Before I move forward I must back up into chapter 7 of Romans where Paul draws us into the marriage relationship and the freedom that a widow or widower has after their life long partner dies. And how liberating this freedom can be. He draws out the conflict of two natures at work within man. Here's what is stated:
Romans 7:14-25 "For we know that the new law in Christ is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent to the Mosaic Law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; But how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a new law (in my members), that, when I would do good, evil is exposed and present with me. For I delight in the new law of God after the inward man: But I see another law now in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the old law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank GOD through Jesus Christ our LORD! So then with the mind I myself serve the new law of God (is Christ); But with the flesh the old law of sin. For we know that the new law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold (a slave) under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent to the old law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present within me; But how to perform that which is better I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that does it, but sin that dwells in me. I find the new law in Christ, that, when I would do the better thing, evil is present with me. For I delight in the new law of God after the inward man (Christ): But I see another better law in my members, warring against the now old law of my mind, and bringing me again to captivity to the old law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank GOD through Jesus Christ our LORD. So then with the mind I myself serve the new law of God; But with the flesh the old law of sin."
Paul here is explaining those things common to all men everywhere and in his case more so, because he was a Pharisee's Pharisee and a lawyer of the Mosaic Law. Yet after his conversion the awakened Christ within him he still struggles with who he was with who he now has become. I know by personally experience this even though I was no where near to his background and education levels. Now for the deeper look into what Romans 8 holds for us. Beginning at verse 1 through 8 which states this, and is now more understandable after reading chapter 7's out take:
Romans 8:1-8 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the new law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the old law of sin and death. For what the old law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the new law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; But they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity (minding the flesh, hostility) against GOD: for it is not subject to the new law (Christ activated within) of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
What Paul reveals is what hinders millions if not billions faithful church attenders of today's people having a troubled understanding mindset of perception this generated by a spirit understanding of the old standards based on false blurred perceptions fostered by man's religious platitudes. Paul in Romans 7 using marriage as the key with the loss of a wife or husband, freedom comes suddenly, and the first 8 verses of chapter 8 describes them quite well. As we have seen, he being a Pharisee's Pharisee had three mind numbing obstacles....false perceptions to overcome after his own encounter with the light, life and love from above (in Acts 9). All three of the old guard were well entrenched in his mind and thusly his reasoning abilities were greatly diminished, handicapped and hindered. Especially after being born a new from the light, life and love, Christ, that he had recently encountered that now was at work within him, as never before known by him. Why? Because he had been hamstrung by both his religion and legal backgrounds. Oh! His childhood teachings had been well established through brainwashing to only see what he had been programmed to think and see.
Now the Spirit of Christ released within him was destroying all of these misguided falsehoods of perceptions, as he describes them in verses 1-8 of chapter 8.
We shall indever to follow this theme through the rest of the verses of chapter 8 to see why I get so upset when I hear fear, condemnation by hell fire proclaimed by professing believers, who clearly are but blank spots. As they clearly have not heard these things....love, life and light; The origin of our being now actives by our joint identity of Jesus' humanity and the gifting of Christ's reawakening. Revival, rebirth, re-genesised, being again from above, new birth...redeemed restored to health...by His stripes we are the healed.(Isaiah 53:5, Galatians 2:20, Hosea 6:1-3)
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