A Trek Through Romans

A Trek Through Romans is the full Outline of Chapters 1-8 of the Book of Romans. Portions of it were published in part in my article Zombie Revivals Outlawed. That article is resplendent with references from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. His Epistle serves as the backdrop for many of the components that establish that believers are indeed new creations in Christ. This section outline is crafted in a manner that focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on the passages that relate to issues about the finality of the death of the old man/body of sin, freedom from the Law and other new creation realities. The major emphasis will be on chapters 1-8. In many instances I also cite verses from other books of the Bible that support the teachings of Romans. Overall the Apostle Paul was building a case against complying with religious laws as a means of righteousness. Some of the things that he stated in a few verses, if taken out of the context of the other verses, have led many to espouse the opposite of what Paul actually preached. This is especially true of some of the things stated in Chapter 7.

Outline for Chapters 1-8 of the Book of Romans

I) Introduction

• The Book of Romans is a unique combination of the spiritual and the intellectual, without parallel in human literature. It unfolds the most sublime spiritual truths in terms of flawless logic.
  
• Around 57 A.D. Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome whom he longed to visit. He knew of them by reputation, but had not yet had an opportunity to minister to them personally.
  
• Paul’s theme was righteousness. He wanted to establish that for believers Christ is an end to the Law as a means of righteousness. Romans answers Job’s question, “How can a man be righteous before God (Job 9:2)?” It also blesses those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Mat 5:6).
  
• In many ways the Roman Christians whom he addressed have similarities with contemporary believers. Christians of today are entangled by various systems that will supposedly make them righteous and more pleasing to God. In like manner, the believers of Rome were confused by their familiarity with Judaism. Some were born to Jewish families. Others were former pagans who converted to Judaism first and subsequently converted to Christianity. And, of course a considerable number of them were saved directly from idolatrous religions. Whatever the case, all had been indoctrinated into the deception that adherence to Old Testament Laws and a life that pleases God are inseparable.
  
• The Book of Romans can be divided into four main parts with each having sections. The parts are as follows:

• Part One - Chapters 1 – 8: Logical and scriptural basis of the Gospel
  
• Part Two - Chapters 9 – 11: God’s special dealings with Israel—main issue: God’s election
  
  Part Three - Chapters 12 – 15: Application of preceding new creation truths to daily living
  
• Part Four -Chapter 16: Personal greetings and benediction. His intimate personal greetings demonstrate that the new birth enables people to have an extraordinary love for others. The benediction expresses Paul’s confidence in God’s faithfulness.
  
• Part 1: Chapters 1–8. Chapters 1-7 provide the steppingstones for Chapter 8’s life of no condemnation, the spirit-filled life.
  
• The first section is Chapter 1
  
• Rom 1:1-17 - Paul introduces himself, the Gospel, his mission, and the Christians at Rome.
  
• 1:1, 5-6, 9 - He identifies himself as a recipient of God’s grace, which enables him to serve God with his regenerated spirit. In this capacity he refers to himself as a slave who functions as an apostle. Through his acknowledgement that he is a slave he subtly dismisses the notion that he has freedom of choice about what he would do or not do. The connotation was that as a slave his activities were at the sole discretion of his owner, Christ. His view is consistent with how the New Testament describes the state of the other apostles and every Christian (Act 16:17, Eph 6:5-6).
  
• 1:2–4 - The Gospel promised in the Old Testament centers in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Through the resurrection God declared Jesus the Son of David to be the Messiah, the Lord.
  
• 1:6–8 – God called the Christians at Rome, and all believers, saints/holy ones. The translators inserted the word “as” in the phrase “called as saints”. The term called saints infers that the state of holiness was emphatic. Whatever God calls anyone that is what they absolutely are. Regardless of behavior God’s declaration remains effective. In the New Testament the authors often labeled believers saints/holy. The unruly believers in Corinth were given that status. Considering all of their faults, few legalistic people would describe them in that manner. (1Co 1:2, 2Co 1:1, Eph 1:1).
  
