As For God, His Way Is Perfect.

 Excerpt - Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

We have learned about our relation to God through the Spirit, and of the help which the Spirit gives us in prayer,  as well as of the assurance that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose." The grounds for that assurance are infinitely strengthened in the verses that follow.

The Unspeakable Gift Romans 8:29-32

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 30 Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Foreknowledge vs. Foreordination. The word "predestinate" is the same as "foreordain." Volumes of speculation have been written about these terms, but a few words are sufficient to set forth the facts. With respect to these, as well as the other attributes of God, it is sufficient for us to know the fact. With the explanation we have nothing to do.

It is plainly set forth in the Scriptures that God knows all things. Not only does he know the things that are past,  but he sees the future as well. 

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." Acts 15:18.  "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off." Ps. 139:1, 2. Thus God can tell what people even yet unborn will do and say.

This does not make God responsible for the evil that they do. 

Some have foolishly thought it necessary to apologize for the Lord and to relieve him of the charge that if he is omniscient he is responsible for the evil if he does not prevent it, by saying that he could know if he wished, but that he chooses not to know many things.  Such a "defense" of God is both foolish and wicked. It assumes that God would be responsible for the evil if he knew it beforehand and did not prevent it, and that in order not to be in a position to prevent it, he deliberately shuts his eyes from it. Thus their "defense" really puts the responsibility for all evil upon God. Not only so, but it limits him. It makes him like a man.

God knows all things, not by study and research as man learns the little he knows, but because he is God. He inhabits eternity. Isa. 57:15. We can not understand how this can be any more than we can understand eternity.  We must accept the fact and be not only content, but glad, that God is greater than we. All time, past, present,  and future, is the same to him. It is always "now" with God.

The fact that God knew the evil that men would do, even before the foundation of the world, does not make him responsible for it, any more than the fact that a man can see by means of a telescope what a man is doing ten miles distant makes him responsible for that other one's actions. 

God has from the beginning set before people warnings against sin, and has provided them with all the necessary means for avoiding it; but he can not interfere with man's right and freedom of choice without depriving him of his manhood and making him the same as a stick.

Freedom to do right implies freedom to do wrong. If a man were made so that he could not do wrong, he would have no freedom at all, not even to do right. He would be less than the brutes. There is no virtue in forced obedience, nor would there be any virtue in doing that which is right if it were impossible to do wrong.  Moreover, there could be no pleasure or satisfaction in the professed friendship of two persons if one associated with the other just because he could not avoid it. The joy of the Lord in the companionship of his people is that they of their own free-will choose him above all others. And that which is the joy of the Lord is the joy of his people.

 

The very ones who rail against God for not preventing the ills that he forsees since he is all-powerful, would be the very first to charge him with cruelty if he did arbitrarily interfere with their freedom and make them do that which they do not choose. Such a course would make everybody unhappy and discontented. The wisest thing for us to do is to stop trying to fathom the ways of the Almighty, and accept the fact that whatever he does is right. "As for God, his way is perfect." Ps. 18:30.

A Companion of God.

 Excerpt - Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

Romans 8:26-28

 

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which can not be uttered. 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. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

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Purpose of the Calling. 

God calls us "in the grace of Christ." Gal.1:6. 

"He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." Eph. 1:4. 

Still further, we read that he hath "called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 1:9. In our text in Romans we learned that those who love God are the "called according to his purpose." His purpose is that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. If we yield to his purpose, he will see that it is carried out.

God designed man for a companion for himself. But there is no true companionship where there is restraint.  Therefore, in order that man might associate with him on terms of intimacy, he made the will of man as free as his own. God can not work against his own purpose; and therefore he not only will not, but he can not, force the will of man. All men are as absolutely free to choose as is God himself; and when they choose to yield to the call of God, his purpose of grace is wrought out in them by the power by which he is able to make all things work together for good.

All Things

 Excerpt - Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

Romans 8:26-28

 

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which can not be uttered. 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. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

All Things Work for Good. 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."  

Without this knowledge we could not have that confidence in prayer that we ought to have and that is indicated in the preceding verses. Whoever knows the Lord must love him, for he is love. And the Spirit reveals him to us.  Whoever knows that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," can not fail to love him. And then all things work together for good to him.

Take notice that the text does not say that all things shall work together for good to them that love God, but that they do so work now in this present time. Everything as it comes is good to those who love and trust the Lord.  

Many people lose the blessing of this assurance by reading it as though it were for the future. 

They try to be resigned to troubles that come by thinking that by and by some good will come from them; but in that case they do not get the good that God gives them.

Note further that the text does not say that we know how all things work together for good to them that love God. People in trouble often sigh piously and say, "Well, I suppose that it is all for good, but I can't see how." Of course not; and they have no business to see how. It is God that makes them work good, because he alone has the power.

Therefore it is not necessary for us to know anything about how it is done. The fact is knowledge enough for us.  God can overrule all the plans of the devil, and can make the wrath of man to praise him. 

Our part is to believe.  

There is no trust in the Lord if we must see how he does everything.

Those who must be able to see how the Lord works, show that they can not trust him out of sight, and thus they give him a bad name to the world.

Called of God. God has called everybody to come to him. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."  Rev. 22:17. God is no respecter of persons; he desires that all men shall be saved, and so he calls them all.

Not only does he call us, but he draws us. No man can come to him without being drawn, and so Christ is lifted up to draw all to God. He tasted death for every man (Heb. 2:9), and through him all men have access to God. He has destroyed in his own body the enmity, the wall that separates men from God, so that nothing can keep any man from God unless that man builds up again the barrier.

The Lord draws us, but does not employ force. He calls, but does not drive. It remains therefore for us to make our "calling and election sure" by yielding to the influence that God throws round us. He says, "Follow me," and we must make the calling effectual by following him.

The Spirit

 

Something Worth Knowing Romans 8:26-28

 

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which can not be uttered. 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. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

"Praying in the Spirit." The heart is deceitful above all things, and none can know it except God. Jer. 17:9, 10.  That in itself is sufficient reason why we do not know what we should pray for.

