GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR MAN FROM START TO FINISH

Part IV: God's Righteousness Granted In Sanctification, Romans 6:1-8:39

F. The Believer's Equipping To Experience Exalted Spiritual Living

(Romans 8:12-17)

I. Introduction

A. Where Romans 8:1-11 provides news of victorious righteous living by God's grace, Romans 8:12-17 teaches the believer's equipping by God to know even exalted spiritual living, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1606.

B. We thus view Romans 8:12-17 for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. The Believer's Equipping To Experience Exalted Spiritual Living, Romans 8:12-17.

A. Not only is the believer equipped to live a godly life by relying on the Holy Spirit instead of his sinful nature, Romans 8:12 claims he is obligated before God not to live by his sinful nature as his new spiritual normal!

B. In addition, living in the sinful nature keeps a believer from enjoying his spiritual life, for he is about to die or is at the point of dying when he lives in the sinful nature where if he lives in the power of the Holy Spirit he enjoys the spiritual life that is his in Christ, Romans 8:13; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 470-471. This does not mean the believer is about to lose his salvation if he lives in the sinful nature, but that he fails to enjoy the blessings of the spiritual life available to him in Christ, Ibid., p. 470. This truth applies not only to one's daily experience, but extensive living in the sin nature results in physical death via God's discipline, 1 John 5:16-17.

C. Further, as many as are led by the Spirit of God by relying on the Holy Spirit are adult sons of God (Romans 8:14), the word "sons" being translated from the Greek term huios that is "a child mature enough to take on adult family privileges and responsibilities," Ibid., p. 471. In other words, when a believer relies upon the Holy Spirit of God, he is equipped of God to assume adult family privileges and responsibilities in living for the Lord and serving Him as he relates to other believers and ministers in Christian service!

D. Paul added that in sharp contrast to one's living by the control of his sin nature, the believer has received the Holy Spirit of huiothesia, of "placing as a son" that makes a child bear the privileges of "natural-born sons" who enjoy spiritual intimacy with God the Father in calling Him, "Abba Father," Romans 8:15; Ibid. [The term "Abba" is "a Greek and English transliteration of the Aramaic word for father (used elsewhere in the NT only in Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6)," Ibid. At Mark 14:36, Jesus in His native Aramaic tongue in great agony in the Garden of Gethsemane used "Abba" in calling out in intimate fellowship to His heavenly Father for release from the cup of suffering He was about to face, and Galatians 4:6 speaks of believers referring to the Father as "Abba." We believers in Christ, when relying on the Holy Spirit, have the most intimate fellowship with God the Father that is possible, a fellowship that the Lord Jesus Himself enjoys!]

E. In addition, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our human spirits created in Christ Jesus that we are tekna of God, the term tekna referring to one's being a "born one" of God, a truly spiritually birthed child of God, Romans 8:16; Ibid. Thus, the Holy Spirit affirms to the believer who fellowships with the Lord that he is actually saved, actually spiritually born into God's spiritual family.

F. Also, since the believer is a tekna, one truly spiritually born into God's family, he is also an heir, Rom. 8:17a.

G. If he is an heir, he is an heir of God and a "fellow-heir" (sunkleronomos, Moulton & Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek N. T., 1972, p. 609) with his Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17b.

H. The purpose of this "fellow-heir" status is to equip the believer to be glorified with Christ in the eternal state, a huge blessing to be realized at the rapture (that Paul addresses in Romans 8:18-25), Romans 8:17c.

Lesson: Because of the spiritual equipping the Holy Spirit provides the believer, he can enjoy exalted living by relying on the Spirit as his new normal, as his obligatory way of living, enjoying practical spiritual blessings and equipped to function as an adult spiritual son with all of its privileges and responsibilities in life and service. He should thus enjoy full spiritual intimacy with God the Father and practical assurances from the Holy Spirit that he is truly born again of God and thus is an heir of God and a fellow-heir of Christ assured of sharing in His glory.

Application: (1) May we believers NOT view living a holy, spiritual life in Christ as some goal to be achieved at some future date, but rather view such living as OBLIGATORY for NOW as our NEW NORMAL by relying on the Holy Spirit instead of the old sinful nature. (2) May we thus enjoy exalted living by enjoying practical spiritual blessings and privileges and responsibilities in life and service that are granted to God's adult sons, including assurances of the Holy Spirit that we are truly born again and hence heirs of God and fellow-heirs of Christ to participate with Him in His glory in eternity!