David Bahn – Reflections

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:26-39

I do not like this Sam, I am. I do not like this lock-down slam! Apologies to Dr. Seuss! But I don’t like these drastic measures we must take because we care, because we love, because we are very aware of this enemy we call COVID-19. One translation of verse 36 has, “We face death all day long.” So it seems for us these days. And I don’t like it. Not. One. Bit.

We are facing death all day long during these days. And while I don’t want to be morbid or self-consumed by these realities and threats, they are real threats. One day we’ll look back on all this and draw some conclusions about ourselves. Are we too self-consumed? Have we made a mountain out of a molehill? Are we just wimps? Or did we way under-estimate the threat, and make too little of what we’re facing. Neither approach is good.

Paul was not exaggerating when he speaks of facing death. He was literally left for dead after one particularly violent beating. He suffered shipwreck and imprisonment. He received 39 lashes on more than one occasion. I’m sure he knew all about impending death. I’m certain he was not exaggerating.

But neither did he give up hope. He predated Admiral James Stockdale by centuries. Stockdale is famous for the Stockdale paradox: a approach to life that faces the brutal facts while holding onto hope. Paul lived it. He faced the brutal facts of death. But he never lost hope.

Perhaps the best thing that could be said of us in the years to come – we who have endured this pandemic – is that we faced the brutal facts of these times, but never lost hope. We never lost hope because we believed that the Love of God is unstoppable. We believed that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Jesus. We held to the hope that One Day all will be good and right, holy and pure, peaceful and perfect, glorious and grace-praised.

I may not like these days of trouble we face, but I will not give up hope. I am thankful that because of Jesus I don’t have to either deny the brutal facts or give up hope.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:26-39

“Has he got a plan?”

“A plan? What do you men a plan?”

“Son, Russians don’t do anything without a plan.”

The language is just a bit more crude, but the message came through to Jack Ryan in the movie, Hunt for Red October. The captain of the submarine they were chasing had to have a plan if the theory Ryan was championing was true. The Russian had to have a plan.

You might think of Jeremiah 29:11 as a place in the Bible regarding God’s plans. There he promises to his people that he had plans for them – plans to prosper them, not to harm them. Plans to give them hope and a future. Those are great plans, and no doubt the foundation of Paul’s promise here in Romans 8. God has good plans for those who love him.

But they are more than plans. They are works in progress. And God is working (present tense!) in the midst of challenges, bad things, good things, everyday things – all things – for the good of those who love him.

God has called us according to his purpose. And that purpose is remarkable. If you follow the chain, God is at work for our glorification. We who have been justified – by grace through faith – will be glorified. This is difficult for me to get my head around. But this is the promise of God.

Maybe you’ve heard the thunderous applause at the end of a performance. Perhaps you’ve danced and others have cheered for you. You might have been a sports star and heard the cheers from the fans when you made the play. Or maybe you’ve just heard it once time, sincerely, genuinely, kindly: Job well done!

Now take that and multiply that times 1000, or 10,000, or 1,000,000! Imagine Jesus glorifying you. Imagine him applauding you. Don’t get too caught up in it to the point that you become conceited and filled with hubris. But don’t ignore this promise of God. His plans end in your glorification. New bodies. Perfect in every way.

“The glory of God is many fully alive,” said Saint Irenaeus, a great theologian of the Church in the second century. We who have been called by God, who love him, will be fully alive by his grace for all time…to the glory of God and our eternal joy!

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:26-39

I believe in prayer. In fact if someone speaks to me about prayer, I want to say, “Let’s not just talk about praying. Let’s pray!” But, alas, I’m not really good at praying. I run out of words. I lose track of the needs. I get lost in the details. That’s one reason I love the prayers of John Baillie. He says things I would not think of myself, and I love to use his prayers. Here’s an excerpt from one that I find especially edifying…

I pray also—

for all who will today be faced by any great decision:
for all who will today be engaged in settling affairs of great importance in the lives of men and nations:
for all who are molding public opinion in our time:
for all who write what other people read:
for all who are holding aloft the lamp of truth in a world of ignorance and sin:
for all whose hands are worn with too much toil, and for the unemployed whose hands today fall idle:
for those who have nowhere to lay their head.