Moreover, we do not know the things that God has to give us; and even if we did, our lips could not describe them, for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." 1 Cor. 2:9-12.

God desires to give to us "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Eph. 3:20. Of course a petition for such things can not be put into words. The next clause however says that it is "according to the power that worketh in us;" and the sixteenth verse tells us that the power that works in us is the Spirit. Thus we find the same thing that we read in the eighth of Romans and the second of 1 Corinthians.

"The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Therefore the Spirit knows just what the Lord has for us. The deepest thoughts are too great for language, and so the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that can not be uttered. But, although there is no articulate speech "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." The Lord knows that the Spirit asks for just the things that he has to bestow. He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that whatever is asked according to God's will is granted. 1 John 5:14, 15.

Now note how this statement in regard to prayer fits in with what goes before in the eighth of Romans. God has given us his Spirit to be in us, to lead us, and to direct our lives. The possession of the Spirit of God proves that we are the sons of God. Being sons, we can come to him to ask for things to supply our need, with all the confidence of a child to a parent. But while we have all confidence, our thoughts are as the earth is below the heaven. Isa. 55:8, 9.

Not only are our thoughts feeble, but our language is still more so. We can not give proper expression even to the little that we do realize. But if we are the sons of God, we have in us his own representative, who helps our infirmity and who is able to take of the things of God to give to us. What wonderful confidence this should give us in praying to God; and especially should it give confidence to those who are particularly infirm in regard to language! It makes no difference if one has a very limited vocabulary, if he stammers, or even if he is dumb; if he prays in the Spirit, he is sure to receive all that he needs, and more than he can ask or think.

With these facts before us, how much more forcible becomes the exhortation of the apostle, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Eph. 6:18.

We Wait, We Hope.

With patience…we wait. There is no reward for us now. Now, we suffer. We suffer all the ills of the sin world we live in. Some live in agony from birth till death, this is truth. The suffering of some is more intense than we can truly imagine. Mentally, emotionally, physically there are so many agonies and Christ understood them all. People imagine that Christ didn't truly suffer while He lived upon earth, except during His torture near the end of His life. Christ suffered and suffers still as we suffer. Christ's connection with us so real that the God He is knows all our suffering. Christ went about from city to city healing more people than we can begin to imagine. Whole cities were free of illness, disease, injury, pain, evil spirits because Jesus ended the suffering of those He loved, of those He knew were caught up in the agonies of existing in a sin soaked world. He knew their pain and longed for them to be pain free, even if only for a little while. Christ knew then as He walked the earth during His three year ministry, and Christ knows now.  The reward will come, there is no doubt about it, no doubt at all. We suffer now, but we know one day that all the suffering will be over. We are promised a better country, a better world, a better life all in Christ. He will return, may we be ready for Him, our Hope now and always!

Excerpt- Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

Glorified Together Romans 8:17-25

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 together. 

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 

21 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

24 For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth,  why doth he yet hope for? 

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Why Suffering? Christ's life on earth was one of suffering. He was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."  He "suffered, being tempted," but his sufferings were not all in the mind alone. He knew physical pain; "himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases." Matt. 8:17. He suffered hunger in the wilderness; and his works of love were done at the expense of much bodily pain and weariness. The sufferings which he endured at the hands of the rough soldiers in connection with his mock trial, and his crucifixion, were simply a continuation in another form of what he had endured throughout his whole life on earth.

Glory Following Suffering. In all the prophets, the Spirit of Christ was witnessing and testifying of "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Pet. 1:11. When Christ, after his resurrection, talked with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, he said. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:26, 27. We know that the first part of those prophecies was fulfilled, and therefore must know that the rest are as sure. As surely as Christ suffered, so surely will the glory follow.

Suffering Together. Our suffering is to be "with him." We are not to suffer alone. But we could not suffer eighteen hundred years ago, before we were born. Therefore it follows that Christ still suffers. Otherwise we could not suffer with him. Read what is said of his connection with ancient Israel: "In all their affliction he was afflicted." Isa. 63:9. So in Matthew 25:35-40 we learn that Christ suffers or experiences relief whenever his disciples suffer or are relieved. He is the head of the body.

Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 

Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 

Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

Now if when one member suffers all the members suffer with it (1 Cor. 12:26), 

1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 

how much more must that be true of the Head! So we read of Christ that even now, as high priest, he is "touched with the feeling our infirmities."  Heb. 4:15. 

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

A high priest must be one "who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Heb. 5:1, 2. 

Heb 5:1  For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 

Heb 5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

So we learn that Christ has never divested himself of the human nature which he took upon himself, but that he is still identified with suffering, sinful men.  It is a glorious truth, to be recognized and confessed, that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh." 1 John 4:2.

Glorified Together. "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Christ does not have anything that is not for us equally with him. His prayer was, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." John 17:24. And he says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne." Rev. 3:21. Whatever he has, we have, and we have it when he has it, since we are joint-heirs with him.

There is Glory Now. The above statement may at first sight seem to be untrue. It is the common idea that Christ is glorified long before those who are fellow-heirs with him. One text is sufficient to settle this matter: "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." 1 Pet. 5:1. Peter declared himself to be a partaker of the glory. This was because he believed the saying of Christ, in his prayer for his disciples, "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them." John 17:22. 

If Christ has glory now, his disciples share it also. Again we have the words of the apostle Peter. Speaking of Christ, he says, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Pet. 1:8.

Grace and Glory Where Unexpected. The apostle John tells us that although we are now the sons of God the world knows us not, because it knew not Christ. There was nothing in the appearance of Christ on earth to indicate that he was the Son of God. Flesh and blood did not reveal that fact to anybody. To all appearance he was but an ordinary man. Yet all the time he had glory.

We read that when he turned the water into wine he "manifested forth his glory." John 2:11. His glory was manifested in the form of grace. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." John 1:14. The grace with which God strengthens his people is "according to the riches of his glory." Eph. 3:16. Whoever is in Christ is chosen "to the praise of the glory of his grace." Eph. 1:6. Grace is glory, but glory veiled so that mortal eyes may not be dazzled by it.

