Tag: Romans 8

Dead Isn’t Inability

On By TimIn Death, Ephesians 021 Comment

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

Ephesians 2:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is a favorite proof-text for some. It is brought to bear upon a superstitious condition of men. That would be the alleged Total Depravity of humanity as touted in the Calvinist TULIP short-hand. What that attempts to pass off is that humans are born not being able to do anything that pleases God, not even exercises faith in what He says… Because they are born dead in sin.

As conversations around TULIP go, there are many well-worn, yet limited Scripture proofs offered. They are intended to be understood to offer proof of an external contention. The terms “election” and “predestination” usually are in play. As such, Romans chapters 8 & 9 are often used to succinctly explain (the TULIP believer’s) version of these terms.

As I was reading, I find this.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5–8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Here, Paul is not explaining that an unsaved person cannot do good, nor can a saved person, not sin. But it is the mindset of the unsaved. It is hostile toward God. A person with a mindset to sin is actively hostile toward God. It’s plain and simple. Sin brings death. God is opposed to death. (Even for believers.)

But to the point of the discussion, Paul continues.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. It’s not what such does or does not do, but Who lives inside.

And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.

Romans 8:10–11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is a promise a believer can hold fast to. As the Spirit lives in us we have the ability to put the deeds of the body to death. But nothing here is saying that a person that is born “dead in sins” cannot please God. In fact, what Paul says here is the antithesis that upends Total Depravity.

If a man born “dead in sins” can do nothing good; then a person whose body is dead “because of sin” ought not to be able to do things that displease God.

Dead men don’t sin. Yet saved men do sin. They do displease God.

What Paul is saying in both places, is that a person dead in sins is useless to the purposes God has already intended for him. The saved person’s body is reckoned dead because of sin. The word “dead” being used isn’t to mean like a physically dead person, but more like “useless for its intended purpose.” A dead battery cannot start a car.

That understanding is clearly evidenced in these:

So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

James 2:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

But do you want to be shown, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:20 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

James 2:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Faith without works is useless to the purposes God has intended. As is the body without the Spirit.

Heir of All Things

On By TimIn Hebrews 01, Jesus, Last Days1 Comment

God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the world.

Hebrews 1:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love the book of Hebrews. There is so much content that is embedded in the simple words given.

In this brief introduction, we can find some things that are worth undivided attention. Our first is God.

When we open the Bible, the first words in Genesis we encounter are “In the beginning God.” In just those four words, simple truth is taught. That is, God is before the beginning. The beginning introduces the concept of time. Think of that as an expanse for our existence. It is also as necessary to our existence in the universe as matter and space. We all occupy space because the matter we are made of has volume and that volume doesn’t always occupy the same space. Time is that ‘expanse’ for space and matter to move.

So too, the writer of Hebrews introduces God simply as He is.

We are then told that God spoke in diverse ways through the prophets. This is saying that He used the unique way He made each prophet to communicate truth to Israelis in the past. Much of what the prophets prophesied is recorded for us. I also think that the diverse ways hint to the fact that much can still be learned from them that applies to modern-day Israel, and by our grafting in… Us, too. The writer will use some of those writings to do just that.

Our focus is then drawn to Jesus. Jesus is the One by Who God spoke to Israel. This was probably personally witnessed by some of those who would read this epistle.

Jesus is Heir to all things. That this appointment comes from God Himself. We can assume that God has wants. He wants an heir. In fact, we believers are called joint-heirs with Jesus.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:14–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

By that little word heir, as it is connected to His Son, we see a familial relationship. When we examine that relationship, connecting the idea to other truths… We know that God wants human heirs.

Yet as we were excluded from inheritance by the first man’s sin, we can be adopted back into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Remember, He has been made heir of all things. In our adoption, we become heirs also.

This is something that is astounding. Not that we are adopted or even made heirs. But that we are joint-heirs. We get to share the inheritance!

When I say share the inheritance, it’s not like what happens here on Earth, where some of it goes to this person and another portion to that person.

Think about it… What did Jesus inherit?

If you are a believer… What will you inherit with Him?

Humans inherit all things. Just as it is supposed to be.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The apostle Paul asked a series of questions to the saints in Corinth. In his first epistle to them, he touched on this idea

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These ideas need to be kept in mind when reading this epistle. As we delve deeper into it, much will point to Jesus and the unique future bestowed upon humanity in Him, which involves an intimacy with God that few of us have even considered.

When the Apostle Paul Knows Modern Science

On By TimIn Apologetics, Romans 08Leave a comment

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. The eager expectation of the creation waits for the appearance of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:18–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is one of my favorite portions of Scripture if for only one reason, Paul understood clearly that the creation was in bondage to entropy.

Entropy is the tendency of all things to progress toward chaos and futility. It is how the universe will end. No more work can be done.

When work is done, there is an exchange of energy, but some is always lost. It’s a game that cannot be won. Eventually, enough work will be done to use up all of the energy in our universe. The work we do as a creation ends in futility.

It’s the law.

Entropy is the second law of thermodynamics.

Yet it wasn’t discovered by scientists until after the invention of the steam engine. Physicists were puzzled by the inefficiencies of steam power and sought to discover the answer.in their endeavors, the heat loss was discovered and explained. This was around the middle of the 19th century.

But here is Paul, writing hundreds of years before then…And them. He is telling us plainly that everything was subject to futility. It’s real. Creation was placed under bondage. Pail knew, but humans didn’t until relatively recently.

Yet creation is waiting to be set free.

How about you?

You might ask me why I would ask something like that. You work hard. You work to achieve things, to further yourself, to do better than your parents. The end of such labors is a modest grave. All of us die.

It is said that the good men do often lives after them. For how long?

See, we humans are also in bondage to that futility. We can work out, eat right… Give our bodies optimum nutrition. We can even attempt to avoid disease. We can do good things. But we still will die. We leave a fleeting imprint on this world and then we are taken from it.

It all sounds futile because it is.

You, too, can be set free.

That hope!

that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Paul is speaking of the time yet future when the entire creation is released from its bondage. Paul calls that release “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” That is for us believers who will return to this earth and reign with Jesus. These are those children of God.

If you want to be a part of that, and beat the cycle of futility, it’s easy. You can be a child of God.

Acknowledge that God is right. You need help. You need rescue from the futility.

Believe that Jesus is Who He said He was and did what He did… Died to reconcile God to men and rose again ascending to the Father making it possible for you and I to be reconciled to God.

Confess that belief out loud… That Jesus is the Lord God and that He rose from the dead. That you are a sinner and need your sins forgiven.

It’s that easy.