kjv@Romans:8:17@ And if children, then heirs; heirs of [God], and joint-heirs with [Christ]; if [So] be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
kjv@Romans:8:18@ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the [Glory] which shall be revealed in us.
kjv@Romans:8:22@ For we know that the whole [Creation] groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
kjv@Romans:8:23@ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the [Spirit], even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the [Adoption], to wit, the [Redemption] of our body.
kjv@Romans:8:25@ But if we [Hope] for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
kjv@Romans:8:26@ Likewise the [Spirit] also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the [Spirit] itself maketh [Intercession] for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
kjv@Romans:8:27@ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the [Spirit], because he maketh [Intercession] for the saints according to the will of [God].
kjv@Romans:8:28@ And we know that all things work together for good to them that [Love][God], to them who are the called according to his purpose.
kjv@Romans:8:29@ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his [Son], that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
kjv@Romans:8:30@ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
kjv@Romans:8:31@ What shall we then say to these things? If [God] be for us, who can be against us?
kjv@Romans:8:32@ He that spared not his own [Son], but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
kjv@Romans:8:36@ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the [Day] long; we are accounted as [Sheep] for the slaughter.
kjv@Romans:8:37@ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
kjv@Romans:8:38@ For I am persuaded, that neither [Death], nor [Life], nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
The importance of separating flesh from spirit cannot be stressed enough. It is just as separating death from life. We have grown comfortable in our flesh; it is all that we have ever known. We may have had a particular problem so we think with a part of the flesh such as addiction or anger, so we look to religion to rectify that one fleshly weakness. The problem is that all the flesh is corrupt and in no way can please God. Good Intentions? Certainly. Good deeds? In part. Atonement with God? Only by crucifying the flesh, being quickened in our mortal flesh, walking in the spirit. Without strict abiding in Jesus Christ none of this is remotely possible by our own hand.
This chapter being one of the most quoted in the Bible is often being picked apart into bite size pieces instead of being taken in as a whole. In bites we can make it say all sorts of nice comfy things. As a whole we should see it as an intense spiritual battle over the souls of men. Being saved by hope, helped even still in our infirmities, being drafted into the allied ranks, being counted as sheep for the slaughter, Paul is persuaded that nothing can separate believers from the love of God, that all these trench level struggles and persecutions work for together for the good. No matter what this war can throw against us our Supreme Commander is there.
Just days ago we had read kjv@1Corinthians:15 that the righteousness of God in putting us through this corruption was to break us down, have us die to ourselves that we might germinate to a spiritual plant/being (be born again). Here it says similarly the travail God has given the sons of men to be exercised with. From the observation from heaven it is a unnecessary and righteous thing and from our sense it is a grievous and sorrowful thing. This is because of the weight with which we invest ourselves into making something carnal out of this present corruption. We do not see the things under heaven as they were before nor the things as they will be. All is vanity, but, God submitted us to this vanity because of a much greater righteous hope kjv@Romans:8:20-23.
It is not that the Lord has just become omnipotent and reigns, it is that He always has and always will. Remember that this present vanity we've been subjected to comes out of a hope kjv@Romans:8:20, what better hope than to come to know Him for who/what He truly is. One can say the Lord is omnipotent but, what does that mean until all involved have experienced that? One can say the Lord is full of compassion in the same sense, what does that mean until all involved have experienced it? This then is a time when all of us have experienced the experience and we can conclude with knowledge and eternal confidence that this Lord God reigns omnipotent. These are not now just words!
2012 - pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.0.9d - GPL3
