davidbowerkingwood

Here in Part 3 we will complete our survey of Romans 8. I urge you to spend time in Chapters 5 – 8 of Romans as the message contained there is so fundamental to the successful and joyous Christian life.

Paul tells us, starting in Romans 8:18 and following, that all creation is under bondage to decay and is groaning and travailing in pain and we, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within as we “wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

I’ll admit that the older I get the more attractive the redemption of my body begins to appear.

The redemption of our bodies will be accomplished at the Rapture of the church; this is our hope, our blessed hope. Paul concludes this section with “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:24-25

While we are waiting and hoping we have our strong helper, God the Holy Spirit who “maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Now that is a glorious thought, God the Holy Spirit, who has taken up permanent residence in you, is also praying directly to God on your behalf.

Paul, again using the word know, then points out how all things are working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. It is important to note that the promise is not that all things will be good from the human perspective, but that all things are working together for good from the divine perspective.

To me that is a promise that in everything that happens I can see God’s hand working for my good even though I may not understand how that will come about. God’s plan for all of us is to live our lives by faith, not by sight, to trust in the Lord and not lean to our own understanding.

The balance of this chapter is the most outspoken defense of eternal security of the believer contained in the Bible. Starting in verse 28 Paul explains part of God’s purpose in leaving us on this earth and why things happen; He is in the process of conforming us to the image of His Son, we’ll wind up with a family resemblance to the Lord Jesus Christ. Although this process is begun on earth it will be completed at the Rapture of the church.

Our corrupted fallen image which we had received from Adam will be fully restored to the godly image which God had planned for us in Genesis 1:26 where God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” We will finally be the creation God had intended from the beginning. Praise God!

The chapter concludes with this statement, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.”  

That, I believe, pretty well covers it; you are God’s child forever! This is a present reality as well as a future fact; rejoice in your good fortune.

For those that may be interested, I have previously prepared brief study notes on Romans 6-8. If any of you would like a copy I have them available to email and will send them to you. I have the email address of all subscribers so just leave your request as a comment and I’ll send you complimentary copies of any or all as an attachment in a private email.