Romans chapter eight is the conclusion of Romans chapter seven.  In Romans chapter seven, the Apostle Paul explained how the law works.  He talked about how we were once under the penalties of the law, deserving death.  These penalties cause sin to abound "exceedingly."  The result of this exceeding sin was that grace did abound more.  This gave rise to the Messiah, who bore the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross.  As Paul stated, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 7:24-25).  This brings us to chapter eight.

The Spirit Verses the Flesh: (Romans 8:1-16)

          "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1).  The result of the Messiah's work is that we are no longer condemned.  The penalties of the law no longer apply to those who are, "in Christ Jesus."  Why? Because we, "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."  This is the subject of the next sixteen verses.  What is the difference between walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit?  The answer to this question is found in the scripture for, "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" (2 Pet. 1:20).  We need to use the scripture to interpret the scripture.  God provides the answer to this question in the book of Ezekiel.  In Ezekiel 36, God describes to Israel how He will, "sanctify [His] great name" (Eze. 36:23).  God will, "gather [them] out of all countries, and will bring [them] into [their] own land" (Eze. 36:24).  Then He will, "sprinkle clean water upon [them], and [they] shall be clean: from all [their] filthiness, and from all [their] idols, will [He] cleanse [them]" (Eze. 36:25).  He will give them a, "new heart" and a, "new spirit" and, "will take away the stony heart out of [their] flesh, and [He] will give [them] an heart of flesh" (Eze. 36:26).  Then He will put, "[His] spirit within [them], and cause [them] to walk in [His] statutes, and ... keep [His] judgments, and do them" (Eze. 36:27).  Here is the answer.  In fact, this entire passage explains the salvation process.  To "sanctify" God's name, He will, "sprinkle clean water" upon them, give them , "new heart" and a, "new spirit," which will cause them to, "walk in [His] statutes, and ... keep [His] judgments, and do them."  The sprinkling of water represents the Messiah's sacrifice.  We died with Him in baptism (Rom. 6:4).  The new heart represents the new covenant where God will write His laws in our hearts (Jer. 31:31-33).  The new spirit is God's Holy Spirit given as our helper/advocate (John 14:26) to, "walk in [His] statutes, and ... keep [His] judgments, and do them" (Eze. 36:27, John 14:15, 1 John 5:2-3).  This is what the New Testament means when it says to, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).  When we walk in God's Spirit, we do not break His law.

          With this in mind, Paul continues to explain the relationship of the spirit and the flesh.  "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).  We are free from the law of sin and death (penal clause) because the Holy Spirit gives us the power to keep God's law.  "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" (Rom. 8:3).  The law could not help us practice, but could only tell us what to do.  The Messiah rid us of our condemnation and empowers us to walk in His Spirit and follow His law.  The result is that, "the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4).  We receive our righteousness by faith, but as James said, "faith, if it hath not works, is dead" (James 2:17).  Faith has to come first, but the proof of your faith is the works of the law (walking in the spirit).  Those that are, "after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh," which brings death, but those that are, "after the Spirit the things of the Spirit," which brings life (Rom. 8:5-6).  Why? Well, because the, "carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).  The Greek word for "subject" is hupotassō, which means, "to subordinate; reflexively to obey: - be under obedience" (Strong's Concordance - G5293).  The carnal mind is, and cannot ever be, obedient to God's law because it is enmity against God, which is why, "the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8).  "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Rom. 8:9), which is why we can please God.  This implies that the Spirit is obedient to God's law, because with the Spirit we can please God and obey His laws.

          Since Christ is in us, "the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness" (Rom. 8:10).  The result of the Messiah's work is a dead body, but now we have a live Sprit.  "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" (Rom. 8:11).  The Greek word for "quicken" is zōopoieō which means, "to (re-) vitalize - make alive, give life, quicken" (Strong's Concordance - G2227).  Now that we have His Spirit, He will "quicken", or revitalize, our mortal bodies.  This is a reference to sanctification.  What we couldn't do through our flesh with the law we can now do through His Spirit.  His Spirit will quicken (make alive) our mortal bodies to begin to do what they were supposed to do, obey God and keep His commandments.

         Through the law we became debtors to the law (Gal. 5:3), but now through the Spirit we have become debtors to the Spirit.  This is the conclusion to the previous verses.  "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  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" (Rom. 8:12-13).  This is our responsibility and our sanctification.  We need to, "mortify the deeds of the body" through the Spirit.  The deeds of the body is our sin.  Through the Spirit we have the ability to rid ourselves from sin, which is what it means to, "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16, Eze. 36:27).  "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14).  Why? Because we have not received the, "spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption" (Rom. 8:15).  This spirit makes us a part of the family of God.  We are now His children (Rom. 8:16) and can say, "Abba, Father."  What does a good son do, but honor their father and mother by obeying them, which is why we need the spirit to keep God's law?

