Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. I find myself reading it over and over. I suspect that the reason for this attraction to this portion of the inspired word of God is the fact that it tells me something that draws from me a sigh of relief, in that while I am a sinner, I am still promised by the grand maker of this universe that the sacrifice that his (God's) son, Jesus, made 2000 years ago is still at work today. It's at work for those who repent and put their trust in him, and follow him.
I should have been up there on that cross going through the horror that surpasses anything Stephen King would have thought up in his creepy little check under my bed before I go to sleep and leave the light on till the morning mind of his, only afterwards to be thrown into a fiery hell forever. Stephen King did in fact tell me that, by the way. No, really. He did. Straight through the TV during an interview. Forgot what late night show that was. I'm sure you can find it as you waste your time away on YouTube here in a minute. Made ya check, huh?
What? You think I'm hard on myself? You betcha. Because I deserve that fiery pit. No, I'm not very proud of it, either. And here's another thing - so do you. Oops! Did I offend somebody? Not the intention here, but I do need you to understand the importance of Jesus' sacrifice. It's not just some nice thing that some Jew did for us long ago. It's the way to heaven. God is love, but he is also wrathful. "How?", you ask. He has several attributes. He is love and he shows wrath to those that go against him and his rules. Y'all know the 10 commandments and what they mean already, so I won't go there today. I have an earlier post on that called If You Died Tonight...
Back to Romans 8. I think my mostest bestest verse in the whole Bible has got to be Romans 8:1, which says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Whew! This is a verse that continues to remind me that I am saved and am not going to hell. Not because of anything that I did, mind you, but because of what my wonderful God did for me, and for you, if you'll believe that. We turn from our wicked ways and follow him, trusting him like we would an elevator or a parachute (I know, gotta throw some Ray Comfort and Todd Friel in there, don't I?)
Verses 1 through 9 in context say:
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Taken from the ESV)
God bless.
Photo above courtesy of http://www.theresolved.com.
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