3. The Greatest Chapter in the Bible?
Most of us may be answered, “Romans 8.” Think of these familiar verses:
1)There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
28)And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
32)He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He
not also with Him freely give us all things?
38)For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39)nor height, nor depth, nor
any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4. ABSOLUTE: Having no restriction, exception, or
qualification <an absolute requirement> <absolute
freedom> PERFECT, free from imperfection
cer·tain·ty 1: something that is certain
2: the quality or state of being certain especially
on the basis of evidence
5. •The chapter begins with NO
CONDEMNATION (v.1) and it ends with
NO SEPARATION (verses 35-39). The
key word, in the first part of this chapter,
is the word "SPIRIT.”
•The person who is "IN CHRIST JESUS" is
safe and secure forever (v.1).
6. NO, NO, NO AND NO
• Often as we begin our faith journey of following Jesus,
Satan will tempt us and distract us by calling to our
minds all our past sins and mistakes. When Satan
wants to beat you up with memories of past sins,
remember Romans 8:1. When the Bible says “no
condemnation,” it means precisely that. God does not
condemn you. Don’t condemn yourself. That’s part of
what it means to receive God’s grace.
7. Flesh v. Spirit
It is evident that there is a struggle in the Christian life.
There is a struggle between what he calls "the sinful
nature"and the Spirit.
In Galatians 5:17, Paul describes this struggle between
the Spirit and the flesh:
• For the sinful nature is contrary to the Spirit, and the
Spirit is contrary to the sinful nature [the flesh]. They
are in conflict with each other.
8.
9. Living in the flesh: We can’t fix ourselves
“Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You,
however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God
lives in you” How many of us are restricting the flow of God’s blessing
through our lives with faulty faith? We try to live with it and convince
ourselves that our weak faith is normal for us. We try to fix it ourselves
by tightening up some habits. Eventually, we realize that anything we
do is only temporary. This is a work only God can do and only by
giving us new inner parts, His Holy Spirit. We cannot change our
habits until God changes our hearts.
10.
11.
12. Spirit freely given!
God forgives us and then sets his Spirit within us. How
amazing is this? We do not have to wait for heaven to taste
God’s greatness and presence. We do not have to travel to some
sacred space hoping we can encounter the presence of God
there. Instead, God freely gives his Spirit to those who respond
in faith to the grace he has offered through Jesus.
Let the message of Romans 8 find a place in your heart that you
might understand the amazing depth of God’s grace to you.
13.
14. We Have the Spirit’s Prayers
God understands what the Spirit desires even though it
is inexpressible in human terms. God is the one who
has complete access to the heart. His knowledge is
direct, not dependent upon one’s ability to articulate
concerns. God is a searcher of hearts and knows the
desires of the Spirit as the Spirit intercedes for us. He
knows that the Spirit is interceding for saints in
harmony with his will.
16. We Have Assurance
Rather than trying to figure out how foreknowledge and
predestination work and whether they are compatible with
our free will, we should just accept them by faith as
scriptural truths. God’s omniscient knowledge of the future
and His predeterminate will are intertwined. The primary
emphasis of this passage is not on predestination, but on
God’s eternal purpose that believers share the nature of
Christ.
17. Work together for good?
• How could a man who suffered so much and
endured so many hardships and injustices
and trials.(Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-30)
make such a statement and with such
absolute resolve?
• Are these words as true today for us as they
were for Paul and his Christ followers two
thousand years ago?
18. Faith
Paul could make this statement with complete
honesty and resolve because he was
experiencing the CERTAINTY OF FAITH in his
daily life. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is
the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen.” “And without
faith it is impossible to please Him, for he
who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who seek
Him (Hebrews 11:6).”
19.
20. If God is for us, who can be against us?
(33) No one can bring charges against those
God has justified (34) No one can condemn
those for whom the risen Jesus is making
intercession (38) In fact, the more we think
about it, the more we must become
“convinced” (39) nothing “in all creation will
be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
23. Lesson Outline
1. We Have the Spirit’s Presence(Rom. 8:9-11)
2. We Have the Spirit’s Guidance(Rom.8:12-17)
3. We Have the Spirit’s Prayers(Rom. 8:26-27)
4. We Have Assurance(Rom. 8:28-32)
Biblical Truth
As God’s children, Christians(saved&baptized) can be
certain of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.
