Scripture Reading: Rom. 8:2, 10, 4-6, 11, 13-15,28-29
Ⅰ
Romans 8 reveals that the processed Triune Godasthe law of the Spirit of life gives the divine life to the believers fortheir living-vv. 2, 10, 6, 11, 28-29:
A
God's desire andgoal arethat we live by the divine life andminister life to others for thebuilding up of thechurch; this life is in Christ Jesus, andit is the life of thelaw of theSpirit of life; theall-inclusive indwelling Spirit is constantly transmitting this lifeintoeachoneof ustobuild upthechurch, edifythesaints, andminister the riches of Christ to everyone who contacts us-v.2; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 John 5:16.
B
We needto seethewayto live asa man by thelawof theSpirit of life; we must be controlled anddirected by thelawof theSpirit of lifeto experience a genuine and normal Christian life-Rom.8:2:
１
We needto walkaccording to thespirit-v. 4:
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If we insist on anything for ourown sake, interest, or profit, evenif thething itselfis not sinful or immoral, we arewalking according to theflesh.
ｂ
According to theBible,there is no third choice or neutral ground; everything is either according to thefleshor thespirit-vv. 4, 6, 9; John 3:6; Gal.5:17;6:8; 1 Pet.3:18.
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Whenwededuct theflesh,what remains isthespirit; sinceweknowwhat thefleshis, we can walkaccording to the spirit simply by not walking according to theflesh.
２
We needto be according to thespirit-Rom. 8:5:
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A livingaccording to thespirit andnotaccording to thefleshis therealizationof an inward law-the law of theSpirit of life-v. 2.
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Beingaccording to thefleshis likeremaining on theground according to the law of gravity, whichmaybe likened to thelaw of sin andof death.
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Beingaccording to thespirit is likebeingon anairplane according to thelaw of aerodynamics, whichmaybe likened to thelaw of theSpirit of life.
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Thelawof theSpirit of life in ourmingled spirit hasthepowerto overcome thelaw of sin andof death in our flesh.
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Ifwechoosetobeaccording tothespirit, thelawof theSpirit of lifewill spontaneously freeusfromthelawof sinandof death; thelawof theSpirit of life does not needour help,butit needs our consent-cf. v. 6.
ｆ
Ineveryplaceandat everytime, weneedto build upaspiritual habit of exercising our spirit to "switch on" thelaw of theSpirit of life-1 Tim. 4:7.
ｇ
Thelawof theSpirit of life,theSpirit of God,theSpirit of Christ, andthe resurrecting Spirit have beeninstalled intoeverybeliever; in order to receive Hislife supply, we needonly to exercise ourspirit by calling on theLordand worshipping, thanking, praising, andexalting Him-Isa. 12:2-6.
３
We needto mind thethings of theSpirit-Rom. 8:5:
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To mind thethings of theSpirit is to setourmind on thethings of theSpirit, that is, to always have ourmind occupied with thethings of theSpirit, which arethethings concerning Christ.
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The things of the Spirit of God are the deep things of God; to realize and participate in Christ asthedeepthings of God requires usto love Him-1 Cor.2:9-11,14.
ｃ
We needto exercise to build upa habit of continually having ourmind occupiedwith thethings of theSpirit, thethings concerning Christ.
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InSongof Songstheseeker wassickwith love for theLord(2:5; 5:8); within hermind there wasnothing butthe Lord; we needto have sucha mind.
ｅ
Thesecret of spiritual warfare is to not allowourmind to be vacant; thetwo spirits, thedivine Spirit with ourhuman spirit, connect allthethingsconcerning Christ toourmind; aslongasourmind isconnected tothe things concerning Christ by thetwo spirits, we arevictorious-Rom. 8:6, 16.
ｆ
Theexpression the mind set on the spirit in Romans 8:6 is literally "themind of thespirit"; themind of Christ, themind of thespirit, isamind that is filled,occupied, andsaturated with Christ-Phil. 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:16.
４
We needto putto death thepractices of our body-Rom. 8:13, 5:
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Thepractices of thebody areourold habits; these practices include notonly sinful things butalso everything practiced by our body apart from the Spirit.
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We needto coordinate with theindwelling Spirit to take theinitiative to put to death thepractices of ourbody;then theSpirit willcomeinto apply the effectiveness of Christ's death to these practices, thus killing them.
５
We needto be led by theSpirit of God-v. 14:
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We do notneedto seekafter theSpirit's leading, sinceit is already present within us,dwelling inourregenerated spirit; if weliveunder this leading, we will walkandbehave in a way that proves that we areGod's sons.