• Paul’s mission was to bring the Gentiles into obedience to the Gospel through faith. This was accomplished by miraculous signs via dependence upon the power of God’s Spirit rather than through clever speech (Rom 15:18-19, 1Co 2:4-5).
  
• 1:16–17 - God’s righteousness is revealed and His power is released through faith/believing . The words faith and believe are formed from the same Greek root and are mentioned 4 times in 2 verses. Faith is the sole basis for apprehending the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17, Hab. 2:4; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38.)
  
• 1:18–32 - God’s Self-revelation through creation and the consequences of fallen man’s refusal to acknowledge Him as their Lord and Creator.
  
• 1:18-20 - Creation bears witness within the inner, logical faculty of man to recognize God’s invisible power and divine nature. The heavens are noted as having a special capacity to do this (Psa 19:1–4). Sinful man deliberately suppressed this witness.
  
• 1:21 – Man’s rejection of God took two decisively downward steps. They did not give glory to God and they did not express thankfulness to Him.
  
• 1:22-23 – There were two results to man’s rejection of God. They became increasingly foolish in their thinking and engaged in the debaucheries of idolatry.
  
• 1:24-32 – This resulted in the consequences of God’s judgment.
  
• 1:24–25 – He gave them over to lusts and defilement.
  
• 1:26–27 - Degrading passions and homosexuality ensued (1Co 6:18).
  
• 1:28–32 - They engaged in all forms of unrighteousness and their minds became depraved. The corruption within man’s heart and mind are irreversible. The only solution is the new heart and renewed mind of the new creation.
  
• The second section: Chapters 2:1-3:8 - Paul admonishes Jewish believers and others who are familiar with the Law that increased moral knowledge increases responsibility.
  
• 2:1-6 - Those who know what is right and do that which is wrong are not in a position to judge those who are uninformed about the Law of Moses. Knowledge produces arrogant pride, rather than repentance (1Co 8:1). Those who judge others will be judged.
  
• Five principles of God judgment. Every person who has ever lived will appear before one of three judgments, which occur prior to and post the millennial reign of Christ. Believers’ lives will be assessed to determine the measure of their eternal rewards. Unlike those who rejected Christ they are not at risk of eternal death. However, they will be assessed by the same principles as unbelievers.
  
• 2:1–2 - According to Truth that is contained in God’s Word (Joh 17:17, Joh 12:47–48; (Psa 119:160).
  
• 2:6 - According to deeds (1Pe 1:17,Rev 20:12)
  
• 2:11 - Without Partiality. The religious masks that people wear do not impress God (Deu 10:17). This truth is stated nine times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament.
  
• 2:12 - According to Light. All will be judged by the measure of light that was available during their lives. No one is allowed to put the light that he has under a cover as though he had no knowledge of it (Rom 1:20, Luk 11:30-33, Mat 11:20–24). The greater the light the stricter the judgment.
  
• 2:16 – According to Men’s Secrets. God takes into account the inner thoughts and motives of our hearts (1Co 4:5, Heb 4:12–13).
  
• 2:6–10 - Those whom God accepts, and those whom God rejects, is a matter of humility and faith vs. pride and unbelief (Hab. 2:4; 1Pe 5:5–6). Those who do good deeds bear witness that they are seeking eternal life. In Heb 11:6 seeking God for rewards is an evidence of faith.
  
• Non-Jewish Old Testament characters who were accepted because of their deeds were the Queen of Sheba and the Ninevites (Luk 11:31-32)
  
• 2:13–15, 26–27 - The Laws of God are imprinted upon the hearts of Gentiles who do not have the Law of Moses.. Conscience may produce in them the same effect that the Law can produce in the Jews—i.e. recognition of need of God’s mercy. However, conscience may be weak (1Co 8:7), seared (1Ti 4:2), defiled (Tit 1:15).
  
