Predestined

Predestined

The Epistle was written from Corinth in the Spring of A.D.58, during the 4th year of Nero;
probably during Paul's sojourn in  Greece after the departure from Ephesus (Acts 20:2-3). It
was sent by Phebe, "a servant of the church at Cenchrea".

This Chapter is about the difference between living in the flesh and living in the spirit.
More importantly it sets the stage for the purpose of God's Election.
I will point out some key words in the Greek language.

Romans 8

1.  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Comment: We are not talking about all Christians, just the ones that DO God's work. Sitting
on a church pew and calling yourself a Christian is not doing God's work. Studying His Word
with understanding and doing His Word are the people that God can use to do His Will.

2.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death.

Comment: When you familiarize yourself with the Word of God and become useful to Him, the
Holy Spirit directs you and warms your soul. We all sin but through Jesus Christ we have
forgiveness.

3.  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Comment: It is written in Hebrews 10:1-16 that the law was a shadow of things to come which
is Christ who did not change the Law but Fulfilled the Law.

4.  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit.

Comment: Another name for God's Election is Zadok, meaning the upright or those who do
what's right, that is walking after the Spirit. As it is written in Hebrews 7:1-3, Melchisedec in
the Hebrew Language means King of the Zadok or the King of Righteousness which is none
other than Jesus Christ.

5.  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the
Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Comment: Romans 1:25, Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

6.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Comment: Who is death? The devil. Hebrews 1:14.

Some people think they can live after the flesh and are miserable without our Father.
When you live your life carnally minded you are making satan a happy camper, minding the
things that exist in this world and it takes our minds off of the Truth and the reason why we are
here.

7.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be.

Comment: Enmity is division and you cannot ride the fence, living carnal minded and
spiritually minded.

8.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Comment: Or those who live after the fleshly things of this world cannot please God.

9.  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Comment: Do you have the Spirit of God (Christ) in you? Do you try to do the right thing,
helping your fellow man or woman find the Truth, which is God's Word? That's the whole
reason for this Earth Age or as I call it The Age of Salvation. It would be very good to take
part now and not later.

10.  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.

Comment: When you do take part in the Spirit of Christ He will lead you and guide you
through this miserable world we live in today and makes it so much better and it gives you
purpose and Peace of mind.

11.  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Comment: The word quicken means, "to give life" or "eternal life" and as God raised Christ
from the dead or Death (the devil) He also will raise you from the dead, meaning you wont
see Death.

12.  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13.  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of
the body, ye shall live.

Comment: The word "mortify" in the Greek means "to put to death".

14.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Comment: This word "sons" is "huios"  and means kinship or foal (family) and applies to men
or women.

15.  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Comment: Remember back to verse 2, the Spirit sets you free from sin. Man and man's
traditions will put you in bondage and make you a prisoner to this fleshly world. The word
"bondage" is "douleia"=slavery (ceremonially or figuratively).

16.  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Comment: The word witness is "summartureo"=to testify jointly, i.e. corroborate by
(concurrent) evidence.

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.

Comment: God has rewards for those who love Him. When you do God's work it's not a walk
in the park, people will hate you like they hated Christ, but if we can reach just one person it's
worth it. Again, only family can be heirs. Are you part of God's family?

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.

Comment: We may go through some rough times but it just strengthens us and prepares us
for future events. The glory that is revealed in us is, God's Elect being delivered up to Satan
when he is here on earth as anti-christ ("anti" in the Greek means "instead of") and the Holy
Spirit speaks through them, Mark 13:10-11, Luke 12:11-12.

19.  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God.

Comment: Earnest expectation (apokaradokia =in the sense of watching; intense
anticipation).
Creature (ktisis =creation)
Manifestation (apokalupsis= to reveal, make known, disclose, appearing, be revealed).

Now lets rephrase the verse and read it with a little more depth:
For the intense anticipation (of God's Elect) of the creation (God's Plan) is revealed through
God's Elect.

