Holy Spirit - Romans (Part 2)

pneuma (408 Times in the NT)

“pneuma” = The Root and General Word for “Spirit” (Sometimes “Wind” and “Breath” - 379 Times

“pneumatikos” = “Spiritual” - 26 Times

“pneumatikōs” = “Spiritually” - 2 Times

“theopneustos” = “Inspired By God” - 1 Time

Romans 1:11–12 (NASB95)

For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Paul had Never Met the Roman Church

And as Far as We Know, None of the Apostles Had

Therefore, the Congregation Had Not Yet Received Miraculous Spiritual Gifts

Paul Wanted to Share These Spiritual Gifts With Them

Why?

So that They Would Be Established/“Strengthened”

Strengthened in What?

Faith, Boldness, Confidence, Knowledge

So that They Would Be Encouraged

To Remain Faithful

Even Though They Didn’t Yet Have Spiritual “Charisma” Gifts…

We Do Know that They Had (Charisma) Gifts According to God’s Grace and Their Measure of Faith

Romans 12:3–8 (NASB95)

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

They Didn’t Have Spiritual Gifts (In the Miraculous Sense)…

But They Did Have Gifts

This is Not an Exhaustive List

But it Does Represent a List of Gifts that We are Still Capable of Having in the Church Today

It’s Important for Us to Know What Our Gifts are

According to Paul in Multiple Letters…

Every Christian Has a Gift Given By the Grace of God According to Their Measure of Faith

There’s a Theology Professor I Follow On Twitter Who Posted This the Other Day:

“Spiritual gifts are not what the Spirit gives to you. They are what the Spirit gives to the church through you.”

What is Your Gift?

What Gifts Has God Given the Church Through You?

And are You Using it?

Romans 2:25–29 (NASB95)

For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

The Jews Took Pride in Their Circumcision

It was the Sign of Their Covenant with God

They Believed as Long as They Were Circumcised and Bore in Their Flesh the Sign of Their Covenant with God…

That They Were Pleasing to God

But Paul Tells the Jews is Rome that Circumcision of the Flesh is Worthless Without Faithful Obedience to God

They Didn’t Need Circumcision of the Flesh

They Needed Circumcision of the Heart

Paul is Borrowing this Language and Concept From Jeremiah

Jeremiah 4:4 (NASB95)

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”

Jeremiah 9:25–26 (NASB95)

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised—Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

Jeremiah Told the Israelites They Needed to Circumcise Their Hearts

Then Later Called Them Uncircumcised of Heart

They Were Circumcised in Their Flesh, But Their Hearts Were Nowhere Close to God

Romans 2:29 (NASB95)

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

This Circumcision of the Heart Doesn’t Come Through the Letter of the Law

The Israelite People Tried for Generation to Keep the Letter to Attain Righteousness for Themselves

But the Law Doesn’t Change the Heart

A Written Code of Commandments Doesn’t Transform the Spirit

Only God’s Holy Spirit Can Do that

Circumcision of the Heart…

A Desire to Do God’s Will…

Only Comes Through the Indwelling of God’s Own Spirit

The Entire OT was Pointing to the Day When All of God’s People…

Would Receive New Hearts that Long to Obey God

And the Prophets Said that Would Only Come Through the Giving of God’s Spirit

The OT Contained a Written Code of Commandments for the People to Keep

But the People Ended Up Focusing On the Letter Instead if God’s Spirit and Desire Behind the Letter

The NT is Not a Written Code of Ethics

If We Simply Look at the NT as Our New Rule Book, We’ve Missed the Boat Completely

The NT is About the Justification/Righteousness that Comes Through the Good News of Jesus

And the Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit to Transform God’s People into Images of Jesus

The Focus is to Be On the Spirit Who Circumcises the Heart…

Not On a Checklist of Rules

Romans 5:1–5 (NASB95)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

As is the Main Theme of the Book of Romans:

God Justifies/Makes Righteous Those of Faith in Jesus

And When We are Justified, We Have are at Peace with God (Good Relationship)

By Faith We Enter into God’s Grace

And Those Within God’s Grace Have Hope of Glory

Glory = Resurrection to Glorified Bodies and Living a Glorified Existence with God Forever

This Hope Allows Us to Rejoice in the Hardships of Life

Because Hardships Lead Us to Greater Christ-Likeness

And the More Like Christ We are, the More Assured We are of Our Hope of Glory

Hope is Confident Expectation

We Have Confident Expectation Because God’s Love for Us was Poured Out Within Our Hearts…

Through the Holy Spirit Who was Given to Us

Another Duty of the Holy Spirit is to Grant Hope to Those He Indwells

This Hope He Gives is Entirely Based Upon God’s Love for Us

The Love that Led Him to Give His Son as a Sacrifice on Our Behalf

Romans 5:6–8 (NASB95)

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s Love was Manifested in the Giving of Both His Son and His Spirit

His Son to Die for Us

And His Spirit to Live Within and Transform Us

We Experience the Love of God Through the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8 Will Go Deeper into this Concept