Romans 8.12-The Christian Is By No Means Obligated To Live In Submission To The Flesh
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday November 9, 2008
Romans: Romans 8:12-The Christian Is By No Means Obligated To Live In Submission To The Flesh
Lesson # 255
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 8:1.
This morning we will study Romans 8:12 and in this passage, Paul teaches that the Christian is by no means obligated to live in submission to the flesh.
Romans 8:1-13 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But 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. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh -- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
“So then” emphasizes that the statements in Romans 8:12-13 are an inference from Paul’s statements in Romans 8:1-11.
“Brethren” is the noun adelphos (a)delfov$), which refers to members of the royal family of God who are related to each other and the Lord Jesus Christ through spiritual birth, i.e., regeneration, thus, the word refers to a “fellow-believer, fellow-Christian, spiritual brother.”
This word emphasizes the fact that the Roman Christians and all believers in the church age are sons of God (cf. Jn. 1:12-13; Gal. 3:26-28).
Galatians 3:26-28, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, if church age believers are all sons of God, then they must all be spiritual brothers and members of the royal family of God.
Romans 8:12, “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”
“We are” is the verb eimi (ei)miv) (i-mee), which means, “to belong to a particular class of individuals.”
Therefore, it denotes that the Roman Christians “belong to a particular class of human beings” that are by no means obligated to live in submission to the sin nature but rather in submission to the Spirit.
“Under obligation” is the noun opheiletes (o)feilevth$) (o-fi-let-ace), which means that Paul and all Christians are by no means personally and morally obligated and bound to live their lives in a manner that is in submission to the desires of the sin nature.
“Not to the flesh to live according to the flesh” indicates the Christian is by no means a debtor to the flesh that is a lifestyle “in submission to” the flesh.
Although Paul is speaking in relation to the sin nature, the implication is that the Christian is obligated to obey the desires of the Spirit.
Thus, this word opheiletes implies that the Christian is indebted to God to live in a manner that is in submission to the desires of the Spirit.
There are many reasons why the Christian is indebted to the Holy Spirit.
For example, in relation to their salvation, God the Holy Spirit performed the following ministries on their behalf: (1) Common Grace: Makes the gospel understandable (John 16:7-11; 2 Cor. 2:14b). (2) Regeneration: Creates a human spirit at the moment of salvation (John 3:1-16). (3) Efficacious Grace: Makes the believer’s faith in Christ effective for salvation (2 Cor. 6:2; Eph. 2:8-9).
He also performed the following ministries the moment they were declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior: (1) Efficacious Grace: Makes faith in Jesus Christ effective for salvation (2 Cor. 6:1-2; Eph. 2:8-9). (2) Regeneration: Creates a human spirit for the purpose of the imputation of eternal life (John 3:1-16; Titus 3:5). (3) Baptism of the Spirit: Places every believer in union with Jesus Christ (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21). (4) Indwelling: Creates a temple for the indwelling of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16). (5) Filling: Influences the soul of the believer in executing the plan of God for the church age (Eph. 5:18). (6) Sealing: Puts His stamp on the believer to guarantee their salvation (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). (7) Distribution of Spiritual Gifts: Gives every believer a spiritual gift (1 Cor. 12:4-11).
God the Holy Spirit’s post-salvation ministries on behalf of the believer: (1) Empowers the believer to execute the plan of God (Jo. 14:16, 26; Ga. 5:16, 25; Eph. 5:18; Phlp. 2:13). (2) Reproduces Christ-like character in the believer (Ga. 4:19; 5:5, 16-23). (3) Teaches the believer the doctrines of Christ (Jo. 14:26; 1 Co. 2:10-16; 1 Jo. 2:20, 27). (4) Convicts the believer of sin (Jo. 16:7-11; Rm. 8:4-14; Eph. 4:30; 1 Th. 5:18). (5) Leads the believer in worshipping the Father (Jo. 4:24; Phlp. 3:3; Rm. 8:4-13). (6) Promotes spiritual maturity (Ga. 5:1-5; He. 5:11-6:6). (7) Restrains sin in the world (2 Th. 2:6-7). (8) Regenerates to new life (Tit. 3:5). (9) Applies truth to the believer’s experience (Jo. 14:26; Rm. 8:16; Eph. 6:18). (10) Gives power to the believer’s prayer life (Jo. 15:7; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20). (11) Promotes worship of God (Jo. 4:23-24; Eph. 5:18-21; Phlp. 3:3; Is. 59:1-2). (12) Gives capacity, burden and direction for witnessing (Ac. 1:8; 1 Th. 1:5). (13) Gives capacity for ministry (1 Co. 1:12-14). (14) Provides fellowship for the believer (2 Co. 13:14; Phlp. 2:1).
The Christian is indebted to the Spirit because His authoritative power by means of their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection has set them free from the authoritative power of the sin nature and real spiritual death.
Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore, there is now, as an eternal spiritual truth, never any condemnation, none whatsoever for the benefit of those in union with Christ who is Jesus. Because, the life-giving Spirit’s authoritative power, by means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ, who is Jesus, has set you free from the sin nature’s authoritative power as well as spiritual death’s.”
Therefore, in Romans 8:12, the noun opheiletes means that the Christian is a “debtor” to God the Father as a result of all that He has done for them through His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit the moment they were declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
This indebtedness to the Trinity is to be reflected in the Christian’s conduct in that they are not to submit to the desires of the sin nature but rather the desires of the Spirit.
The Christian’s indebtedness to God is mentioned in other passages of Scripture.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
The Christian is indebted to God because he received his salvation as a gift from God.
If he could earn salvation by actions produce by obedience to the Law or meritorious actions then God would be indebted to man and obligated to give him salvation.
Salvation then would not be a gift but rather what God owes the sinner.
Thus, the sinner wouldn’t need to thank God for his salvation.
The Christian is indebted to God because he was saved by grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”