– John Baillie, Diary of Private Prayer, Twenty-Eighth Day Morning
@ 1977 by Ian Fowler Baillie
Revised by David Bahn, 2003, 2012

Better than Baillie, however, is the Holy Spirit. For he knows both the heart and mind of God as well as our needs. He also has a heart for us, desiring to bring us to God, to bring us to faith, to bring us to the full experience of God’s love and salvation. The Holy Spirit enriches our lives by turning our hearts to God and inclining our hearts to pray in the first place.

But there are times when the challenges we face are too overwhelming. The nuances of the decisions, the knowledge necessary, is beyond our grasp. The courage even to voice what is needed is so lacking. We need the Holy Spirit to intercede for us! And he does.

As he does so, we can thank God that he is working for us, in us, through us, (and sometime in spite of us). But he is always working for our good. He is always yearning to shape our hearts with his love and grace.

Sometimes we may need to be brought up sharply – the proverbial Come to Jesus moments may need to occur. But in the end his kindness leads us to repentance. And God’s kindness is shown in his will and his grace, and by the Holy Spirit’s work in us and prayers for us.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  – Romans 8:26-39

I was completely rattled. My hands were shaking. My blood pressure was spiking, I’m sure, and my pulse was racing. I was trying to lead a Bible study on ZOOM and we had some very bad actors who “Zoom Bombed” us with ugly and profane comments. I didn’t have control of the meeting at that time because I had handed off the host duties to someone else. She, however, knew just what to do. She ended the meeting. No more Zoom bombers. No more Bible study. But the jitters and racing pulse remained for some minutes afterward.

I needed help. I needed the help of the Holy Spirit. I needed his peace. I needed his power to focus on his words and promises. Truth be told I need these things at all times. It was just more obvious at that moment. Perhaps this was a reminder of two things:

1. We need God’s Holy Spirit at all times for peace, power to focus on his word and promises, and for faith to believe.
2. There are those who wish to undercut our faith and focus on God. There are those who would separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ. There are those who are against us.

How precious it is to know that they cannot separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ. Whatever disruptions and attacks we may experience they will not separate us from God’s love. That’s the one constant in all life. God’s love is never-changing. God’s love is never interrupted. God’s love is not shifting or dependant on anything we may experience.

We’re heading out for a family picnic soon. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining. The weather is wonderfully cool. We’ll be with family. It will likely be a wonderful day. Those good things do not remove me from either God’s love or from my need for his help. I’m thankful for both.

Bible Study on Philippians 2
May 10, 2020 | Online Bible Class | St. John Lutheran Church

Philippians 2:1-11 [NIV]
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

1. “If”: A Powerful Implicative Conditional Contention (Philippians 2:1-4)

Four Conditions

• being united with Christ
• comfort from his love
• common sharing in the Spirit
• tenderness and compassion

Implications of these Conditions: then make my [Paul’s] joy complete by

• being like-minded,
• having the same love,
• being one in spirit and of one mind.
• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
• Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
• not looking to your own interests
• but each of you to the interests of the others.

Implications for today’s disciples

• Do you believe in the holy Christian Church; the communion of saints?
• Do you believe in the forgiveness of sins?
• Do you look for the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come?
• If so, how does that show up in your life?

2. The Normative Example of Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus provides not only an example, but a norm for Christian relationships.

• The Foundational Identity of Jesus: in very nature God,
• The Remarkable Humility of Jesus: made himself nothing
• The Powerful example of Jesus: obedient to death – even on a cross

The Encouraging Vindication of Jesus

• Exaltation to the highest place
• The name that is above every name
• Universal acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

The Ultimate Outcome of Jesus’ Work: the glory of God the Father. 

Questions for Discussion/Consideration

• What are some common norms for people’s behavior today? How are these norms related to Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6?
• When does a norm become a sin? How do we guard against this on a daily basis?
• Consider this diagram. Notice how it reflects the phrases of Philippians 2 & the Apostle’s Creed. How do you apply this knowledge to your faith? How does it impact your daily life? How should it?
• Reflect on the glory of God in light of Ephesians 1:6. How does God’s grace relate to God’s glory? What do you make of that?

