ROMANS
In This Section:ROMANS 6:16, 8:13
ROMANS 6:16
"16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:16
What is typically suggested by those who hold to the Not Eternally Saved Theory of interpretation concerning this passage, is that when one sins, that person is showing that sin is that one's master. To overcome this master, one must obey God by never sinning. In doing so, that person is demonstrating that they are doing what it takes for righteousness. It is said to be sinless obedience that results in righteousness, without which a person can not be saved. Essentially, this is the dooming theory of good works for salvation--sin being bad works that obedience is compared with for securing salvation. This is also a passage that eradicationists use. Eradicationists are people that claim that when you truly get saved, sin is supposedly eradicated from you.
/1/
As a primary consideration, it is important that we recognize that Paul is using a kind of diatribe rhetorical style along with the influence of Jewish midrash commentary he was so familiar with as a prior Pharisee in Jerusalem. It is Paul's own style as he is moved by the Holy Spirit to construct this beautiful epistle. Paul uses this synthesis style of his all throughout Romans. A foundational consideration concerning Paul's writing style, in Romans, is that he addresses a broad hypothetical "you." Knowing this fact concerning Paul's literary style helps tremendously in properly exegeting the text. (See footnote 1 below).
/2/
As a second consideration, we must recognize that Paul is using metaphoric language, which is a practice heavily reflected in most every writing style of his time and culture. The consistency of the trend of using metaphor can be found on practically every page of the Bible.
Whenever we seek to properly interpret a Bible passage, we should take metaphoric language literally, but, we should take it literally in a certain way. We should always take metaphor to be literally metaphor. For example, I may be reading in Romans and suddenly see that sin is described as a master. In my study, I can interpret sin to be a literal master, as a person who owns slaves in Paul's culture; but is this what Paul meant? After more study, I deduce that sin is not a Roman slave owner somewhere who is beating the Roman Christians into submission with a whip. In applying this to our Romans 6:16 text under study, when we read "you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience" we recognize, in like manner, that "obedience" in our sentence, is not a person's name, and further, we know that obedience is not a slave owner in Rome somewhere. Similarly, Christ may be expressed as perfect obedience, but perfect obedience is not His name, or His material essence. These principles of interpretation are important to apply here, because Paul uses various kinds of metaphor in Romans, and we need to take his metaphor literally as what it is--literally metaphor. We will take a look at Romans 6 now, but we need to start back in Romans 5 to get the flow. Paul says,
"12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12)
Paul goes on, in what he writes next, to expound on this foundational point. Sin is the master-owner of all people who are not saved, and it is because of our forefather Adam. But, Paul also continues on with the good news,
"20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20-21)
The bad news part is that sin reigned as master "in death" for the lost, both spiritually and in the flesh. The good news part is that grace reigns in the born again person as master through righteousness through Christ our Lord. It is the great exchange that occurs in eternal spiritual salvation. The great exchange occurs as Christ imputes His righteousness to believers through faith, and it is the unending mediatory righteousness of Christ Himself as the appeasement of God for both the awfulness of sin, and the penalty of sin, for all those whom He purchased on the cross. It is the great exchange, where
"by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us ... righteousness" (1 Corinthians 1:30)
What we see, then, is that Christ is our righteousness, and it is God's work--not ours. This is the eternal perspective of Paul's related theology. It is the old perspective of Paul's theology. It is not a new perspective of Paul's theology. It is the perspective of,
"21 But now apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, ... even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;" (Romans 3:21)
It is the perspective of,
"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness," (Romans 4:5)
It is the perspective of,
"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks ..." (Romans 10:4-6)
It is the perspective of,
"the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness ... in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)
It is the perspective of,
"God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we would (NET) become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Or as the Exegesis Bible renders the Greek,
"For him, who knew no sin, he made him sin in our behalf; so that we become the justness of Elohim in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21 Exegesis Bible)
We recognize that our righteousness is "in" Christ positionally. This is why all of us need to be thinking with Paul's perspective when he says, that
"I ... may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," (Philippians 3:9)
All these points build upon, and take us forward into chapter 6 of Paul's flow, where Paul asks in the diatribe type style concerning the mind boggling concept of unmerited favor,
"1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2)
Paul anticipates his readers thoughts concerning the comprehensiveness of the New Covenant in Christ's blood and resurrection. Paul's point is that just because God's grace overflowed where sin increased, we should not take this to mean that we have a logical reason to ambitiously pursue sin. The point is that Christians have died to sin as described as an owner-master over their whole existence. This death to sin is a necessity, (cf. 8:13). We do not live in it. We live out of it because we are born again spiritually. So, since we are spiritually alive now, the exhortation is to quit sinning in the body now. Paul goes on in his own peculiar diatribe form explaining the big transference,
"3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Christ Jesus have been immersed into His death?" (Romans 6:3)
Notice that Paul is not speaking of being immersed in, or sprinkled with, water. Paul names the two things that the baptism, (from the Gk. baptizo) actually are in his sentence. The two things are:
A) into Christ,
and
B) into His death.
