ROMANS 18
We will begin this lesson in Romans 8:10 "And if Christ [be] in
you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life
because of righteousness."
Jesus took the sin of all of us upon His body on the cross and
sin and His flesh died. The Spirit of Jesus lived on. Jesus dismissed
his Spirit from His body and commanded it to go to the Father. Luke
23:46 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up
the ghost." We have mentioned it several times already in this study,
but to truly understand, thoroughly read 1 Corinthians chapter 15
verse 36 on. Just as sin killed the body of Christ on the cross, sin
causes our body to die and return to dust. The spirit of man lives on.
If we are a Christian, our spirit will live eternally in heaven. If we
are not a Christian, our place for all eternity is hell.
Look at 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 20 through verse 23. I
Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become
the first fruits of them that slept." I Corinthians 15:21 "For since
by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead."
I Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive." Skip down to verse 45 and we can understand the
difference between our flesh and spirit. I Corinthians 15:45 "And so
it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last
Adam [was made] a quickening spirit." Drop down to I Corinthians
15:49 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly." Look also in 2nd Corinthians chapter
5 verses 6 thru 8 II Corinthians 5:6 "Therefore [we are] always
confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord:" II Corinthians 5:7 "(For we walk by faith,
not by sight:)" II Corinthians 5:8 "We are confident, [I say], and
willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the
Lord." We shall rise because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
The Spirit of the risen Christ dwells in all believers. This Spirit of
the Ressurrection shall quicken our mortal bodies.
Romans 8:11 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.
Romans 8:12 "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to
live after the flesh."
The promise that the Christians have that the rest of the world
does not have is the promise of the ressurection of our bodies. Romans
6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like
as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:5 "For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
[in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:" You see we do not owe our
bodies anything. The flesh is our enemy. If we obey the lust of the
flesh, we are living in sin. We must overcome the flesh, put it in
subjection to the spirit.
Romans 8:13 "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."
Here, again, we see the warfare that goes on within each of us.
Our spirit wants to do the things of God and our flesh lusts for the
things of the flesh and world. If we choose to let the Spirit of God
rule our life, and in so doing (kill the flesh) we shall live for all
of eternity in heaven with Jesus. If we choose to follow the ways of
the world, it brings eternal damnation and total separation from God.
Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God."
If God's blood flows in us, we are his children. When we allow
Jesus to be Lord of our lives, the Spirit of God dwells inside of us.
That Spirit within us makes us God's children. Galatians 3:26 "For ye
are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:15 "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."
A very similar Scripture is in I Corinthians 2:12 "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."
When God adopted us into his family, then that made us heirs to all he
possesses. We will be joint-heirs with Jesus as we read in v-17 of
Romans 8. There are 3 places in the new Testament Abba is used; one
here in Romans; once in Mark ch. 14 verse 36 and once in Galatians
chapter 4 v-6. Mark 14:36 "And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are]
possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what
I will, but what thou wilt."Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father." We see in all of these 3 verses that this name is
reserved for only the children of God to call Him by. The world can
not call Him by this name. This name is a very endearing name for the
Father. I say, again, that the unsaved are not permitted to use this
name.
Romans 8:16 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God:" Romans 8:17 "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."
Notice, this first Spirit in the sentence above is Capitalized
meaning the Holy Spirit of God (or the Spirit of the risen Christ this
Spirit within us is God's Spirit. There is plenty of evidence in our
lives when this Spirit dwells within us, because we allow Christ to
live through our actions and deeds. We become Christ like.
Romans 8:18 "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."
2nd Corinthians chapter 4 V 17 calls it light affliction. Our
affliction truly is light compared to Christ's suffering. Paul, in v-
18 above, can speak from first-hand about suffering. He was stoned,
shipwrecked, and so many times left for dead: suffering was no
stranger to him. John 13:16 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater
than he that sent him." We can easily see that this present suffering
is minor compared to the great glory we will receive when Jesus
recognizes us as His when we stand before Him in heaven.
Romans 8:19 "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God."
Everyone who believes in Jesus the Christ, is also earnestly
awaiting the coming of Christ and our eternal life as a son of God.
While we are in a fleshly body, it is our most blessed hope. When we
leave this body and are in heaven with Jesus, it will be a reality. In
Galatians 3:25 "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster." Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus." Verse 27 " For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Romans 8:20 "For the creature was made subject to vanity, not
willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in
hope," V-21 "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God."
Mankind, born in flesh, blooms like a flower in youth. This
flower soon fades and the flesh of mankind dies. The flesh returns to
the dust from where it came. Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it
wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou
return." Of course, all this is speaking of the flesh of man, but
mankind's spirit lives on forever. 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses
51 thru 54 explains it very well. I Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed",
I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed." I Corinthians 15:53 "For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put
on immortality." I Corinthians 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory."
Notes
Questions 18
1. In v-10 we see (if Christ be in you) the body is _______.
2. The Spirit is _________ because of righteousness.
3. When Jesus' flesh died, what happened to His Spirit?
4. What is different about the everlasting home of a Christian and
someone who is still living the flesh life?
5. Who will quicken our mortal body, if we are a Christian?
6. In 1st Corinthians chapter 15 v-20, what has Christ become in his
resurrection?
7. Who brought death to all on the earth?
8. In 1 Corinthians ch. 15 V-45, the first man was made what?
9. The last Adam was made what?
10. While we are at home in the body we are absent from whom?
11. Jesus is what 2 things that guarantees us everlasting life?
12. What Spirit dwells in all believers?
13. What do we owe the flesh?
14. In V-13, we learn, if we live after the flesh ______ ______
_________.
15. If ye through the Spirit we do mortify the flesh, ______ _______
________.
16. Who are the sons of God in V-14 ?
17. In Galatians Ch. 3 V 26, how are we Christians children of God?
18. When we receive the Spirit of adoption, what do we call the
Father.
19. Where else is this name found in the Bible?
20. Who are not permitted to use this name?
21. What bears witness that we are God's family?
22. What must we do to be joint-heirs with Christ?
23. Why should we not be too concerned about suffering for Christ now?
24. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 V-17 calls this suffering what?
25. What suffering did Paul go through for Christ?
26. In V-19, we find the earnest expectation of the creature waits for
what?
27. Who have put on Christ?
28. What must happen before we go up with Jesus?
29. Death is swallowed up in __________.
Notes
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