November 3rd 2024: Mark Jenkins
Romans 8: The Christian life, keeping the right perspective.
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If you were watching Family Fortunes and 100 people were asked in church, ‘Which verse do you go to for comfort?’ one of the top answers would be from Romans 8. This chapter is full of so many truths which you can turn to for comfort, for assurance, peace and hope. Why is it such a popular passage of scripture? It reminds us of glorious truths that when God justifies guilty, condemned sinners, by grace alone through faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, none can take them from His hands.
We are all different. The full details of our lives are not known by all, but are by God, including things not seen by others. Just as God speaks to us as individuals, He also speaks to us collectively. No matter what we face in life, in our different struggles, we should all approach Him in the same way. There will be times when we suffer and face difficulties, but there will also be times in our lives when things go well. No matter what we face, our perspective in life should always be the same.
The Christian life, keeping the right perspective.
Paul recognises that there are two ways of approaching our lives. There are two different perspectives of living, which he refers to as the present sufferings. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (v.18). Paul sees two perspectives – one where we are focused on the sufferings of this world and the other where we focus on the glory that is to come. What are the sufferings he is referring to?
Paul knew what is was to suffer (2 Corinthians 11). The suffering Paul refers to here in Romans 8 is to everything we experience in this present age. Everything is corrupted by sin. Even when we think life is doing very well. All of creation is subjected to the bondage of corruption, marred by sin. But in all Paul experiences, he looks to future glory. He encourages us that we too can live this way.
Do we let the negativity of living in a sinful world get us down? We should be saddened to see the broken world and be comforted. Jesus Himself was saddened by the reality of what He saw, the consequences of what sin had done. (John 11). Never let this sorrow turn to negativity. Why do we become so negative? Because we are focused on the moment.
Think of the word ‘moan.’ M is for the moment. Think of the word ‘groan,’ of the ‘gr’ representing glory revealed. When we focus on the moment we moan, but when we focus on the glory revealed, we groan. We long for that day when everything will be restored to how it should be. We are to acknowledge we are broken people living in a broken world. We are to long for that day when creation will be restored. We are to long for that day when glory will be revealed. Paul writes this letter to challenge us to have the right perspective in life, to live our lives in the right way.
In verses 18-25 Paul explains why life is the way it is, but also explains it is only a temporary thing. One day, God’s glory will be revealed. As believers, we should be looking forward to that day. It is not easy to keep this perspective. The wonderful moments in life can cause us to change our perspective. We should be focused on glory revealed but our attention shifts with distractions. Paul would agree it is not easy to keep this perspective.
Paul has incorporated in this chapter reasons why we are to have this perspective and how we can have this perspective in life. There are four things about how we can look forward to that day when glory will be revealed and why we should be looking forward to that day.
I have four points and truths which make up the acronym LIFE.
L. We as believers live by the Spirit. There are two ways of living this life (v.1-11), walking by the flesh or living in the Spirit. You can live your life by flesh – having a sinful nature in which we gratify ourselves. Paul reminds the readers we are a new creation, not controlled by our sinful nature but by God’s Spirit (v.9). This is what enables us to live every day as His children, to look forward to a day when glory will be revealed (v.9-10). Paul makes it clear the Spirit of God dwells in those who know Christ.
I. We, as believes, are in Christ. Salvation is only available through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. Paul Knows we so quickly forget we are in Christ. He also knows, all too often we turn to our sinful desires. So, he opens chapter 8 with a great truth – if you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you face no condemnation for your sins.
F. We are free from the bondage of sin. No one likes to be told what to do. To control someone is so debilitating. We are all slaves to sin. Peter, in his second letter, also tells us we are slaves to sin. Jesus also said this. A slave is forced to do what the master wants them to do – sin. Romans 6 teaches and tells us what it means to be slaves to sin. If we are believers we are free from the bondage of sin. We are now slaves of righteousness. ‘Slaves of righteousness’ can be emotive. So why does Paul use this phrase? All the negative confusion we have of slavery is from a human mind. ‘Slaves of righteousness’ is different; the binding here is a binding to God, the holy, mighty, just, gracious, loving God. We can now call Him our loving, heavenly Father.
E. We are embraced by God. When we feel anxious, remind ourselves we are embraced by the living God. It gives such a sense of security. Paul reminds us of why our hope is so secure. He tells us what it means to be embraced by the living God, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (38-39).
Despite all sufferings and challenges, Paul could still look to the future and be positive and rejoice in his sufferings. Why? Because he knew his hope for the future was secure. He knew it wasn’t dependent on him or what he did, that it was all dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He had accomplished. Paul knew he had been embraced by God the Father in a way that God the Father would embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. Nothing could separate Him from God the Father. This is why we can look forward to the day when God’s glory will be revealed.
Penuel Baptist Chapel, Roch 