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As I read Chapter 8 of Romans, I found it very easy to understand especially after Chapter 7 last week.  N.T. Wright tells us that Paul is bringing everything together. It is the climax of all of his ideas up to this point. Wright’s words inspired me to read Romans 8 like I was preaching to my congregation. It is the greatest chapter in all of scripture and should be read like we are Pentecostal rather than Baptist. Chapters 1 through 7 can be hard to understand, they really make us think. Even though they are difficult, a pastor should challenge the congregation to dive deeper into what scripture is trying to say. It is my prayer that I have made you think through the first half of this blog on Romans. As pastors, God has called us to be teachers. Expositing the word of God. The pastor should help the church understand what the Bible is saying. 

If I was writing a series of sermons, up to this point it would start with an introduction much like (Romans 1:1-15).  Next, lay out the purpose (Romans 1:16-18) and then present the ideas of the book (Romans 1:19-7:25). Last but not least, it should declare what makes us Christians (Romans 8). Christ must be proclaimed in every sermon. There are not ten ways to be a better parent, eight ways to be a better spouse, ninety-three ways to be a better Christian. There is one way to be alive and not dead and that is Christ. The Spirit works through the pastor to let everybody know the good news.  The good news is that when we are in Christ, the Spirit will be there.  Death will be no more, and the flesh no longer controls us. We now have the ability to please God. 

I went to a Pentecostal church when I was going to school in Omaha and I imagined the preacher speaking through the first 8 chapters of Romans.   He started off fairly calm and by the time he gets to Romans 8, he is bringing it. We may have questions still unanswered from the earlier chapters (sermon), but we leave knowing who our Savior is, and who is our Helper. Paul explains to the Romans that we are justified through Christ’s death; we are sanctified through the Holy Spirit, glorified through his resurrection, and the future rebirth of all creation.

What does that mean in our walk with Christ? A few weeks back there was shooting in a church in Texas. It made me think after reading Romans 8. What would I say if a gunman pointed a gun at my head and asked if I loved Christ? I would hope I would answer yes, but what would happen if I said no? I know that if God calls me His son then He will be there to provide me the tools to walk with Him even in the toughest situations (Romans 8:32).

The text of Romans 8 lets me know even in death, persecution, struggles, and pain the Spirit is with me.  I take great pleasure in knowing that I am no longer dead in the flesh. Comfort is mine, because of what Christ did. He will always be there to help those who love Him so we can work for His purpose (Romans 8:28). So even though I know God would give me the ability to say yes, I believe He would still take me even if I said no. This world is so full of wickedness that it can be overwhelming, but we can rest assured that God will redeem this world from evil. I don’t think our minds are near mature enough to even comprehend what that means.  Maybe some of you, but not Zack Andrews, trust me, I spent some time trying. As bad as the world is today, the new creation will be infinitely good. I know this because God has promised that NOTHING will separate us from the love of God in Christ (8:39).