Although we are spending much time on Romans 8, and some of you are very familiar with this chapter, don’t think we can exhaust it. It is too, too rich!
Don’t forget that these items are in Romans 8, not in Romans 1. Romans 1 tells us that we were sinners—dirty, sinful, evil, condemned. There in chapter one you could never have the experiences revealed in Romans 8. Although you were once there, you are there no longer. Are you then in Romans 2? There it speaks of the hypocrites, the Jewish religionists. Romans 3 speaks of God’s condemnation upon the whole world and also begins to define justification. Are you there? Are you in Romans 4, justified by faith? Are you following in the steps of Abraham, walking in line with him? If you are merely in Romans 4 you still don’t have Romans 8. For sure Abraham never had Romans 8. But Paul had the experience of Romans 8.
What about Romans 5? You must realize that to enter into Romans 5 is not so easy. Romans 4 may be considered as the graduation chapter of the Christian high school. When you have finished Romans 4, you have graduated from high school and are at the threshold of college in Romans 5. Romans 5 may be considered as the threshold of Christian college. The first year of Christian college work is Romans 5. The second year is Romans 6. The third year of Christian college work is Romans 7. Romans 8 is the graduation chapter. This Perfecting Training is in the fourth year of our Christian college training.
Romans 8 is not trying to stir people up. Nor is it trying to bring some backsliders back to the Lord. This chapter is for those who are desperate to be freed. We can see this by the last part of chapter seven. Paul cried, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” Paul is desperate; he is seeking to the uttermost. He has nothing else in his heart, except such a freedom. He had tried this way and that way, but he couldn’t get through. He found out that all the ways he tried did not work. To will to do good was present with him, but to do it was not. He was a desperate person. Romans 8 is for such a person. It is not for the one in chapter one, nor for the one in chapter two, but it is for the one at the end of chapter seven and the beginning of chapter eight. After such a desperate cry the answer came: “There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” It then gives the reason why there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus now: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and of death.” Why was there now no condemnation in Christ? Because the law of the Spirit of life had been installed into Paul.
Again I say, in chapter eight of Romans there is no stirring up and no bringing back. All those who are qualified for this chapter must be the ones who are desperate. After being saved, after seeking the Lord, and after being defeated along the seeking way, they are desperate. Unless you are desperate, even this Perfecting Training from tonight and onward will not be a real help to you. You must be a desperate one. This chapter does not try to stir you up because you don’t have a heart toward the Lord. It does not try to bring you back because you have been backsliding from the Lord. No! This chapter gives you a clear view of what you have within you. Because you are so seeking, because you are so desperate, you need such a view. You don’t need a “way”; you need a view. You need to see what has been done with you, what has been installed into you. You need to see what you have already. You don’t need just a kind of instruction, but you need a view to see what you have.
After this chapter shows us a clear view of what we have already, spontaneously in this view you could see how to enjoy what you have. For example, you may at one time have been ignorant about the installment of electricity into this building. But one day you got a clear view about electricity being installed into the building. Spontaneously there was no need to instruct you. After you have a clear view about the installed electricity in this building, spontaneously you know how to enjoy the installed electricity. If you want to enjoy the heating, you simply go to a certain switch. If you want to enjoy the cooling, you go to another switch. If you want to enjoy the light or something else, you go to the proper switch. This means you cooperate with the operation of the electricity by law.