Epistle of Romans XIX

[Transcript begins at 1:20]

Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God…"—present tense passive. It won't pull you, it won't push you, it won't force you, but you must let it lead you.

"…these are the sons of God. Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship…" (vs 14-15)—not adoption, because adoption is you take a child who has a genetic inheritance different than yours and you adopt it as yours. This is sonship because we have the spiritual genetic inheritance coming from the Father.

"…whereby we call out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God. Now, if we are children, we are also heirs—truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him" (vs 15-17).

Let's go back and analyze this and look at this a little bit more and see some very important things concerning it.

Verse 15: "Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear…" This is talking about the bondage of sin—the spirit of bondage. That's what they had a one time. He says you haven't received it again. The 'spirit of bondage unto fear' comes from Satan the devil.

Eph. 2—He is the 'prince of the power of the air'; that spirit of rebellion that is inner-working within the 'children of disobedience.' So what we are doing, we are comparing with this the children of the devil and the children of God. That is the spirit of Satan, the spirit of bondage unto fear.

Let's see another aspect of this; we're going to see:

• the spirit of man
• the Spirit of God
• the spirit of the world
• the spirit of Satan

1-Corinthians 2:10: "But God has revealed them to us…" The things of God's plan that He has prepared for us, to those that love Him.

"…by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things—eventhe deep things of God. For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man, which is in him?…." (vs 10-11).

The part of his mind that gives him thought, choice, consciousness and emotions, which is separated from the soul. The soul is the physical chemical operation of the body, such as the lungs, heart and blood. You can keep a brain-dead person alive on artificial life-support systems. If they do it before the blood temperature goes down, they can feed them intravenously; they can have the food processed and digest; they make the breathing work and all of that. They've done that with quite a number of people, but they have no consciousness.

The Spirit of God unites with our spirit together. It's just exactly the same thing as a begettal, because we're begotten of God the Father.

"…In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God. Now, we have not received the spirit of the world… [the spirit of bondage] …but the Spirit that is of God, so that we might know the things graciously given to us by God… [God wants us to know, brethren, and that's a marvelous and wonderful thing] …which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit in order to communicate spiritual things by spiritual means" (vs 11-13).

• 1-John 4:6—of Satan's spirit there is the spirit of deception
• 1-John 4:3—it is also called the spirit of antichrist
  • What happens when you put a whole society all wrapped up in this?
    • Rev. 12:9—Satan is 'deceiving the whole world'!
• What happens when you have a whole civilization or a whole generation deceived?
• with the spirit of fear unto bondage
• with the spirit of the world
• with the spirit of deception
• the spirit of antichrist
  • What does the society turn into?

Let's see how this happens:

• we see this in the world
• we see this in the Church
• we can see it in individual's lives

—whether they be in the world or in the Church.

Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being as a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children." Quite a heavy penalty to pay.

When they forget the Law of God, v 7: "As they were increased, so they sinned against Me…. [and continue growing in that sin] …I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And it has become, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit whoredom and not increase because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their rod declares to them, for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to go astray, and they have gone awhoring away from under their God" (vs 7-12).

We're seeing that progressively occur more and more in America and in the world. You end up with a whole spirit of whoredoms: spiritually, physically, mentally. The Southern Baptists voted to boycott Disneyland. They have a very good point, because Disney is in the forefront of putting into the minds of little children:

• satanism
• witchcraft
• sorcery
• one-world government
• one-world religion

the whole thing!

Just like the cartoons, if you can stand it sometime, watch the cartoons and you will see that Satan is being invited into every home. When the spirit of deception comes with the great falling away, it is just going to be like giving candy to children. It's going to go down so easily. That's what happens when you have the spirit of Satan the devil with:

• a bondage unto fear
• the spirit of the world
• the spirit of deception
• the spirit of antichrist

—all of that comes together in a whole package called the spirit of whoredoms.

Now then, let's look at the other side of it, Romans 8:15: "Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we call out, 'Abba, Father.'"

