The Open Word

Paul continues his discussion of the redemption of nature when the Lord returns and those of us who are believers receive our glorified bodies. Nature is personified as a living thing that longs for that day, the day we receive our full adoption and the curse on the created order is lifted.

Perhaps one of the greatest illustrations Paul uses to describe our salvation is that of adoption. In Romans 8:15–17 Paul explores this metaphor, and shows the meaning and significance of what it means to be adopted as one of God's children. Not only does God become our Father, but we are co-heirs with Christ in His inheritance!

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit of God and what does that look like? In this session we examine Romans 8:12–14 in which Paul gives us the answer to these two important questions.

Having described the unbeliever, that is, one who lives according to the flesh, Paul now describes the characteristics of a believer. These are 1) they have the indwelling Holy Spirit, 2) the body of sin has been destroyed, and 3) someday the mortal will put on immortality.

In this session we examine Romans 8:5–8 in which Paul describes those who walk according to the flesh. There are some who see these as carnal believers, that is, believers who are living in sin, but it is best to see them not as believers, but as unbelievers.

We continue our examination of Romans 8 by looking at the freedom we have in Christ. Not only are we no longer under condemnation, but what the law could not do, Christ did for us. We could not meet the righteous requirements of the law, but Christ did! For those who place their faith in His finished work fulfill the righteous requirement as well, not because of what they have done, but because of what Christ did for them.

We begin what I believe to be one of the greatest chapters in the Bible - Romans Chapter 8. In this first session we discuss the wondrous truth that Christ has freed us from the principle of sin and death that Paul outlined in Romans 6-7. Because of this, we are no longer under condemnation!

Paul continues his struggle with indwelling sin by discussing the war that rages within each believer over their flesh, their unredeemed fallenness, and their new life in Christ, their desire to live holy. Thankfully, there is a resolution, which is in Chapter 8, but before the resolution can be appreciated, the struggle needs to be understood

In this passage of Scripture Paul describes his frustration of living the Christian life. The things he wants to do, he does not. And the things he does not want to do, he does. Why? It is because he is fleshy, and his fallen humanness does not allow him to do that which he wants.

We continue our examination of Paul's argument that just like a woman is free from her husband to marry another if her husband dies, so also we have died to sin so we can be joined to another, Christ. We are no longer under the bondage of sin, but now have new life in Christ.