• 2:17–25 - Specific examples of hypocritical misuse of the Law by Jews—bringing dishonor on God’s name. Many contemporary Christians are equally guilty, as they instruct others about proper behavior that their own lives defy.
  
• 2:28–29 - God accepts external ordinances only if they proceed from a sincere, believing heart (compare 1Sa 16:7).
  
• 3:1–8 – Paul answers Jews who were asserting that it was OK to commit evil that good may come. These will be condemned to God’s righteous judgments of wrath.
  
• Third section: Chapter 3:9-20 - A summation of what was established in chapters 1 – 3:8. The whole world is accountable to God.
  
• 3:9–19 - Quotations from Old Testament proving universal guilt of all mankind—taken from “the Law,” they apply primarily to those under the Law. N o one is righteous, or understands, or seeks God, or does good. Only God’s grace can initiate repentance, conversion and impute righteousness (Eph 2:1–8). It must be noted that the state of Christians is not identical to that of the Jews of the Old Testament who rebelled against God and His laws. Christians have sought God and found Him; have the righteousness of Christ; understand the things of God by the Spirit that dwells in them; possess the mind of Christ; and produce the good works and fruits of the Spirit.
  
• 3:20 - The conclusion is that the Law exposes sin, but no one can achieve righteousness by it (Rom 7:7).
  
• Fourth section: Chapter 3:21-31 - God’s Provision of Righteousness.
  
• 3:21–26 - Redemption from sin through the propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus. The redemption price was His blood (1Pe 1:18–19). His life had to be given for our lives, His soul for our souls (Deu 19:21, Lev. 17:11, Is. 53:12). His sacrifice covered both past and future sins so that God can justify sinners without compromising His own justice. This kind of righteousness is a gift (Rom 5:17).
  
• 3:27–28 - Excludes boasting, there is no room for pride (Hab. 2:4, Eph 2:8-9).
  
• 3:29–30 - God requires faith from Jews and Gentiles alike. Gentiles are redeemed without circumcision. For Jews circumcision avails nothing unless it is an expression of faith (Rom 14:23; 1Co 7:19; Gal 5:6).
  
• 3:31 - Righteousness thus received upholds the Law in its entirety. No one has authority either to add to it or to take away from it (Deu 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Jam 2:10–11).
  
• Seven purposes for which the Law was given. An answer to those who charge that the Law has no purpose.
  
• To show men the reality and power of sin (Rom 3:19–20; 7:7, 12–13).
  
• To show men they are unable to achieve righteousness by their own efforts—Paul’s own experience (Rom 7:18–23).
  
• To foretell and foreshadow the Savior (Messiah). The Law was tutor (Gal 3:24, Deu 18:18–19, (Act 3:22–26).
  
• Foreshadow Jesus as the Passover Lamb (Ex 12, Joh 1:29; 1Co 5:7).
  
• To keep Israel as a separate nation to which Messiah could come. The Jews were “in custody”, “shut up” for God’s purposes by the Law that made them unique among the nations. (Gal 3:23, Num. 23:9).
  
• To provide humanity and nations with a pattern for civil laws that would help people flow in harmony and exact punishments upon the evil (Neh. 9:13–14).
  
• To provide inexhaustible material for spiritual meditation ((Psa 1:1–3).
  
• Fifth section: Chapter 4:1-25 – Abraham was justified by faith, not by works.
  
• 4:1–25 - Both Abraham and David exemplify justification by faith, not works. Justified means to be made righteous just as if one never sinned.
  
• 4:1–5 - Gen 15:6 states that God reckoned Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness—God did not owe this to Abraham, but granted it to him by grace (favor)—which cannot be earned (Rom 11:6). Thereafter, Abraham still did things that were wrong:
  
• Fathered Ishmael by Hagar (Gen 16).
  
• Lied about Sarah and permitted her to be taken into Abimelech’s harem (Gen 20)
  
• God did not approve Abraham’s wrongdoing, but He still reckoned his faith to him as righteousness (Luk 22:31–32). Abraham’s errors came through doing more, not less, than God asked of him.
  
• 4:6–8 - In Psalms 32:1–2 David joins three things together:
  
• Lawless deeds forgiven
  
• Sins covered
  
• God no longer takes sin into account when an offender requests forgiveness recognizing that God reckons him righteousness through faith.
  
• 4:9–12 - Abraham’s faith was reckoned as righteousness before he was circumcised. Circumcision is valid only on the basis of faith. The essential condition for having Abraham as father is faith . Thus, Abraham becomes father to two different kinds of people:
  
• Those who are circumcised on the basis of faith (Jews).
  
• Those who exercise faith without being required to be circumcised (Gentiles)
  
• 4:13–22 - God’s Promise was given to Abraham 430 years before the Law (Gal 3:17). The fulfillment of the promise was not contingent on keeping the Law.
  
• The Law does not bring God’s grace, but His wrath against every violation (Gal 3:19).
  
• Adherence to the Law does not bring believers closer to God. Fear drove Israel away from the mountain where God spoke with Moses while giving him the Law. The Jews asked Moses to speak with God for them (Deu 3:1-5, Heb 12:18-24). Believers are to hear, know and follow the voice of the Lord (Joh 10)
  
• Receiving the promise depends on walking in the steps of Abraham’s faith:
  
• He accepted God’s promise by faith alone without evidence.
  
• He recognized he was incapable of producing the promised result.
  
• He focused without wavering on the promise—this was reckoned as righteousness.
  
• He and Sarah both received supernatural life in their bodies.
  
• Thus the promise was fulfilled and God was glorified.
  
• The aforementioned features of faith are pertinent to the grace that it activates in the lives of believers.
  
• Grace begins where human ability ends.
  
• It is received only by faith (Eph 2:8).
  
• The results of grace always glorify God (Eph 1:5–6; 13–14).
  
• 4:23–25 - Likewise, righteousness will be reckoned to all who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus. His death paid the penalty for our sins. His resurrection vindicated His righteousness, and therefore ours since we are identified with Him (Col 2:11–12; Eph 2:4–6, Hos 6:2)
  
• Sixth section: Chapters 5:1-11 – Experiential results of being justified by faith.
  
• 5:1-2 – We have peace with God, access to His grace that upholds us and we therefore exult in hope of His glory.
  
• 5:3–5 – We can rejoice in tribulations, as we know what they produce perseverance, proven character, and hope within us (Jam 1:2–4).
  
• Hope produced by God’s love in our hearts believes, hopes, and endures all things (1Co 13:7).
  
• 5:6–10 - God’s unconditional love demonstrated by Messiah’s death for us, while we were still helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies—by it we are justified, saved, reconciled, preserved.
  
• 5:11 - The Climax: Believers exulting in God Himself ((Psa 43:3–4, Rom 11:36).
  
• Seventh section: Chapter 5:12-21 – Comparison between Adam and Christ.
  
• 5:12–14 -Two time periods:
  
• Adam to Moses: No God-given Law
  
• Moses to Jesus: Israel under Law of Moses (Joh 1:17)
  
• 1Co 15:45–49 - Reveals Jesus as:
  
• The Last Adam who by necessity lived with the earthly nature that is passed to all from Adam. Through His trust in God, Jesus never sinned. For those who believe, Jesus ends the Adamic inheritance of an earthly, sin-prone nature.
  
• The Second Man, Jesus, had a life giving spirit/nature. Since believers are His brothers and of the same lineal descent we also have life giving spirits/natures. Jesus arose from the dead as the Head of a new race to which we belong (Col1:18, 1Pe 2:9). The Greek word for nation in 1Pe 2:9 is ethnos and its principle definition is race.
  
• 5:15-19 – Similarities and Differences Between Adam and Jesus:
  
• Both committed single (Act that had strategic implications for mankind.
  
