We tackled Romans 8 this week in all of its complexity and glory.

In chapter 7 Paul leaves the christian with a palpable awareness of our divided hearts. Once we have come to Christ in faith and allegiance to His Lordship our spirits are recreated in the image of God our Father and Maker. We are no longer spiritually dead. No longer beings of utter darkness, we are now alive to God in the spirit, children of light.

However there remains the law of sin and death actively at work in our flesh nature, warring for dominant influence over our souls. This lower nature or lower life as Jesus put it, attempts to lead us into actions which are in high rebellion against the God we love. So it is that Paul asked the question – “Who will deliver me from this death-ridden body?” He closes that thought with the answer, “Jesus Christ our LORD”.

We are left with our higher nature serving God, but our lower nature, the law of sin & death.

Chapter 8 is nearly all about the mind, which is where this war is fought.

The Spirit encourages the believer to set their minds on spiritual things and be led by the inward promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Though we are predestined to bear the image of Jesus Christ, the means of bringing this about is suffering in the flesh. We must put to death the deeds of the body, that we might live and that death is realized in suffering.

In the end though, not anything or anyone external to ourselves can remove us from the love of God or the victory we will realize in Him!