Glory Yet to be Revealed. "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." The glory is for us to possess now, but it will be revealed only at the coming of Christ. It is then that his glory will be revealed (1 Pet. 4:13), and then our trials will "be found unto praise and honor and glory."

1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

Christ's glory has not yet been revealed, except to the chosen three on the mount of transfiguration. At that time the glory that Christ already possessed was allowed to shine forth. He appeared then as he will appear when he comes. But to the mass of mankind there is no more evidence now that Jesus is the Son of God than there was when he was before Pilate's judgment seat.

Those however who see it by faith and who are not ashamed to share his sufferings, also share his hidden glory;  and when he shall appear in his glory, "then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Matt. 13:43. That will be "the manifestation of the sons of God." Then for the first time Christ will be manifested to the world as the Son of God, and those who are his will be manifested with him.

The Hope of Creation. The word "creature" in verses 19-21 means the creation; this may be seen from verse 22 where we read of the whole creation as groaning, waiting to be delivered from that to which it has been made subject. When man sinned, the earth was cursed on his account. See Genesis 3:17. The earth had done no sin,  but it was made to share the fall of man, to whom it had been given. A perfect earth was not the dwelling-place for sinful man. But it was made subject to vanity in hope. God made the earth perfect. "He created it not in vain,  he formed it to be inhabited." Isa. 45:18. And he "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Eph. 1:11.  Therefore the earth is sure to be glorified as it was in the beginning. "The creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God."

Adoption and Redemption. Both the earth and we are "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." The earth waits for it, because it can not be relieved of its curse until we are set forth as sons of God, and therefore lawful heirs. The Holy Spirit is the pledge of this heirship. The Spirit seals us as heirs, "unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30.

It is to us a witness that we are children of God, but the witness is not accepted by the world. They know not the children of God. But when that glory which he has given us is revealed, and our bodies are redeemed from destruction and made to shine like his glorious body, then there will be no doubt in the minds of any. Then even Satan himself will be obliged to acknowledge that we are God's children, and therefore rightful heirs of the glorified earth.

Hope and Patience. Hope, in the Bible sense, means something more than mere desire. It is certainty, because the ground of the Christian's hope is the promise of God, which is backed by his oath. There is nothing that our eyes can see to indicate that we are the sons of God. We can not see our own glory, and that is why we are charged not to seek it here. We can not see Christ, yet we know that he is the Son of God. That is the assurance that we are also sons of God. If there were any uncertainty, then we could not wait with patience. We should be uneasy, and should worry. But, although the natural eye can not see any indication that we are owned as God's children, faith and hope assure us of it, and so we with patience wait for that which is unseen.

Sons and Daughters of God.

 The eighth chapter of Romans is full of the glorious things that God has promised to them that love him.  Freedom, the Spirit of life in Christ, sons of God, heirs of God and with Christ, glory and victory, are the words that outline the chapter.

Sons of God Romans 8:9-17

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God; 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 together.

Opposing Forces. The flesh and the Spirit are in opposition. These are always contrary the one to the other. The Spirit never yields to the flesh, and the flesh never gets converted.

The flesh will be of the nature of sin until our bodies are changed at the coming of the Lord. The Spirit strives with the sinful man, but he yields to the flesh,  and so is the servant of sin.

Such a man is not led by the Spirit, although the Spirit has by no means forsaken him. The flesh is just the same in a converted man that it is in a sinner, but the difference is that now it has no power, since the man yields to the Spirit, which controls the flesh.

Although the man's flesh is precisely the same that it was before he was converted, he is said to be not "in the flesh," but "in the Spirit," since he through the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body.

Life in Death. "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Here we have the two individuals of which the apostle speaks in 2 Corinthians 4:7-16. "For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." Then he says that "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."  Though our body should fail and be worn out, yet the inward man, Christ Jesus, is ever new. And he is our real life. "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Col. 3:3.

This is why we are not to fear them that can kill only the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  Though the body be burned at the stake, wicked men can not touch the eternal life which we have in Christ, who can not be destroyed. No man can take his life from him.

The Surety of the Resurrection. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Jesus said of the water that he gave, which was the Holy Spirit, that it should be in us a well of water springing up unto eternal life. John 4:14; compare John 7:37-39.

Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 

Joh 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

That is, the spiritual life which we now live in the flesh by the Spirit is the surety of the spiritual body to be bestowed at the resurrection when we will have the life of Christ made manifested in immortal bodies.

Not Debtors to the Flesh. "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh." We are indeed debtors, but we do not owe anything to the flesh. It has done nothing for us, and can do nothing. All the work that the flesh can do avails nothing, for its works are sin and therefore death. But we are debtors to the Lord Jesus Christ, "who gave himself for us." Consequently, everything must be yielded to his life. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Sons of God. Those who yield to the strivings of the Spirit, and continue so to yield, are led by the Spirit; and they are the sons of God. They are taken into the same relation to the Father that the only-begotten Son occupies. 

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." If we are led by the Spirit of God, we are now just as much the sons of God as we can ever be.

We Are Sons Now. There is a notion held by some people that no man is born of God until the resurrection. But this is settled by the fact that we are now sons of God. "But," says one, "we are not yet manifested as sons."  True, and neither was Christ when he was on earth. There were but very few that knew him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. And they knew it only by revelation from God. The world knows us not, because it knew him not. To say that believers are not sons of God now because there is nothing in their appearance to indicate it, is to bring the same charge against Jesus Christ. But Jesus was just as truly the Son of God when he lay in the manger in Bethlehem, as he is now when sitting at the right hand of God.

The Spirit's Witness. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God." How does the Spirit witness? This is answered in Hebrews10:14-17. The apostle says that by one offering he hath perfected them that are sanctified, and then says that the Holy Spirit is a witness to this fact when he says, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." That is to say, the Spirit's witness is the word. We know that we are children of God, because the Spirit assures us of that fact in the Bible.  The witness of the Spirit is not a certain ecstatic feeling, but a tangible statement. We are not children of God because we feel that we are, neither do we know that we are sons because of any feeling, but because the Lord tells us so. He who believes has the word abiding in him, and that is how "he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." 1 John 5:10.