This is an interesting thing: 'Abba, Father.' It combines the Aramaic 'Abba' and the Greek 'Pater'—Abba, Father.' Notice, for all the 'sacred name' buffs: it is not Jehovah or YHVH or Yeshua, or anything like that. We are in a 'family' relationship. That's why it is 'Father.' Let's look at "…the Spirit of sonship…" a little bit more:

Verse 16: "The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God"—'teknon'—meaning your own offspring, through your own begettal. We are God's own children. That's why it's called the "…the Spirit of sonship…"

We have what is called the spirit of promise; we have the earnest. It is the down payment, the beginning. It's not the fullness of it, yet, but we have the promise, the spirit of promise. So it's called:

• Spirit of sonship
• Spirit of God
• Spirit of Christ
• Spirit of promise

Ephesians 1:13: "you also trusted after hearing the Word of the Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." That's the begettal you receive with the laying on of hands at the time of baptism.

Verse 14: "Which is the earnest… [just the down payment, just the beginning] …of our inheritance… [we're going to examine inheritance and we're going to see that that entails quite a bit] …until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory"—at the resurrection. That is the final redemption for us.

Here is something that the translators had no alternative to do but to translate it this way; 1-Peter 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again…"

Couldn't use born again because a father does not 'born again.' He can only engender—that is beget—so they had to translate it:

"…begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us" (vs 3-4). Christ is going to bring it with Him when He comes.

Verse 5: "Who are being safeguarded by the power of God through faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

• 1-John 3:5-6—that we are begotten and have the 'sperma' of God's Spirit in our mind
• 1-John 5:1—talks about being begotten

Why does it say "…begotten again…"? Does that mean we were begotten before? Yes, when we were begotten of our fleshly father and mother! Now we've been begotten again by our heavenly Father.

1-Peter 1:10: "Concerning which salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you have diligently searched out and intently inquired, searching into what way and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was indicating…" (vs 10-11).

Here we have the Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets. There we have the Spirit of God as defined through Christ.

"…testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ, and these glories that would follow" (v 11). Isn't it amazing? Not only did Jesus Christ empty Himself from being God to become a human being, but He also prophesied what was going to happen to Him! He knew what was going to happen and the glory that should follow.

Verse 12: "To whom it was revealed that, not for themselves, but to us they were ministering these things, which now have been announced to you by those who have preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven—into which things the angels desire to look."

Let's see the operation of the Spirit of Christ, and what the Spirit of God is to do for us. This is what we need. God does not want us to remain in spiritual kindergarten. In talking to a woman recently—when a minister said the members can't be trusted—she said that God trusts the members. He's given them His Holy Spirit—hasn't He? Is that not trusting them? And He's going to trust them with the whole world ruling under Christ!. The thing is, the brethren can be trusted! And should and ought to be trusted. But like everything else, we all need to grow in wisdom and understanding so that we can be.

Isaiah 11:2 talks about Christ: "And there shall come forth a shoot out from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. And His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. And He shall not judge according to the sight of His eyes, nor after the hearing of His ears. But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth…." (vs 2-4). That's what it is to do; to bring a spirit of:

• wisdom
• understanding
• counsel
• might
• knowledge

And fear means in awe in the love and understanding of God! This is what the Spirit of God is to do for us.

The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 15:26). This very important for us really focus in on. If the Spirit is going to lead us, which it will; and not push us, which it won't; if God is going to give us the understanding, through His Spirit, of the deep things of God then we can claim this promise as we come to God. We've seen this down through the years, that we have been doing what we have been doing, brethren.

John 16:13: "However, when that one has come, even the Spirit of the Truth, it will lead you into all Truth…" This is what is so important. It's going to guide us into all the Truth—IF:

• we are loving God
• we are keeping His commandments
• we are following the lead of the Holy Spirit

"…because it shall not speak from itself, but whatever it shall hear, it shall speak. And it shall disclose to you the things to come" (v 13).

It's not a matter of being able to, for prophecy, look at the world news and make proclamations. Have we not been off on nearly all of it? And just to give you a little something to think on for prophecy:

As the end of WWII the United States had the largest standing army in the history of whole world. It required with the 12-million men under arms—this is not counting what any of the other nations had—took the mobilization of the whole country; dedication of the whole economy. I want us to, if we can, expand our minds out and see if we can think what kind of economy is going to be necessary for the Oriental nations to produce an army of 200-million with sophisticated weapons. There's a whole lot that we have not understood. We get excited when we see things in Europe or hear of things in Palestine. But they haven't come to pass, yet! Why? Because the East must be taken care of, too!