Paul continues explaining how all this beautiful miracle work of God applies to us, as He connects an explanation with "therefore," stating,
"4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion [baptism] into death, ..." (Romans 6:4)
[Again, not baptism in water, but "in His death"]
"... so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection," (Romans 6:4-5)
Paul is giving assurance of being Once Saved In Eternal Spiritual Salvation (OSIESS) in describing what happens in salvation. Christians are born again into righteous, eternal life creatures in Christ, and so, the immortality part of our body that follows in personal resurrection, is certain.
"... certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection." (Romans 6:6)
Continuing,
"6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)
Right here in verses 6 and 7, we find an important key to unlocking the door to a vast understanding of Paul's point. The "old self" of Christians was crucified on the cross. The old self was positionally and judicially killed in the sacrifice of Christ, with Christ. This occurred in order that the body of sin might be done away with. So, right now we have co-resurrection in Christ as our saved state, where we are positionally, judicially, and spiritually raised in newness of life; seated with Christ in the heavenlies, (Ephesians 2:6). Further, we will someday see the perfection of this in the resurrection of our mortal bodies. We are no longer slaves to, or owned by, the sin metaphorically personified as a master--the sin that Adam brought into the world. In other words, Christians have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless Christians live, yet it is no longer they, but Christ living in them, (cf. Galatians 2:20). It is,
"so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)
The good news is that sin is no longer master-owner of the body, and inner man of saved people. Paul goes on to explain more. He takes it one step further and encourages the Roman Christians to live like this freedom-fact has practical application. He says,
"11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin [allow sin to] reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts," (Romans 6:11-12)
Unless we truly understand the fact that Paul is inspired to encourage real Christians to not sin, then we will not get what he is saying, and we will end up tangled in the NEST. For saved people, it is a matter of wrongly letting, as in allowing (by permission) sin to reign in their temporal-mortal bodies. Evidently to Paul, Christians can obey the lusts of sin, which is a fact that eradicationists can not sufficiently explain with any consistent New Covenant Bible interpretation (hermeneutic). Evidently, Christians who are dead to sin, can still let, allow, as in, permit, sin to reign in their mortal bodies while still in this present earthly existence. The reason is because salvation breaks the power and enslavement of sin over a person, but salvation does not break a person's power to sin in the present tense of their salvation. This point should be stressed; salvation breaks the power and enslavement of sin over saved people as master, but salvation does not break the saved people's power to sin. The power to sin is expressed in a Christian's life when the Christian, as the one in charge, allows sin to reign in the Christian's mortal body. In other words, the Christian is sin's master. Paul knows this. Paul knows that saved people sin. He says,
"Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning." (1 Timothy 5:20)
Paul wants the rest of the church to be fearful of sinning because of public rebuke. Paul is not speaking of fear of eternal damnation. He is speaking of the consequence of public admonishment. Paul states to the Corinthian church,
"Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning;" (1 Corinthians 15:34)
John put it this way,
"1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin, And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" (1 John 2:1).
