Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 16 of 16 - There is therefore now no condemnation)
Brief summary of sanctification
Due to the holidays, there has been a long break between this new post and the previous post in this series. It is fitting therefore to briefly recap the key points from this study before I wrap up with Romans chapter 8.
If you have followed this study, you may recall that Romans 1 to 4 deals with the concepts of justification, a free gift of God to those who choose to believe in the cross work of Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation. Paul then writes a transitional chapter, Romans 5, that rounds off justification and starts to introduce sanctification, the second part of a believer’s full salvation experience.
The primary purpose of this study is to inform believers of sanctification which is either ignored, or neglected, due to poor spiritual teachings in the modern church. Salvation does not stop at justification. Though justification saves our souls unto eternal life, sanctification is a continuation of salvation that transforms us into living sacrifices for God’s purpose while we occupy this life, Rom.12:1-2, but also saves us from loss, 1Cor.3:15, and towards the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil.3:14, in the ages to come: which is a measure of the glory of Christ, Rom.8:18; 1Cor.15:41; 2Cor.3:9; 2Cor.4:17; Eph.1:18; Col.1:27; 1Th.2:12; 2Th.2:14.
Paul elaborates on the concept of sanctification in Romans 6 and 7. I refer to the contents of these two chapters as the definition, or two pillars, of sanctification, which involve the knowledge of being dead to sin and being delivered from the law.
Being dead to sin:
In Romans 6:1-13, Paul instructs us what it means to be "dead to sin". Paul mentions the following things that we must learn and accept by faith,
We must learn and accept by faith that we have been baptised by the Holy Spirit into the death of Christ and are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, verses 3-5. Through this (waterless) baptism, our old sinful nature has been crucified with Christ, that we are no longer slaves to sin, verse 6. Though this is a positional reality, our increasing knowledge and faith in this positional reality should translate, or influence, our current reality. As Paul infers in chapter 4,
“He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”, Rom 4:20-21.
This is a powerful lesson and a very necessary pillar in sanctification. We cannot start to walk in sanctification if we are still slaves to sin. We need to know the power of Christ’s death and resurrection and we need to grow in acceptance that we are truly freed from sin in the eyes of God.
When we start to learn to walk in this knowledge, we can increasingly start to walk in a newness of life that we have in Christ, living in the power of His resurrection, verses 4, 8-10. By this truth, Paul tells us to not let sin control our bodies or obey its desires, verse 12, but to rather present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness, living in a way that reflects our new life in Christ, verse 13. This is not something you can do by your own willpower. This is not a matter of you ‘trying’ to live a holy life. The way to not let sin control us is to become increasingly renewed in the spirit of our mind by the doctrine we are studying and allow the Word of God to start to influence us by its power and coercion. This is what Paul refers to when he says, “obedience unto righteousness” in Rom.6:16.
In essence, being dead to sin involves a transformation of identity and behaviour, which is utterly rooted in the knowledge, understanding, and faith of this doctrine we are learning.
Being delivered from the law:
Deliverance from the law is the second pillar of sanctification. In Romans 6:15-22, we learn that to be "delivered from the law" means we are no longer under the law's condemnation and are now under God’s grace. Paul, in Romans 7:1-6, continues to instruct us how that God delivered us from the law by the death of Christ, divorcing us from the law of sin in the flesh so that we should be married to the law of righteousness in Jesus Christ.
Paul teaches us that to be delivered from the law requires us to know and believe that we are no longer under the law but under grace, verse 15. We must recognise that we become servants to whom we obey, whether sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness, verse 16. The only way to overcome sin is to become informed of the doctrine of grace and embrace it, allowing it to transform us as we choose to obey it sincerely and wholeheartedly, verse 17. As we yield to it, we will live as servants of righteousness, yielding our bodies to holiness, verses 18-19, and producing fruit that brings glory to God, verses 20-22.
Being delivered from the law involves obedience from the heart to that form of doctrine which Paul delivered in his epistles. As we learn to give ourselves over to obedience to the doctrine of grace, we will be transformed from being slaves to sin to becoming servants of righteousness.
Conclusion:
Reviewing Romans 6 and 7 again, should validate the two requirements of sanctification. Justification is instantaneous and God’s gift to those who trust in Christ as their Saviour. On the other hand, sanctification costs time and effort as we study our doctrine in Paul’s epistles and allow it to influence our lives. There is no other way to walk in sanctification except to know and accept that we are dead to sin and delivered from the law. Thus, it is only through a renewal of our mind and through faith in the Word of God that we can put off the old man and put on the new man, Eph.4:24, renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, Col.3:10.
