1-13-21 Romans Chapter 8
Romans Chapter 8 :: By Candy Austin
Apostatize – To abandon one’s religious faith, a political party, one’s principles, or a cause. To forsake or abandon one’s belief, faith, or allegiance. To commit apostasy. To abandon one’s cause or party usually to join another.
A few years ago before our Youngest ‘Apostatized from the Faith,’ she decided one day that she wanted to memorize all of Romans Chapter 8! At the time, I remember being so happy that I thought at least one of our girls was on the ‘straight and narrow path’ towards Righteousness! Our Youngest even recorded a video of herself reciting this whole chapter by memory. It was a proud day for me to know that she was seemingly ‘Walking with the Lord’ at the time.
3 John 1:4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Romans Chapter 8
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 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. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 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.
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 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.”
Even if her memorizing this whole chapter turned out to be just ‘head knowledge’ and obviously did not sink in and become ‘heart knowledge,’ my prayer is that one day, before it is too late, she will be able to retrieve these ‘Living Words of God’ buried somewhere in her memory and be able to truly apply it to her heart and life!
One of the last things she said to me on the phone before she completely turned her back on God and us was this, “I don’t want to do stuff for you anymore; I don’t want to BE YOU!” This was her in essence stating that by her being a Christian it was (1) apparently only for my benefit and (2) that she did not want to be one anymore.
I know it was not fun for her to be a Christian in High School when everyone was learning how to smoke weed, having sex, and doing all of the ‘fleshly and worldly things’ while she was choosing to stay home to refrain from all those youthful lusts, for the ‘Faith.’ No, being a Christian is not going to be fun for young people; if anything, it practically ‘alienates you from most people’ because most people in this World are Lost!
A ‘hypothetical pie chart,’ for example, would basically reveal that a large percentage – say 90% of the World’s Population – choose to go down the Wide Road to Destruction, while only a small percentage – say 10% — choose to walk the Narrow and Difficult Path to Eternal Life! This is utterly tragic but, at the same time, ultimately true!
From Gotquestions.org: What does “Many are called but few are chosen” in Matthew 22:14 mean?
Many people hear the call of God coming through His revelation of Himself through creation, the conscience, and the preaching of the Word. But only the “few” will respond because they are the ones who are truly hearing. Jesus said many times, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8, 14:35). The point is that everyone has ears, but only a few are listening and responding. Not everyone who hears the gospel receives it but only the “few” who have ears to hear. The “many” hear, but there is no interest or there is outright antagonism toward God. Many are called or invited into the kingdom, but none are able to come on their own. God must draw the hearts of those who come; otherwise they will not (John 6:44).
How do we know if we are among the few that have ears to hear? By responding to the call. Assurance of this certain call, this chosen call, is from the Holy Spirit.
Consider Philippians 1:6, which says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13.)
If we listen with our spiritual ears and respond to the invitation, there will be fear and trembling in our souls as we recognize that it was God’s work in us that caused our salvation. – Source
As a ‘Chosen Child of God,’ we have the privilege of handling the Very Words of God! Romans Chapter 8 is a Beautiful, Awesome, and Wonderful chapter on the Believer’s Salvation in where we cry, “Abba Father” through having received the Spirit of Adoption! We all should read and study this chapter, or any chapter in God’s Word for that matter!
Not only that, but we should let it sink into our minds and hearts and not let it be just ‘head knowledge’ but let it become ‘heart knowledge’ and truly apply it to our lives! From what I have come to know and see in our Prodigals’ lives by now, we would truly be Blessed if we just chose to forsake the things of the Flesh and instead embrace the things of the Spirit of God!
Until next time… Maranatha!
(JESUS = THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE!)
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