Christians sin and the apostles know it, so they exhort those who are eternally spiritually saved, not to sin. Paul goes on with the encouragement,
"13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Romans 6:13)
It is simple; do not go on sinning simply because you can. Unrighteousness is not your master, so do not present yourselves as instruments of unrighteousness. In fact, use your body to serve God for righteousness. Paul goes on,
"14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14)
We are hard pressed to find a clearer proclamation of the fact that not only is sin no longer the master of Christians, but there is no way that sin shall ever be owner-master over saved people again (see footnote 2 below). Sin, as owner-Master, is what saved people are saved from. You are under grace, so start living out the righteousness that God made you in Christ. This is what Paul is saying here. It is an imperative,
"For sin shall not be master over you," (Romans 6:14)
Sin as metaphoric master can not possibly be master over Christians. Christians, in their new natures in Christ, are now the masters over sin when they sin. Next, Paul clarifies the fact that goes with the rest. He uses the questioning technique once again concerning not being under law, which is the power of sin, (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56) but rather under grace, which is the power of the New Covenant. His question has to do with the volitional choices of Christians,
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" (Romans 6:15)
Certainly there is grace when a Christians sins, but this is not meant to be motivation for ambitious opportunity to sin. This is the same point Paul has already made in the preceding verses. Paul is being a good preacher here in urging Christians not to sin, but he is not being an eradicationists. Paul goes on with the bound state of being enslaved, and so now we can rightly understand the passage used by people who believe in the NEST. This is why it is so important to get the contextual flow; verse 16,
"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)
Paul is asking the logical question concerning the state of the saved and the unsaved. Sin is personified as master-owner again. Obedience is also called a master here in the metaphor. But, we must notice that Paul uses strange wording here where he writes of you as "slaves for obedience" to "obey" obedience. Who ever heard of obedience to obedience? This is an example of how metaphor can be confusing. Such wording tells us that there is something deeper going on here than a superficial reading would express aside from Paul's whole point. It is only when we start in chapter 5, (better in chapter 1) and we look at the full context, that we understand that obeying obedience is what the born-again do. Only Christians can do this. It is the flow of Paul's diatribal styled point. Paul has been saying that unsaved people are born in sin to sin. They are of the flesh, and not of the Spirit. Sin is their master. It is the same point of 3:10;
"10 as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; 12 all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)
Paul is describing the sin-bound inability of the lost world of Adam's flesh of 8:7, where the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. Not only this, but the unsaved always, willingly, according to their nature, necessarily present themselves to sin for obedience. Sin-bound people want sin to be their master just as a doulas type slave of that culture wanted to give over themselves to a master. Paul has already established that sin is not the master of the saved, so the question Christians reading Paul's flow of thought need to ask of themselves at this point is:
Why do something that emulates unsaved people who are necessarily obedient to sin as master-owner, and who are unable to obey obedience according to their nature?
Paul, who is asking the same type of question, explains the contrast, and then urges us to do something about the problem: "As Christians, do you not know that you are the ones who obey obedience personified in your new nature? So, then obey obedience and quit sinning! You as Christians, are enslaved to God in obedience, by grace through faith in the atoning work of obedient Christ." Paul just said that it was Christ's obedience in the previous chapter that atones for sins and makes people spiritually, judicially and positionally, righteous in salvation. In the section of the previous passage covered in this book (which is Romans 2:5-8), it was demonstrated from Scripture that it is Christ's obedience that makes us obedient. So saved people are the only ones who obey this obedience that Paul is talking about here. But there is more. The following points that Paul continues to make, demonstrate the importance of context. Paul goes on with this amazing fact that all saved people necessarily became obedient to proper doctrinal teaching concerning salvation. They have been freed from sin as owner-master, and have become slaves of righteousness as owner master. He says,
"17 But thanks be to God ..." (Romans 6:17)
[The question is "why?"--Why give thanks to God? The thanks must be for something good; so Paul says what it is,]
"... that though you were slaves of sin [past tense], you became [already] obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ..." (Romans 6:17)
[Being obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which they were already committed, is more manifestation of obeying obedience as master that only saved people do. Paul goes on,]
"18 and having been freed from sin, [already] you became [already] slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:18)
Notice that another term is personified as master here by Paul. Now the master is righteousness. When you are a slave of righteousness then you are saved. It is that simple. Then Paul goes on with more urging not to sin in obeying your new master, since sin is no longer master-owner of saved people. He says,
"19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh ..." (Romans 6:19)
[Paul is talking about saved people, but everyone who holds to the NEST must recognize that saved people have weakness in their flesh. Continuing,]
"... For just as you ..." (Romans 6:19)
[This "you" is weakness-of-your-flesh-Christians]
"... presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness," (Romans 6:19)
[Meaning, that you did this when you were not saved. At that time, this is all you could do as an unsaved person. In other words you were the sin-bound lost presenter, who presented your members as a matter of what your sin nature was inclined to do. Continuing,]
"... resulting in further lawlessness, so now ..." (Romans 6:19)
[Paul is speaking to those in salvation right now in the present tense, and so he says to do something now,]
"... present your members ..." (Romans 6:19)
[Remember, Paul is writing to Christians concerning "your" members, and so the Christian as the term, "you" is the one to be presenting them, which means "you" saved ones evidently have the power to present "your" weak flesh body parts of "your" members to obey righteousness. Keep this important point in mind as we proceed to seeing what we present our members as, where Paul says,]
"... as slaves to righteousness, ..." (Romans 6:19)
[Paul's earlier points have already established that this is righteousness that "you" the Christian already are, (positionally, judicially, and spiritually) in Christ. So, when you present your bodily members of your flesh as slaves to righteousness that your redeemed nature is already enslaved to, something happens. What happens is that such a presentation is,]
"... resulting in sanctification." (Romans 6:19)
["Sanctification" is a word that literally means being separated (set a part). In this context, it means being separated from worldliness. This is a classic exhortation for weak-fleshed Christians to get strong in obedience to Christ. It is a call to live the victorious life of the Spirit. When Paul says, "your members," he is talking about your body parts. Essentially, when a Christian sins, the saved body of the present tense of our salvation is what is used for the sin. We use our saved brain. We use our saved hands. We use our members. but in actuality it is misuse, nevertheless it is use. Paul goes on, verse 20].
"20 For when you were slaves of sin, ..." (Romans 6:20)
[When Paul states the past tense, "when you were," he is referencing the saved person's past state of being in lostness. Paul is referencing back in the days of not being saved. He says,]
"20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness." (Romans 6:20)
[Verse 20 demonstrates, in a dramatic way, that context really is the golden key to understanding such complex writings. In other words, using Paul's rhetorical "you," he is explaining that before salvation, you could not do righteousness, even though the unsaved might do things that appear righteous. Before the state of salvation, (which is the state in which Christ imputes His righteousness to those whom He saves) one can not do, or be, righteousness. Before salvation, everyone is dead spiritually, lost spiritually, and is trapped in the one nature of the flesh in fallen Adam. Righteousness was not the master of any Christian back when they was unsaved. Sin was their master. By one man sin entered into the world and sin reigns over the unsaved as a despotic ruler. So, when you were in this state, you were free in regard to master-righteousness. This is what Paul means, and so Paul continues,]
"21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? ..." (Romans 6:21)
[The answer to Paul's question is, "No benefit," of course. There are other details that really illumine the fact that Paul is talking about sanctification for the saved. We see this in the fact that Paul says "you are now ashamed" of those sins you once walked in as slaves of sin. This is important because Paul is indicating that being "ashamed" is a fruit that comes out of a current state of salvation. Clearly Paul is urging Christians who may be living a sinful life, to quit sinning like when they were lost, but he is not suggesting that they will lose their salvation by sinning. He goes on with how bad those things were, because of sin, in their unsaved past. The unsaved are lost, and so they die in their sins. They die in their sins because of sin as an inheritance, as a state of being, and as a manifestation of their lostness. Paul says,]
"For the outcome of those things is death." (Romans 6:21)
[So, sticking with the contextual flow, we see that the outcome of sin in the unsaved life immersed in sin, is death for those who are enslaved to sin, (being without salvation in Christ as master-owner). An important verse is next,]
"22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, ..." (Romans 6:22)
[The Christian audience that Paul is writing directly to is already, right now enslaved to God. He goes on,]
"... you derive your benefit, resulting in being set apart (sanctification), ..." (Romans 6:22)
[The benefit is in being enslaved to our literal God and freed from sin as master. This is the only way to be set apart. Slavery to God is what results in being set apart, which is the good news! Paul goes on and gives the outcome of slavery to God in the state of salvation,]
"... and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Master." (Romans 6:22-23)
This is so beautiful because Paul has just been explaining that the payment due for the unsaved, who are born in sin, who do sin, and are slaves of sin, is death. But the most fantastic truth we can imagine is that Christ as redeemer-king in his redemptive aspect of the Godhead as our literal Master, gives us the free gift of eternal life in Himself! Paul has been showing through the first six chapters of Romans that Christ is the righteous one who imputes His righteousness to those whom He saves. The necessity is that all must be in Christ because being singularly "in Adam all die," (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:22). This death is the wage of sin. You must either die by being crucified with Christ and be born again to live in salvation, or you must perish in eternal damnation. The wage of sin is death. So we see, when viewed in context, this is a beautiful urging to quit sinning and get with doing the righteousness that you already are in Christ. Therefor verse 16 is cleared up as not remotely teaching eradicationism, or that one can lose salvation that one already has, gain salvation through meritorious effort, or maintain keep salvation secure by meritorious effort.