• Adam’s one transgression caused sin and condemnation to come down on the entirety of mankind. All men add their own sin to that of Adam.
  
• Jesus’ one act of righteous obedience on the Cross causes justification to be available to all men. No man can add anything to the grace of Jesus (Joh 1:16). His single righteous act of covers the many transgressions of all who believe.
  
• Through the disobedience of Adam all men were born unrighteous sinners.
  
• Through the obedience of Jesus all who believe are born-again as righteous and freed from slavery to sin.
  
• Through Adam’s transgression death became king.
  
• Through Jesus’ righteousness believers have new life and reign as kings in this life ((Psa 103:19; Rev 1:6).
  
• 5:20–21 – The Law brought man’s disobedience into full view (7:13). However, God’s grace was sufficient even for this. It overthrows the kingdom of sin and establishes the kingdom of grace (Col1:13). For believers, God’s throne is a throne of grace (Heb 4:16). Post the Law being given sin abounded even more because man knew right from wrong and deliberately chose evil. God responded with the offer of grace/mercy through faith in Jesus. His grace abounded far beyond the increased guilt of those who knowingly rebelled against the Law.
  
• Eighth section: Chapter 6:1-11 – God’s sole solution for the old man is execution.
• Beyond forgiveness for past sins, we need a remedy for the dead rebel that can be aroused to life by the Law. (Rom 7:5, 3:21–26). This entity that is foreign to the new creation is called by numerous names in the Bible. These vary from translation to translation: “the old man”; “the old self”; “the body”; “the body of sin”; “the flesh”; the body of death; and “the body of the flesh” (Rom 6:6, 7:5, 18, 25, 8:10, Col 2:11).
  
• 6:1-6 – Paul anticipates that the premise that when sin abounds grace intensifies in abundance to provoke a mocking response from some people. “So in order to receive more grace, we need to go on sinning?” In contemporary terms Paul’s response was, “Perish the thought”.
  
• Such a thought is unthinkable. Jesus’ execution was the execution of all who would put their faith in Him. When He was brutalized and died, the sinful nature/self of every believer was in Him being brutalized and it died. In Him, the lifeless old man/self, the slave of sin, was taken down from the Cross. It has been deactivated. For Christians baptism in water is a contemporary reenactment of what was accomplished for us when Jesus was laid in the tomb. The old man was laid in the tomb with Him. Jesus arose with a glorified body as the first begotten from the dead. Believers arise from their salvation experience and the subsequent waters of baptism with the distinctively new righteous nature of Christ.
  
• We are saved by grace (Eph 2:5,8). Grace gives us the ability to repent of our sins and to become new creations in Christ ( Rom 10:9). The moment that we confess Jesus as Lord the miracle of the new creation takes place (2Co 5:17). Simultaneously the old man/self dies. While we are in the waters of baptism God performs a circumcision on us cutting away the old body of sin that was already dead (Col 2:11-12).
  
• The righteous nature/spirit of Christ within believers is not the slave of sin or sin prone. Each saved person is one in spirit with Jesus. He does not have a sinful nature and neither do we (1Co 6:17). Anyone who does not have the righteous Spirit of Christ dwelling in them is not yet redeemed (Rom 8:9-10).
  
• 6:6-7 - The old man was an incorrigible rebel, but in Jesus he was executed on the cross. The death of the body of sin represents the last claim of the Law upon anyone. Once its claim has been settled, we are justified/acquitted. In Christ there is no such thing as double jeopardy, no one can be punished twice for the same offenses. The Law has no more against us (Gal 2:19–20).
  
• 6:8–11 – Jesus participates with us in our ongoing posture of death to sin and in the immortal lives that we now live for God.
  
• Ninth section: 6:12-23 – Applying God’s solution for the old man to our lives.
  
