What does it mean to be "In Christ?" Pt. 4 No separation from God's love!
Here we are this good morning with another day of life from our Father's hand. I hope that it is a day where our hearts are filled with thanksgiving for the rich treasure of blessings God the Father has given us in Christ. (I am ready for coffee, though:)
Paul continues in Romans 8 with passionate joy because of being in Christ and sharing in such great blessings. He spends time teaching us that believers are justified and declared righteous by God as they stand in His grace. Believers are no longer under condemnation and wrath and instead are possessors of eternal life.
The intense battle between the Spirit and our flesh
Romans 7 is where Paul tells us of the struggle of a Christian in battling the indwelling sin. Romans 8 is where Paul explains the joys and strength we receive in our new man from the indwelling Spirit of God. In fact, the Spirit of God is mentioned 18 times in chapter 8!
Rom 8:5-9 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The apostle puts in contrast the heart of a born again Christian compared to the heart of an unsaved person. The unsaved person has a heart that is set upon the things of this world and obtaining or doing those things that temporarily satisfy the flesh. The unbeliever has no interest in the things of God. The carnal mind ultimately leads to spiritual and physical death and is controlled by the sin nature of that person.
In contrast, the believer in Christ has a different heart, one that cares for the things of God and one that is spiritually alive. The believer has a mind that is focused upon doing those things that please God out of the deepest gratitude for all that God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ. The spiritually minded person is sensitive and yielded to the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
A believer in Christ will show evidence of being led by the Spirit
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 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. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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.
All born again believers have the Spirit of God living in their heart. One reason God gave us His Spirit was so we could live a life that pleases God by being led, guided and directed by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God will bear witness to the spirit of the new man in Christ that this person is indeed a child of God, adopted into God's family and given an inheritance with Christ.
Paul provides insight into the fact that each believer is a partaker of the sufferings of Christ. Jesus was rejected, reproached, opposed, hated and scorned but He did not resist any of it because He suffered in our place for our sins. Each believer who determines to live for the glory of God will be subject to suffering just as Jesus was subjected to suffering.
There is another type of suffering that the believer will endure and that is the new battle between our old sin nature and the indwelling Spirit of God who seeks to conform us to Christ. It is a battle between the Spirit and our flesh and they are opposing forces. (Galatians 5:16-26)
John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The disciples of Jesus Christ can expect to receive hatred from the world. Jesus made it clear that a joint heir with Christ means not only sharing in heaven treasures of Christ but also means that we will share in His sufferings.
Paul talks about suffering and persecution and trials as he closes out Romans 8. He also tells us how the Spirit of God helps us in our prayer life with groaning that cannot be uttered and how He assists us because He knows our weaknesses. Paul highlights the wonder of God working all things out for our good to all who love God.
This brings us to the point where we find the next usage of "in Christ."
Nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from the love of God in Christ
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 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.
Paul raises the important question "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" He listed many aspects of suffering for Christ and of difficult situations a believer may encounter. Paul's list includes 18 different types of things that can happen to us like tribulation, distress, persecution, peril, famine, war, death, or anything in the spiritual world.
None of the things can separate the believer from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God's love will always rest upon the born again child of God. God's love is unconditional in all respects. John 3:16-18 may be the greatest manifestation of God's love.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The love of God is so overwhelming that He put His love toward sinners as Christ died in our place. This love of God is shed abroad or gushes into and out of our hearts by the Spirit of God. (Romans 5:5) The love of God corrects us when we stray. The love of God welcomes the wandering child back like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15. God the Father always deals with us in love and we ought to fully bask in this essential truth.
Points to Ponder.....
Paul continues in Romans 8 with passionate joy because of being in Christ and sharing in such great blessings. He spends time teaching us that believers are justified and declared righteous by God as they stand in His grace. Believers are no longer under condemnation and wrath and instead are possessors of eternal life.
The intense battle between the Spirit and our flesh
Romans 7 is where Paul tells us of the struggle of a Christian in battling the indwelling sin. Romans 8 is where Paul explains the joys and strength we receive in our new man from the indwelling Spirit of God. In fact, the Spirit of God is mentioned 18 times in chapter 8!
Rom 8:5-9 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The apostle puts in contrast the heart of a born again Christian compared to the heart of an unsaved person. The unsaved person has a heart that is set upon the things of this world and obtaining or doing those things that temporarily satisfy the flesh. The unbeliever has no interest in the things of God. The carnal mind ultimately leads to spiritual and physical death and is controlled by the sin nature of that person.
In contrast, the believer in Christ has a different heart, one that cares for the things of God and one that is spiritually alive. The believer has a mind that is focused upon doing those things that please God out of the deepest gratitude for all that God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ. The spiritually minded person is sensitive and yielded to the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
A believer in Christ will show evidence of being led by the Spirit
Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 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. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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.
All born again believers have the Spirit of God living in their heart. One reason God gave us His Spirit was so we could live a life that pleases God by being led, guided and directed by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God will bear witness to the spirit of the new man in Christ that this person is indeed a child of God, adopted into God's family and given an inheritance with Christ.
Paul provides insight into the fact that each believer is a partaker of the sufferings of Christ. Jesus was rejected, reproached, opposed, hated and scorned but He did not resist any of it because He suffered in our place for our sins. Each believer who determines to live for the glory of God will be subject to suffering just as Jesus was subjected to suffering.
There is another type of suffering that the believer will endure and that is the new battle between our old sin nature and the indwelling Spirit of God who seeks to conform us to Christ. It is a battle between the Spirit and our flesh and they are opposing forces. (Galatians 5:16-26)
John 15:18-20 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
The disciples of Jesus Christ can expect to receive hatred from the world. Jesus made it clear that a joint heir with Christ means not only sharing in heaven treasures of Christ but also means that we will share in His sufferings.
Paul talks about suffering and persecution and trials as he closes out Romans 8. He also tells us how the Spirit of God helps us in our prayer life with groaning that cannot be uttered and how He assists us because He knows our weaknesses. Paul highlights the wonder of God working all things out for our good to all who love God.
This brings us to the point where we find the next usage of "in Christ."
Nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from the love of God in Christ
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 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.
Paul raises the important question "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" He listed many aspects of suffering for Christ and of difficult situations a believer may encounter. Paul's list includes 18 different types of things that can happen to us like tribulation, distress, persecution, peril, famine, war, death, or anything in the spiritual world.
None of the things can separate the believer from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God's love will always rest upon the born again child of God. God's love is unconditional in all respects. John 3:16-18 may be the greatest manifestation of God's love.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The love of God is so overwhelming that He put His love toward sinners as Christ died in our place. This love of God is shed abroad or gushes into and out of our hearts by the Spirit of God. (Romans 5:5) The love of God corrects us when we stray. The love of God welcomes the wandering child back like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15. God the Father always deals with us in love and we ought to fully bask in this essential truth.
Points to Ponder.....
- The new birth brings a new conflict into our lives.
- The Spirit and our old man are locked in a battle and victory comes as we submit to the leadership of God's Spirit.
- The world is going to hate us and we will share in Christ's sufferings.
- There is nothing in the spiritual realm and nothing in the world that can separate us from God's love.
This post shows us the reality that we can experience and we can be immersed in the vast love of God only when we are born again and are "In Christ." The love of God finds its fullest and most powerful manifestation in the work and person of Jesus Christ. Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING can separate us from that wonderful LOVE when we are IN CHRIST.
Bob
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