Do we have the Spirit? - Romans 8:14-25
14 For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you
did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and
if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed
we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the
earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the
sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not
willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because
the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know
that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until
now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the first
fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly
waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we
were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one
still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not
see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
If we let the Spirit of God guide
us, He will give us testimony that we are children of God.
As I write these lines, the 50th Anniversary
of the man landing on the moon is celebrated; a year after my family changed
its destiny when moving. But let’s focus in this story because the pioneer
spirit that took several space missions, one of them, the Apollo 11 on the
16th of July 1969
would be the one to carry three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, who stepped the
moon first, Buzz Aldrin, the second, and Michael Collins the pilot who had
to remain orbiting the moon. When I visited Cape Canaveral, also known as
Cape Kennedy, to honour the president who managed to have NASA begin the
program Apollo, I could see close by the immensity of the platforms, the
hangars, installations, rockets, etc. That place emanated the grandness of
those who had the primacy of having been to the moon. I also learned that
one of the astronauts, Buzz Aldrin was a Christian and celebrated Holy
Supper in the lunar module, something that NASA keep secret for years. He
was the first man to celebrate communion in the moon; I do not know if he
has been the only one.
Paul tells that we are privileged
as we will travel to eternity with God if we have the Spirit. This is what
he was telling roman Christians, both Jewish and gentile, the same which
applies to us today. But the key is knowing if we have the Spirit to go to
that trip and be able to be trained for it here and now, and train others.
Roman Christians were exhorted to analyze themselves, and so must we. Paul
says that all of us believers can know this because the Spirit testifies to
our spirit that we are children of God, and also that confirms to us that we
are children, and if children heirs who have, here on earth the first fruits
of the Spirit. We can also live with Him until the desired trip to the new
world comes to pass, where like Armstrong and Aldrin we will lay or foot on
the paradise of God. They were chosen year before, trained and prepared to
become astronauts and go to the moon. Paul trained Christians to be prepared
to train others and also to be ready to travel with Jesus Christ at His
return. This way, we could see the Church, both that of Rome as ours today,
like NASA, but with the big difference that the program of the kingdom of
God will never stop preparing believers for the great trip, because the
Spirit and the love of God guides it and never runs out of resources. The
suffering and opposition of which Paul talks in v. 18 is not related with
something needed for salvation or justice, but exclusively with the
opposition of the world, the flesh and the enemy, who try by all means to
avoid it, and as we, all creation awaits the manifestation of the children
of God in the new creation, which we all await with patience and hope, but
convinced, with faith.
(8:14-17) A direct benefit is the
practical direction of God daily, although v. 14 is used to support that the
Spirit tells or gives us signs in each decision we have to take, this is not
the focus of Paul but something more profound because we are children of
God, because the Holy Spirit is a gift, not a dictator. To be guided comes
from the verb (gr. ago,
from it agontai), which is
key to knowing if one is a son of God: Am I being guided by the Holy Spirit,
according to the Word? May I see this in my life, and in what way does it
look like the one of Christ and the apostles? The sad thing is yes, He
guides us, but the majority decide their own way making Him sad. The second
benefit is greater, it provides us intimacy with God without fear because we
are free and God has bought us from our slavery; the payment has been His
Son Jesus Christ. Instead of being our master, He does not salve us, He has
become our “Abba” daddy, this is the type of treat and loving intimacy with
which our Father now embraces us in Christ. An amazing thing to think about
intimacy with our Almighty Creator of the Universe. A great verse 15, but 16
gives us a third benefit in the security that we belong to God, and the
Spirit says that “you are my beloved child”. A forth benefit is in 17
reminds us our value for God, we are adopted heirs, coheirs with Christ.
Therefore, life in the Spirit is more what He does in us than what we may
do, but the flesh does not like that because it does not want to lose
control; what He demands from us is: Nothing. But there is a contrast
that we find in V. 17 which is that if we live in the Spirit and coheir, we
will also suffer together with Christ, as He suffered but must not
understand this suffering (gr. sumpaschomen)
as something heroic or of our merit that achieves salvation.
(8:18-25) confronts us to present
afflictions which cannot be compared with the glory to come and that will be
revealed apokalupsis (where
apocalypses comes from), something that even creation desires v. 19 which is
compared to giving birth and its pains, until the perfect comes; a hope so
great that gives us strength every day. The word pathemata is
suffering, but at the end we will see our glorification, third and last part
of our salvation in the perfect. Creation is also attached to vanity, but
like us is waiting the new season that will take away evil and death, and
groans at once with us, which gives us four acts in vs. 19-22: the groaning
of creation is temporary; is a consequence of sin; is a path to a purpose,
and it is universal, Swindoll says. V. 23 reveals that not only creation,
but we will be transformed, which takes us to (1 Ts. 4:13-18) in the rapture
when we receive the immortal bodies (these letter were sent to all churches
with the purpose that all will receive complete explanation of all
doctrines) for knowledge and hope of the entire church in the world. Hope is
a new term that Paul brings (gr.elpis) and it refers to the safe
expectation of our future (5:2-5). The firstfruits are the part that we have
received from salvation, which are a gift, so therefore we do not only have
the suffering, but those firstfruits are part of the expectation of our
future. First fruits that remind us of those offered to God at the beginning
of the harvest, after having ploughed, sowed the seed, watered and looked
after through faith for seeing the fruit, which when it appears the first
time is cause of celebration, the same as believers, like the Romans and us
today, when believing are cause of celebration.
We conclude that the roman
brothers were being persecuted for their faith under the Roman Empire that,
together with the Jews were being persecuted. There end is known to us but
many survived building one of the largest Christian communities until the
division of the empire and accepting of Christianity as official religion
from Constantinople. Hebrews 5:8 –Paul reminds– teaches that Christ Himself
learned the obedience and reached the suffering of the Cross. Paul continued
in the same way. This way, the Church will be persecuted until the end, but
our hope is greater. The Romans, and the other churches of other areas of
the empire shared the letters to complete all the doctrines in writing; we
have the big privilege of having them all in one only book: The Bible, which
is our complete guide of life. The images of planet Earth that the
astronauts could see from the lunar surface and from space ships were given
to all of us in the world, images that were giving a new vision of Creation
and the beauty of the planet sustained in space that was holding millions of
living souls. Those images from so far away were giving a sensation of
pureness and innocence, a great contrast with the real society and social
injustice. The hope of a new creation (2 P. 3:7-18) will bring with it the
true image of perfection of the plan of creation of God and will share it
with His church. The hope of which Paul was talking to the Romans in the
midst of tribulation, is the same to which today we must anchor our faith in
the midst of tribulation or suffering that we may live, if the will of God
so allows. The hope that we have of the new kingdom not only will bring
justice, but will take away wars, hunger and all suffering, and to
environmental level will end pollution and the death of the planet and
animal species. But the first fruits that are us in Christ are cause of
celebration and this way any brother in Christ should be appreciated by us
as celebration of the fruit, like the first fruits of the work of God
through His church.
You may read the first part at:
Walking
in
the
Spirit...
It will continue with the third and last part: The Work of the Holy Spirit
in the Believer.