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:12-25 [NLT]

For what do you hope these days? Here are some choices:

• An end to the COVID-19 pandemic
• An effective vaccine against the COVID-19 virus
• Opening of all businesses
• A clear sense of how the future will unfold

Perhaps you’re not like me, but I suspect many people would wish for the last one in that list. We all want an end to the pandemic. We would love to learn that an effective vaccine has been discovered. And wouldn’t it be great if all businesses were allowed to open. But even if those three things materialized, the manner in which the future will unfold is a mystery. We think that to know that would allow us to navigate the days and weeks ahead more gracefully.

Diane and I will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary this June. We were just tonight talking about how we might celebrate that. We talked about going to a B&B in the Hill Country. We imagined taking a trip to the beach. We even thought about a longer trip on an airplane. But we don’t know how the future will unfold. We don’t know how to plan for this big unknown.

But if we knew, and if the path into the next weeks and months was more clear, we would surely be able to plan and dream of our getaway. Our lives would begin to be shaped by that hope. We’d look at places to stay. We’d plan for excursions. We’d consider how to spend our time during the day. But we don’t know, so we can only dream and imagine. We can’t really plan.

Our Christian hope is secured in Jesus’ resurrection. It is made certain by God’s promises. It is as certain as the witness through the ages of countless men and women who have lived and honored God by their day-to-day lives.

How much does the certain hope of the resurrection and the life of the world to come shape your decisions daily? Surely there are temptations you eschew because you have a greater hope than the momentary pleasure the temptation offers. Certainly there are choices you make each day because you want to honor God who has saved you by his grace and holds out the promise of life.

Hope shapes our lives. Worthy hope – centered in Jesus – will shape our lives in the very best way.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:12-25 [NLT]

Diane and I went to see the Blue Angels flyover on Wednesday. We almost missed it altogether. We were looking in the wrong direction. We were not where we should have been. When the Blue Angels flew over – vapor trails streaming behind them, we saw them only through a small gap between two buildings. One second of glory. Many minutes of anticipation never to be gotten back. At least we did see them.

When it comes to the end of the world, there will be no missing it. There will be no doubt. There will be no obstructed view. There will be a clear presence of Jesus, coming in the clouds for all to see. The Bible even says, “every eye will see him – even those who pierced him” (Revelation 1:7).

But it is possible to miss seeing Jesus for who he truly is. There are those who think Jesus to be a killjoy, one who takes away life rather than gives it. There are those who think Jesus is a myth and a delusion. There are those who think Jesus is a good teacher, but not God in the flesh, a good example, but not the Savior of the World. They will miss seeing Jesus for who he is.

How might we miss this? If we are too tied to the cares of this world we can miss seeing Jesus for who he is. If we are not deeply rooted in the grace and truth of Scripture we can have our joy and life stolen by Satan. If we are too little in fellowship with other believers we can be led astray and fall into unbelief and despair.

But those who know Jesus to be our true Savior, our hope, joy and crown will delight to see him in that Day. It will be a great relief and the end of great travail. We who believe in Jesus and trust in him will delight to see him. The whole earth and all of creation will join in praise to God for his deliverance.

One more thing we will not miss: our broken sin-infected bodies. Sickness, soreness, feebleness, and weakness will be left behind. All will be set right – including our physical bodies. That will be a glorious day and delightful deliverance for which we must now wait in hope.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:12-25 [NLT]

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? I think that’s a line from Shakespeare. Ah, yes. Sonnet 18, the opening line from it to be exact (I looked it up!). What do you like to use for comparison’s sake? Is your job like a long slog up a steep and muddy hill? Is your investment portfolio like a dark cavern: empty and foreboding? Is your life like a spring day among the bluebonnets of Texas?

Paul offers a comparison here – or better yet – a lack of suitable comparison when considering the sufferings of these times with the glory we will experience on the Great Last Day. There is more than one reason for this.

Surely we realize that the amount of evil, pain, sickness, and suffering we experience here will be eclipsed by the goodness, joy, health, delight, and glory we will experience in the life of the world to come. That’s good enough, but that’s not all.

The whole of creation is suffering in the midst of even our greatest joys and delights on this earth. Too often we’re oblivious to the earth’s sufferings. During these days of pandemic we learn how the world is experiencing a reprieve of sorts. Smog and pollution is greatly reduced. It’s as though the world is able to take a breather while we’re shut down.

