Romans Chapter 8 – Part 1 (vss. 1-17)

We study the book of Romans in Jr. High Sunday School because it summarizes the entire Bible in 16 short chapters. Chapter 8 summarizes the entire book of Romans. This is the stuff we’ve been working towards all year long. We’ll be studying chapter 8 until we get to the Christmas break.

Here’s a just few examples of what we talked about in class this week:

Rom 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Notice the present tense of the grammar. Our redemption is not a future event, something that may or may not occur, rather there IS NOW no condemnation! We already stand before God made righteous in Christ. As I’ve mentioned previously, the phrase ‘in Christ’ is huge for Paul, and it doesn’t translate well. A better rendering would be to say that we are into Christ, just like when you walk into a room you are in it, and not outside of it. This may seem odd to mention, but stand by- you’ll see why it’s important in a minute.

Rom. 8:9- “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” This sentence is sort of like an algebra problem- there’s more than one way to structure it. Paul phrases it negatively:
Not having the Spirit = Not belonging to Christ
Just like in algebra, the ‘nots’ can cancel each other out, making the phrase:
Have the Spirit = Belonging to Christ
Again, just like in math, the equation is reciprocal, meaning we can flip the statement around:
Belong to Christ = Having the Spirit
This is all more than just a math lesson- it’s proof that we can be ASSURED of our salvation! Elsewhere the Bible tells us the only way we recognize our need for salvation is by the power of the Spirit. So if we recognize Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and this recognition only comes by the Spirit, this means that we do belong to Christ Jesus!

Rom 8:12-13- “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” I always harp on my students that there is nothing that we can do to earn salvation because it is a gift, but yet we do have an obligation! Notice that Paul does not write that we have an obligation to paint houses, help orphans in Zambia, or go on mission trips. Rather, we have an obligation to put to death the misdeeds of the body. Remember, before we can come to life in our new self, we must first die to our old self!

Here’s why it was important to mention we’ve been brought INTO Christ. I explained in class that it is impossible to be both fully inside and fully outside of a room at the same time- it’s either one or the other. This leaves us with a conundrum- We are ALREADY fully in Christ, but yet we have NOT YET left this sinful world. This is an un-resolvable tension in the Christian’s life- we’re called to live both totally outside of and totally inside the world at the same time! Tension is always uncomfortable, and we seek to alleviate it, but we must not in this case. I know this is hard to grasp, but take a breath a read on…

As we put to death our misdeeds, we come to new life in Christ, and it is in this new life which we are called to paint houses, help orphans in Zambia, or go on mission trips. This cycle of putting to death and coming to life is ongoing until we finally fully realize our new life in the Kingdom of God. Until then, we are pilgrims who are not yet home.

The motivation here is what’s critical- we must do these things out of gratitude for our salvation. If we do them to earn our salvation, God views these ‘good’ deeds as idolatry! Our good deeds do not usher in the Kingdom of God (which is like trying to drag the inside of a room outside), but they do reduce pain and misery and give us the opportunity to glorify God for what He as done for us.

Anyways, we had a good discussion about this in class. As you can see though, this can be a very confusing passage, so be sure to take the time to go through verses 1-17 at home. Ask your student to explain what a Christian time line looks like. Let me know if you have any questions (just a note, you can leave a comment or question below without leaving your name if you like).

Here’s a starter question: Is it possible to have a Christian city, state, or nation?