No Fear. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1:7. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:16-18.

 

Christ gave himself to deliver them who through fear of death were all their life subject to bondage. Heb. 2:15. He who knows and loves the Lord can not be afraid of him; and he who is not afraid of the Lord has no need to be afraid of any other person or thing. One of the greatest blessings of the gospel is the deliverance from fear,  whether real or imaginary. "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Ps. 34:4.

 

Heirs of God. What a wonderful inheritance that is! It does not merely say that we are heirs of what God has, but that we are heirs of God himself. Having him we have everything, as a matter of course; but the blessedness consists in having him. "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup." Ps. 16:5. This is the fact; it is a thing to be meditated upon rather than talked about.

Joint-heirs with Christ. If we are sons of God, we stand on the same footing that Jesus Christ does. He himself said that the Father loves us even as he loves him. John 17:23. This is proved by the fact that his life was given for ours. Therefore the Father has nothing for his only-begotten Son that he has not for us. Not only so, but since we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, it follows that he can not enter upon his inheritance before we do. To be sure, he is sitting at the right hand of God. But God in his great love for us "hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places." Eph. 2:4-6. The glory which Christ has he shares with us. John 17:22. It means something to be a joint-heir with Jesus Christ! No wonder the apostle exclaims, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."

Suffering with Him. "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 2:18. Suffering with Christ means, therefore, enduring temptation with him.

The suffering is that which comes in the struggle against sin.

Self-inflicted suffering amounts to nothing. It is not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. Col. 2:23. Christ did not torture himself in order to gain the approval of the Father. But when we suffer with Christ, then we are made perfect in him. The strength by which he resisted the temptations of the enemy is the strength by which we are to overcome. His life in us gains the victory.

In the preceding verses of the eighth chapter of Romans we have seen how we are adopted into the family of God as sons, and made joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit establishes the bond of relationship. It is the "Spirit of adoption," the Spirit proceeding from the Father as the representative of the Son, that proves that we are accepted as brethren of Jesus Christ. Those who are led by the Spirit must be even as Christ was in the world, and are therefore assured of an equal share in the inheritance with Christ. For "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

Death or Life, Flesh or Spirit.

 Sin Holds the Power of Death Eternal.

Christ Holds the Power of Eternal Life, By Destroying Death, Destroying Sin.

Living for our flesh existence is to live for death eternal. Living for our flesh is living carnally, focused on our flesh existence here and now. 

If we live Spiritually we are living for our spirit existence which is eternal. Yes, we have to be in our flesh until our temporary flesh death overtakes us, but we do not have to live consumed by the temporary flesh we inhabit.  That's just what we do though, isn't it? We are consumed by our flesh existence and drawn to its carnal nature. 

We focus on ourselves so much that being able to focus on anything else is hardly possible. Sometimes we spend our entire lives focused on our flesh life. Even when we interact with others and outward appear to be living to help we can be doing that with the true focus on how that interaction makes us feel about ourselves. There is a very vicious cycle of living flesh focused. There are many traps all around us to help us delude ourselves that we are living spiritually, when the truth is just the opposite.

God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit!

Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We must worship God in spirit and truth!

To live for our carnal nature is to gain eternal death. There is no spirit hope, no spiritual life for those who live for the flesh. 

What does it mean to live spiritually? 

It means to live for God, as God would have us live. Our lives are to be focused on God and His word. Our lives are to be lived under His royal law expounded upon and kept perfectly by Jesus, God in the flesh.  Our focus… this is something we dictate by our thoughts, the things we do, the things we surround ourselves with, the choices we are capable of making. There is so much in our lives that we have no control over, but that which we do have control over we have to use that control towards the spiritual life that God would have us focus upon. We must truly have our treasures laid up in heaven, not here. We cannot live a life focused on our flesh life and expect to be spiritually minded.

Satan will take great pains to keep us self-focused, flesh focused in any way he possibly can.

We must take up our cross daily, we must pray for our daily bread, we must seek Christ while He can be found, we must remember our carnal nature will war against our spirit. We must recognize the war and choose the spiritual victory in Christ, daily.

All through HIS mercy and grace, HIS love, HIS sacrifice! All glory to HIM!

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever! 

Amen!

*******

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

"Life and Peace." 

Rom 8:6 "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." 

To be spiritually minded is to have a mind controlled by the law of God, "for we know that the law is spiritual." "Great peace have they which love thy law." Ps. 119:165. "Being justified [made righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

The carnal mind is enmity against God. Therefore, to be carnally minded is death. But Christ "hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Tim. 1:10. He has abolished death by destroying the power of sin in all who believe in him; for death has no power except through sin. "The sting of death is sin." 1 Cor. 15:56. So that even now we may joyfully say,  "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We Must Not Despair.

 We can't change our flesh nature. Our flesh nature will forever be corrupt. Our spirit can be born again with the Holy Spirit. Our flesh is truly never altered and this is why we war within. This is why what we long to do seems all but impossible to do. This is why Christ came to do what we could not and cannot. This is why Christ is our HOPE. We are not our own hope! We can't sit here and hope to be perfect as if we'll find perfection in ourselves, as if we'll find ourselves transformed into some mythical innocent without a single wayward thought. We have to expect that our flesh is going to war against our spirit and know what to do when that happens. Satan would have us DESPAIR. Satan wants us to keep on believing that our relationship with Christ is forfeit because we have a flesh nature. Christ would have us CLING to Him. Christ would have us grow ever closer to Him. Whenever we find our flesh nature rising up in us, Christ would have us recognize it happening as the Holy Spirit convicts us in our hearts of the wrong that is occurring. That conviction leads us to repentance, to seeking forgiveness each and every time, but NOT despair. That conviction is a constant reminder of our dependency upon our Savior and not ourselves. 