In the life of the world to come there will be no such trade-off. All will be well-balanced.

Yet another facet of the perfection we do not now see – and too often we’re blind to this – is that while we may be enjoying good times, great joy, much good health, and prosperity, there are people who are on the other end of that spectrum of delight. Sometimes they are right next door. Sometimes they’re a coworker. Sometimes they may half way around the world. But their suffering – close or far – is no less real.

The whole creation is groaning and yearning for the revelation of God’s sons and daughters. The whole creation longs for the glory that will be revealed on that Great Last Day. The whole creation longs for Jesus to manifest the fullness of his victory over sin, death, and Satan.

And while we wait we hope. Let’s not kid ourselves about this world’s brokenness and groaning. But let’s not abandon the hope we have in Jesus. When he comes there will be no comparisons needed.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:12-25 [NLT]

Some years ago I took a Birkman inventory designed to help me understand how I work with people, how people perceive me in our working relationship, and how we can best work together. Two things came out of that experience. One is kind of sad: I am only a bit more aware of how I am put together, and therefore perhaps not as self-aware as I ought to be. The other learning – also a bit sad – is that most people who take the inventory provide results that say to me of my relationship with them, “This person will require the kind of support and supervision you least like to give.” Ugh. Alas, we live in a fallen world.

On the other hand a wonderful insight was shared with me by the pastor/counselor who helped me interpret the results of my inventory. He was thorough and kind, supportive and encouraging to me. He said, “It will be important that you have some creative outlet – outside of your ministry responsibilities – to help balance your life and emotional wellbeing.

Aha! Photography can fill a personal need to be creative! I discover great joy in creating photos which garner the attention and appreciation of others. That is a pale reflection of God’s creative glory. But it is a reflection nonetheless. Whenever we create anything: a poem, a meal, a piece of artwork, a quilt or a piece of furniture, we are reflecting God’s creative glory. And that’s what children do.

I can see it in some children more than others. I see his mother’s eyes. I see her mother’s turn of face. I hear her mom’s cadence and accent of speech. I see his father’s mannerisms in his personal interactions. I see his grandfather’s demeanor in the way he walks around. That’s what children do.

We are children of God. And God is never afraid. He is never worried. He is never at a loss. He is never flummoxed. And although we don’t always display those characteristics, when we fail it is because we are taking too much responsibility for running the world or keeping things going, or determining the way things ought to be.

So we love. So we forgive. So we are brave and courageous. So we are hopeful. As such we are reflecting God’s glory, character, and nature. For we are fearlessly and gloriously remade into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,^[f] you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:12-25 [NLT]

Does every gift come with strings attached? Do I open the door for someone ladened with a heavy load and no free hand, in order to receive a thank you? Do I give a Christmas gift so that I will receive one from the giftee? Before you’re too quick to say your gifts are given entirely for altruistic motives, let me ask you a question. If you give a nice gift and don’t receive a thank you what happens in your heart? Does a sprig of resentment begin to grow? Do you feel cheated?

This section of Romans begins with a therefore. And whenever you see a therefore,  you look to see what it’s there for. So, take a look at the immediately preceding verse:

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. – Romans 8:11

You might wonder about God’s motive  in his gift of life and the hope of the resurrection. You might even say that God has an ulterior motive in giving us the Holy Spirit. We might think that our salvation brings an obligation to us. 

But a closer look reveals something quite different. Because we have the Holy Spirit, and the hope of the resurrection we are no longer under obligation to our sinful nature. And there’s the rub. Part of the fall and the impact of the sinful nature is sin’s allurement. Sin looks good. Forbidden fruit is pleasing to the eye, good for food and desirable for wisdom. Who wouldn’t want that? 

However, we know the sharp barb that bait hides. We know the wages sin is death. We know about the bitter poison hidden in that fruit. Those who have been taken down into the abyss of death, darkness, and despair – where sin always leads – know better. Those see God’s love for what it is know where sin always leads. As Billy Graham has said:

The Bible declares that there can be pleasure in sin. We know this from our own experience. But the Bible also says that sin’s pleasure is only for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Then it’s over, leaving us bitter, and finally destroying us. A day of reckoning always comes. The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and we are therefore no longer under the obligation of our sinful nature. We are no longer obligated to death. To be freed from that obligation is a great gift.