Romans 8:18-39

 Romans 8:18-39

If a person had a mind to, they could easily make this grand passage, the study of a lifetime. Some Bible passages stir us very deeply; this is one of them. A detailed study of this passage is certainly worthy of reading, but for this occasion we should focus on three main themes of hope, protection, and victory.

Paul begins by saying that the sufferings of this age cannot compare with the glory that is to come. Before we rush over this too quickly, we need to remember Paul knew suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Paul describes some of his hardships. From the Jews up to this point, he had recorded 195 lashes with a whip. And had three Roman beatings, not to mention three shipwrecks and a stoning. Paul did not talk about suffering from a detached or academic perspective. When Paul said “sufferings could not compare,” he had a clear point of reference. What could be so wonderful to make such suffering worthwhile? Here we see the hope. Interestingly, rather than point to Heaven to answer the question, Paul points to earth. Paul is indirectly pointing to the lost paradise of Eden. Everything that was lost in Eden will be regained in the culmination of all things. This is another reason to take seriously and study carefully the doctrines of Eden and Paradise. Even nature, in some way, understands and groans for the return of Paradise. Things we consider to be natural disasters and environmental degradation are, in fact, signposts pointing to the coming world. We can confidently hope for a new or remade heaven and earth and our own bodies redeemed.

But in the meantime, we do have to work through a world of hurt and hardship. In our weakness and suffering, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us; we enjoy protection. Sometimes the suffering and sorrow of life is simply beyond words. We can’t describe them to God or men. But these groans, emotions, and expressions of grief are present in our life and are presented to the Father. These wordless expressions  of grief are translated, if you will, by the Holy Spirit. In the best of times, our prayers are often of poor quality, being selfish and only wanting relief from immediate problems. But we know God works all things to the ultimate good. Don’t miss how closely suffering, hardship, prayer, and God working things to our benefit are linked. Sometimes what is to our benefit is not the end of suffering but passing through the pain and to the maturity that is gained.

This brings us to our ultimate victory. If God is working even in our hardship for our well-being, who or what is going to stand against him? God is so committed to our well-being that He sent His Son to rescue us. We can be confident that if God would do this great thing, then certainly He would do the lesser things for us as well. And Jesus, having won the right to be the judge by bearing our sins, will not condemn us. What He did was for love’s sake; how could He judge us harshly? If He went to the cross for us because He loved us, He will use His power as judge to rescue us. With the Spirit pleading for us, the Father giving His Son for us, and the Son rescuing us, we need fear nothing in all of creation. With a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit pulling us in, nothing can possibly separate us from that love.

“Thank You Lord, thank You. AMEN”

Romans 8:12 A Bonus Devotion

  Romans 8:12

Adoption in Romans 8 is a word that has lost most of its meaning to us in the wealthy west. What percentage of our population is adopted? With our modern social safety net the prospects for a child without a parent is not as bleak as a child in the ancient world. Today due in large part to the distant past influence of Christianity a child who has no family might become a ward of the state or in the care of a foster family. This can be difficult for a child but it can also be a great benefit and kindness to the child. But in ancient Rome the options were fewer. Essentially there were two options: adoption or slavery. For some slavery was a life of meaningful work if they held some highly valuable skill. But for the majority life would be wretched beyond words, becoming farm or domestic slaves, gladiators or sex slaves. It was a sad service not a habitat for a son.  A slave had no personal life. He had no personality, he did not own his body, he had no ancestors, no name, no mind, and no gods of his own. Adoption was not uncommon in Rome. It ensured a single succession of the Empire. Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero were just a few examples of Emperors who came to power by means of adoption.  But for a Christian it is more than the political power and prestige that is granted. We have also the endearment of calling God Abba

“Lord, help me never forget the great privilege of calling you ABBA, AMEN”

Romans 8:1-17

 Romans 8:1-17

In this chapter Paul offers one of the great phrases of all the Bible. “We cry out, ‘Abba, Father…”. This is such a beautiful and deeply endowed phrase to unpack it we would have to notice what Paul says before the phrase itself. He tells us in verse one that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Up to this point, much of the book of Romans has been about the power of sin and our helplessness against it. In fact, we have no choice, before we are Christians, except to sin. Paul uses the word flesh to describe that pre-Christian life. The word flesh is used three ways, and it is only by noticing the context that we get the meaning. One use is for the literal flesh, the tissue of the body. A second way refers to perspective, as when he says, “Abraham was our ancestor according to the flesh.”. The third way he used the word was to describe the sinful nature of man, the growing appetite to engage in evil. We often associate flash with sex, but it can be any desire for selfish experience, such as gluttony or fits of rage. See Galatians 5:19-21 for a more complete list. In contrast to “flesh,” Paul uses the word “spirit.”. The Jewish understanding of spirit carried two implications: first, it was the person who went beyond death and life; second, it carried the idea of power. For example, the Holy Spirit is a person, but also His presence is the power for the Christian life.

So what do flesh and spirit have to do with Abba Father? Paul says that we have the Spirit of adoption because of who Christ is and what He did. We are adopted, and that is a much more powerful and meaningful theme than we may know. We often think of being adopted into the family of God as a symbolic, sweet, and warm metaphor. Not so! In Roman culture, adoption was a legal, serious, binding, and life-altering event. Under Roman custom, a son was never emancipated from his dad. If you were 85 years old and your dad was 105, he still legally had absolute authority over you and all that was yours. That authority extended to the point that a father could have his son put to death. Adoption meant moving from one absolute authority to another. That has powerful implications for how a son lived under his adopted father. Roman adoption was a two-step process, all of which was witnessed by seven witnesses. In the first step, the biological father would sell his son to the adoptive father. Often he would be sold back to the biological father, sold again, purchased back, and sold a third and final time. This was a way of making sure that the biological father was in full agreement with the adoption. In the second step, the adoptive father and the son, who was at this point nothing but a slave, would go to a magistrate where the boy would be legally adopted. The adoption was so complete that it is like a new life begins. Any debt, crime, or obligation the boy had was removed, and it no longer applied to him. He is the heir of his adoptive father’s estate, title, and privilege. If the adoptive father had biological children, the adoptive son did not lose any of his rights to them or hold a lesser position than they did. In the eyes of the Romans, the adoptive son was legally your son, a begotten son. The emperor Claudius adopted Nero as his son and heir. There was no biological relationship between Claudius’ daughter Claudia and Nero; nevertheless, when Claudius wanted the two of them to marry, it required special permission from the Senate because they were legally brother and sister.

There are some implications for us. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. That means we are entitled to the privileges of Jesus in regards to being a son. We really like the sound of that. We have access to the Father just as Jesus does. But it also means that we are under the absolute authority of God. The call to holy living and personal holiness is not optional and is not just for a special elite kind of Christian. With the wonderful privilege of sonship comes the obligation of holiness.

“Lord, help me to live the holy life You expect of Your son. AMEN”