• 6:12–14 - No longer present your members to sin, but present yourselves and your members to God for righteousness. You are no longer under Law (and thus under sin’s control), but under grace. These are two mutually exclusive alternatives.
  
• 6:15–22 – Paul anticipates another objection: “If we are not under Law, we are free to commit sinful (Act when it suits us.” His response is again, “Perish the thought”. He then tells them that there are two options. He is confident that they will choose the latter.
  
• Yield to sin and risk becoming the slave of sin
  
• Continue yielding to God as a slave of righteousness
  
• 6:23 – The choices are reiterated in another way. A close examination of verses 17-18 and 22 make it clear that those whom he was addressing had made the right choice in the past when they were first saved.
  
• The wage of death which we have earned
  
• The free gift which we cannot earn
  
• Tenth section: Chapter 7:1-25 – The snares of the Law
  
• This chapter is problematic for many. When misinterpreted it can incite the belief that Christians are indwelt by the fallen nature as well as the nature of Christ.Tragically, many have acquiesced to the concept that continual losing battles with sin are inevitable. However, Paul was not saying that he continually had a losing battle with sin. He was speaking of problems that he temporarily encountered during a period when he returned under the Law post his conversion. Verse 9 holds the key. He said, “I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived…”. Prior to his conversion, he was a practicing Jew. While in that state he was never living “apart” from the Law. Sin could not have been “revived” within him, as his sinful nature had not yet been dealt the deathblow through salvation. The only period in which he was alive apart from the Law was after his conversion. Then when he again gave heed to the commandments, sin, which had been dead, was “revived” within him. His zombie was aroused.
  
• 7:1–4 - Analogy for Jews who have been under the Law. It demonstrates that death is the only way out from under the Law. A married woman is released by her husband’s death to remarry without being an adulteress. Likewise believers are released by the death of the old man to be married to the resurrected Messiah and to produce good fruit (Gal 5:19–23).
  
• 7:5 – When married to the Law, it continually incited sinful passions. The inevitable fruit was death.
  
• 7:6-13 - See point A) of this section. The Law is holy, spiritual, and good. It is like a map that shows us where we are in regard to sin. There are ”cities of sin”. If we rely upon guidance through the map of the Law, rather than the Spirit, it will lead us into the sinful cities. The problem is a weakness in man rather than a weakness in the Law. We are not designed to motor through life using maps, We are designed with a GPS system. Our spirits are to get directions from the Holy Spirit.
  
• 7:14 – The phrase “sold under sin” does not mean, “sold to be the slave of sin”. Or, “sold into bondage to sin”. In Paul’s time when a slave was put up for auction, his owner had his personal insignia denoting his ownership extended over the slave. Paul was saying, “I was sold under the “banner of sin”because sin owned me. The question is, “When he was sold, who bought him?” It was not Mr. Sin, because he was the seller of the slave whom he already owned. At conversion, Paul and all believers were purchased from sin by the precious blood of Jesus to become the love-slaves of God (1Co 6:19-20).
  
• 7:15-25 – Paul, like many believers, is in a quandary. He doesn’t understand what is happening to him, until he recognizes that it’s the Law that has aroused the deactivated sin within his flesh. He then understands that there is a spiritual law at work. If one goes under the Law it awakens previously dead sins that have to be continually dealt with. He cries out in frustration for a path of deliverance. It is the spirit-filled life. It deactivates the flesh and cancels the law of sin and death in one’s members (Rom 8:2).
  
• 7:24 – In ancient times the Romans would often chain a corpse to the body of a prisoner who was sentenced to death. In this verse Paul was addressing those who were familiar this practice. His reference to it demonstrates that his venture back under the Law put him in the need of deliverance from something external. It was a foreign entity that was not an innate component of his nature. It’s the zombie.
  
• Eleventh section: Chapter 8:1-39 – The life of no condemnation, the spirit-filled life
  
• 8:1 - For those who are in Christ there is no condemnation period, end of sentence. The original sentence ended with the words “Christ Jesus”. The remainder of the sentence, “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”, was inserted by the translators of the KJV and some older versions of the Bible.
  
