Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ROMANS 8
Life Through the Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Application Notes
8:1 "Not guilty" Let this person go free: What would those words mean to you if you were on death row? In reality, the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God's holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and supernatural power to do his will.
8:2 This life-giving Spirit is the Holy Spirit. As the third person of the Trinity, he was present at the creation of the world (Genesis 1:2), and he is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian. He gives us the power we need to live the Christian life. (For more on the Holy Spirit, see the notes on John 3:6; Acts 1:3; 1:4-5; and 1:5.)
8:3 Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice ("sin offering") for our sins. In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were continually offered at the temple. The sacrifices showed the Israelites the seriousness of sin: Blood had to be shed before sins could be pardoned (see Leviticus 17:11). But the blood of animals could not really remove sins (Hebrews 10:4). The sacrifices could only point to Jesus' sacrifice, which would pay the penalty for all sins.
8:5-6 Paul divides people into two categories: those who are dominated by their sinful nature and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit. All of us would be in the first category if Jesus hadn't offered us a way out. Once we have said yes to Jesus, we will want to continue following him because his way brings life and peace. Daily, we must consciously choose to centre our lives on God. Use the Bible to discover God's guidelines, and then follow them. In every perplexing situation, ask yourself, What does Jesus want me to do? When the Holy Spirit points out what God wants you to do, do it eagerly. (For more on our sinful nature vs. our new life in Christ, see 6:6-8; Ephesians 4:22-24; and Colossians 3:3-15.)
8:9 Have you ever worried about whether you really are a Christian? If you have sincerely trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation and acknowledged him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives within you and you are a Christian. You can be assured that you have the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised that he would send him. Since you now believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son and that eternal life comes through him alone (1 John 4:9), you will begin to act as Christ directs (Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:22-23); you will find help in your daily problems and in your praying (Romans 8:26-27); you will be empowered to serve God and do his will {Acts 1:8; Romans 12:6-21); and you will become part of God's plan to build up his church (Ephesians 4:12-13).
8:11 The Holy Spirit is God's guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in him. The Spirit resides within us now by faith, and by faith we are certain to live with Christ forever (see 8:23; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).
8:13 When we turn away from sin's appeal in the Holy Spirit's power, regarding sin as dead, we can ignore temptation when it comes (see 6:11; Galatians 5:24).
8:14-17 Paul uses the concept of adoption to illustrate the believer's new relationship with God. In Roman culture, an adopted child lost all rights in his or her old family and gained all the rights of a legitimate child in his or her new family. Such a child became a full heir to his or her new father's estate. Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he or she gains all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God's family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit (see Galatians 4:5-6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit becomes our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God's love (Romans 5:5).
8:14-17 We are no longer like fearful slaves; instead, we are the Master's children. What a privilege! Because we are God's children, we share in great treasures as co-heirs. God has already given us his best gifts: his Son, his Holy Spirit, forgiveness, and eternal life.
8:17 Being identified with Jesus as "heirs of God" comes with a price. Paul also mentions the suffering that Christians must face. What kinds of suffering are we to endure? For first-century believers, there was economic and social persecution, and some were even martyred for their faith. We, too, must pay a price for following Jesus. In many parts of today's world, Christians face pressures and persecutions just as severe as those faced by Christ's first followers. Even in countries where Christianity is widely accepted, Christians must not become complacent. To live as Jesus did--serving others sacrificially and resisting pressure to conform to the world--always exacts a price. Nothing we suffer, however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us.
8:19-22 Sin has caused all creation to fall from the perfect state in which God created it. The world is subject to frustration and bondage to death and decay so that it cannot fulfil its intended purpose. One day all creation will be liberated and transformed. Until that time, it waits in eager expectation for the resurrection of God's children and the restoration of the earth.
8:19-22 Christians see the world as it is--physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin. But Christians do not need to be pessimistic, because we have hope for future glory. We look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and we wait for God's new order that will free the world from sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, Christians go with Christ into the world where we serve others, work for the well-being of people's bodies and souls, proclaim the truth and promises of the gospel, and fight the evil effects of sin in the world.
8:23 We will be resurrected with glorified bodies like the body Christ now has in heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15:25-58). We have the "firstfruits," the first instalment, or down payment, of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our resurrection life (see 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14).
