God, Access to God, Standing in Grace, Hope in glory, Rejoicing in suffering, God’s Love, Saved from wrath, reconciled to God AND Reigning in Life!

Romans 5:17 NIV

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Romans 6 : Identified with Christ in Death to Sin, and New Life in Righteousness

Romans 7 : Ongoing struggle with Sin, and the Catalyst of the Law

Romans 8 : Live in the Spirit and Righteousness

Paul introduced the concept of serving God in the new way of the Spirit in the beginning of chapter 7.

Romans 7:6 NIV

But 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.

And, he concluded the struggle with sin in Hope:

Romans 7:24–25 NIV

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks 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.

Now in Romans 8, he is going to expand on the hope we have against sin, and living in the new way of the Spirit.

Let’s read the passage together, and then go back and talk it through.

Romans 8:1–17 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For 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, in 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. Those 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. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, 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. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For 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. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now 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.

Hope in our Struggle with Sin: (aka Reigning in Life)

Romans 8:1 NASB 2020

Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No Condemnation

At all - Not even one in the Greek, and it occurs first in the sentence to emphasize

But there is more. There is hope and power to live a new life now...

Romans 8:2–4 NIV

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For 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, in 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.

Living according to the Spirit

Romans 8:5 NIV

Those 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.

The Contrast: Living according to the flesh

What is it to live according to something? Mindset

Romans 8:6–8 NIV

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Living with fleshly mindset leads to death

Living with Spirit mindset is life

Which are we?

Romans 8:9 NIV

You, 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.

The Reality: You are in the realm of the Spirit

Blessing of living in the Spirit:

Romans 8:10–11 NIV

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

So, how do we respond to this blessing?

Romans 8:12–13 NIV

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For 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.

We have an Obligation

led by the spirit - how does he lead?

example of young man whose care broke down while on way to ask young lady to marry him

Obligation might give the wrong impression...

Romans 8:14–17 NIV

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now 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.

Not slaves, Sons!

Not fear, but Love!

Sharing in sufferings… Next week...