Romans 8 is all about identification.
Paul had identified with the flesh and found that it led to failure and death.
The mind of the flesh is performance based. It is how human beings affirm themselves and measure their worth. They set out to prove they are something through what they can, or cannot do.
But the flesh has a major problem. It is weak. In competition there is always someone better and something could always be done better than it already is being done. The heights of perfection have not been attained and never will be in the flesh.
My family are all UT fans and when Kentucky pounded Tennessee recently in basketball (we weren't happy about that) a young Kentucky player had a game high 54 points. However, he did not make 100% of all his shots. To most that was a great game, but it was not perfect.
A co worker used to say to me all the time, “it takes 100 atta boys to erase one what the heck were you thinking?”
There are many Christians today who identify with their failures more than their triumphs. It’s called, letting your mistakes get into your head. If that continues on without being addressed it can really cause great damage to a persons faith.
There is only one cure.
Romans 8 began with, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
In the Greek now means, now. There is therefore now no condemnation. There is a state of being that takes place instantaneously when a person gets hold of the revelation of identification.
Now only works for those who are in Christ Jesus. It does not say those who finally got their act together and began to live perfectly. It does not say those who are finally playing by the rules.
It uses the terminology of identification. “in Christ Jesus.”
I have once again been gripped by Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
That is some major security. My life is hidden with Christ in God. Who can get tome there?
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
