20220410 Romans 8 He is the Spirit of Life

Calendar Christianity versus convictional christianity

What we’ve come to know as Palm Sunday was a day where, in the city of Jerusalem, a great crowd of people gathered and welcomed Jesus, proclaiming, “Hosanna!” They spread palm branches before Him and praised His Name, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:37-38). In less than a week’s time, many of these same people were shouting, “Crucify Him!” They felt Jesus had let them down. They were disappointed that Jesus had not done what they thought He would do—establish His kingdom on Earth, overthrowing Rome and its power over the people.

Rome was at the height of her glory when a disturbing sect called Christians began to grow.

Luke 19:28–38 ESV

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We were spiritually dead when the Spirit called us to life.

This call was followed by regeneration, which gave us faith.

And by faith we are justified, declared righteous.

By the Spirit we are adopted

By the Spirit we are sanctified

By the Spirit we persevere

By the Spirit we will be glorified

Redemption: Accomplished and Applied (Chapter I: The Order of Application)

With all these considerations in view, the order in the application of redemption is found to be, calling, regeneration, faith and repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, glorification.

1. He is the Spirit of Life (2)

Why is He called the Holy Spirit when the Father and the Son are holy? - he produces holiness He is the Spirit of holiness.

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Jesus said, I am the way the truth the life, John 1:4, in him was life

The Father

John 5:26 ESV

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

John 6:63 ESV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Life flows from the Trinity, all of life.

2. His life enables us to live according to the Spirit (4)

Romans 8:3–4 ESV

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The Father, the Son, the Spirit in perfect harmony accomplish our salvation and our our sanctification

The Epistle to the Romans 1. The Opposition of Flesh and Spirit, 8:1–11

In the full sense only Christ has fulfilled all the law’s requirements, but when we are in him we in our measure begin to live the kind of life that God would have us live. Notice that Paul does not say “we fulfil the law’s righteous requirement”, but that “the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us”, surely pointing to the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Before we came to know Christ we were continually defeated by sin. When we came to know him and to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit we were able to attain a standard we could never reach in our own strength.

3. His life transforms our minds (5)

Romans 8:5 ESV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

4. His mind gives us life and peace (6)

Romans 8:6–7 ESV

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

5. The Spirit given life can please God (8)

Romans 8:8 ESV

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

6. There is an inseparable link between life in the Spirit and life in Christ (9)

Romans 8:9 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

The Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ

7. There is an inseparable link between justification, regeneration, and sanctification (10)

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

8. The Spirit of life who raised Jesus is the same Spirit who dwells in you (11)

Romans 8:11 ESV

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

There are not several versions of the Holy Spirit.