How does Romans 5 to 8 work in a Human Being? (Part 1 - One Human, Three Parts)

How does Romans 5 to 8 work in a Human Being? (Part 1 - One Human, Three Parts)

The following post is a personal interpretation of my understanding of the tri-part structure of a human being, and how the living Word (or Spirit) of God works within these parts. The focus of the extended study is not so much on the different parts of the human, but rather to investigate how the Word of God works within the human, and which part of them it affects most. There is an interesting twist in the study, as Paul also introduces two lives, or two 'laws' within the human, that is of greater significance, and to which this study will invest more time to understand.

The Tri-part Structure of a Human Being

The Bible tells us that every human is a tri-part being. Spirit, soul, and body. Let's see what the Word has to say about this.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Recognize the value and worth of this book

Recognize the value and worth of this book

My wife had run into the pharmacy, while I waited in the car. In the quietness of that moment, whilst looking out at the cars driving past, the people walking about, the clouds drifting on the winds, and the sun, soon to be setting over the green hills in the distance, I started thinking about how all this came to be, how that by words, God had spoken this all into reality.

My mind locked onto the Word of God. That book, the Bible, and all the words written into it. It’s amazing how much one’s mind can contemplate in a moment of quiet! As my thoughts drifted about, I settled on the fact that EVERY WORD in the Bible is true, Rom.3:4. Every word written in its pages is filled with God’s living Spirit and is alive, and active, Heb.4:12, and full of grace. Besides the cross of Christ, the Bible is the greatest tangible object we have in this world today. This book is given to us by God Himself. It is a gift of epic proportions, and its value is incomprehensible. Can you even imagine that when you flip through its pages, the words, as you see them laid out before you, are the very breath of God, His will, His thoughts, plans and desires. Can you even comprehend the worth of receiving these words into your mind and spirit and believing them and acting out on them. My mind raced about in this moment, just drowning in the significance and thankfulness of being able to quote some verses, or go home and read those words again.

It is not law, but rather the written Word within us that mortifies the flesh and defeats sin

... Continued from this post.

It is not law, but rather the written Word within us that mortifies the flesh and defeats sin

We, as humans, associate that which is good with law or morality. Society functions in relative peace and safety because of the law. We teach our children obedience to the law, believing it will protect them and serve them when they leave the proverbial nest. The law, rules, regulations, standards, general morality in practice, and any other term to describe a form of decency and acceptability in thought and action, is the base element that suppresses evil, curbs sins, and keeps us functioning in our relationships with others, and our faith in God.

Now, the law might be the common way that humans try to curb evil and keep morality in check, but the Word of God has different advice for this very issue. The Bible tells us that sin and evil is in the flesh, Rom.7:17-20, 24. It teaches us that although the law is good, Rom.7:7, 12, 14, it has little effect on the root cause of sin, Rom.7:9. The Word of God does not attempt to ‘band-aid’ the root of evil, it provides a different solution, one that mortifies the flesh, and in so doing, nullifies sin, Rom 6:7.

What is the LAW in the context of Romans?

What is the LAW in the context of Romans?

When we read Romans, the foundation book of our Christian faith, Paul speaks a lot about the law. For example, here are three verses that refer to ‘law’.

• 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
• 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
• 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

If we had context of what the law refers to, we will be able to understand these verses better. I have had people ask, is it the Mosaic law? Is it the 10-commandments? Is it Israel’s 613 laws? Is it state or country laws? Is it church laws? Is it secular business rules and regulations? Is it my own personal rules I follow to be a good person and serve God?

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 11: Dispensational Wisdom)

Start this post series from the beginning, here.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 11: Dispensational Wisdom)

The epistle of Romans is the foundational epistle of the Christian faith. An analysis of its contents reveals that the letter can be divided into four parts, each part representing a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Missing any one of these four cornerstones, the faith foundation of a Christian can become compromised and shaky. It is vitally important to have a good understanding of each of these four cornerstones to ensure that the foundation of your faith is stable and secure.

In this series we have already covered the first two cornerstones, (1) God's Righteousness, and (2) God's Grace. The third cornerstone of Romans is "Dispensational Wisdom". Since my entire blog is based on a dispensational view of scripture, I'm not going to write much about this cornerstone, but rather point you to specific posts that I have already written in the past.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 10: Walking after the Spirit)

Start this post series from the beginning, here.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 10: Walking after the Spirit)

The first half of Romans chapter 8 is the conclusion of Paul’s discourse on explaining the foundational attributes of God’s grace. There is still much to learn on grace, as this is a topic that never ends. All through Paul’s epistles we learn higher and higher levels of God’s grace. Where Romans introduces grace from a salvation point of view, as we mature in Christ and we progress further in the ‘curriculum’ of Paul’s epistles, we will discover deeper attributes of God’s grace that pertains to our calling in Christ and our purpose in the Body of Christ, not here, in this world, but in the one to come, when we have been joined to the Head and are functioning in our fullest capacity as God’s predestined plans reveals.