Heb_12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We are to lay aside every weight, every sin that we easily fall prey to and this laying aside is the recognition of the sinfulness and a true hatred for committing the sin, the desire NOT to give into those sins. A true remorse that leads to our falling at the feet of our Savior and finding our strength to live in Him. Any sin that takes hold of us must be surrendered over and over and over again if need be until at last we THROUGH CHRIST are no longer subjected to it. We just can't despair! We can't let Satan tell us that we've done the same thing over and over and that we must truly not be remorseful, we must truly not want Christ. When Satan does this, he leads us to despair and this is where we cannot be led! We have to recognize our need, we have to recognize that Christ is our ONLY hope now and always, the VICTORY is in CHRIST, never in ourselves! We have to KNOW this in our heart to have true victory, true victory is our having CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

The Enmity. 

Rom 8:7 "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." 

The flesh never becomes converted. It is enmity against God; and that enmity consists in opposition to his law. Therefore, whoever opposes the law of God is fighting against him. But Christ is our Peace, and he came preaching peace. 

"You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight." Col. 1:21, 22. 

In his own flesh he abolishes the enmity, so that all who are crucified with him are at peace with God; that is, they are subject to his law, which is in their hearts.

Flesh and Spirit.

Flesh and Spirit. Truly there is a war between the two.

God is spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit.

All Christ followers comprehend that there is a very real war against the flesh and spirit. We will to worship God and our flesh wars against this. The battle is real. There is NO magic, instantaneous change in our flesh tendencies. Many get fooled by their conversion experience which can be thrilling as we begin a new life in Christ. That conversion experience seems to put the flesh to rest as the spirit soars, but then as time goes on the flesh tendencies begin to rear up bit by bit and Satan is right there ready to give us all he's got in order to discourage us into a life without the spirit. Christ must prevail. The spirit must prevail.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The law is weak in the flesh because our flesh nature cannot keep the law. The spirit of Christ can live in the righteousness the law proclaims, and Christ in us, His spirit with ours. We live in Christ and that is the only way we can truly live.

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

The Flesh and the Spirit.

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

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; 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Note that this depends on the preceding statement, "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

The things of the Spirit are the commandments of God, because the law is spiritual. The flesh serves the law of sin (see the preceding chapter, and Galatians 5:19-21, where the works of the flesh are described). But Christ came in the same flesh, to show the power of the Spirit over the flesh. "They that are in the flesh can not please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of Christ dwell in you."

Now no one will claim that the flesh of a man is any different after his conversion from what it was before. Least of all will the converted man himself say so; for he has continual evidence of its perversity. But if he is really converted, and the Spirit of Christ dwells in him, he is no more in the power of the flesh. Even so Christ came in the same sinful flesh, yet he was without sin, because he was always led by the Spirit.

Christ Has Been and Always Will Be Our Hope.

 The royal law is the full righteousness of God. For us to keep the law perfectly would mean our surrender to God completely. However we can  never surrender completely, our flesh is too weak. We are so immersed in ourselves that to separate from our self-centeredness is impossible. Christ alone makes it possible for us to surrender self and end our separation from God. Without Christ there is no hope. Prior to Christ born in the flesh, there was the hope of Christ's arrival. After Christ's death there is hope of His return. Christ from everlasting to everlasting, Christ in the flesh born into time, Christ resurrected into time without end.

Jesus said- Joh_8:56  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Luk_24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Christ has been and always will be our hope, and we will forever be in need of Him.

The royal law reveals the righteousness of God and shows us how far short of that righteousness we are. Told to keep these laws, we do, only to realize time and again how desperate our need of Christ is because we fail to keep that law perfectly. 

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

The Weakness of the Law. 

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; 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,  who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The law is strong enough to condemn, but it is weak, even powerless, with respect to what man needs namely, salvation. It was and is "weak through the flesh." The law is good, and holy, and just,  but man has no strength to perform it. Just as an ax may be of good steel, and very sharp, yet unable to cut down a tree because the arm that has hold of it has no strength, so the law of God could not perform itself. It set forth man's duty; it remained for him to do it. But he could not, and therefore Christ came to do it in him. What the law could not do, God did by his Son.

Likeness of Sinful Flesh. 

There is a common idea that this means that Christ simulated sinful flesh; that he did not take upon himself actual sinful flesh, but only what appeared to be such. But the Scriptures do not teach such a thing. "In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Heb. 2:17. He was "born of a woman, born under the law," that he might redeem them that were under the law. Gal. 4:4, 5.

He took the same flesh that all have who are born of woman. A parallel text to Romans 8:3, 4 is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21. The former says that Christ was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us." The latter says that God "made him to be sin for us," although he knew no sin,  "that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Heb_5:2  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

"Compassed with Infirmity." All the comfort that we can get from Christ lies in the knowledge that he was made in all things as we are. Otherwise we should hesitate to tell him of our weaknesses and failures. The priest who makes sacrifices for sins must be one "who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." Heb. 5:2.

This applies perfectly to Christ; "for we have not an High Priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. 4:15. This is why we may come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy. So perfectly has Christ identified himself with us, that he even now feels our sufferings.

The Law of the Life of Christ.

 

No Condemnation.

Articles on Romans by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 8

We now come to the conclusion of the whole matter. In the eighth chapter of Romans the epistle reaches its highest point. The seventh has presented to us the deplorable condition of the man who has been awakened by the law to a sense of his condition, bound to sin by cords that can be loosened only by death. It closes with a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who alone can set us free from the body of death.

Freedom from Condemnation Romans 8:1-9

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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; 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,  who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;  but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,  neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh can not please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

"No Condemnation." There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ. Why? Because he received the curse of the law, that the blessing might come on us. Nothing can come to us while we are in him, without first passing through him; but in him all curses are turned to blessings, and sin is displaced by righteousness. His endless life triumphs over everything that comes against it. We are made "complete in him."

"Looking unto Jesus." Some say, "I do not find this scripture fulfilled in my case, because I find something to condemn me every time I look at myself." To be sure; for the freedom from condemnation is not in ourselves, but in Christ Jesus. We are to look at him, instead of at ourselves. If we obey his orders, and trust him, he takes the responsibility of making us clear before the law. There will never be a time when one will not find condemnation in looking at himself.

