Romans Chapter 8 Part 4
March 6, 2024Life in the Spirit Part 4 Bible Engagement
Repeat: Introduction
The purpose here is to encourage your spiritual growth and development as we study Romans chapter 8. Here is our foundation: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 KJV.
Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before your throne of Grace. We worship and adore you. God you are the only true and living God, besides you there is none other. You alone are our great and Mighty God. You are the glorious one and we bow to you in humble exultation. Our Sovereign Lord, Almighty God, we extol you Great I Am. In the name of Jesus.
Lord, we ask you to forgive us for our sins, and ways that are displeasing to you. Please forgive us for sins of omission and commission, for all disobedience known and unknown. Lord create within us a clean heart and renew the right Spirit within us in the name of Jesus. We thank you for your love and for forgiveness. We thank you for your grace and mercy. Your new mercies every day. Thank you God that we, your people, are not condemned and we bless your holy name. Thank you that “As far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed our transgressions from us”.
Holy Spirit I ask that you help and allow the content to be presented as you desire. “He must increase, but I must decrease” in the name of Jesus. Lead us and guide us into all truth, Spirit of Truth. Open your Word to us so that in all of our getting we will get the proper understanding.
Father, I speak a blessing over every person who participates and opens their heart/mind to your word; to the ones who are determined to obey you. The blessings of the Lord come upon you and overshadow you. You are blessed going in and coming out. I pray that you grow in the knowledge and application of God. I pray in the name of Jesus that you desire a more intimate relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; through Romans chapter 8. I pray that you are transformed by renewing your mind through Romans 8.
In the name of Jesus, I pray that, “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him (us), The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2.) Father I pray this Bible engagement would be as if it were your feet, legs, arms, eyes, ears, a mouth and more to go and help people to live a life of continual relationship with you. To live your life in the Spirit. To live free from bondage to be a contributor to advancing the Kingdom of God here on earth.
To live a life empowered by Holy Spirit. Father I pray that in everything we do that you are glorified in the name of Jesus. Lord we do honor you, we worship, and we adore you. You are worthy of all the praise all the glory all the Honor. Hallelujah, we thank you in advance for what you are doing right now. What you have already done and for what you are yet to do. Hallelujah
We thank you for the finished work of the Cross and thank you for the greater works that you are doing in us and through us, in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen
Romans 8:11—–13
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Repeat: Just when you think you have sort of a grasp on the Word (written in Bible); the Holy Spirit will have you to ‘look again’ or pull back the curtain to another layer, or cause you to see the same Scripture from a whole different aspect/angle/perspective. God’s Word is alive and as it is with living things there is constant evolving and understanding. The Word teaches the Word and the Lord will give us revelation of His word. As I am typing this, I keep hearing Unfolding. Our life in the Spirit is constantly unfolding.
Father, as we prepare to study Romans chapter 8, we thank you for the unfolding of your Word. We always need you Lord. We ask you to lead us in your Word and help us to obtain all that you desire to give us. Oh Father, we pray that your Word will fall on good ground in us and that it will take root and that the roots will grow deep and yield good fruit. Lord help us to share your good fruit with others who will also be nourished and strengthened.
Father we thank you for the Unfolding and pray that your perfect will is done. We are so grateful to you God that you gave us your written Word. We thank you for your great love and for preparing us with the provision of your Word in the Bible. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6 NASB). We thank you for the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We thank you for your ascension. We thank you for instruction concerning the arrival of Holy Spirit. We thank you for the indwelling Spirit of God. Lord we sit in your classroom as students who are eager and ready to hear You unfold your word. Holy Spirit we thank you for opening the door and entering the classroom. We give you all the Glory most esteemed Teacher, as you stand before us and in us. In the name of Jesus we thank you and we honor you and we listen attentively in Jesus’ name. Amen. Unfolding. Unfolding. Unfolding.
If you are able to, listen to instrumental worship while engaging. I have this playing softly in the background. “Alone With God: 3 Hour Piano Worship Music for Prayer & by Dappy T. Keys (YouTube)
Create an atmosphere of worship.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- The Holy Spirit is God’s promise or guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in him.
- The Spirit is in us now by faith, and by faith we are certain to live with Christ forever
- 11 And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. AMPC
Some thoughts:
While looking at Romans 8 verse 11, I had some weighty thoughts to pray into and to journal but I will also mention them here briefly.
