So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. He has just finished the doctrine of God’s salvation – we are justified by free grace in faith in Jesus Christ. We are free from the law of ceremony amd rituals which is inadequate in the production of holiness in the sinner to secure acceptance with God. Now in chapter 8 – beginning with my favorite verse 1, chapter 8: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” The theme of chapter 8 is salvation of those who renounce the law and accept Christ making salvation certain. This is the security of the true believer. At the moment of faith we receive the Spirit and are transformed by grace. The Spirit is the Spirit of life ; the love of God is infinite and unchangeable from which nothing can separate us.

Paul describes the justified as those who walk according to the Spirit and in saving faith in Christ they are at peace with God. The unbelieving mindset is on earthly gratification and hostile to God. Paul however turns to the reborn – those transformed in faith in Christ. You will know the Spirit of God has changed your hearts. The believer will be drawn to Christ Jesus and the Indwelling Spirit in faith. You will grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control which are all manifestations of the Spirit.

The faithful are still subject to death even thought the Spirit has given us eternal life. Without Christ life is grim and futile. As my favorite c.s. Lewis writes in the Great Divorce – There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God “Thy will be done.” And those to whom God says in the end “Thy will be done.” All those in hell choose it. Without that self choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it will he opened.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (9) ( for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) (10) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. (11) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (12) For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. (13) But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. (14) Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul and our verses today are guiding principles of how the faithful are to relate to and live in a morally dark world. Believers are to minimize merely cultural differences but warned not to downplay biblical truth. The theme is light – or life and knowledge versus darkness or spiritual death. Notice in verse 8 we are not just walking in light but we, as believers, ARE light. There has been a profound. change in us – a transformation – in our belief in the sufficiency of Christ and our new position in faith. Our hearts have been changed and as children of the light we walk in goodness and conformity to God’s word. We are people of truth with nothing to hide. The faithful are not being conformed to this world but are but living as good men/women acceptable to the Lord. This is not accomplished by feelings but by understanding God’s word – He speaks to us in the Bible.

As children of light we are not living holy (separate) lives to please others or to look good or out of selfish motives but to please God in our new personal relationship with God to whom we have direct access in Christ. There needs to be obvious differences in how we now live that will expose the darkness of sin. We need to be different in attitude, words and behaviors. In short we must be attractive to unbelievers and witnesses to the gospel. The result is peace with God and really nothing else much matters.

Verse 14 is probably an early Christian hymn about unbelievers being exposed to Christ and eternal truth. It’s important to remember that we were children of the darkness also; we were spiritually dead but now we walk in light because we are light in the Lord.

Therefore, having been justified in faith, we also have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; (4) character; and character, hope. (5) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (6) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even care to die. (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. For our study today, Paul has completed his case that God justifies sinners by faith alone in Christ and now addresses the false notion that good works – human effort – are necessary also. Paul is saying justification is a one time event , not a continual ongoing process. And the faithful are preserved in this work of Christ, not by human effort. Salvation is not Jesus AND. The believer now has access to God in Christ which was alien to Jewish thinking and reliance on ritual and the high priest. In Christ we can never be separated from the love of God; we do not need Mary or the saints or a priest but in faith we have access to God and permanent standing in God’s Grace.

This justification in Christ causes us to exult in hope of our certain future in sharing the glory of God. We are to exult in trials which will produce endurance resulting in proven (tested) character and sure hope. This is an act of will and hope and grace. Our present life (outer man/woman) is decaying but our inner person is being renewed. What anchors our hope is the outpouring of Gods love through the Holy Spirit and our certain hope of heaven is pure because it isn’t based on anything in us. If we as sinners needed Christ’s death to save us, then heaven cannot be due in any way to our good works or human merit. All works based salvation is false and the sure hope of heaven is in spite of us

We have hope of heaven in Christ or no hope at all. Salvation is always of the Lord

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, (10) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

The second letter to Timothy was written by the apostle Paul to his beloved son in faith. Paul was in the Mamertine prison in Rome awaiting execution. He tells Timothy, as his successor but not an apostle, that Luke was with him and likely Luke transcribed these words. The entire last letter was written from love but also in  his authority as an apostle by the will of God, encouraging and commanding Timothy to be unafraid; not intimidated or ashamed of Paul or of the Lord Jesus whose gospel he preached in the certainty of doctrine.  Paul calls the gospel “the testimony of our Lord”.

Persecution was escalating for the Christians under the emperor Nero and in every chapter of this letter Paul mentions suffering to be expected.  Beginning with verse 8 and the word Therefore, Paul points back to the reason why the faithful are to remain steadfast in suffering: Because we are saved in Christ. As believers we need to be aware always of what and why and who we are.  God is sovereign in salvation; God takes the initiative and sent His son who entered time and space  to save sinners.  We needed this because we were spiritually dead in Adam and alienated from God. We were unable to save ourselves.  We are commanded to repent and believe but this does not imply the ability to do so.  Some cannot hear these words and instead act according to their nature but some God has awakened – this is not a result of words but of grace. Salvation is personal for God’s sovereign purpose and limited only by man’s will. This knowledge will give us strength in all trials and assure us that God will finish what he has begun in the faithful.

There is no salvation apart from the appearing of Christ.  The faithful/elect are called with a holy calling.  Amen

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-, (17) For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (18) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in the justification of life. (19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul addresses physical and spiritual death in Adam contrasting with spiritual life in Christ Jesus. The whole history of man can be summed up in terms of Adam’s sin and what has happened and will happen in Christ.

Adam’s sin is imputed to us all and all men sinned. (There goes the immaculate conception). The reason death comes to us all is not because of our sins but because of Adam’s imputed sin to us. Because of Adam man died both physical and spiritual death and was separated from God. And the reason there is eternal life is not because of our good works but because of Christ’s righteous act imputed to the faithful by free grace. God, in Christ does not just forgive our sins, He bestows the righteousness of Christ on the faithful. Paul is NOT teaching that ALL men will be saved but that all in faith in Christ will be saved; the restorative/transformative effects of justification in Christ overcome the effects of the fall. Adam affected all people; Christ’s obedience affects all believers.

My favorite verse in Romans (8:1) sums up the the certain hope in Christ: “There is now no condemnation to those who Are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” In Christ God is at peace with us.