So, what we need to do is ask God to give us His Spirit so it will show us the things to come. Otherwise, we walk in faith; not that we ever don't walk in faith. That was we're not going to get carried away. The Holy Spirit is going to show us things. How about the things in the Bible? How about the things that God is teaching us out of His Word? That's why it's so very important that we apply ourselves. God has given us His Spirit. We have a mind. He's given us His Word, and we need to apply ourselves to really know the Word of God. God's Spirit is going to lead and help us, and teach us the things we need to know. It is the Spirit of Truth. Also note:

• Galatians 6:1—it is the Spirit of meekness
• 1-Peter 4:14—the Spirit of glory
• Hebrews 10:29—the Spirit of grace

The Holy Spirit being the Spirit of Truth, the begettal from God to give us:

• wisdom
• understanding
• counsel
• might
• knowledge
• fear of the Lord
• the Spirit of promise
• the Spirit of glory
• the Spirit of grace

We're also going to see that it has a whole lot more to do with what God wants us to have. It is called here:

2-Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear…" That comes from the world; bondage unto fear: fear of death, fear of all the things that are in the world.

"…but of power… [power from God to grow, to change to overcome] …and of love…" (v 7). One man said that Fred Coulter preaches too much on love and grace. Well, that's okay. Since love is the greatest and we stand in grace I don't think I can preach too much on that.

"…and of sound-mindedness" (v 7). With the Spirit of God you're able to see, know and understand. You don't get carried away with weird, strange self-serving things going down the road. The whole purpose of why we come together on the Sabbath is to be edified, up-lifted, built in Christ—all based on the Spirit of God. We can tie in there the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

We're going to see that the Spirit of God is totally the opposite of the spirit of Satan. Instead of the 'spirit of bondage again unto fear,' we are told this by the World of God:

1-John 4:18: "There is no fear in the love of God…" If you are fearing God with all your heart, mind, soul and being—and loving Christ, and you know that God is loving you—you have no fear.

"…rather, perfect love casts out fear…" (v 18)—which means as you grow and mature in love it's going cast out those fears.

"…because fear has torment. And the one who fears has not been made perfect in the love of God" (v 18). Right there is a Scripture that tells you what's wrong with the Churches of God that don't understand about the love of God.

He that "…fears has not been made perfect in the love of God." No wonder they don't grow in knowledge and understanding. No wonder all of the difficulties and problems that are going on. The way that they deceive themselves is that they close their eyes to all the obvious and say how 'marvelous and wonderful this is.' But it's going to be just like a blind man walking along and he's going to hit a wall head-on and he's not going to know what hit him, unfortunately.

Verse 19: "We love Him because He loved us first." There we have it, the spirit of Satan, which can work with the spirit of man; the Spirit of God, which has the aspect of the Spirit of Christ and the begettal of the Father; and the Spirit of God is going to lead us in all of these things. That's how we're led by the Spirit of God!

Romans 8:16: "The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God." So, the Holy Spirit of God unites with our spirit and we actually have—if we could see it, brethren—the spiritual DNA as it were from God, so that Christ can be formed in us.

Verse 17: "Now if we are children, we are also heirs… [What is it that we're going to inherit?] …truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him." What are we going to inherit? Eternal life! You can't do that as a physical human being.

1-Corinthians 15:49: "And as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly One." Is that not a guarantee that you're going to be in the Kingdom of God? that you're going to have eternal life? You are walking around with a guarantee that you're going to have a spiritual body if you remain faithful unto the end! Don't let anything ever discourage you; because of the great hope that God has for you.

Verse 50: "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption."

It's going to be eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is going to be a vast inheritance. I mean, look at the world today. God created the world—created mankind and everything on it—and He said to mankind, 'Here's the world, have dominion over it.' The whole world He gave to man. If He did that for physical human beings, what is He going to do for His family of spirit sons and daughters? Think on that!

"…nor does corruption inherit incorruption…. [we're going to inherit incorruptibility] …Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (vs 50-52). We're going to inherit eternal life; inherit the Kingdom of God.

Verse 53: "For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this mortal must put on immortality. Now, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory'" (vs 53-54). That's going to be quite a thing, brethren! We are going to inherit the Kingdom of God!