__________
FOOTNOTES:
(1) I touched upon the usage of diatribe in the section of this book dealing with Romans 2:5-8. Also, see the book: "The Diatribe and Paul's Letter to the Romans" by Stanley Kent Stowers, Scholars Press (1981) ISBN: 0891304932 for more insights into Paul's usage of the ancient rhetorical diatribe.
(2) This doctrine alone destroys the false doctrine of conditional security ie, the NEST.
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ROMANS 8:13
Romans 8:13 follows along in Paul's flow of thought from chapter one, but is closely related to the points that Paul started covering through chapter 6;
"For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13)
According to the typical NEST interpretation, (based on this verse), "living according to the flesh" is to be doing sin, and if a spiritually saved person does not quit sinning (doing sin) then that person will lose salvation, and be damned forever.
The NEST is wrong. To understand why the NEST is wrong, and to recognize the proper interpretation, we must go to the whole context to see what Paul's comprehensive point is; much of which has been covered in the previous section. In doing so, we will see what Paul's language means, and subsequently, what this verse means. Paul says in verse one of chapter 8 here,
"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Paul's usage of the word "therefore" is his way of indicating that he is bringing forth a summary point concerning what he just stated. The summation has to do with "no condemnation." Some of this statement has been analyzed in the preceding section of this book dealing with chapter 6. Namely, Christians are no longer slaves of sin, but if you sin, you are not condemned. Then Paul goes through chapter 7, saying,
"4 Therefore, my brothers, ["brothers" are saved people] you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Romans 7:4)
As we recognize that Paul is stating that saved people have died to the Law, we recognize that Paul is still writing about the same beautiful theme he has been writing about since the beginning of the epistle; there must be death to please God. In salvation there is a joining to Christ who both died and rose from the dead in the stead of all those whom He elects to eternal spiritual salvation. Paul has been making the point that this is absolutely the only way anyone can bear any fruit for God. With this mind, Paul gives a history lesson in the next verse,
"5 For while we were in the flesh ..." (Romans 7:5)
The ESV renders the statement in terms that help bring out the existence of being in the one lost nature, this way,
"5 For while we were living in the flesh." (Romans 7:5 NIV)
Paul is on task with his same point; saved people are no longer living "in the flesh." They have flesh, and so can have weakness in flesh they have. But, existing in the flesh-state is Paul's metaphor here for lost humanity in Adam. Christians are living in the Spirit, even though still composed of flesh and bone. In fact Christians only find their life in the Spirit. Paul goes on with, "For while we were in the flesh ...]
