8-Day Commentary Challenge - Romans 8Sample

The Indwelling Spirit and Moral Transformation into the Sons of God, 8:12–16

But what about the life now in the body? Has the Spirit nothing to contribute? How does the “life” made possible because of our justification (v. 10) actually manifest itself in our death-bound lives? Paul has already said that the Christian as a Christian is one who lives not in accordance with the flesh (sinful nature) but in accordance with the Spirit (vv. 4–11). But does this mean that Christians now, because they are “in the Spirit,” automatically follow God’s will? The answer must be no, for in verses 12–16 Christians are specifically exhorted to “live according to the . . . Spirit.” Remember in chapter 6 how Paul stated that because of their union with Christ in death and resurrection believers are “free from sin” and then he proceeded to exhort them to fight against sin and yield themselves as servants to righteousness? Delivered and yet not delivered. Here likewise we Christians have been shown to be ultimately free from death (vv. 11, 21) due to the Spirit who indwells, but we must in the present life fight the sin and death principle as it works itself out in our bodies.

To live in accordance with the sinful nature (the flesh) in separation from God leads to death both now and eternally. Since Christians have been removed from the servitude to the sinful flesh (self) and put into the service of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of life and immortality, they are obligated (morally) not to live their lives under the rule of the sinful flesh (v. 12). Rather, Christians are to “put to death the misdeeds of the body” that they might live (v. 13). Here is the principle for moving into the practice of holy living. It may be called spiritual neurosurgery. Phillips’s translation reads: “cut the nerve of your instinctive actions by obeying the Spirit.” “Put to death the misdeeds of the body” refers to our continual (present tense) activity as Christians whereby, through the enablement provided by the Spirit, we strike down in death those sinful practices of the body that are contrary to God’s will. More specifically, how this is done Paul does not say in this context. The “misdeeds [Gk. praxeis, habits, treacherous plots] of the body” are probably to be identified with “whatever belongs to your earthly nature” of Colossians 3:5, which are enumerated as: “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (see also Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 4:22–5:14).

Although in this context the spiritual neurosurgery is primarily negative, it assumes that the process is a renewal, not simply a destruction. The dead leaves and branches of the sinful practices fall away only to make room for the “fruit of the Spirit” (Rom. 6:21–22; 7:4; Gal. 5:22–23). The weed-killer of the Spirit is applied so that the grass of the graces of God might be free to grow. So in practice we do not seek mere patience or love or purity (this is a moralistic approach), but we seek the release of Christ’s life, i.e., His patience, love, and purity, by following the promptings of the Spirit. The Christian life is an exchanged life. Such a process leads truly to “life” now as well as eternal and immortal life in the future.

Verse 14 is transitional. Paul concludes the thought of the previous verses by asserting that all who are thus “led by the Spirit of God [to be constantly putting to death the deeds of the body] are the children of God.” In verses 16–17 the expression is “God’s children.” “The terms are synonymous here and should not be distinguished” (Schreiner, Romans, 423). The truth of the Spirit’s leading suggests not general guidance as to what God would have us do (vocation) but rather what we should be (character). All the children of God enjoy this leading; however, it is not optional. Because “led” often implies the process whereby our desires lead us (2 Tim. 3:6 nasb), perhaps the thought of Paul is that the Holy Spirit imparts new desires and promptings into the redeemed life to which the Christian develops a sensitivity in responding both negatively (killing process) and positively (in the fruit-bearing process). “The daily, hourly putting to death the schemings and enterprises of the sinful flesh by means of the Spirit is a matter of being led, directed, impelled, controlled by the Spirit” (Cranfield, Romans, 1:395).

“Sons” of God includes being children of God but also involves in the Roman world of Paul’s day the idea of a new, mature stage in the child’s development that related him to his father as a joint heir and master over all (Gal. 3:26; 4:6–7).

Alternately the Jewish background might be in Paul’s mind, thus alluding to the exodus of Israel from Egypt (slavery) and to God calling His redeemed people “sons” or “children” who were in turn “led” through the wilderness by God.

The Spirit, who now relates to us in a new way of life even though we are still in the old human sin nature (vv. 1–14), is also the “Spirit of sonship” (v. 15 rsv). Verses 15–16 continue the thought of the preceding verse by stressing assurance that as Christians we are actually related to God as “sons” and not as those under slavery. Fear comes from the absence of authentic hope and leads to enslavement by inferior earthly powers that promise deliverance. But Christians have been made true children of God (adopted) and possess the assurance of genuine hope. The evidence of this family relation to God is the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. This witness of our filial relationship to God is seen most clearly in Christians’ urgent praying where we cry, “Abba, Father.” The expression, “Abba, Father” combines the untranslated Aramaic word abba, which means “father” in a very personal, intimate sense (Mark 14:36 with Matt. 26:42) with the Greek word for father, pater. Only Jesus uses this intimate form of prayer in the Gospels because of His unique sonship (Mark 14:36). When Christians cry out to God, the Spirit of sonship incites them to say as a child would to his father, “Abba,” or “papa,” or “daddy,” or “dear father.”

Furthermore, “the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (v. 16). This is an additional witness for our sonship borne directly to our spirit. This consciousness perhaps consists in the undefinable but real conviction through the promises of God that we now belong to God (1 John 5:6, 9–12). Note that the Holy Spirit is personal and that He is a distinct being separate from our own human spirit.