Heirs with Christ: (Romans 8:16-23)

          The result of being children is that we are now, "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17).  However, this is only, "if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."  These sufferings we go through cannot even compare to the, "glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18).  "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19).  The Greek word for "creature" is ktisis which means, "original formation - building, creation, creature, ordinance" (Strong's Concordance - G2937).  This is a reference to all of creation.  All of creation waits for man's redemption to usher in the, "sons of God."  Why? That's because creation, "was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:20-21).  Paul is not telling us anything new, for God clearly cursed the ground as a result of Adam's sin (Gen. 3:17).  This is what Paul is speaking of here.  All of creation was affected by Adam's sin, but through the Messiah all creation, "shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:22).  "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:22-23).  Since Adam's fall, creation has been groaning in wait for the time of redemption, and not only creation but, "we ourselves groan" as well.

The Hope of God: (Romans 8:24-32)

          Hope is the topic of the next several verses.  "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" (Rom. 8:24)?  The reason God does not show us all things now is because of hope.  If we could see the end result of our salvation and glorification, it would not be hope.  Since we cannot see our glorification, "we with patience wait for it" (Rom. 8:25).  "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 groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26).  Our infirmities is a reference to this blindness in hope.  We cannot see the end from where we are, but the Spirit will help us by making intercession for us.  This intercession is always, "according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:27).  The result is that, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).  This verse is commonly misrepresented because of a lack of understanding of the word love.  The, "love of God" is to, "keep His commandments" (1 John 5:3).  All things work together for good to those who, "keep His commandments."

          Who are those who are called?  They are those who are predestined.  "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29).  It is important to remember that those who are predestined are not predestined to salvation, but to be, "conformed to the image of his Son."  God did not predestine who would receive salvation, but what those who received salvation would be like.  For more on predestination please see the next chapter here.  "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" (Rom. 8:30).  This is the process of salvation: first we are predestined to be like the Messiah, second we are called, third we are justified, and fourth we will be glorified.  Therefore, "If God be for us, who can be against us" (Rom. 8:31)?  If God, "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things" (Rom. 8:32).  God has already completed the hardest part, why would he stop there and not provide for us.

The Love of God: (Romans 8:33-39)

          This next section is commonly misunderstood.  This misunderstanding comes entirely from a lack of understanding the love of God.  To better understand this love please read my article called, "The Love of God."  The sum of the articles is this, the love of God is clearly defined in 1 John 3:4.  To love God is to, "keep His commandments."  If we want to love God we need to obey Him and keep His commandments, but how does God show His love to us?  The scripture clearly teaches that God loves us by disciplining us (Prov. 3:12, Rev. 3:19, Heb. 12:6-9) and giving blessings (Deut. 7:13).  Both of these are the result of the Mosaic law.  God disciplines us with curses to bring us back to him.  He blesses us when we obey Him and keep His commandments.  With this in mind, let's finish chapter eight.

          The question is asked, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom. 8:33-34).  To, "charge God's elect" is a legal term.  This is a charge from the Mosaic law.  We have broken the law and deserve a punishment, but the Messiah has paid the penalty for our sin and now no one can, "charge ... God's elect" because it is, "God that justifieth."  The only one that can condemn us is the Messiah, but instead He took the penalty upon Himself.  We can no longer be condemned.  Paul concludes this by asking a question.  It is the answer to this question that is commonly misunderstood.

          The question Paul asks is, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword" (Rom. 8:35).  Remember, the love of God is to keep His commandments and God loves us by giving us blessings and curses for following His commandments.  Paul is asking, who shall separate us from the blessings and curses of the law?  This is a rhetorical question for the answer is nothing can separate us from God's blessings and curses.  "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:36-37).   Paul is quoting Psalms 44:22.  If you read this entire Psalm you will clearly see that the psalmist is writing in reference to God blessing and cursing the nation Israel.  God provides curses for not following Him and blessings for following Him.  This gives even more credence to the idea that Paul is speaking of the blessings and curses of the Mosaic law.  He concludes the chapter with one of the most popular verses of all the scripture, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).  This is meant to be encouraging because if we, "walk in the Spirit" we will, "not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16), and we will receive blessings rather than curses.  We can be confident that nothing can stop these blessings and curses from coming.  This is comforting because we are receiving blessings because we, "walk in the Spirit."

          Though this is not the traditional understanding of this passage, it is nonetheless what Paul appears to be saying.  Through proper study it becomes clear that Paul is speaking here of the Mosaic law's penal clause.  He even quotes a Psalm that references this penal clause.  Either Paul is misquoting the scripture, which I highly doubt, or the law of God still stands today.  To continue this study in Romans chapter nine please click here. 

By Steve Siefken

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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV