Suffering

Romans 8:17 And since we are children, we share his treasures -- for everything God gives to his son, Christ, is ours too. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.

Suffering is different for everyone. There are thousands around the world being persecuted for being a child of God. Here in America, we are lucky to have the freedom of religion. Yes we may be mocked or scorned, but we are to share in the suffering of Christ. Shutting up when the co-worker that annoys you the most spills their life's sorrows: suffering. Being in a hurry and driving behind a person who thinks the speed limit on the highway is 30 and NOT cursing them from here to eternity: suffering. Trying to remember who you represent when a co worker tears you a new one for something you didn't do: suffering.

We can't have treasure without suffering. But the best part is....all of the suffering, completely worth it (more than actually)

Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later.

I love the way this is worded. It is NOTHING compared to the glory that is waiting. How much we suffer, how often, or how terrible it will become is nothing compared to what God has made for us. To be honest the afterlife scares me, not that it's a scary place but it's just the fear of the unknown that introduces fear in my heart. But then I remember WHY it's unknown....it's too amazing for my human mind to grasp. Life isn't fair, I will get hurt, sins of others and my own sin will stomp like crazy on my life....but it's nothing compared to what God has for me.

Romans 8:19 For all creation is wating eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are.

A lot of people forget that when man committed the first sin, not only did we fall but creation fell as well. The first time an animal was killed was for Adam and Eve to clothe themselves after they sinned. There was no death, no killing, no predators, no food chain. There was peace, love, and joy. But after the fall a different plan went into effect. There HAD to be a food chain so God could take care of his creation. The animals, birds, organisms, atoms, EVERYTHING shouts of His glory. But they, like us, are waiting for His return. Waiting to be new, waiting to live in Eden once again.

From Slave to Heir

ok WOW this is long...

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.


This is another truth that I don’t begin to deserve. I am called a child of God. God looks at me and says “My daughter…” What an honor! A good relationship between a father and his child is unparalleled. How much more so would it be with our heavenly Father! The following quote enlightens on being called a son and daughter of God.

“Who are the sons and daughters of God? They are all those who are led by the Spirit of God, all those who “walk” according to the Spirit. The call is always the same. We are to abide in Christ, as the branches abide in the vine. There is to be fruit in the Christian life. If there is no fruit, if there is no evidence that we are abiding in the vine, then perhaps there is no reality to our profession of faith. It is fine to say, with the apostle John, that to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). That’s a great truth. On the day when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, wonder of wonders, we became the children of God. But if we truly became the children of god, we were at that moment indwelt by the Holy Spirit; and if we were indwelt by the Holy Spirit, surely there will be some evidence of this in our lives. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). It is a call for a conscious effort on our part: we should be “led by the Spirit” (Rom 8:14); we should not “quench” the Spirit. Paul has shown us the wonder of the Spirit’s work in helping us keep the law; and yet he is also showing clearly that there must be a conscious involvement on our part: Walk after the Spirit, be led by the Spirit. – Francis Schaeffer

Romans 8:15 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children adopted into his family calling him “Father, dear Father”

We are programmed to be slaves to sin, whether we know it or not. We are born into the sinful nature. Yes, there is innocence but even children steal and lie (even though they don’t know that what they are doing is wrong). With Christ our slavery bonds are no more and we are free, but we are so used to acting like slaves. Imagine being a slave of a prominent, loving master; a master known far and wide for how much he gives his slaves and how well he takes care of them. This master, YOUR master, comes to you saying “I love you so much that I want to adopt you into my family, sharing the same inheritance as my children” You would be dumbstruck. This man wants you to be in his family. You are not fit to even be in his house, but he wants to be your father. Though you are no longer a slave but now an heir, the life you led as a slave does not go away easily. Here we are told not to be like the slaves we once were, but like the children of God that we ARE .

“God is no longer to us a distant God. He is not merely a God in whom we believe intellectually, theologically, theoretically, and doctrinally only. All this is possible to one who is not a child of God at all. Our worship and praying is spontaneous; it is the spontaneity of the child who sees the Father, and not only spontaneity, but confidence: -- Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Romans 8:16 For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children.

What a comfort that is! Deep in our hearts, past all the sin and baggage, there is God reminding us that we are His. What’s broken, He shall fix. What hurts, He shall heal. What seems irreparable, He shall repair. Whatever it is about ourselves and our life that we just can’t seem to get through, we need to give it to God. He knows our heart because He lives there. We need to give him the reins and be led by the Spirit.

We are children of God! Against the forces of Satan, against sin and earthly pleasures, that is our battle cry! Get behind me Satan, for I am a child of God!!!

Spirit of the Living God

Romans 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by the same Spirit living within you

That first line, read it, take it in. Pause and think about having the SAME Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living in you. He doesn’t visit on the holidays, or occasionally chit chat, no he LIVES in me. No matter where I go, what I do, who I see that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is with me. The Spirit that parted the Red Sea, crushed the walls of Jericho and fed 5000 people lives in me. It’s humbling and I am the last person to deserve it. As the Easter story unfolds and as I celebrate God conquering death I pray that I remember that the same Spirit that accomplished all of this lives within me and I pray that day after day He leads me.

Romans 8:12 So dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what the sinful nature urges you to do.

I have four words for you. Easier. Said. Than. Done. But Paul knew. Paul speaks from experience. Sometimes the urge to sin is SO overwhelming. To just give in, just once, is so much easier than a constant battle. We think about the here and now, the temporary taste of satisfaction. We have those limitations but we don’t have to give in. Sure, it feels like we do. It seems that we’ll get no rest until the sinful nature is appeased, but that’s not God. God destroyed sin’s hold over us. We have a choice. We won’t win every battle…but we’ve already won the war.

Romans 8:13 For if you keep on following it you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live.

By the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it. Not yourself. When “you” is mentioned alone, so is the word “perish,” that’s what will happen. When we live life according to ourselves and our rules, we die. End of story.

But for Christians it’s not the end. We have the Holy Spirit to get us through temptation. Just as Jesus wasn’t alone when he was tempted neither are we. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we turn away from sin. Does this mean we are failures if we sin? YES. But thankfully God doesn’t look at us, He sees His Son, the sacrifice, and welcomes Him and His friends in as if they were His own.

Sinful nature vs Holy Spirit

Romans 8:8 – That is why those who are under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Verse 7 states that the sinful nature could never, never ever, obey God. If we are under the control of the sinful nature there is no way we could EVER please God. For me, my love of God drives my obedience. When I sin I usually feel guilty not because it happened, but because my love of myself trumped my love of God in that moment. The Holy Spirit resides in me….but so often the control I let it have is minimal. Sin is slavery. Christ has set me free yet most times I revert back to my enslaved condition. It is a vicious, vicious cycle. It makes sense why Paul couldn’t wait to be rid of this world, if I were more aware of just how atrocious my sin is I would be more impatient for heaven as well.

Romans 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Holy Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you (and remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all)

I find this verse hard to grasp but pretty self explanatory. Sometimes I’ve questioned whether or not I have the Spirit in me. I have accepted Christ as my Savior…EVERYONE has been given the Spirit when this occurs. The Spirit does not care about race, popularity, or wealth. If you are truly a Christian then you have the Spirit. Whether we follow the Spirit is another thing, but we have it in us at all times. We are never alone and never without help.

Romans 8:10 Since Christ lives in you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God.

YAY

Jesus turns the Values of the World Upside Down

“The pattern of the Cross means that the world’s glorification of power, might, and status is exposed and defeated. On the Cross Christ wins through losing, triumphs through defeat, achieves power through weakness and service, comes to wealth via giving all away. Jesus Christ turns the values of the world upside down.”


— Timothy Keller

The Reason for God

Our Default Ways

Day 5 – Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things. But those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit – Romans 8:5

This verse really got me thinking. I thought about what I think about (yeah…SO confusing). What thoughts dominate my mind? What consumes my days? Movies, music, actors, and books, everything it seems…except God. 

Day 6 – If your sinful nature controls your mind there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace – Romans 8:6

It sounds so bad, mind control. But either way something controls your mind. You (aka your sinful nature) or the Holy Spirit (when you deny yourself and follow Christ). And I love that there is no promise of money or happiness or health. There is life and there is peace. We live in a fallen world and we are plagued with sin both from ourselves and from others. The banks account may be low, the smile gone and the health waning…but you have the Holy Spirit and with him comes life and peace.

Following our sinful nature may be money and happiness and health…but those are temporary, they are like waves on a beach, there one minute and gone the next. And worst of all they lead no where. nothing is waiting at the end of life on this earth except death.

Day 7 – The sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws and it never will – Romans 8:7

This is the very reason why Jesus tells us that to follow Him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. The sinful nature is ALWAYS against God. The first man and woman listened to that voice and obeyed it..ever since then we battle with following our sinful ways or following God. It's a choice, free will, choose me or choose Him. And I don't know about you but for me, more often than not, I choose me. Denying myself gets better with discipline, but I'm not perfect and never will be on this earth. We were given the Holy Spirit for this very reason..so there was SOMEONE else telling us which way to go, because our default nature is TOTALLY against God. 

He Himself is the Healer

Jesus Christ is so far from hating us, who are His own flesh, that He applies all sorts of remedies with a strong patience for the cure of our infirmities, and He is moved to do it with the greater patience because He knows we shall be restored to perfect health and soundness indeed, and He Himself shall be the healer.

Finally, with an infinite love and joy, and glory to Himself, He will present us to Himself most glorious, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing.”



— Thomas Goodwin