“A SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS” ROMANS 8:1-11 VICTORY OVER THE ENSLAVING POWER OF SIN, PART I

As we viewed Chapter 7 of Romans, Paul was experiencing a perplexing Christian life; in contrast in Chapter 8, one explores the great blessings possessed by the believer through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:25).  In Romans 8:1, the key to victory for each believer is to be thoroughly convinced that our great God has removed from him all condemnation.  The expression “no condemnation” means not only deliverance from sin’s guilt, but also from sin’s power.”

In the believer’s spiritual walk, all he needs to do is to yield to the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit for victory (Galatians 5:16).  The believer is tremendously blessed in his spiritual life because his new state is expressed by saying that he is “in Christ”.  His new state of being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1) has replaced the old state in Romans 7:6.  Because of a believer’s wonderful union with Christ as expressed in verse 1, the believer is to know that he is totally liberated from the Law of sin and death (v. 2).  In verses 3-4, the foundation for a believer’s new walk in the Holy Spirit is due to the fact that God sent Jesus Christ to die a vicarious death for mankind; and through His sacrificial death, Christ paid the full payment for sin and made it possible for each believer to live a Spirit-empowered life.  Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God fulfills the righteous demands of the Law in those who “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (v. 4).

In verse 5, the Apostle Paul contrasts the life of one who is controlled by the sinful nature and one controlled by the Spirit.  The one controlled by the sinful nature will have his mind set on what the nature desires; whereas the one who is controlled by the Spirit will have his mind set on what the Spirit desires.  Paul explains in verse 6 that the mind of a carnal minded man (sinful man) is death.  However, the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (v. 6).

The sinful mind of verse 6 is totally hostile to God and does not submit to God’s law (v. 7).  Therefore, the one who is controlled by the sinful nature cannot appease God (v. 8).  Having spoken about the contrasting lives of those who are controlled by the sinful nature versus those controlled by the Holy Spirit, Paul told these Roman believers that they were indwelled by the Holy Spirit; therefore, they are not to be controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Holy Spirit (v. 9).  Because of the indwelling presence of Christ in a believer’s life, a believer is alive spiritually.  Finally, the grand Apostle related to these believers that God has guaranteed spiritual resurrection power for their mortal bodies and physical resurrection for their mortal bodies in the future at the Rapture (v. 11).

May God Bless!