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Theleading here is notmerely anaction of the Spirit; it istheTriune God Himself becoming theleading inourspirit; if wewouldcareforHimasa person who indwells us, we will spontaneously be led by Him.
６
We needto cry, "Abba, Father!"-v. 15:
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AbbaisanAramaic word,andFather isthetranslation of theGreek word Pater;thecombining of theAramaic title with theGreek title expresses a stronger affection in crying to theFather.
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Suchanaffectionate cryimplies anintimate relationship inlifebetween a genuine son anda begetting father-v. 16.
Ⅱ
Romans 8 may beconsidered the focus of the entire Bible and the center of the universe; thus, if we are experiencing Romans 8, weare in the center of the universe:
A
In eternity past God purposed to enter intoHisredeemed peopleso that He could be their life andso that they couldbe Hiscorporate expression; this is thefocus of God's economy-Eph. 1:3-5.
B
Manis thecenter of God's creation, because God's intention is to be expressed through man; man canbecomeGod's expression onlyby God entering intoman to be man's life andcontent andto make man onewith Himso that man mayliveby Himand evenlive Himout; in this way God is expressed from within man.
C
Zechariah 12:1says, "Thusdeclares Jehovah, whostretches forth theheavens and laysthefoundations of theearth andformsthespirit of man within him":
１
The spirit of man is ranked with the heavens and the earth because our spirit is thelocation where God desires to dwell-Eph. 2:22; cf. 2 Tim. 4:22.
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Theheavens arefor theearth, theearth is for man, andman wascreated by God with aspirit so that hemaycontact God,receive God,worship God,liveGod, fulfillGod's purpose for God, andbe one with God.
D
Thecentral focusin theuniverse is that the processed Triune God hascome intous andnow dwells in us; this is thegreatest miracle; nothing elsein the universe could be moreimportant than this-Isa. 66:1-2; John 14:23; 15:4.
E
We should all be full of joy sincetheTriune God is indwelling us andis one with us; He is our life andour person, andHe is making us His home-Eph. 3:14-17.
F
The indwelling Spirit in Romans 8 is theTriune God:
１
In theexpression the Spirit of God, theSpirit andGod arein apposition, indicating that theSpirit andGod areone-Rom. 8:9.
２
Similarly, theSpirit of Christ, theSpirit of theOnewhoraised Jesus fromthe dead, andtheSpirit of lifeinRomans 8 indicate that theSpirit isChrist, the resurrecting One,andlife; therefore, sincetheSpirit indwells us,all three of the Triune God arein us as life-vv. 9, 11, 2.
３
TheSpirit in Romans 8 is theall-inclusive Spirit astheultimate consummation andapplication of theTriune God; theSpirit is thereaching, theapplication, of theTriune God to us.
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TheTriune God astheall-inclusive Spirit is within usfor usto experience and enjoy by taking Himas our life andourperson; we arethecontainer of theTriune God-2 Cor. 4:7.
G
WhenChrist enters intous, our spirit is regenerated, making our spirit life (Rom. 8:10); when we love theLordandsetourmind on thethings concerning Him,ourmind is life (v. 6); furthermore, if theSpirit of theresurrecting Oneindwells us,He will give life to our body (v. 11):
１
According to God's economy andeternal purpose, what God wants to do in His salvation is to workHimself intous,Hisredeemed people,asourlife; God's desire to workHimself intous as our life is thefocus of theBible.
２
Thelife that is givento ourspirit, mind, andbody is theindwelling Spirit as the ultimate consummation andapplication of theTriune God.
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If we areweak, lacking life, it is because we are short of spiritual breath; to breathe spiritually is to call on the name of theLord-Lam. 3:55-56;Hymns, #73, stanza 2.
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As we continually breathe intheSpirit aslife andallowHimto spread intoall ourbeing,moreandmoreof Christ isadded intous;this istopossess, experience, andenjoy thesubjective God within our being.
５
WhenGodisthus added intoourbeing,wewillreceive thelifeelement that causes us to grow for thebuilding up of theBody of Christ-Col. 2:19.
６
Whilewe aregrowing with this life element, the law of theSpirit of life works in us automatically to shape us, to conform us, intotheimage of Christ; theBody of Christ, thefullness of Christ, thenewman, andthemutual habitation of God andman issue from our experience of this life-Rom.8:29.
７
Ultimately, this life will prepare thebride of Christ, whichwill cause theLordto come backandusher us intothenext age; for this reason, thecrucial focus of the Bible andtheuniverse is in Romans 8.