There is therefore now no condemnation
Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the 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: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (5) 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. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Just like Romans 5 is a conclusion of Romans 1 to 4, Romans 8 is a conclusion of Romans 6 and 7. Romans 8 is what will manifest in your life when you walk by faith in the instructions of Romans 6 and 7.
To walk after the Spirit, we must learn and understand the truths of Romans 6 and 7 by faith. For example, the bible says that through the cross, you're free from sin. Well, we cannot feel it or experience it in the flesh. This is a truth we must receive and accept by faith. We cannot see it or feel it, but we can know it is true and live by that truth by simply trusting in what the bible says. If you don't believe, you'll ebb back to the carnal mentality and put yourself under the law to try to work righteousness. But do you know what the law is going to do? It's going to work condemnation, Rom.3:20; Rom.7:10; 2Cor.3:6. Its only when we learn and understand these truths by faith, that we can walk after the Spirit. As we learn to understand these things by faith, we're putting on our new identity in Jesus Christ, which tells us that we’re not in Adam anymore and we’re not under sin. If you don't read the Bible, you're not going to understand that. It's through reading and understanding these things that you're brought to this new identity in Christ. You start to walk according to His truth, not your own understanding, not your truth, and not according to the flesh. If you walk according to the flesh, then you're walking by how you feel, what you see, and by your own understanding. Walking in the Spirit is walking according to the knowledge of the truth as specified by your doctrine. It is walking by a truth that is by faith, not by sight and the wisdom of man.
Romans 8 is the result of those who walk after the Spirit of God according to the truth. A man in Christ walking after the Spirit and truly functioning in his new identity in Christ is marked by liberty, not bondage. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2Cor.3:17. A man functioning in his new identity in Christ is marked by grace and not law; by life and not death; by righteousness and not sin. It's not that he doesn't fall from time to time, but he is marked by righteousness and peace and not condemnation. To be spiritually minded is life and peace, Rom.8:6.
Romans chapter 8 is not going to be effective for every believer. Unlike Romans chapter 5 which says that those who believe the gospel are justified by faith and have peace with God, Romans chapter 8 will only be effective in believers who walk according to the truths laid out in Romans chapters 5, 6, and 7, which teaches that I am freed from sin, delivered from the law, made alive to God by Jesus Christ, and now I walk in this new identity. Walking after the Spirit brings these results.
Sin and death in my flesh cannot bring me into condemnation any longer. Sin and death are still there. As a believer, you still have sin in your flesh. The flesh lusts against the Spirit. There is a law of sin in that flesh, even in a saved person, that still resists God. It's still in opposition to God and the desires of God. But that sin in my flesh can no longer bring me into condemnation. It's there, but it cannot condemn me. Why? Because I have been divorced from the law that condemns me and I have been resurrected with Christ into a new law called the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,
Rom.8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The condemnation that Paul is talking about in Romans 8:1 is a condemnation that come to believers in Christ who still walk after the flesh, who have not learned that they are dead to sin through the body of Christ and delivered from the law that condemns them. Going back to Romans chapter 7, Paul was condemned under the law as a Christian. He put himself under the law. Paul said that the good which he wanted to do, he did not do. Even a Christian in Christ, if he puts himself back under the law, it is not going to make him more righteous. Instead, it does the opposite. It strengthens the law of sin, and it will stir up condemnation. Romans 7 is a lesson that many believers violate and cause themselves grief! Romans 7 teaches plainly that we cannot produce righteousness in ourselves. The law of sin in our flesh is not defeated when we become a Christian. It remains in us and will be strengthened by the law. Our only hope to subduing it is to be delivered from the law and allow the Word of God to renew us and work forth righteousness in us as we choose to obey its influences within us. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul talks about two ministries. In verse 6, he talks about the ministration of the letter and the ministration of the Spirit. What does the letter do? It kills. What does the Spirit do? It gives life. How can we believe this? The ONLY way is to become renewed in your mind and transformed by Paul’s doctrine.
Romans 8 is the conclusion of sanctification. It is interesting how Paul starts Romans 12 with the same advice when he ends the foundational epistle of our faith with the practical principles of living in Romans 12 to 16. Our entire walk as a believer is to be founded upon a renewed mind that is transformed increasingly by faith into the image of Christ. Salvation starts with justification which guarantees eternal life, but it does not end with justification. It is of great value and importance to continue in salvation by learning about sanctification, the second step, which looks forward to the reward of that measure of glory in the ages to come, and that makes us profitable to God in this current age, 1Tim.4:8.
This concludes this study on “Understanding Salvation”. I truly hope this was a great benefit to your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word and His work of salvation within you.
God bless.
