Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading and meditating on Romans chapter 8. For those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, there are at least four, wonderful promises of God in this passage of scripture.
1) Freedom.
We are all born with a sin nature. Sin enslaves us (John 8:34), and damns us (Romans 6:23), but there is freedom for those who come to Jesus.
In Romans 8 we see God’s promise that through Christ we are free from sin in two ways. First, we are free from the penalty of sin. Second, we are free from the power of sin.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
~Romans 8: 1-2
Christians no longer stand condemned before God because Christ took our punishment upon Himself. We are no longer slaves to our sinful desires because we have the Holy Spirit within us. We are truly free!
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you…
~Romans 8: 9a
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
~Romans 8: 12
2) Life.
Worldwide, it’s estimated that two to three people die every second! Death is inevitable. One day, it will be your turn. Are you ready?
The Bible tells us that death is not the end. After death, we face judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Those who reject Christ will be condemned (John 3:18), but those who trust in Christ as their Savior will enjoy eternal life (John 3:16).
This brings us to the second promise found in Romans 8: Those who know Jesus will be resurrected with incorruptible bodies, never to die again.
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.
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: 10-11
the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
~Romans 8:21
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.
~Romans 8:23
3) Relief.
Suffering is a part of life. The Bible never says that we won’t suffer (in fact, there are many places where it says we will suffer), but Christians are promised that our suffering is temporary, and that it pales in comparison to the glory that awaits us.
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.
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
~Romans 8: 17-18
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?
…
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
~Romans 8: 35 & 37
God also promises that He will take all things (including our suffering) and work them together for our good.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
~Romans 8: 28
Are you a Christian that’s suffering right now? Hold on! Relief is coming.
4) Security.
This fourth promise from Romans 8 is one of my favorites. Most things in life are fleeting. Youth, health, success, money, fame… all of these things eventually slip away or get taken from us. But there is one thing a Christian can always count on, and that is God’s love.
When you become a child of God you are forever secure in His love.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Through Christ we are promised freedom from sin, life everlasting, an end to suffering, and love that’s unshakable. Set aside some time a few days from now to read Romans 8 again, and reflect on these amazing promises.