What else? If we are being formed in Christ, will we not, with God being our Father, inherit what comes from Him as a permanent part of our eternal being? Just like our own children inherit from us a permanent part of their own being coming from mother and father.Now then, what else do we do with our children? What do they inherit? A name! They inherit a name! God the Father is going to name each one of us. Christ is going to give us the name.

Revelation 2:17: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes I will give the right to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it." So, with a new life comes a new name.

Revelation 3:12: "…I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name." So, we're going to receive:

• a new name
• name of the Father
• name of New Jerusalem
• the name of Christ

—all four! Most of us have three names in our name right now—first, middle and last. Here we'll have four. Let's see if that's the same thing that Christ received.

Hebrews 1:1: "God Who spoke to the fathers at different times in the past and in many ways by the prophets, has spoken to us in the last days by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the ages; Who, being the brightness of His glory and the exact image of His person…" (vs 1-3).

So will we! We will have the express image of God the Father in varying form!

"…and upholding all things by the word of His own power…" v 3). Christ controls the universe. In inheriting the Kingdom of God it's going to be that we inherit the Kingdom of God and Christ on the earth first; that grows and expands, and at the end of the Millennium and at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment God the Father sends New Jerusalem down from heaven and He re-creates the heavens and the earth, the whole universe. We inherit that! You think about how inspiring that is. That's what God has given us. That's what God has set out before us! We're going to see why that's important as we go through the rest of Rom. 8.

"…when He had by Himself purged our sins… [by Himself, He did it] …sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having been made so much greater than any of the angels, inasmuch as He has inherited a name exceedingly superior to them" (vs 3-4). So, we're going to inherit

• eternal life
• a new name
• the Kingdom of God

That's what it means, Romans 8:17: "…truly heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…" Whatever Christ owns, we own. Think of that! That's why it talks about the riches of the glory of God. God is going to give that.

"…if indeed we suffer together with Him… [think about what Christ had to suffer] … so that we may also be glorified together with Him" (v17). The three things which brings us to that point that we can do that:

Romans 6:4: "Therefore, we were buried with Him… [jointly buried] (v 5): … we have been conjoined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him…" (vs 4-6). So the Greek is the same meaning. It means that we are joint heirs; that means with Him—co, joining.

When we jointly suffer…and there's going to be suffering, there's just no way around it. Paul even said in Philp. 3, that if he could be 'conformed to the suffering of Christ.' That's hard for me to understand. That's how much he understood that there was spiritual character from suffering. Look what it's going to result in:

Romans 8:17: "…so that we may also be glorified together with Him." If the first three in Rom. 6 are accomplished—co-buried, co-crucified and conjoined in the likeness of His death—then we shall be joint heirs, if we jointly suffer, and be jointly glorified.

Here's what He's leading to, brethren—here's the whole thing, v 18: "For I reckon…"—present tense. You're always doing this. You've heard about counting the cost; you always count the cost and you are always reckoning.

"…that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us" (v 18). We haven't suffered anywhere near what a lot of people have suffered. Let's see what they suffered, and they did it by faith. That's why we have to:

• walk by faith
• live in hope
• dwell in love

Hebrews 11:33—notice what happened here in faith: "Who by faith were victorious over kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strengthened from weakness, became mighty in war, and turned back the armies of foreigners. Women received their dead restored to life; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a superior resurrection; and others endured the trial of cruel mocking and scourging; yes, and moreover, of chains and imprisonment" (vs 33-36).

Brethren, they could only do that if they had the faith, the hope and the love of God. You're not going to do it otherwise. That's why we need to be strengthened. We don't know what lies ahead. Look at what happened to some of the others:

Verse 37: "They were stoned to death, they were sawed in two, they were brutally interrogated, and slaughtered by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and in goatskins, being destitute, oppressed, and ill-treated; of whom the world was not worthy; they wandered in deserts and in mountains, living in caves and in holes in the earth. But these all, though they had received a good report through faith, did not obtain the promise, because God had determined in advance to provide something superior for us so that without us they would not be made perfect" (vs 37-40).

They're awaiting the resurrection; we need to count that, too, brethren. I know it's difficult when we're going through it, but there is an end to these things.

Romans 8:19: "For the earnest expectation of the creation itself is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God." God's whole plan, the whole creation, is awaiting for us to be resurrected and to appear. Isn't that something? The whole creation! The whole creation is waiting for the completion of God's plan.

Verse 20: "Because the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope." Subject to vanity!

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There's even a whole book in the Bible devoted to vanity; Ecclesiastes 1:1: "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem…. [Solomon is explaining his whole life.] …'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'vanity of vanities! All is vanity'" (vs 1-2). And the whole creation was made subject to it, willingly. No one ran up to God and said, 'make me vain.' You just are!

Verse 3: "What profit does a man have in all his labor, which he labors under the sun?" (v 3). Then he goes on and explains the whole thing. "…vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" All the physical things, all the wealth, all the riches all the trials and all the things—up and down, inside and out, young and old, the alive, the dead, the drunk, the addicts—all of it all combined. I think he did everything. I think he squandered money. He had more women than he knew what to do with, a thousand women! He probably died a very old and dissipated man; with a thousand women you cannot help but that.

God has shut the world up to sin, shut it up to blindness, shut it up unto death, shut it up unto futility, and that's why nothing in the world works out. Turn on the news. Everything is wrong. Everything is a disaster. Nothing is working right. Why? Because if you're made subject to vanity, unless you even have the minimal of God's laws, unless you have even the minimal understanding of human love, it's going to be a total disaster! But God has subjected it unto hope.

Romans 8:21: "In order that the creation itself might be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." That's when we reign and rule with Christ. We are going to help bring the knowledge of God to the whole world, that's going to permeate the world so much, just like the ocean covering the earth today, of which the earth is covered two-thirds to three-fourths with water. Can you imagine that? Shows you how little we know. Oh my, brethren, how little we know!

Verse 22: "For we know that all the creation is groaning together and travailing together until now." Just like it's all in a great upheaval of pain. You get this World-Watch Weather Spot and there are always earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fire, disaster, insects, wild animals, deadly bacteria and disease. It's all travailing in pain together. What's going to happen?

Let's see what the whole creation is going to do when they see the deliverance that is coming. It's going to change, everything is going to be changed around.

Revelation 5:11: "And I saw… [when he saw that Christ was able to open the seals] …and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne, and the voices of the living creatures and the elders, and thousands of thousands." Even the angels are awaiting the completion of God's plan; that's going to be marvelous to them.

Verse 12: "Saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing.' And every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying…" (vs 12-13).

Here the whole creation is giving praise and honor and glory for the salvation that God is going to bring to even the physical world.

"…'To Him Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and sovereignty into the ages of eternity'" (v 13)

So, the creation is delivered from this, and we are the one who are going to help deliver it. That's why we need to know the Word of God, the love of God, and we are going to be the first ones to bring hope to this world. Think on that, brethren! That's something! There is no comparison to what God has called us to and what you look at in the world.

Romans 8:23: "And not only that, but even we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, also groan within ourselves…" Don't we? The troubles, the trials, the sickness, disease, aches, pains, the emotional and mental and spiritual upset and turmoil that we go through!

We groan, we moan: "…awaiting the sonship—the redemption of our bodies" (v 23)—the resurrection! The finality of the plan of God!

Verse 24: "For by hope we were saved…" That was an interesting translation. It is an aorist past tense passive: were being saved. He's projecting to a completion of this. That's how we're saved.

"…but hope that is seen is not hope…" (v 24). You already have it, you don't need to hope for it. If you're already born again you don't need to be born again, so you see the foolishness of born again. You don't have it; it's to come!

"…for why would anyone still be hoping for what he sees?" (v 24). If you want a car, why do you hope for it if you have the keys and it's sitting right in front of you. You go drive it. Why hope for a house if you already have one.

Verse 25: "But if we hope for what we do not see, we ourselves wait for it with patience."

• let's see how Paul did this
• let's see how he waited
• let's see how he counted it
• let's see what he looked to

The hope of the resurrection! This is another way of explaining that all the things in the world are not worthy to be compared:

Philippians 3:8: "But then truly, I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord… [Everything! Nothing!] …for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as dung… [Greek: 'skubalon'] …that I may gain Christ and may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is derived from law, but that righteousness, which is by the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God that is based on faith… [that's how you attain to the resurrection] …that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (vs 8-10).

Notice his attitude. He wanted to know the fellowship of the suffering of Christ. And living in the comfortable world that we are living in, it's very hard to get that perspective as Paul had it, but he knew! He suffered! Remember when he was called, God told Ananias that 'he is a chosen vessel unto Me so that he may go to the Gentiles and the children of Israel and for the things, which I have called him to suffer.' Because as he persecuted the Church before he was called, so he continued to suffer within the Church after he was called, so that he might know the great glory of God!

"…and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead; not as though I have already received, or have already been perfected…" (vs 10-12). NO! We moan and groan because we're imperfect.

"…but I am striving, so that I may also lay hold on that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (v 12). That's the whole goal. Notice that how in everything he kept this in the forefront of the brethren, kept this in the forefront of his writings; in the forefront of his mind.

Verse 13: "Brethren, I do not count myself as having attained; but this one thing I do—forgetting the things that are behind…" Brethren, that's what you must do! Whatever is in the past you have got to forget it! If you're having a hard time doing it, ask God to help you forget it. Forget those things that are in the past.

• What can you do about them?
• Can you change it?
• Can you make yourself younger?
• Can you re-create dark hair on your head again, or replace that which has fallen out?
• No! You can't do that!

You may weep at the loss of it, but forget it! Or whatever in the world you had to give up.

"…and reaching forth to the things that are ahead… [to reach ahead; to grow in grace and knowledge] …I press… [with vigor; with energy; with his whole being] …toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (vs 13-14). [God is going to help you.

Verse 15: "So then, let as many as be perfect be of this mind…." You can't be perfect in the flesh. But just in case your attitude's not too good and you're having difficulties with it—I've experienced this, too.

"…And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal even this to you" (v 15). Isn't it wonderful that God would reveal to you the things that are holding you back. That's a promise. Claim that promise, brethren, He'll give it to you!

Verse 20: "But for us, the commonwealth of God…" This is an interesting word in the Greek—'politeia'—meaning our politics—not in any political party on earth, but in heaven.

"…exists in the heavens, from where also we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our vile bodies… [Think of that! Change it!] …that they may be conformed… [co-glorified with Christ!] …to His glorious body, according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself" (vs 20-21).

That's what it means. That's why we have this hope. That's what we're waiting for; we're waiting with patience. Paul had patients, but he sure was excited about it.
Romans 8:26: "Now, in the same way also, the Spirit is conjointly helping…" Working with us, helping us. God's Spirit is working with us!

"…our weaknesses…" (v 26). The King James says 'infirmities' but that's not correct. Infirmities today is more like a sickness. This is weakness. I guess with carnal minds we're sick. God knows we have weaknesses!

"…because we do not fully understand what we should pray for, according as it is necessary…" (v 26). This shows that even the most intent things in our life, we don't know how to do it exactly as God wants us to, and 'necessary' means that it is obligatory.

"…but the Spirit itself… [that's why the Spirit is called the Comforter, the Helper] …makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be expressed by us" (v 26).

What does this mean? These are groanings that we cannot express verbally. This has nothing to do with speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues—the gibberish or even in another language—is something that we can utter. We can't utter this! We can't express it! That's why in our prayers there are some things that you go to God with, 'O God, I don't know how to express this.' God's Spirit helps you and transmits to God, in God's language, your heart. That's what it means here. It makes "…intercession for us with groaning that cannot be expressed by us" Our prayers come up into the very presence of God.

A woman wrote and said: Fred Coulter, I can't understand you when you say 'we come into the presence of God.' She didn't listen to the rest of it when I said, 'by prayer into the Holiest of all in heaven above.' Let's see our prayers coming up before God. I don't know exactly how this is done, but the Spirit conveys it up to God's throne, and around God's throne are the 24 elders.

Revelation 5:8 "And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

So, however that gets up to God to get there, to show, to express our prayers to God in a way that God instantly understands, I do believe that the Holy Spirit filters out all of the nonsense that comes into our mind. Like when you're praying, 'Did I turn off the stove? Did I leave the iron on? Did I shut the garage doors? Did I lose my wallet?' That's all filtered out. Or worse, yet, some stupid commercial ding-a-linging through your mind that you can't get rid of. Or some silly tune that is stupid and inane! That doesn't go to God. The Holy Spirit filters all of that out and sends the meaning of your heart to God in expressible language that God understands.