8:24-25 Most young children naturally trust their parents, even though parents sometimes fail to keep their promises. Our heavenly Father, however, never makes promises he won't keep. He has given us hope, but his plan will unfold according to his timetable, and thus certain things may take longer than we expect. What are we waiting for? New bodies, a new heaven and new earth, rest and rewards, our eternal family and home, the absence of sin and suffering, and being face-to-face with Jesus! Rather than acting like impatient children as we wait for God's promises to be fulfilled, we should place our confidence in God's current promises to bring good out of bad situations, to give us divine wisdom for daily living, and to encourage us with peace of heart and mind.
8:24-25 Throughout the book of Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future. In the past, we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Saviour (3:21-26; 5:1-11; 6:1-11, 22-23). Our new life-eternal life--began at that moment. In the present, we are being saved through the process of sanctification (see the note on 6:1-8:39). But at the same time, we have not fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ's new kingdom is completely established. That's our future salvation. While we can be confident of our salvation, we still look ahead with hope and trust toward the complete transformation that lies beyond this life, when we will be made like Christ (1 John 3:2).
8:26-27 As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don't need to be afraid to come before him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you "in accordance with the will of God" Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that he will always do what is best.
8:28 God works in all things--not just isolated incidents--for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us will be pleasant, and we do not have to call pain good. Even though evil pervades our fallen world, God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range benefit. Note that God does not work only to make us happy but to fulfil his purposes. Note also that this promise is not for everybody. It can be claimed only by those who love God and are called by him--that is, those the Holy Spirit convinces and enables to receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mindset. They trust in God, not in life's treasures; they find their security in heavenly priorities, not earthly ones. Their faith in God does not waver in pain and persecution because they know God is with them.
8:29-30 Some believe these verses mean that before the beginning of the world, God chose certain people to receive his gift of salvation. They point to verses like Ephesians 1:11, which says we are "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." Others believe that God knew in advance who would respond to him, and he set his mark on (predestined) them. God is not bound by time. What is clear is that God's purpose for people was not an afterthought; it was settled before Creation (Ephesians 1:4). People are to serve and honour God. If you believe in Jesus, you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you. God's love is eternal. His wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect you until one day you stand in his presence.
8:29 God's ultimate goal for us is to make us like Christ (1 John 3:2). As we become more and more like him, we discover our true selves, the persons we were created to be. How can we become like Christ? By reading and heeding the Word, by studying his life on earth through the Gospels, by spending time in prayer, by being filled with his Spirit, and by doing his work in the world.
8:30 Called means "summoned" or "invited." For more on justification and receiving his glory, see the chart on page 1951.
8:31-34 Do you ever think that because you aren't good enough for God, he will not save you? Do you ever feel as if salvation is for everyone else but you? Then these verses are especially for you. If God gave his Son for you, he isn't going to hold back the gift of salvation! If Jesus gave his life for you, why would he turn round nd condemn you? He will not withhold anything you need to live for him. The book of Romans is more than a theological explanation of God's redeeming grace--it is a letter of comfort and confidence addressed to you.
8:34 Paul says that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven. God has acquitted us and has removed our sin and guilt, so it is Satan, not God, who accuses us. When he does, Jesus, our advocate, sits at God's right hand to present our case. (For more on the concept of Christ as our advocate, see the notes on Hebrews 4:14 and 7:25.)
8:35-39 These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us proves his unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ's constant presence with us. God assures us of his great love so that we will feel totally secure in him. If we believe these amazing assurances, we will not be afraid of anything.
8:35-36 These words were written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution. In just a few years, Paul's hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities. This passage reaffirms God's profound love for his people. No matter what happens to us or where we are, we can never be separated from his love. Suffering should not drive us away from God but help us to identify with him and allow his love to reach us and heal us.
8:38-39 Powers are unseen forces of evil in the universe, forces such as Satan and his demons (see Ephesians 6:12). As believers who have Jesus' power available to us, we will experience great victory both now and for eternity (Romans 8:37). Hold these two verses deeply in your heart and mind. Claim them for yourself so you will never doubt God's love and care for you, especially when you are facing great adversity.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)