All that Is Ours in Christ

In Romans 7, we felt the frustration of failing at the Christian life. Now here’s the victory.

Romans 8 is the high-water mark in Romans. Many call it the greatest chapter in the Bible. No other chapter more deeply and fully describes the hope and tender mercies we have in God’s love or the full Trinity of God working for us. All these truths linked together give us a great sense of security and the opportunity for a life like God intends for us. We must come to this study like Moses standing at the burning bush, with our feet unshod and our heads uncovered, not fully realizing or recognizing the glory and wonder.

Romans 8 promises power for an exhausted, frustrated, defeated Christian. How? God’s Spirit does it in us! A life that pleases God must be lived in His power. The Holy Spirit’s job is to deliver us from frustration and failure.

Once sin controlled us and, even as Christians, it cut off our fellowship with God. Only a higher authority and power can put us back in fellowship with God—only the Holy Spirit, who is our new life, can connect us to the living Christ Jesus. He sets us free from sin’s control and death’s power.

This ongoing relationship with God is because His Spirit lives in us. He offers us a life full of satisfaction and the exercise of our total God-given abilities. Many people think they are living today, but it is a cheap substitute for the life God wants to provide.

To “hope to do better” misses the whole point, too. If you are in Christ, you have God’s Spirit, and only when He moves through you can you accomplish that lifestyle you hear about in His Word. Stop believing in yourself, and believe instead that the Spirit of God can enable you through your new nature to live for God—today.

If you’re discouraged, that means you don’t believe God. He has a purpose, plan, and blessing for you. Trust Him and lay hold of life His way. By the way, nothing you get from God comes from how devoted you are to Him. You don’t need to dedicate yourself to Him—you need to believe Him. You can’t do anything, but God can do it all.

Are you willing to turn the control over to the Holy Spirit and quit trusting your weak, sinful nature? Tell Him, “I can’t do it, Lord, but You can do it through me.”

The Holy Spirit will help you deal with your struggle if you confess it to Him. Only Christ can remove the burden—”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” Jesus said,“and I will rest you.” (see Matthew11:28). You will know what it feels like to have sins forgiven.

When you have a new relationship with God, He leads you in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23), and you can leave your insecurity behind. You don’t doubt anymore if you are saved. Instead, you’ve got His joy down in your heart, and His Spirit wells up within you, saying, “Abba, Father.”

Abba is an untranslated Aramaic word; its closest meaning is “My Daddy”—a heart cry for when you’re in trouble. Picture a young child with arms wide, begging for comfort. The Spirit confirms that you have that kind of access to God in your spirit.

This sweet Father relationship continues from child to heir, to joint-heirs with Christ. We’re in the family. Whatever it is that’s hard for you today, you can be sure that as a joint heir, Christ will redeem it someday. It will someday seem light compared to the “eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17) we will be enjoying with Him.

All this is ours in Christ when the Spirit of God is in control. And there’s even more to come.

Next: We’re going to the mountain peak next time: Romans 8:28.