Revelation 8:1: ": Now, when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense was given to him, so that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense went up before God from the hand of the angel, ascending with the prayers of the saints" (vs 1-4).

That's the best way that we can find from the Bible, to give us the best description of what happens to our prayers, that God will hear! God will answer! He'll go above and beyond and we're even told that God is able to do things above what we can even ask or think.

Romans 8:27: "And the One Who [Christ] searches the hearts comprehends what the strivings of the Spirit are… [going to God] …because it makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." That defines the activity of the Holy Spirit with us.

Verse 28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…"—showing a present tense active, ongoing thing. If you're not loving God, it won't work for you. ALL things! Sometimes the only thing we can do is go to God and say, 'God, help me to understand how this is going to be, because I, at this moment, don't understand it. It will work for good!

"…to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (v 28). There is an end to these things and the difficulties once we understand it.

1-Peter 5:6: "Be humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God… [that's what all of these circumstances are to do, regardless of what happens] …so that He may exalt you in due time."

• God will do that
• He will help you
• in His time
• in His way

Verse 7: "Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you." Sometimes we have to go to God in tears, sobbing and crying and just say, 'O God, I just don't know, I just don't understand, help me to understand. Help me to realize and understand what these things are that I'm going through.'

Verse 8: "Be sober! Be vigilant! For your adversary the devil is prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he may devour." When these trials and difficulties come, if you don't realize they "…all work together for good…" then you can become a victim of Satan the devil. Begin accusing God and saying, 'it's never worked; God doesn't hear our prayers; God doesn't answer.' Yes, He does! But His answer may be different than you expect.

Verse 9: "Whom resist, steadfast in the faith…" You've got to resist IN the faith, not with carnal means. Resisting Satan with carnal means is falling right into His trap—BAM! Gottcha!

"…knowing that the same afflictions are being fulfilled among your brethren who are in the world. Now, may the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, Himself perfect you, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (vs 9-10). And God will do that! All things work together for good!

Romans 8:29: "Because those whom He did foreknow He also predestinated…" He foreknows us by calling us, and we answer the call. Predestination here is not fatalism. Fatalism is: there is nothing you can do to change anything. This is it for your whole life. I guess fatalism is also bound up in what they call 'Karma.'

"…to be conformed to the image of His own Son…" (v 29). We just read it how we're going to have our bodies fashioned like unto His glorious body.

"…that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren" (v 29). He is the First of the firstborn. We are the Church of the Firstborn. He is the Firstborn among many brethren.

Verse 30: "Now, whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called…" He's talking in the sense of having it completed. When God says something it is as good as done.

"…these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (v 30). And to have a bit of the Spirit of God is also a glorification, too.

Verse 31: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"—or what can be against us? Nothing! Nothing! Though you die! If you die, you have conquered. Do you know that? You have accomplished the point where God wants you if you die and are in the grave before Christ returns. Then you await the resurrection. Can anything be against you? Nothing can be against you! No one! No person! Not even Satan!

Notice what he bases this on, v 32: "He Who did not spare even His own Son, but gave Him up for us all… [and you go through all that Christ suffered and went through] …how shall He not also grant us all things together with Him?" He has inherited everything and we're going to share in that, co-heirs!

If you get to thinking that you have suffered, go back to Lamentations; this is actually a prophecy of Christ's suffering. If you have the full Messiah, this will be one of the songs that is there. This is Jeremiah's lamentation; it's referring to Jerusalem, but where did Christ die? In Jerusalem!

Lamentations 1:12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any pain like my pain, which is done to me… [the sorrow of Christ—this is the prophecy] … with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.." Remember, Christ took upon Him the whole wrath of all the sins of mankind. Was there any greater sorrow than the sorrow that Christ had? No!

Verse 12: "From on high He has sent fire into my bones and it prevailed against them. He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; they intertwine; they rise on my neck…. [bearing all the sins of the world] …He has made my strength to falter; the LORD has delivered me into their hands—those whom I cannot withstand" (vs 12-14). Unless there be the resurrection. So, not even that was against us.

Romans 8:33: "Who shall bring an accusation against the elect of God?…." Satan is there accusing day and night before the throne of God, and Christ is saying, 'My grace covers them, Father. Impute My righteousness to them, Father, that they may attain to the resurrection of dead.' Satan is there saying, 'See, see!' I imagine Satan is there saying, 'God, You made a mistake. How could You do Your plan with these people? Look at all of their sins.'