- But if the Spirit of him -(Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One and you should love the Lord your God with ALL). John 1:1 also
- Raised up Jesus- Resurrection power. Resurrection is the rising from the dead of a divine or human being who still retains his own personhood, or individuality, though the body may or may not be changed. Brittanica.com Prayer point/Declare
- (Lazarus-called forth/kingdom contributor/builder come forth; loosed and let go)—John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Prayer point/Declare
- Rise Up (ascend-go up, up higher, go up More) Resurrection power to make dead things come to life, dwell, shall, quicken—make alive (breath—and man became a living soul)
- Mortal bodies…(mortal to immortality—from temporary to permanent, limited to limitless, unlimited) by Spirit, RUACH
- Look up definition of transcend (trans…Send transcend)-go beyond
References Rom. 8:11
Romans 6:4, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. KJV
God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit…Deuteronomy 6:4—: 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
When we study the Bible we want to study within the proper context of Scripture. Engaging in the Bible is a little different; it’s like being invited on an exploration, a tour, and Holy Spirit is the tour guide. The tour guide may take whatever route he thinks is best at the time. You want to relax and enjoy the exploration but still keep your eyes on the tour guide.
It can feel uncomfortable when you are in the deep deep end of the pool. The water is so deep your feet can’t touch the bottom of the pool. You are in the middle of the pool, on the deep end. You can’t reach out and touch the pool walls, steps, or the ladder. You are just out there learning in the deep.
You want to swim back to the shallow end and get near a wall; where you’re more comfortable. But the Instructor is saying no no stay right here; I know it feels different and uncomfortable right now, but my job is to prepare you to swim in the Big ocean. Don’t be afraid—I got you.
The dangerous part of being in the deep end is when you think you already know it all. It’s a limiting mindset when you feel you know what to do. You have experience at your current level. You already know how to transition from shallow to deep and from deep to shallow. You are quite confident within yourself.
We need to be confident in our own ability; while at the same time, maintaining total reliance on God. It’s important to stay in position and learn, not just for right now, but for both current and future preparation. You know where you are right now.
But God, the tour guide, knows how to prepare you for where He’s taking you. He knows what lies ahead. He knows exactly what muscles you need to build up in order to swim with the waves, in order to swim against strong currents. In order to be able to Shift with the direction of the wind. At times the wind can become so boisterous that you cannot fight against it, you only need to shift, to ride the wave out. To use the wave to your advantage and not to your detriment requires a learning process, training, patience, perseverance and engagement.
To sum up Romans 8:11 let’s look at the following from The Message Paraphrase
9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!
Romans 8: 12, 13
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
- 12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh. 13 For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. AMPC
- 12 So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want. 13 If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life. NCV
- So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! V.12-14 The Message
- Mortify the deeds of the body means to put to death or regard as dead the power of sin in your body.
- 12 So then, beloved ones, the flesh has no claims on us at all, and we have no further obligation to live in obedience to it. 13 For when you live controlled by the flesh, you are about to die. But if the life of the Spirit puts to death the corrupt ways of the flesh, we then taste his abundant life. TPT (The Passion Translation (Paraphrase) used here is as supplemental information.
Apostle Paul has emphasized these two contrasting ways of living and the two consequences or outcomes. Sin and obedience are two of the least favorite topics in modern day Christianity. Sin or disobedience and obedience are definitely preached and taught on the spectrum. We need to preach and teach God’s Word; all of it. The Holy Spirit will show us how to teach truth in love; without condemnation. It is important to warn people when they are in error, when they are in danger; it is not popular but it is necessary.
Why is sin and disobedience like tabu today? Because it is the remedy to sin that is under attack. A while back (years) God began dealing with me about a coming time of great Repentance and crying out to God. There would be a return to the fear of the Lord, when God is reverenced, revered, honored, respected, and held in high regard again. When you see great spiritual leaders crying out to God in open Repentance; Make more room for Holy Spirit. Shine the spotlight on Him: Holy Spirit. Although, it seems like the subject of sin and disobedience itself is under attack—it’s more so that the remedy or solution is what’s under attack.
When we talk about a subject, it naturally creates a need or desire for the solution. How do we solve the problem? How can we as the Body of Christ help? How can we help the cause within our spheres of influence? How can we do our job and help God’s precious people get free?
When soldiers are enlisted into the armed forces they go through specialized training. The soldiers are then sent out to do their job; to address the problems they have been assigned to deal with. They are trained to be solution oriented; problem solvers. The soldiers know what weapon is best for what problem. They study their weapons intensely.
The Holy Spirit is the remedy for sin and disobedience. Holy Spirit frees us from sin. Frees us from indwelling sin. Holy Spirit is our weapon. Holy Spirit is our escape from bondage. Freedom from sin comes from living through the power of the Holy Spirit. The weapon of choice is Life in the Spirit. The solution is life on God’s terms. Holy Spirit is the answer, the solution, the remedy.
We are not the answer, we each have our own stuff to deal with. But on one accord, in a unified effort we can point people to the solution: Holy Spirit. We can be intentional about allowing the solution to speak. We can create an environment, an atmosphere for the solution to dwell in and linger. To make His presence known. We can invite and welcome the solution to make His presence known. We can make more room for Holy Spirit. We can Pray! Holy Spirit reveal yourself.