• 8:2-4 - Release from law of sin and death through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is made possible, because while Jesus suffered on the cross God was judging and abolishing the power of sin with finality. (Heb 9:26). There are definitive results for the law of sin and death working in our members being replaced by the law of the Spirit of life.
  
• Believers can fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law (Rev. 19:8). This law was s ummed up by Jesus: Love for God and neighbor (Mat 22:35–40, Gal 5:14, 1Ti 1:5–7, Mic 6:8).
  
• This love is supernatural and is initiated by the new birth (1Pe 1:22–23). It is completed by the outpourings of the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5).
  
• It acknowledges all of the commands of Jesus and the New Testament (Joh 14:21). Its motive for obedience is love not fear (Joh 14:15, 23, Rom 8:15).
  
• It is progressive in its outworking (Phi 1:9–11). Even when we fall short, our faith is still reckoned to us as righteousness just as it was with Abraham (Rom 4:22–24).
  
• It is perfected through continually obeying God’s Word (1Jo 2:5). The more mature the perfection, the greater the potential to be delivered from fear (1Jo 4:17–18).
  
• 8:5–8 - If the dead body of flesh is revived, it acts in total opposition to the Spirit within (Gal 5:17). Therein the outward actions are initiated by the flesh/carnal mind. For this reason momentary outbursts of sin indicate the need of repentance and the renewing of our minds (Eph 2:3, Col 1:21, Isa 55:7, Rom 12:2, Eph 4:22–24).
  
• 8:9–11 - Transition from flesh to spirit: when we receive the Lord and yield to the Holy Spirit, the old fleshly life dies (Rom 6:2). It is the Holy Spirit who supplies divine life to the spirit and body, as He did for Jesus (Rom 1:4; 1Pe 3:18).
  
• 8:12–17 - Personal application: Authenticity of sonship is punctuated by following the Spirit in putting to death the works of the flesh (Gal 5:24, Col 3:5).
  
• 8:18–25 - In suffering, the Holy Spirit enables us to empathize with the whole creation in longing for final redemption of our bodies and of creation ((Psa 96:11–13, 98:7–9, Eph 1:13–14, Phi 3:10–12).
  
• Man’s fall brought futility upon world of nature (Gen 3:17–18). Man’s redemption will bring about the redemption of all living things through a rebirth (Mat 19:28, 24:8, Luk 21:28).
  
• Hope is an essential element of salvation. (1Co 13:13, Col 1:27, Heb 11:1).
  
• 8:26–27 - The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural help in prayer. The only prayers that are guaranteed to be acceptable and effective are those given by the Spirit.
  
• 8:28–30 – Seven stages in God’s program from eternity to eternity. The first three occurred in eternity past. The final four occur in time and continue throughout eternity.
  
• He foreknew (Rom 8:29, 1Pe 1:2)
  
• He chose (Eph 1:4, 1Pe 1:2)
  
• He predestined (Rom 8:29–30, Eph 1:5, 11, 2:10)
  
• He called (Rom 8:28, 30, 11:29, 2Th 2:14)
  
• He saved (2Ti 1:9. Tit 3:5)
  
• He justified (Rom 3:24, 5:1, 8:30, 1Co 6:11)
  
• He glorified (Rom 8:30. 1Co 2:7, Eph 2:4–6, Heb 2:10)
  
• 8:31–34 - Acronym of Grace that demonstrates that you plus God are the majority in any situation. It is a continuation of the fact that there is “No condemnation in Christ”. God accepts no accusations against us and upholds no condemnations of us
  

  God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense

• 8:35–39 - The Climax: We are inseparably and eternally united in spirit with the Lord (1Co 6:17). We can expect to come through every trial and tribulation with more than we had before (Joh 16:33, (Act 14:22, Rev 22:13).