"…God is the One Who justifies. Who is the one that condemns? It is Christ Who died!…. [took all the condemnation] …but rather, Who is raised again, Who is even now at the right hand of God, and Who is also making intercession for us" (vs 33-34).

He Spirit is making intercession, bringing it to Christ Who is accomplishing the intercession for us both! This is where we need to come, brethren. This is the:

• conviction of mind
• conviction of faith
• conviction of hope
• conviction of love

Verse 35: "What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Accordingly, it is written, 'For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.'" (vs 35-36).

That day is going to come again, brethren. The day is going to come that is going to test our resolve of faith, hope and love. We don't know how long down the road it is. If it isn't for us, then we need to have that available to strengthen the brethren who follow after us.

I was talking to a woman on the phone the other day. I said I don't know how long in prophecy we have to go. Just like Paul, he wrote this not knowing that it was going to be for us today. Nor do we know if it's going to be for some of those whom God is going to send to us for them tomorrow. But we must have that strength of conviction of spirit and hope, faith and love.

Verse 37: "But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us." Conquerors means overcomers. We are more than that! God is going to give us the help and strength to overcome. Not only is this a command and a promise, but it's really quite a wonderful thing the way Christ gives hope with this.

Revelation 2:7: "The one who has an ear, let him hear…" If your ears are opened and your heart is tender and your mind is receptive, hear!

"…what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes…" (v 7)—the one who conquers, is victorious in spite of all these things.

"…I will give the right to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God" (v 7).

Verse 10—the Church of Smyrna: "Do not fear any of the things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death" (vs 10-11).

Verse 17—to the Church of Pergamos: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes I will give the right to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it."

Verse 26—to the Church of Thyatira: "And to the one who overcomes and keeps My works unto the end… [the works of God; we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus] …I will give authority over the nations."

God wants us:

• filled with the faith
• filled with the hope
• filled with the love

He wants us:

• educated
• to be able to understand
• to know
• to make judgments
• to have wisdom
• to have knowledge
• to rule the nations

Verse 27: "And he shall shepherd them with an iron rod, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces; as I have also received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (vs 27-29).

Revelation 3: 5—to the Church of Sardis: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Verse 12—to the Church of Philadelphia: "The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (vs 12-13).

Verse 21—to the Church of Laodicea: "To the one who overcomes will I give authority to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in His throne. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church" (vs 21-22).

Romans 8:37: "But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded… [this is our persuasion, brethren, that we need to come to] …that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 37-39)—and I'm going to add there: AMEN! That's the whole thing—beginning with Rom. 1 and coming all the way through Rom. 8—showing how God is going to solve the problem of sin and bring us into His Kingdom!

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Romans 8:14-17, 15
• 1 Corinthians 2:10-13
• Hosea 4:6-12
• Romans 8:15-16
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• 1 Peter 1:3-5, 10-12
• Isaiah 11:2-4
• John 16:13
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• 1 John 4:18-19
• Romans 8:16-17
• 1 Corinthians 15:49-54
• Revelation 2:17
• Revelation 3:12
• Hebrews 1:1-4
• Romans 8:17
• Romans 6:4-6
• Romans 8:17-18
• Hebrews 11:33-40
• Romans 8:19-20
• Ecclesiastes 1:1-3
• Romans 8:21-22
• Revelation 5:11-13
• Romans 8:23-25
• Philippians 3:8-15, 20-21
• Romans 8:26
• Revelation 5:8
• Revelation 8:1-4
• Romans 8:27-28
• 1 Peter 5:6-10
• Romans 8:29-32
• Lamentations 1:12-14
• Romans 8:33-37
• Revelation 2:7, 10-11, 17, 26-29
• Revelation 3:5, 12-13, 21-22
• Romans 8:37-39

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Ephesians 2
• 1 John 4:6, 3
• Revelation 12:9
• 1 John 3:5-6; 5:1
• John 14:17; 15:26
• Galatians 6:1
• 1 Peter 4:14
• Hebrews 10:29
• Galatians 5:22

FRC:bo  
Transcribed: 12-31-10  
Reformatted/Corrected:November-December/2016