Romans 8:12-17

This second half of the first section of Romans 8 begins with another “therefore.”

So, wherefore the therefore?

Because we are dead to the Law, to self and to sin, and because the Holy Spirit is living in us, we therefore…

The Verses

12. We have an obligation…not a choice. So, what is the obligation? We’ll find out after Paul completes his logic. In fact, this thought is not complete until chapter 12, verses 1 through 4. Romans 8:12b-11:36 gives his logic for coming to this conclusion:

Since we are dead to the Law, to self and to sin, and because the Holy Spirit is living in us, we have an obligation to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.

13. This verse continues the logic: The sinful nature kills, but the Holy Spirit gives life.

14. If you are a child of God, you are led by the Holy Spirit, and, by implication, if you are not led by the Holy Spirit, you are not a child of God.

15. The Holy Spirit does not remind you of your past sin (that is Satan), but points you to Christ. By the Holy Spirit, you have an intimate relationship to God, such that you can refer to Him as “Abba,” a term of endearment, sort of like “Daddy.”

16. Once you are saved, you know that you know that you are saved, not by how you feel, but by the Word of God (that tells you how to be saved) and the testimony of His Holy Spirit, who lives in you.

17. The song, “The Family of God” has a great line: “Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod…” We are heirs of the King. An heir is someone who inherits his/her parents’ possessions. We can share in both his sufferings and his glory.

What were His sufferings? (Persecution, whipping, being nailed to the cross, descending into Hell on our behalf, carrying the sins of the world on His shoulders, and being buried in a borrowed grave.)

What are His glories? (Being resurrected, sitting at the right hand of God the Father, receiving us into His eternal riches – Hebrews 12:2).

18. We think we have it bad. What we have is nothing compared to what lies ahead. As the song says, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.”

19. Think of creation. It gets bigger and bigger every day!

20. All of creation was affected by the one man, Adam’s, sin. You ask why bad things happen, why there is sickness, why there is pain, why there are accidents, why there is death? Here’s why: sin. And Christ suffered that for us.

21. In the end, creation itself will be free from sin. Imagine that!

22. Now, creation is full of the consequences of sin.

23. Even Christians suffer the results of original sin, knowing that the suffering will cease.

24. The hope referred to here is not an “I wish for” hope, it is a hope that is steadfast and sure. It is a hope not only of present salvation, but of our future glory!

25. We will wait patiently for that hope, whether we want to be patient or not. We have no choice…we will wait patiently.

26. The Holy Spirit helps us. Please notice that this verse does not say that the Holy Spirit makes us groan and make strange utterances. This verse tells us that the Holy Spirit does the groaning, using words that we cannot express. You cannot say the words that the Holy Spirit says to God on our behalf.

27. By the Holy Spirit, witness is given to God that we are His children…saved…saints of His…just as He willed it from the beginning of time.