The fall of Satan was due to his looking at himself. The restoration for those whom he has made to fall, is only through looking to Jesus. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." John 3:14. The serpent was lifted up to be looked at. Those who looked were healed. Even so with Christ. In the world to come the servants of the Lord "shall see his face," and they will not be drawn away to themselves. The light of his countenance will be their glory and it is in that same light that they will be brought to that glorious state.

Conviction, Not Condemnation. The text does not say that those who are in Christ Jesus will never be reproved.

"Do you think he ne'er reproves me?

What a false friend he would be

If he never, never told me

Of the faults that he must see!"

Getting into Christ is only the beginning, not the end, of Christian life. It is the entrance to the school where we are to learn of him. He takes the ungodly man with all his evil habits and forgives all his sins, so that he is counted as though he never had sinned. Then he continues to him his own life, by which he may overcome his evil habits.

Association with Christ will more and more reveal to us our failings, just as association with a learned man will make us conscious of our ignorance. As a faithful witness, he tells us of our failings. But it is not to condemn us.  We receive sympathy, not condemnation, from him. It is this sympathy that gives us courage, and enables us to overcome.

When the Lord points our a defect in our characters, it is the same as saying to us, "There is something that you are in need of, and I have it for you." When we learn to look at reproof in this way, we shall rejoice in it, instead of being discouraged.'

Wretched.

 Wretched Man. 

I am wretched.

Mankind without God is truly wretched.  But, you say, there are millions of wonderful people who are without God and content to be so. I say they are still wretched. Why? Because they've been blinded by their own glory. Yes, God knows the heart of man, and yes, there are some who do His will without knowing that is what they are doing. We cannot judge individuals, we just can't. I can say man without God is wretched because ultimately they are lost to nothingness. Only man connected with God can live eternally.

Paul exclaims what a wretched man he is because he knows sin has the power to separate Him from God. Paul thanks God that Jesus Christ alone can save him from his wretched self.  

Sin separates us from God.

We know sin is a transgression of the law, a going against the law, breaking the law. The law therefore reveals the righteousness of God, it reveals a joining to God. The law tells us to be joined with God we live in the law. Because we break the law we find ourselves separated from God.

Jesus alone lived a life completely in the law, not separated from God.

Jesus could do this as the only begotten of the Father. 

Jesus lived a perfect life, joined with God right up to the cross of Calvary where He took upon Him the sins of ALL the world and they separated Him from God. Jesus took our separation from God upon Himself so we no longer would have to be separated from God. Recognizing our constant need of a Savior to keep us united to God, must be a living, breathing part of our daily lives. We will never not need to have Christ in us our hope! Christ in us sinless, not us sinless, but Christ in us creating sinlessness. Our choosing to not wanting to be separated from God is embracing our only means of reconciliation. 

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 7

In the verses which follow the apostle has pictured the struggle with the sin that has become distasteful. It is really an enlargement of that which has been presented in the first verses:

The Struggle for Freedom Romans 7:8-25

8 Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 

9 For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 

10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 

14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. 

15 For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 

17 Now then it is not more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. 

19 For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. 

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; 

23 but I see another law in my members,  warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Sin Personified. It will be noticed that in this entire chapter sin is represented as a person. 

It is the first husband to which we are united. But the union has become distasteful, because, having seen Christ and having been drawn to him by his love, we have seen that we were joined to a monster. The marriage bond has become a galling yoke, and our whole thought is how to get away from the monster to which we are united and which is dragging us down to a certain death. The picture presented in this chapter is one of the most vivid in the whole Bible.

The Strength of Sin.

 "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Cor. 15:56. "Without the law sin was dead." "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." "Where no law is, there is no transgression." So it is that "sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence." Sin is simply the law transgressed, "for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Sin has no strength, therefore, except that which it gets from the law. The law is not sin, and yet it binds us to sin, that is, the law witnesses to the sin and will not grant us any escape, simply because it can not bear false witness.

The "Law of Life," and the "Law of Death."

 "The commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." The law of God is the life of God. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. 5:48. His life is the rule for all his creatures. Those in whom the life of God is made perfectly manifest, keep his law. It is very evident therefore that the design of the law is life, since it is life itself. But the opposite of life is death. Therefore when the law is transgressed, it is death to the transgressor.

The Deadly Enemy. "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me." It is not the law that is the enemy, but the enemy is sin. Sin does the killing, for "the sting of death is sin." Sin has the poison of death in it. Sin deceived us so that for a time we thought that it was our friend, and we embraced it and delighted in the union. But when the law enlightened us, we found that sin's embrace was the embrace of death.

The Law Cleared. The law pointed out the fact that sin was killing us. "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." We have no more reason to rail at the law than we have to hate the man who tells us that the substance which we are eating, thinking it to be food, is poison. He is our friend. He would not be our friend if he did not show us our danger. The fact that he is not able to heal the illness that the poison already eaten has caused does not make him any the less our friend. He has warned us of our danger, and we can now get help from the physician. And so, after all, the law itself was not death to us, but its office was "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."

"The Law Is Spiritual." "For we know that the law is spiritual." If this fact were more generally recognized, there would be much less religious legislation among so-called Christian nations. People would not try to enforce the commandments of God. Since the law is spiritual, it can be obeyed only by the power of the Spirit of God. "God is Spirit" (John 4:24); therefore the law is the nature of God. Spiritual is opposed to carnal, or fleshly. Thus it is that the man who is in the flesh can not please God.

A Slave. "But I am carnal, sold under sin." One who is sold is a slave; and the evidence of the slavery in this instance is very plain. Free men do that which they wish to do. Only slaves do that which they do not wish to do, and are continually prevented from doing what they wish to do. "For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." A more disagreeable position can not be imagined. Life in such a state can be only a burden.

Convicted, but Not Converted. "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good." The fact that we do not wish to do the sins that we are committing shows that we acknowledge the righteousness of the law which forbids them. But conviction is not conversion, although a very necessary step to that condition.  It is not enough to wish to do right. The blessing is pronounced upon those who do his commandments, and not upon those who wish to do them, or who even try to do them. Indeed, if there were no higher position for a professed follower of the Lord than that described in these verses, he would be in a far worse condition than the careless sinner. Both are slaves, only the latter is so hardened that he finds pleasure in his slavery.

