The Himalayas of the New Testament: Romans 8

Arguably the greatest chapter written by the Apostle Paul, Romans 8 contains some of the highest thoughts of the New Testament.

IMAGE: Mt. Everest.

Labeling Romans 8 as the Mt. Everest of the New Testament, Cecil takes a novel, cross-denominational approach to this controversial chapter: He "zooms out" to look at the chapter in light of Paul's lament in Romans 7 that he is unable to obey the law of Moses and is therefore subject to sin and death. According to Cecil, the Romans 8 response describes the Holy Trinity striving to bring us closer to God, providing us love, instruction and saving power that overcomes sin and death.

Along the way, Cecil builds the following table showing the action of each person of the Trinity:

V1-4:

Father - Sent Son as a sin offering.

Son - Sacrificed himself for us so we can follow the law's true intentions.

Spirit - Sets us free from sin and death.

V5-8:

Spirit - Directs and empowers us to live according to God's ways. Grants life and peace through a Spirit-controlled mind.

V9-11:

Father -  Gives life to your mortal bodies (through his Spirit). A new life now, a resurrected life later.

Son - Grants a living spirit because of righteousness.

Spirit - Lives in you, so that you belong to Christ.

V12-17:

Father - Adopts us as children. Makes us co-heirs with Christ.

Spirit - Leads us so we can be sons of God. Grants a spirit of Sonship. Testifies to us that we are God's children.

V18-21:

Father - Will liberate creation from destruction and lead it to renewal

V22-25:

Father - Will redeem our bodies so we can live with him.

Spirit - Gives us a first installment of living with God.

V26-27:

Father - Listens to the Spirit praying for us.

Spirit - Helps us in our human weakness. Helps us in prayer by translating our innermost feelings for God.

V28-30:

Father - Works for good in all things and all circumstances. Planned for our salvation and glorification from the beginning.

V31-39:

Father - Offered Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. Justifies us with his grace.

Son - Refuses to judge or condemn, but intercedes for us instead. Loves us with an inescapable, ever-present love.