The Twenty-Second in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

God will not only save all of those whom he has chosen in Christ, he will also save all creation from the horrible effects of the fall of the human race into sin.  In Romans 8:18-25, Paul’s focus moves from the individual dimension of sanctification to the cosmic dimension.  In the last few sermons, we have seen how God redeems his people “in Christ” by removing from them the curse, condemnation, and bondage to sin.  Now we will see how “in Christ” God redeems all of creation, thereby ensuring glorious freedom for all of God’s people, and all that God has made.

Once again, this section of Romans must be viewed against the backdrop of Paul’s eschatological contrast between the “already/not yet,” between “this age,” and the “age to come,” what we are “in Christ” vs. what we were “in Adam.”  As we saw last time, in Romans 8:17 when Paul wrote–“Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”–the apostle begins to contrast the suffering associated with this present age with the glory of the age to come.  As believers share in Christ’s suffering, so too, creation groans under our feet.  But for all those in Christ, present suffering will give way to eschatological glory and the creation itself will be liberated from the principle of decay.  God will save his people and God will renew his creation.

A number of commentators point out that according to Paul’s eschatological categories, suffering belongs to “this present evil age” while glory belongs to the “age to come.”  Because of the fall of the human race into sin, suffering is one characteristic of “the already,” while glorification in Christ is the mark of the “not yet.”  Since our suffering will finally come to an end at the second coming of Christ, the Christian’s unquenchable hope in the midst of present suffering is that the glories of the age to come will become a reality on the Day of Christ Jesus.  And yet, Paul’s point is that even in the midst of our sufferings which we must endure in this present evil age, even now, in some way, we participate in the glories of the “not yet” through word and sacrament.  Therefore, the theme of glory and how we participate in it now and how it gives us hope for the future, dominates the balance of this entire chapter.

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The Twenty-First in a Series of Sermons on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In Romans 8:1-11, Paul sets out a stark contrast between the those who walk in the flesh (non-Christians) and those who walk in the Spirit (those who trust in Christ).  But this is also a contrast between two eschatological ages:  “this present age” which is dominated by the flesh, and the “age to come,” which is an age characterized by life in Christ.  To be in Christ is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  And to be indwelt by the Spirit is to have life and peace.  But those who remain “in Adam” are bound to the flesh and subject to death.  To be in Adam is to belong the old order of things which even now is passing away.  But to be in Christ is to be a citizen of the age to come and entitled to all of the benefits of heavenly citizenship including a glorious inheritance and an intimate relationship with God, our heavenly father.

In Romans 8:1-11, Paul has stated that we are given life in Christ through the indwelling the Holy Spirit, and we are now freed from sin, death and the condemnation of the law.  In verses 12-17, Paul now turns his attention to some of implications of this indwelling for Christian believers.  While there are no imperatives (commands) in this section, nevertheless, Paul’s words serve as an implicit exhortation for Christians to act in a certain way, especially in light of the knowledge of our present standing in Christ. 

In Romans 7:14-25, Paul describes the Christian life as an intense struggle with indwelling sin–which we spoke of in terms of an unwanted tenant or squatter who refuses to leave even though his former dwelling is under new ownership–and Paul goes on to say that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  This is because Christ has borne our condemnation upon the cross.  Because we are in Christ, we fulfill the righteous requirements of the law.  To be in Christ is to walk in the Spirit and no longer walk after the flesh.  To walk in the flesh as we did “in Adam” is to hate God and to be unwilling and unable to obey his commandments.  But Paul’s whole point is that we are no longer in the flesh and because we walk in the Spirit there are consequences for the Christian life now set forth in verses 12-17.

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The Twentieth in a Series of Sermon on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In the first eleven verses of Romans 8, Paul sets out a dramatic contrast between those who walk in the flesh and those who walk in the Spirit.  While many of us have been taught that Paul is talking about a fundamental choice that every Christian must face–whether to walk after the Spirit or walk after the flesh–instead, Paul is contrasting a Christian (who walks after the Spirit) and a non-Christian (who walks after the flesh).

As we pointed out last time, in order to make the best sense of this section, we must place it in context.  In Romans 8:1, Paul returns to a point he had made in Romans 7:6– “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”  But after making his original point about the contrast between the new way of the Spirit and the old way of the written code, Paul digresses in Romans 7:7-25 to explain the effects of the law upon a Christian both before and after their conversion.  Having described in Romans 7:14-25 the intense struggle with sin that all Christians face because they have been set free from sin, death and the condemnation of the law, in Romans 8:1, Paul states that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ, even in the midst of this intense struggle.  Having made this important point, Paul moves on to contrast what it means to walk in the flesh as opposed to walking in the Spirit.