Now if one must all his life be a slave, it is better for him to be unconscious of his bondage than to be continually fretting over it. But there is something better; therefore it is a blessing that we are convicted of sin, and that our slavery is thereby made as disagreeable as possible.

Two "Laws." "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, waring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Compare this with verse 5.

Remember also that all this is written to them that know the law. It is not addressed to the heathen who have not the law, but to those who profess to know God. While knowing the law, we are united in marriage to sin. This sin is in our flesh, since they who are married are one flesh. It is the law that witnesses to the fact that we are sinners, and that will not grant us any escape from it. But we are slaves. Whosoever commits sin is the slave of sin. John 8:34. Therefore it is that the law that will not let us be anything but what we are, is really holding us in bondage. While we are in that condition, it is not to us a law of liberty.

A Body of Death. We are joined in marriage to sin. But sin has in it death; for "the sting of death is sin." Sin is that with which death kills us. Therefore the body of sin, to which we are joined when in the flesh, is but a body of death. What a terrible condition! Joined in such close union that we are one flesh with that which is in itself death. A living death!

And "the strength of sin is the law." It witnesses to our union, and thus holds us in that bondage of death. If there were no hope of escape, we might curse the law for not allowing us to die in ignorance. But although the law seems to be pitiless, it is nevertheless our best friend. It holds us to a sense of the dreadfulness of our bondage until in anguish we cry out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?' We must be delivered, or we perish.

There Is a Deliverer. The pagan proverb has it that God helps those who help themselves. The truth is that God helps those who can not help themselves: "I was brought low, and he helped me." No one ever cries in vain for help. When the cry goes up for help, the Deliverer is at hand; and so, although sin is working death in us by all the power of the law, we may exclaim, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:57. "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."  Rom. 11:26. "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Acts 3:26. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

A Divided Man. "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." That is,  of course, while in the condition described in the preceding verses. In purpose he serves the law of God, but in actual practice he serves the law of sin. As described in another place, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye can not do the things that ye would." Gal. 5:17. It is not a state of actual service to God, because we read in our next chapter that "they that are in the flesh can not please God." It is a state from which one may well pray to be delivered, so that he can serve the Lord not merely with the mind, but with his whole being. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thess. 5:23, 24.

We Die In Him and We Live In Him.

 (Excerpt)

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 7

Living with Him. 

Before leaving this portion we must call attention to the force of the eighth verse of chapter 6:  "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." 

We can see how apt this is when we know that it is our death with Christ that frees us from the union with the monster sin, and unites us in marriage to Christ. People get married in order to live together. So we become united to Christ in order that we may live with him here and in the world to come. If we would live with him in the world to come, we must live with him in this world.

In the first seven verses of the seventh chapter of Romans we have had the relation which we by nature sustain to sin, and which by grace we afterwards sustain to Christ, represented under the figure of marriage to a first and second husband. The union with the second husband can not take place while the first husband is living; and in this case the marriage is so perfect, the two parties being literally one flesh and blood, that one can not die without the other; therefore we must needs die with sin, before we can be separated from it.

But we die in Christ, and as he lives, although he was dead, we also live with him. But in his life there is no sin,  and so the body of sin is destroyed, while we are raised. Thus in death we are separated from the first husband,  sin, and united to the second husband, Christ.

Thou Shalt Not Covet

The Law Reveals the Lack of Our Love.

 We know sin by the law.

When we do not love God- we sin.

When we do not love others- we sin.

We are not forced to love anyone at all whatsoever.  Love is a selflessness that is only perfected in God. Love is a self-sacrifice, a complete and utter sacrifice of self without thought of self-preservation. You are not forced to love. You can go your whole life with the intent not to love God, He will not force you to love Him. He's explained to all what He is, what He's done for us, how things are. He's made no bones about what is expected from us as His creatures. He's given us a brain that can think all on its own and allowed us to make a choice to love Him or not. He's even allowed us to have the thought that He is not our Creator, He forced NOTHING of Himself upon us. We choose.  

Love. 

Without love we sin, the law tells us this. 

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

The law reveals sin. The law reveals the lack of our love.

The royal law, the ten commandments written by the finger of God Himself in stone and placed inside the ark of the covenant put in the most holy place of the sanctuary beneath the mercy seat between covering angels, the place where God would meet with His people. This royal law of all the laws given was the only set of laws put inside the ark of the covenant. This royal law encompassed the laws to love God and the laws to love our neighbors (all others). These love laws truly do reveal our LACK of love. When we break a law we are unloving of either God or man. We sin by the law because the law reveals the sin. 

As we pursue self-love we sin, yet so many people would have us believe that self is most important above all else. Satan would have us believe this so completely it's incredibly hard for us to break away from the desire for self-contentment, self-peace, self-satisfaction and so on.

God, please help us to be loving, not self absorbed in any way. Guide us to this end according to Your will that we LOVE YOU and LOVE OTHERS. All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!  Amen!

(Excerpt)

Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 7

Sin by the Law. 

The apostle says that when we were in the flesh, "the motions of sins, which were by the law,  did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Far from it. The law is righteousness. But it is only by the law that sin is known. "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Cor. 15:56. "Sin is the transgression of the law." So there can be no sin but by the law. But the law is not sin; for if it were, it would not reprove sin. To convince of sin is the work of the Spirit of God, and not of Satan. He would make us believe that sin is right.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ.

 Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 7

 The seventh chapter of Romans is really all contained in the sixth. He who understands the sixth chapter will have no difficulty with the seventh. By Christ's obedience we are made righteous. This is because his life is now given to us, and he lives in us.

This union with Christ we get by being crucified with him. In that death the body of sin is destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, or, in other words, that we should no more transgress the law. So closely are we identified with sin, it being our very life, that it can not be destroyed without our dying. But in Christ there is no sin, so that while we have a resurrection with him, sin remains dead. So, being raised with him, we live with him, a thing that was formerly impossible on account of sin; sin can not dwell with him.