"... the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." (Romans 7:5)
What Paul means is that all lost people are in the flesh of lost Adam and his lost race of sin and death. In accordance with this fact, before Christians are saved, they are also lost people, so all Christians were once there too. They were once "in the flesh" rather than in Christ. It was in that state of being, that the unsaved flesh members of the body only bore fruit for death. This is what Paul means in Ephesians saying,
"1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins," (Ephesians 2:1)
You "were" dead when unsaved, but now you are no longer dead in Christ. In salvation, God removes the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. This is what Paul means in Colossians,
"11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;" (Colossians 2:11)
Paul continues on in Romans 7, and states that we who are saved now "serve in newness of the Spirit" in Romans 7:6. Then he goes on to explain how sin effected death as he moves on up through the rest of Romans 7. Then Paul enters into Romans 8 with liberating truths, saying,
"1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)
[The reason that there is "now" no condemnation in Christ, is because when you are once saved, you are really saved. You are in Christ--meaning you are no longer in the flesh, as is descriptive of the unsaved Adamic race. Continuing,]
"2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." (Romans 8:2)
The Law of sin and death is what is in the members of the flesh according to Romans 7:23. Life in Christ has set saved people free from sin and death. Paul, like usual, is not saying that Christians do not sin. Christians do sin; Christians die, but not as those who are the identity of the unsaved cursed nature of the flesh. Paul explains this in more detail,
"3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
Christ came in flesh, but Christ did not come as the sinful flesh nature of Adam and his descendants. This is an important doctrine. Christ came in human flesh in the "likeness" (meaning resemblance, or similitude), yet not actually sinful. Further, He came in the "likeness" of sinful flesh so that as mortal, He would be obedient, suffer, and be sacrificed. So, since Christ is the living fulfillment of the Law, Matthew 5:17, His sacrifice fulfills the requirements of the Law in all born again people who do not, and can not, walk according to the lost race of Adam, which here is called the flesh, but rather we born again people walk (in fact we live) according to the Spirit. Paul goes on, describing the state of imprisonment of the unsaved,
"5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, ..." (Romans 8:5)
[The old lost humanity in the nature of Adam only sets their minds on lostness. They are lost completely, even in their mindsets. Paul continues with the rest of the verse showing the distinction,]
"... but those who are according to the Spirit, ..." (Romans 8:5)
["Those" in this part of the sentence are saved people. "The Spirit" that Paul is speaking of is the Person of the Spirit of the last Adam, which is Christ, (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:45). Continuing,]
"... but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ..." (Romans 8:5-6)
[It is vital to fully understand what Paul is saying here. Only a saved mind is set on the Spirit, and has life, is life (life eternal), and peace. Paul goes on to explain the classic contrast]
"7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so," (Romans 8:7)
The unsaved person's mind is in rebellion to God. It necessarily must be because it is lost. Paul is giving a great definition of the lost world of Adamic flesh which is void of salvation, void of life, and void of the Holy Spirit. It is here that Paul explains that those whose minds are set on the flesh, are in Adam according to the flesh, and so they are hostile toward God. They lack peace. In fact, such minds do not subject themselves to God's law, whether the law written in hearts, the New Covenant "Law of Christ," (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:21, Galatians 6:2) or the "Law of Faith," (cf. Romans 3:27). They are not even able to do so. Saved people, on the other hand, have a kind of dual aspect, and so saved people, though comprised of natural fleshly corporeal bodies, also walk according to the Spirit that they have in the born again nature. It is the saved person's mind, and only a saved person's mind, which is set on the Spirit. Lost people's minds are not set on the Spirit. It is the saved person's mind that is life and peace. It is the saved person's mind that is subject to God's New Covenant law. Paul goes on with the distinction in verse 8,
"8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:8)
This is more definition of what being "according to the flesh," means. "In the flesh" here, is to be in the body of Adam of lostness, rather than the body of Christ of salvation. You can only please God in Christ, which is in the Spirit. With this in mind, it is important to understand what Paul says next, as it applies to saved people. He says,
"9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Romans 8:9)
Paul's immediate point that he is making here is closely connected to the master/slave relationship that He wrote about in chapter 6. In this respect, the relationship has to do with being purchased, owned, and belonging to Christ. This passage is so key. Anyone who quotes Romans 8:13, (which is coming up) for doctrine, must get what Paul is saying here. First, Paul's point shows that Christians among the general audience of this diatribal styled epistle are identified as not being in the flesh. Paul is very explanatory here. This is why Paul says that "you" are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Only saved people have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. If not, then they do not belong to Christ. Further, Paul expresses that saved people belong to Christ in contrast to those who do not belong to Christ, since those people do not have the Spirit of Christ. It is the purchase and ownership that occurred in the certain redemption of being purchased in the sacrifice. It is you in Christ, and Christ in you, as Paul states next, in verse 10,
