Paul's letter to the Romans
A chapter of faith, victory, and certainty.
Romans 8 - ASV
1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
There is no need for purgatory, since there is no condemnation. Purgatory is a lie, and an unscriptural practice.
Our minds in Christ is not condemned.
2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
That which is in the spirit is greater than that which is in the flesh.
Darkness has never comprehend, overcome, overpowered God, the Word.
Many waters cannot quench love.
3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
The law is weaker than Christ.
Christ is not of sinful flesh. Only in the likeness.
Christ won over sin even in the flesh.
4. that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In hope of the promise. In faith/belief that God saves and provides, we walk after the Spirit, that is not by sight, but by principles and in truth.
Blind people do not walk by sight, but by principles.
5. For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Let us work for spiritual matters.
6. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
The natural body suffers decay. The natural man think of short term matters, trying to be reasonable, and pleasing to the world.
The spiritual man fix his gaze on God and heaven, eternal picture of edification and unity.
Peace has the sense of completness, wholeness.
7. because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
World gains are opposing to spiritual gain. What we can gain in the world is only short term.
The world belongs to Satan, and has Satanic elements/aspects. It follows the law of lies.
8. and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Christians must be spiritual to please God.
9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Your life is in the Spirit. You no longer live according to the flesh.
The Spirit of Christ/God dwells in all that are His. The baptism of the Spirit. The Spirit entered their heart/soul/mind/life.
Led by the Spirit, they are not carnal but spiritual.
10. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
The body could not avoid sin, and is counted as dead through sin.
Christians must spiritually dwell in the righteous things of God.
11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
God has proved Himself to be able, and He is the Lord of resurrection. He is the author of life.
He had demonstrated His ability through Christ, and will perform again for us.
Our mortal bodies shall live in immortality. We have this hope due to His promise.
12. So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:
Our spiritual life, our future immortality are not owed to the flesh. The flesh and carnal world cannot do that.
We ought not, therefore, follow the carnal world.
13. for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
If you live according to the mode of death, you will die. That is natural.
Have the Spirit conquer the flesh and death in you. No longer dwell in the wicked things of the world.
Live according to the Spirit. Be with the Spirit. Be in unity with the Spirit. Live and not die.
Be with God. For God is the Lord of Life. In Him there is no shadow of change.
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
All the sons of God follow the Spirit.
"The sons of God" was used in the OT to refer to angels in the book of Job.
Here it is refered to those born of God after Christ, the Son, the first fruit.
Satan did not follow the Spirit, does not want to be led by the Spirit; therefore could not live up to be with God in unity.
Break away and separation is death.
Repentance bring back re-union, unity.
15. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Satan and darkness work with fear. God works with love and unity.
Even Paul used the Aramaic term "Abba" here rather than Ab. Aramaic was not uncommon at that time.
16. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
We are one with the Spirit. We are in unity.
We are one family, one commonwealth.
Like with like.
17. and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
There is a bright future in the light. There is no future in darkness.
Love is long-suffering. Love leads to glorification.
18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
Life in the world is short. The flesh does not last near as long as the Spiritual life.
Glories on earth is short-lived.
We have a glorious hope unto eternity. We do not live for destruction and no purpose.
19. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
We, sons of God, are the future of the creation. Glory yet to be revealed.
20. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope
The earthly creation is subjected to Satan forces which is vanity. Things will come to nought. Every thing suffers decay.
It is enslaved under Satan. It is the lie. Tells of good things and hope but comes to nothing.
21. that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
The new creation is not binded to corruption. We are all free of corruption in God, in the commonwealth of the family of God.
22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
We are labouring for a glorious future. We are leaving the old world. We are pilgrims.
23. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24. For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?
25. But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Patience is needed. Expectation required.
And we move forward.
26. And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;
The Spirit who is God helps us. He is with us. We need not fear any other thing.
We do not have perfect knowledge of everything. But the Spirit speaks for us with expression beyond ours.
Earthly priests, such as Roman Catholic Priests cannot interceed for us, for they do not know how. They are no God.
We speak for others in our prayers through Christ, and Him alone. No other idols, such as the Madonna, St. this and that, could help.
27. and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
God the Father knows the Spirit.
God is righteous, He works according to the will of God. he does not violate His own rules. he cannot lie.
It is the will of God that the Spirit makes intercession for the saints. All christians are saints. The Spirit does not only reside on the dead known as saints by some canonisation.
Christians are called to set themselves from evil; to be holy. Being a saint and being a holy person is the same thing.
28. And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
Only for those who love God. Other works do not end up for good.
The saints are called, not earned.
God has a purpose for His calling. he is not senseless, planless.
29. For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
It is God who knew beforehand, who ordained believers to be conformed to the image of His Son.
The Son obeys the Father. Those who are in His image obey the Father, working accordingly.
Christians do not just gain Paradise. Christians gained the Father as their Father and a big brother, Jesus Christ, the Son, and many brethren. The blessings of God is exceedingly great.
Our cup of blessings and joy overflows.
There is a Divine unity planned.
30. and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
He calls those He meant to. No mistake. He justified those He meant to. No waste.
He will glorify as planned before calling His saints.
Roman Catholics are not called by God yet, for they are not yet saints according to the Bible, the word of God. They are not yet saints set apart from manmade traditions and idol-worship.
31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
God overcomes everything earthly, carnal.
Light overcomes darkness, and darkness has never comprehend/overpower light.
Christ has won over death and darkness on the cross. Jesus is the answer for the world today.
32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?
God even has His own family member to save us who are His family members in His new creation.
We will share all things with Him. He is certainty.
33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth;
Christians are God's elect, chosen, called and ordained.
God made their justification possible and valid.
34. who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rising from the dead is more glorious than dying on the cross. He promised a new future, a new heaven a new Jerusalem.
Christ proved to be acceptable by the Father, being at the right hand of God. The Virgin Mary/Madonna does not. The Bible tells us so.
It is Christ, the Son at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Not human Priests doing things not according to the commandment/word of God.
35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Christ loves us with His own life and authority over death. So not even death can separate us. He has won over death. He is the winner. We are relying on someone who has certainty, power and authority in love.
36. Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
The Bible prophesied that we have to suffer greatly for the sake of His elects.
We may even be killed by worldly powers. But we rest assured that our Lord has overcome them and will bring us out of trouble in His love.
37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
We conquer death in Him, and will be glorified with Him.
If we live according to His commandment, we shall live and share His love with Him. We do not just coonquer. We won and shared victory and joy and love with Him who is above all.
38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
I am convinced. There is no more doubt. No room for doubt.
No power of death can take the life of Christ out from us. We have overcome.
All powers have been given to us through Christ.
39. nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are in His union of love. We are in His common wealth.
The battle is won by Christ and through Christ.
Be still, and see the salvation of God. Watch! It is finished!
Joy has already started. The Son is glorified. Let us celebrate in our sufferings with Him, according to His will.
Let us live out His purpose.
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