Episode 72: Romans 8

Today's meditation is based on Romans 8 from the Passion Translation

The case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against me because I am joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated me from the “law” of sin and death. God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature.

Yet God sent me his Son in human form to identify with my human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the Anointed One living his life in me. And I am free to live, not according to my flesh, but by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit!

I am no longer motivated by the flesh to pursue whatever seems to benefit me. I now live by the impulses of the Holy Spirit and am motivated to pursue spiritual realities. For the sense and reason of the flesh is death, but the mind-set controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace.

In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction, because it cannot! No matter how hard I might try, if I am controlled by the flesh, God finds no pleasure with me. So I allow the Spirit of Christ to empower my life. I am not dominated by the flesh but by the Spirit. I am of the Spirit and joined to the Spirit of the Anointed One.

Christ lives his life in me. And even though my body may be dead because of the effects of sin, his life-giving Spirit imparts life to me because I am fully accepted by God. God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in me, he will also raise my dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into me!

The flesh has no claims on me at all, and I have no further obligation to live in obedience to it. When I lived controlled by the flesh, I was about to die. But the life of the Spirit put to death the corrupt ways of the flesh, and I have tasted his abundant life.

I am a mature child of God, moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit. I did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading me back into the fear of never being good enough. But I have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding me into the family of God. I will never feel orphaned, for as he rises up within me, my spirit joins him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Abba Father!” For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to me as he whispers into my innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”

And since I am his true child, I qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, I am an heir of God himself. And since I am joined to Christ, I also inherit all that he is and all that he has. I will experience being co-glorified with him because I have accepted his suffferings as my own.

I am convinced that any suffering I endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within me. The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! For against its will the universe itself has had to endure the empty futility resulting from the consequences of human sin. But now, with eager expectation, all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God’s children. I am aware of the universal agony and groaning of creation, as if it were in the contractions of labor for childbirth. And it’s not just creation. Having already experienced the firstfruits of the Spirit, I also inwardly groan as I passionately long to experience my full status as God’s child—including my physical body being transformed. For this is the hope of my salvation.

But hope means that I must trust and wait for what is still unseen. For why would I need to hope for something I already have? Because my hope is set on what is yet to be seen, I patiently keep on waiting for its fulfillment.

And in a similar way, the Holy Spirit takes hold of me in my human frailty to empower me in my weakness. At times I don’t even know how to pray, or know the best things to ask for. But the Holy Spirit rises up within me to super-intercede on my behalf, pleading to God with emotional sighs too deep for words.

God, the searcher of the heart, fully knows my longings, yet he also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for me, his holy one, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and my destiny.

So I am convinced that every detail of my life is continually woven together for good, for I am his lover who has been called to fulfill his designed purpose. He knew all about me before I was born and he destined me from the beginning to share the likeness of his Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like him.

Having determined my destiny ahead of time, he called me to himself and transferred his perfect righteousness to me. And now that I possess his perfect righteousness, he has co-glorified me with his Son!

If God has determined to stand with me, who then could ever stand against me? God has proved his love by giving me his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for me, he certainly won’t withhold from me anything else he has to give.

Who then would dare to accuse me when God has chosen me in love to be his? God himself is the judge who has issued his final verdict over me — “Not guilty!”

Who then is left to condemn me? Certainly not Jesus, the Anointed One! For he gave his life for me, and even more than that, he has conquered death and is now risen, exalted, and enthroned by God at his right hand. So how could he possibly condemn me since he is continually praying for my triumph?

Who could ever divorce me from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward me. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between me and heaven’s love. Persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love.

Even in the midst of all these things, I triumph over them all, for God has made me to be more than a conqueror, and his demonstrated love is my glorious victory over everything!

So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate me from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in my present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above or beneath me - no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance me from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon me through my Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing.

-----

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/zimpzon/mindful
License code: UI2LISMMLRMANJZ4

• Likes
• Download12
• Share