The Resident Spirit of God

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The Resident Spirit of God – Romans 8

The Christian’s DNA

Larry Perkins Ph.D.

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Introduction and Context

• Romans 1-4 – The Messiah’s Story – the disclosure of the “mystery” of the Gospel.– How can sinful humans stand innocent/just before God

and be part of the realm of grace?• Romans 5-8 – How does the sacrificial death and

resurrection of Jesus Messiah free us from:– God’s wrath (5)– Sin’s enslavement (6)– The Law’s weakness (7)– Death’s power (8)

• Romans 9-11– Can we trust God to keep his word? – How do we understand the situation of Israel?

• Romans 12-16 – God’s vision for this new Messianic conmunity of Spirit-filled people.

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Romans 8

• Tracking our journey:– From condemnation to no

condemnation– From separation to no separation

• The central role of the Holy Spirit:– Power to obey God– Intercessory assistance all the time– Resurrection guarantee– Participation in glory

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Romans 8

• Two major sections:

– 8:1-17 Obeying God through the Spirit’s power

• Contrast between the Spirit and Sinful Flesh (nature)

• Obedience – the mark of the Spirit’s residence

– 8:18-39 Assurance of realized hope through the Spirit’s presence

• Hope of the new creation

• Hope of glorification

• Hope of triumph in the midst of suffering

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Romans 8

• The answer to the question in 7:24:

“Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

A present, practical opportunity

A future, eternal reality

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Romans 8:1-17

• 1. Full absolution in Christ – no condemnation (8:1)• The repeated “now” – 3:21; 7:6• The weakness of “the Law” – v.2-3• God’s solution – v. 3 – Freedom from the Law of sin

and death• Cf. Romans 7:14,24

2. Freedom based on the reality of the Resident Spirit• God’s intervention makes it possible for human

beings to “fulfill the just requirements of the Law” (v.4)

• The incarnation, the cross and the resurrection introduce the opportunity to “walk in accord with the Spirit.”

• Sin no longer dictates the terms of our existence.

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Romans 8:1-17

• 3. Life in the Spirit – Romans 8:5-11– The Spirit Who takes up residence is the answer to

the dilemma of Romans 7

– Two different operational modes of living:• V.5 in accord with Flesh or the mind/disposition of the Spirit

• V.5. the mind/disposition of the Flesh or the mind/disposition of the Spirit

• V.6. the mind/disposition of the Flesh or the mind/disposition of the Spirit

• V. 8-9 controlled by the Flesh or controlled by the Spirit

– Way of Flesh – hostile to God; dominated by sin

– The Spirit confronts the aggressive action of sin to use the body as a beachhead for transgression.

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Romans 8:1-17

• 3. (cont’d)– Roman Christians are now in the realm of the Spirit (9-11).

Second person plural continues through to v.16.• Spirit of God (9)• Spirit of Messiah (9)• The Messiah (10)

– The language of dwelling – 9,10,11 – applies to both the Spirit and the Messiah

– Two possible centres of control – the Flesh or the Spirit. People exist in one realm or the other – not in both at the same time.

• V. 9 a Christian cannot be “in the Flesh • Essentially and eschatologically Christians are alive

eternally in Christ, but we inhabit a body that is doomed to die (Adam’s curse). We have full hope in the resurrection because God’s Spirit now indwells us.

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Romans 8:1-17

• 4. Obedience to God is the Mark of the Believer (vv. 12-17)– Language of conclusion v.12 – “so then”

• Life in the Flesh is submission to sin and the formula for eternal death

• The believer by the Spirit’s power is “executing” continually actions of the body that are being initiated by sin. Note the shift from the term “flesh” to the term “body”. An important distinction.

• The Flesh principle or nature constantly seeks to control our ego/self and energize sinful activity through our bodily activities. Paul argues that the Spirit enables us to put such impulses to death.

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Romans 8:1-17

• 4. (cont’d)– The status of adopted sons (vv. 14-17)

• Defines the obligation to obey God, our new father (Abba) – this language is embedded in Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 5-6)

• The language of heir, inheritance, adoptions – speaks of new status (Romans 4:13 Abraham was “heir of the world”; believers are heirs of God).

• Note Paul’s use of this terminology in Romans 9:4-5

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Romans 8: 18-30

• 5. The Hope we have in the Spirit’s realm– First person singular now dominates– V. 18 – the summary idea – “the glory that will be revealed

to us and for us” [What is glory?]– Vv. 19-22 – the cursed creation – it too will experience a

re-creation. [What is the relationship between resurrection and re-creation?]

– Vv. 23-24 – the groaning of creation parallels the groaning of the believer.

– V. 25 – we persevere because of our great expectation.– Vv. 26-27 – the intercessory work of God’s Spirit – helping

us understand God’s wisdom – living with the reality of suffering and hope. The Spirit helps us in our weakness (v.26), something the Law could not do.

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Romans 8:18-30

• 5. (cont’d)– Vv. 28-30 – Our confidence in God’s plans for good

• All things – nothing is excluded– Those who love God– Those loyal and committed to his purposes

(discerned through the Spirit)

• Subject of each verb is God – He is in charge from beginning to end so that his purposes are triumphant

• The basis for our hope (v. 29-30)

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Romans 8:31-39

• The Concluding Hymn of Triumph (all of chapters 5-8)– String of questions and responses– Basic affirmation:

• “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (31b)– Who can accuse us? God declares us

innocent/guiltless/just.– Who can condemn us? Jesus has died, Jesus rules,

Jesus intercedes.– Who can separate us from God’s love? Absolutely

nothing. – Here is the answer to Romans 7:24. Thanks be to

God Who has given us deliverance and causes us to triumph in Jesus.