Last time we dealt with the first four verses of this section of Romans 8.  We focused upon two things. First, Paul reminds us that the reason there is now no condemnation for those in Christ is because Christ has borne our condemnation in his own body through his suffering upon the cross, having made himself a sin offering for us.  Second, we discussed Paul’s comment in verse 4, that the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us.  As we pointed out, there are two main interpretations of this verse.  One is the traditional Reformed view, which holds that the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us, because Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to us.  The other prevailing view–the so-called “consensus view” held by most contemporary Reformed commentators–holds that Paul is speaking of the new obedience of a Christian.  No longer under condemnation and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it is argued that the Christian does indeed obey the commandments so as to fulfill the law.  Based upon the reasons set forth last time, I believe the traditional Reformed view makes the best sense of the passage.

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The Nineteenth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

In Romans 7:14-25, Paul describes the Christian’s struggle with indwelling sin.  But in Romans 8, Paul speaks of the Christian’s victory over sin.  Many see this as a pattern of sanctification.  Mature Christians supposedly live in Romans 8 and walk in the Spirit, because they have advanced beyond the  struggle of Romans 7:14-25 because they no longer walk in the flesh.  However, the contrast between the conditions of Romans 7 and Romans 8 is a contrast between Christians, who walk in the Spirit since they have been set free from sin, death and the condemnation of the law, and non-Christians, who walk in the flesh, remaining bound to sin and death while under the condemnation of the law.  This means that the struggle with sin of Romans 7 is a reality for every Christian.  But so too is the victory Paul describes in Romans 8.

We now move into the first eleven verses of Romans 8.  Paul reminds struggling sinners that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, even in the midst of their struggle with sin, before the apostle goes on to contrast those who walk after the flesh (those “in Adam”) with those who walk in the Spirit (those “in Christ”).  As we move into Romans 8, “we find ourselves in a different atmosphere from that in chapter 7.  There is still the opposition between good and evil, but the dominant note is that of victory.”  It is vital to notice that this is not the believer’s victory over the struggle with sin described in chapter 7.  Rather, the victory of which Paul speaks is Christ’s victory over sin, death and the condemnation of the law.  Because the Christian has been set free they must struggle with sin, since having been justified they are also in the process of sanctification.  Only a freed slave struggles with living like the bond-servant they once were.  Someone who has never known freedom from bondage to sin knows nothing of the struggle to live as a freedman. 

To properly interpret Romans 8:1-11, we need to place this section of Paul’s argument in its context.  This section is the “triumphant conclusion of 5:12-21.”  For all those who are “in Christ,” “eternal life replaces the condemnation and death that were the lot of everybody in Adam.”  This is why it is so important to keep the overall structure of Romans 5-8 in view as we work our way through this particular section.  Even though we are “in Christ,” we remain in the flesh until death or the resurrection.  We all struggle to avoid sinning but we sin anyway.  We desire to do what is right but we don’t do it.  But we are reminded by Paul that there is, now no condemnation for those in Christ.  Thus the victory of Romans 8 is not our victory over the struggle with sin.  Paul is describing Christ’s victory over sin in which we all now participate because of our union with him.

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The Eighteenth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

According to the Apostle Paul, the normal Christian life entails an intense struggle with sin.  Although there are times of great progress in the Christian life, these momentary victories serve to point us to that glorious day when we will completely triumph over sin.  But until that day comes–at the time of our death or the Lord’s return, which ever comes first–every Christian must certainly empathize with Paul when he laments that even though he delights in the law of God, he still does the very thing he knows is wrong.  Even though he has been set free from sin, death and the condemnation of the law, Paul knows himself to be a wretched man, sold as a slave to sin. 

Beginning in Romans 5:12-21, Paul contrasts what we are “in Christ” with what we were “in Adam.”  Thus all believers have been transferred from the dominion or realm of Adam to the dominion or realm of Christ.  But even though this transfer is a reality for all Christians (not just those who supposedly live victorious Christian lives), in Romans 7:14-25 Paul tells us that because we remain in “the flesh,” we will struggle with habitual (or indwelling) sin until we die.  Having been set free by Christ from those things that once enslaved us in Adam, the struggle that each one of us now faces is to act like the free men and women that we are.  We must stop acting like the slaves to sin we once were.  This is the essence of the struggle with sin described by Paul in Romans 7:14-25.  And this struggle is one important characteristic of the normal Christian life.

As you may recall, last time we tackled the critical question to be faced by all those who encounter this passage.  Is Paul talking about his own experience in these verses, or is he describing a hypothetical Jew struggling with the conviction of sin brought about by the law, which provides no relief from sin’s guilt and power?  If Paul is indeed talking about his own experience, then the question is whether or not Paul is describing that time before his conversion (as he did in Romans 7:7-13), or his present struggle with sin, even though he be an apostle.  Since we discussed this in some detail last time, let me simply state here that in my estimation, the evidence is overwhelming that Paul is speaking of his present experience as an apostle, and that the struggle with sin depicted in this passage is that of the normal Christian life.

