By:  Elder Bill McCarthy

There was a time when nearly every sermon I heard among the Primitive Baptists would include something from this marvelous chapter, which is perhaps the zenith of the greatest legal brief ever written. It’s full appreciation must come with a reading of all the chapters before this one, but it does make wonderful reading by itself.

 

The chapter opens with an affirmation of our life in Christ Jesus:

“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.” Rom 8:2-5.

This certainly affirms Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 2:14, and establishes the fact of the spiritual family of God, which is reachable by spiritual means and not by carnal means, as affirmed by Rom 8:7-8, “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.”  Thus, all the attempted carnal means of appealing to the flesh (such as preaching salvation to the natural man) are for naught. See Rom 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

In passing we note that we are helped to pray properly by the Spirit, “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.” Rom 8:26.

Next we come upon that wonderful assurance that all things are under God’s control, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28. See Psalms 76:10, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain.” Simply put, no matter how bad things become, God assures that everything in time will turn out alright.

And speaking of assurance, please note Rom 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” Thus, to lay any thing against one of God’s elect the accuser must overcome God’s justification (declaration of innocence).

Of course, the best of the best taught by this chapter is found in the last few verses:

“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.” Rom 8:35-39.

I believe that this is the strongest and most direct language in the Scriptures assuring God’s people of his ownership of their destiny. They are heaven bound and nothing, I repeat, nothing, can deter the Will of God as expressed here. □

Reprinted from Church Newsletter - May 25, 2014