"10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin," (Romans 8:10)
[We must keep in mind that the dead body is the remnant of the old decrepit nature we carry with us until we are changed in the afterlife. The body is dead because of sin, and it also dies physically. Since Christ is in saved people positionally, and spiritually, then the bodies of saved people will be resurrected in a glorified state, where the resurrected spiritual body will no longer be "dead" because of sin. Paul finishes the statement this way,
"10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness." (Romans 8:10)
[Remember, it is Christ's righteousness through faith that makes our spirit alive; (cf. Romans 3:21, Romans 4:5, Romans 10:4-6, Romans 14:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9). It is not our righteousness, nor faith in our righteousness that makes us alive, or keeps us being Once Saved In Eternal Spiritual Salvation. Christ in you, is the only way the spirit is made alive. Listen to Paul as he continues,]
"11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)
[This is magnificent, because Paul is talking to saved people here, and he is talking about the "mortal" part of saved people. The "mortal" is the dying sin laden body that we, who are saved, carry around with us. Further, Paul is talking about being changed into pristine immortality according to eternal life that we already have because of the eternal Spirit that dwells in saved people now--Who is the same Spirit that will change our cursed flesh into a perfectly blessed spiritual body later in the resurrection! In the meantime, Paul continues with the same deliverance from complete ownership and enslavement to sin that he first went into in chapter 6. He says,]
"12 So then, brothers, ..." (Romans 8:12)
[this is Christians]
"... we ..." (Romans 8:12)
[Paul also puts himself there. He says "we" here at this point. He says,]
"12 So then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh," (Romans 8:12)
[By now we realize that, of course, "we" Christians are not under obligation to obey the lusts of the flesh, as if we must obey flesh as a master. We have died to the flesh as master, and we live according to the Spirit as salvation. It is essential for us to keep this "according to" phrase in mind. In salvation, we live according to the Spirit as Master. Paul says,]
"12 So then, brothers, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--" (Romans 8:12)
[We do not live according to that which is enslaved and chained to sin as master. The unsaved are under obligation to live according to the flesh, but not us saved people. This brings us into the sentences used to build the NEST, and Paul is going to switch from using the pronoun "we" to his usage of the pronoun "you" again in the dynamic way he uses pronouns all throughout Romans. He uses the general "you" this time, representing the unsaved in need of dying to the flesh. He says,]
"13 for if you are living according to the flesh, ..." (Romans 8:13)
[It is the "according to" designation again. The point is that if you are living according to the flesh, which means you are obligated to it as all unsaved people are, (cf. Romans 8:12), then you are living according to the lost state. In this context, we recognize that this is the definition of an unsaved person, especially because of what Paul says next. Paul says that if this is you, Roman reader, or any unsaved person for that matter, then],
"... you must die; ..." (Romans 8:13)
[Of course "you" must. You must experience Galatians 2:20 by being crucified with Christ as salvation. If not, you must die physically and experience perishing damnation. Either way, you as lost people must die, to truly live. Now comes an important part of Paul's flow that must be recognized here. It is part of the context. It must be read all the way through to get the point. Paul preaches the other side of the coin for all the "you" among the audience who are saved. He brings in what is only an attribute of the sons of God, saying]
"... but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live ..." (Romans 8:13)
[Only saved people can do this. Only saved people have the Spirit, so only saved people are putting to death the deeds of the body. Saved people must live. So, this identifies those who will put on immortality after termination. It is as Paul is saying, "But, if on the other hand, you are the kind of person who puts to death the deeds of the body, then you will live, which is only what a saved person does, because only a saved person can go about putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit!" Paul makes this meaning even clearer in his full point, saying,].
"14 Because, all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
[This leading by the Spirit of God is the proof of anyone's spiritual salvation. Either you are unsaved flesh, (which is the kind of person who is living in a spirit of slavery in Adam's curse of lostness), or you are sons of God who have His Spirit as a seal. Only sons of God are led by the Spirit. Paul goes on,]
"15 For you [saved people] have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
This is a declaration of the humble boldness, and lack of fear for all who are Once Saved In Eternal Spiritual Salvation. Notice how Paul is saying that this Holy Spirit connection of putting to death the deeds of the body by being led by the Spirit, is something that only God's adopted children can do. Therefor, being led by the Spirit is evidence of the fact that you will live, meaning you as a mortal, when you die, will be resurrected in immortality. Additionally, another important point concerning eternal security is implied here, and that is that adopted children do not un-adopt themselves. Further, orphans do not adopt their new parent--no, they are adopted by the parent in an effectual transference to the security that the parent planned on providing all along. This adoption metaphor expresses the completeness of our salvation in every single facet of its comprehensive miracle.