Having addressed the critical interpretive question regarding this identity of the “wretched man” last time, we now turn our attention to the details of this passage and we will also address some of the ramifications of the inevitable struggle with indwelling sin.

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The Seventeenth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

Romans 7:14-25 is one of the most important, but disputed passages in the New Testament.  This is because in this passage Paul describes a struggle with sin so intense that he can characterize it as follows: “when I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”  When the apostle seeks to avoid doing evil, he ends up doing it anyway.  In fact, throughout these verses, Paul speaks of sin almost as a power or force which takes hold of him, taking him prisoner (“sold as a slave to sin,” as he puts it), even though in his heart, he delights in the law of God.  In a lament of despair the apostle cries out in verse 24, “what a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

The news of the gravity and intensity of this struggle with sin either comes as a welcome relief to Paul’s reader–who may have a similar struggle–or as a word of warning that if this is their experience also, they need to move on to the victory over sin the apostle will describe in Romans 8.  The dispute over this text centers around a very simple but important question.  Is Paul talking about his present experience as a Christian, even that of an apostle?  Or is Paul talking about that period of his life before he came to faith in Jesus Christ.  Perhaps, Paul is not even talking about himself at all.  Perhaps Paul is describing someone who has been convicted of their sin by the Law of God, but who has not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ.  But make no mistake about it–however we interpret Romans 7, it will dramatically impact our understanding of the Christian life.

This is one of those passages in the Bible where we hit a genuine fork in the interpretive road.  As baseball player-philosopher Yogi Berra once put it, “if you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  We do not have the option of remaining undecided about this text, because how we interpret it will affect virtually every aspect of the Christian life.  From the doctrine of justification, to the doctrine of sanctification, to our expectations about the Christian life and how we choose to live it, to the kind of teaching and preaching we hear in the church, to the way in which we deal with our troubled consciences, to the way we pray, how we interpret these few verses has such dramatic consequences for our daily lives as Christians that we have no choice but to make a choice!

If Paul is talking about his present struggle with sin, even the struggle with sin as experienced by an apostle, then Romans 7:14-25 should be interpreted as speaking of the normal Christian life.  This means that Paul’s struggle to do what is right and avoid doing evil, coupled with his failure to do so as depicted throughout, is the same struggle with sin that every Christian faces on a daily basis.  If we interpret Paul in this way, the struggle with sin described by Paul is the inevitable consequence of being transferred from the domination of sin, the law and death (what we were in Adam–to use the categories Paul sets out in Romans 5:12-21) to the dominion of Christ.  As we saw in chapters 6 and 7 of Romans, although we have been set free from sin, death and the condemnation of the law because we were buried with Christ in baptism and have risen with him to newness of life, nevertheless, we still think and act like what we were in Adam, while we were under the dominion of this present evil age.  This is why the imperative (command) which Paul gives to his reader back in Romans 6:11, focuses upon the need to reckon ourselves dead to sin, but alive unto God.  It takes a fair bit of time for someone who has known only slavery, to learn to live as a freedman.

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The Sixteenth in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

When Paul tells us in Romans 6:14 that we are no longer under law but under grace, he’s referring to the fact that now that we are in Christ (and, therefore, under grace), the law no longer condemns us.  In Romans 7:1-6, Paul continues to discuss this, reminding us that apart from Christ, the law held us captive and aroused our sinful passions so that we bore fruit for death.  But now we are released from the law, because we died with Christ.  In Romans 7:7-13, Paul continues his discussion of the Christian’s relationship to the law.  The law of God is holy, and the commandments are holy, righteous, and good.  And yet that same law arouses the desire within us to sin.  Why is that?  How did that which is good become death to us?  As Paul will tell us, God gave us the law to show us that our sin is utterly sinful.  We would not know what sin was, Paul says, were it not for the commandments of God.

We are working our way though Romans chapters 6-8 and looking at Paul’s doctrine of sanctification.  Building upon the distinction he set forth in Romans 5:12-21 between the damage wrought by Adam and the superabounding grace of Jesus Christ, Paul makes the point that all those in Jesus Christ have died with Christ and will rise to newness of life.  Having set forth Christ’s death, burial and resurrection as pattern for our own sanctification, Paul began this discussion not with a list of things we should do or avoid, but by reminding us that sanctification begins with the recognition that we have died with Christ, we have been buried with Christ, and that we have been raised with Christ.  And having been reminded of this, Paul asks, “how then, can we continue to live as slaves to sin, offering ourselves as instruments of unrighteousness?”  Rather, the apostle’s point is that having been set free from sin and its condemnation, we are now free for the first time to offer ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.

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