20.  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope,

Comment: Again creature should be creation, "subject" means "to obey" vanity here is
"mataiotes"=uselessness and "not willingly" is (ouhekon) =not voluntary.
We miss the word "hope", sometimes we read over it. Hope (elpis) =to anticipate, ususally
with pleasure and confidence.

Now let’s rephrase the verse:
For the creation was made to obey, not voluntarily, but by reason of Him (God) who has
obeyed the same, through hope (or His anticipation for us to do the right thing) which pleases
Him.
The creation itself was made to obey God through instinct, but man was made with "free will",
and it has always been God's Hope that we all do good and please Him, Rev. 4-11.

21.  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Comment: Let's rephrase the verse:
Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from slavery of the corrupted world into the
freedom of the glory of the sons and daughters of God.

22.  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Comment: Even nature itself is eager for the birth of a New Age, and is changing back to
what it used to be in the First Earth Age.
Groaneth and travaileth means, "to experience a common calamity and together sympathize
in expectation of relief from suffering". If you ever wonder if you are an "elect", this is one way
to know.

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.

Comment: The word "they" is omitted from the manuscripts and is used as a subject of
reference, if you will. So insert creation, that is the minor subject from the last 5 verses.
What are the firstfruits? God's elect that overcame in the First Earth Age.
Check out the study on the "Three World Ages".
Groan here is "stenazo" and means "to pray inaudibly".

Now lets rephrase the verse:
And not only the creation (nature), but ourselves also, which are God's Elect of the Spirit,
even we ourselves pray within ourselves, waiting for the return of Christ and eternal salvation.

24.  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for?

Comment: I love this verse, if you take a little time and think about it. What is hope? What do
you hope for? I have to remind you that we are talking about those people that are
predestined, "God's elect".
It reminds me of John 20:29, "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me,
thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed".

25.  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Comment: If you love God, "Yes" with patience we wait for the return of Christ.

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.

Comment: Infirmities is "astheneia" and means "feebleness in mind", again "groanings which
cannot be uttered" means "to pray inaudibly", in other words, "helps us to pray".

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.

Comment: The word "hearts" is "kardia", where our word "cardiovascular" comes from. God
can read your mind and searches the minds of those that can assist in His Plan.
The word "saints" is "hagios" and means "morally blameless.

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.

Comment: The word "called" is "kletos" and means "appointed".
Don't read over this verse, if you love God it will all work out, as it is written, 1Cor. 10:11-13.

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.

Comment: The word "foreknow" is "proginosko", it is where our word "prognosticate" comes
from and means, "to know before hand or pre-ordain".
Predestinate is "proorizo" and means "determined before".
Image is "eikon" and is where our word "icon" comes from.
The word "firstborn" means a whole lot more than what meets the eye. It coincides with
Matthew 19:30, But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. This verse
means that the firstfruits (God's Elect) will be born in the last generation (Fig Tree generation)
and were Judged already by their actions in the First Earth Age when they fought against
Satan and his angels.

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.

Comment: Again by their actions in the First Earth Age they were already Judged by God
and will take part in the First Resurrection written of in Revelation 20:5-6.

31.  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Comment: You can be surrounded by the enemy and you and God make the majority and
God will not let anything happen to you as long as you use common sense, Luke 21:18.

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?

Comment: If you believe in God and His Son Jesus, you become part of the family and can
take part in the inheritance.

33.  Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Comment: This word "elect" is "eklektos" and means "chosen", not because they were the
best looking but because they earned it. God is no respecter of persons, Acts 10:34.

34.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Comment: The beginning of this verse reminds me of the Book of Job, in the 38th chapter,
when God dresses down Job. Basically saying, Who are you to question God?

35.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Comment: I would ask you, can anything separate you from Christ? Do you set aside time for
Him or do you get wrapped up in this world?

36.  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter.

Comment: Go back to verse 17 and 18, the world (Satan's dominion) will hate you for the
Testimony of Christ, the Truth of God's Word.

37.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Comment: We have nothing to worry about because we have the victory.

38.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,

39.  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Comment: Amen