A Striking Illustration Romans 7:1-7

1 Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

The Illustration. It is a very simple one, and one which every one can understand. The law of God says of man and woman, "They two shall be one flesh." It is adultery for either one to be married to another while the other is living. The law will not sanction such a union.

For reasons that will appear later, the illustration cites only the case of a woman leaving her husband. The law unites them. That law holds the woman to the man as long as he lives. If while her husband lives she shall be united to another man, she will find herself under the condemnation of the law. But if her husband dies, she may be united to another, and be perfectly free from any condemnation.

The woman is then "free from the law," although the law has not changed in one particular. Least of all has it been abolished; for the same law that bound her to the first husband and which condemned her for uniting with another in his lifetime, now unites her to another and binds her to him as closely as it did to the first. If we hold to this simple illustration, we shall have no difficulty with what follows.

The Application. As in the illustration there are four subjects, the law, the woman, the first husband, and the second husband so also in the application.

We are represented as the woman. This is clear from the statement that we are "married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead," which is Christ. He therefore is the second husband. The first husband is indicated in verse 5: "When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." Death is the fruit of sin. The first husband, therefore, was the flesh, or "the body of sin."

"Dead to the Law." This is the expression that troubles so many. There is nothing troublesome in it, if we but keep in mind the illustration and the nature of the parties to this transaction. Why are we dead to the law? In order that we might be married to another. But how is it that we become dead in order to be married to another?  In the illustration it is the first husband that dies before the woman may be married to another. Even so it is here,  as we shall see.

"One Flesh." The law of marriage is that the two parties to it "shall be one flesh." How is it in this case? The first husband is the flesh, the body of sin. Well, we were truly one flesh with that. We were by nature perfectly united to sin. It was our life. It controlled us. Whatever sin devised, that we did. We might have done it unwillingly at times, but we did it nevertheless. Sin reigned in our mortal bodies, so that we obeyed it in the lusts thereof.  Whatever sin wished, was law to us. We were one flesh.

Seeking a Divorce. There comes a time in our experience when we wish to be free from sin. It is when we see something of the beauty of holiness. With some people the desire is only occasional; with others it is more constant. Whether they recognize the fact or not, it is Christ appealing to them to forsake sin, and to be joined to him, to live with him. And so they endeavor to effect a separation. But sin will not consent. In spite of all that we can do, it still clings to us. We are "one flesh," and it is a union for life since it is a union of our life to sin. There is no divorce in that marriage.

Freedom in Death. There is no hope of effecting a separation from sin by any ordinary means. No matter how much we may desire to be united to Christ, it can not be done while we are joined to sin; for the law will not sanction such a union, and Christ will not enter into any union that is not lawful.

 

If we could only get sin to die, we should be free, but it will not die. There is only one way for us to be freed from the hateful union, and that is for us to die. If we wish freedom so much that we are willing [for self] to be crucified, then it may be done. In death the separation is effected; for it is by the body of Christ that "we" become dead. We are crucified with him. The body of sin is also crucified. But while the body of sin is destroyed,  we have a resurrection in Christ. The same thing that frees us from the first husband, unites us to the second.

A New Creature. Now we see how it is that we are dead to the law. We died in Christ, and were raised in him. But "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God." 2 Cor. 5:17, 18. Now we may be united to Christ, and the law will witness to the union,  and sanction it. For not only is the first husband dead, but we also died, so that, although alive, we are not the same creature that we were before. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Gal. 2:20. We are one. The same law that formerly declared us to be sinners now binds us to Christ.

A Different Service. Now that the union with Christ has been effected, we serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. In marriage, the woman is to be subject to the husband. So when we were united to sin,  we were in all things subject to sin. For a time it was willing service; but when we saw the Lord, and were drawn to him, the service became irksome. We tried to keep God's law, but were bound, and could not. But now we are set free. Sin no longer restrains us, and our service is freedom. We gladly render to Christ all the service that the law requires of us. We render this service because of the perfect union between us. His life is ours, since we were raised only by the power of his life. Therefore our obedience is simply his loyalty and faithfulness in us.

To be continued….  By the will and grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

We Are Strangers Upon Earth.

 Psa 39:12  Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 

A stranger, a sojourner.

Heb_11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Strangers and pilgrims.

What does it mean to be a stranger, a sojourner, a pilgrim upon this earth? 

A sojourner is one who only stays in a place for a short period of time, a stranger is one who does not belong, a pilgrim is one who his making a special journey, a traveler.

If we are sojourning, strangers, and pilgrims upon this earth it means we do not belong to this earth, we are only here for a short time, we are traveling through this life because we know this is but a part of our lives, not the whole of it.  

HOW awful it must be to believe this sin sick world is the world we were intended for. HOW awful it must be to believe this world overrun with horrors is all there is for us. This world does NOT have enough joy of its own to be considered perfect in any way. This world was forfeit upon the acceptance of sin. As sin coated the entire world, changing its perfection into pain, all that would remain would be glimpses of the former sinless world. We are afforded the glimpses so we could be reminded of how it should have been, and how it will be again one day.

We are not supposed to make ourselves at home in this world. We are supposed to rage against the sin which has corrupted it in so many ways. Our rage will lead us to recognize that ONLY a new world without sin will fix all the problems this world has. THIS world MADE NEW! Not this world patched up and bandaged. Try as we might, mankind CANNOT FIX THIS WORLD!  

How much better off would we be if we recognized that we must treat this world as temporary to eternity. Loving each other, and doing all that we can through our Lord and Savior to give His love, while knowing He will return for us, and one day make this world new. Not treating the people of this world as hopeless, but loving them perfectly in Christ. Our hope isn't in this world, it's just not! Our hope must be in Christ! Our hope must be in our HEAVENLY HOME to come when Christ sounds the last trump! Until then, until that day we are STRANGERS, PILGRIMS, SOJOURNERS here upon this earth.  We must remember this, we must it's so important.

Psa 39:12  Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 

Please LORD, hear our prayers. 

Please LORD, give ear to our cries.

Please LORD, hold not your peace at our tears.

Please… Lord… please… we are strangers, we are sojourners…. Please we are with you in our pilgrimage as all those who are yours before us!

Please.