When read in context, what we recognize is that rather than a works for salvation passage, or a lose your salvation that you already have passage, this is a wonderfully liberating truth of rest and assurance for Christians. Paul is telling any Christians that will be influenced by His Romans letter that only people who have the Spirit, are led by the Spirit, and are putting to death the deeds of the cursed mortal body (Christians) will live eternally in an immortal body. Finally Paul clarifies that he is assuring Christians of their salvation, saying that we have been adopted by the same Holy Spirit we received in salvation. We are not in slavery to the lost flesh of unsaved humanity anymore. Paul continues with the assurance of redemption, and eternal inheritance on down the context, giving the flow, and makes a beautiful proclamation OSIESS.
"16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:16-17)
[Just as only Christians have the born again ability not to sin as those released from sin as master, only Christians "indeed" suffer with Christ in this temporal, futile, corrupt world. Saved people indeed suffer with Christ in the body of Christ (His church)--being subjected to this evil temporal antichrist world that is obligated to the flesh. Paul goes on with how the whole creation is suffering,]
"18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us [saved people]. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. [who are revealed now but not yet revealed perfected in the resurrection] 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." (Romans 8:18-22)
[The next verse is particularly one that needs to be given special attention, where Paul says,]
"23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body." (Romans 8:23)
[Christians already have redemption of their individual selves in being purchased on the cross in eternal salvation, "You were bought with a price; ..." (1 Corinthians 7:230. The redemption already happened; with a price. Secondly, we are already adopted, as we have seen in verse 15, "... you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!" So, when Paul says here, immediately following his words "And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body," we know Paul is talking about another aspect, and another tense of eternal salvation. Paul is talking about the mortal body being set free from it's slavery to corruption. Paul is talking about Christians being raised immortal! This is what John said in much the same manner,
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. [John is saying that some kind of super-glorification is coming, but we do not see it now. John goes on,] We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:2)
That super-glorification will be like Him. In the meantime, we wait for the resurrection in hope, yet we wait as being saved in the past (also by hope). Paul says it next, verse 24,]
"24 For in hope we have been saved, ..." (Romans 8:24)
[The salvation is past tense. We've already been saved in eternal life, and so we await eagerly for our immortal super-bodies. Paul goes on,]
"... but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?" (Romans 8:24)
[In other words the body is subjected to temporal decay, so in hope we wait for resurrected perfection! We do not see it right now, but in faith, we know it is coming. Paul continues,]
"25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:25)
[We were redeemed on the cross. It is the purchase of spiritual salvation, and so in perseverance we await resurrected glorification in the future tense of our eternal salvation;]
"26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us [saved people by the way] with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the set apart ones according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;" (Romans 8:26-29)
[This means that through the gospel, all who are saved, and will be saved are made brothers in Him.]
"30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Romans 8:30)
[All of what God has accomplished is His according to His eternal, predestinating, plan of determination. It is all God's work. It is the plan of making people into being once saved in eternal spiritual salvation. Continuing,]
"31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? [Paul is using legal language. Christians are unindictable to any charge, and the reason is...] God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:31-35)
[The answer to Paul's question is "no one" can, or will separate us from the love of Christ. It is, of course, once saved in eternal spiritual salvation in Christ's eternal mediatory intercession; continuing,]
"Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 ... 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)
This is a declaration of eternal security. Nothing can separate anyone who is Once Saved In Eternal Spiritual Salvation from the love of Christ.
The summation concerning what we have seen by going through the contextual flow of Romans 8:13 is that the passage does not remotely suggest that one can lose one's salvation. Additionally, it does not suggest that one must work for salvation, or that one can, or must, be sinless. Paul is saying that if you are living according to the flesh of the unsaved Adamic world then you must die and be born again. If you are one of those people who has the Spirit of salvation, then you are the only kind of person who is putting to death the deeds of the body. You are doing so as one of the adopted who is led by your Father's Spirit. It is clear; only people who do this are the ones who are Christians, and so only such will live.
