Romans 8:1-9
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 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. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 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.”
The phase “The Standard is the Standard” has been popularized by the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Everybody loves and respects Mike. And his statement resonates across the entirety of the NFL because it is the most widely believed characteristic of a winning football program. But it doesn’t just apply to football. In any meaningful endeavor, consistency matters. The ability for everyone to ‘buy in’ to a unified program and process is paramount for success no matter what you’re trying to do. This is especially important for the Body of Christ.
Although no one can claim complete mastery of the total expanse of the incarnate Word of God, as arbiters of this sacred text we have the awesome task of ensuring that the process with which we approach the text meets the standard of holiness and sanctification set by our Lord and Savior. The Word of God is not set by popular opinion, conjecture or election. The Holy Word is written in the annals of heaven under the watchful eyes of God. It is eternal; from beginning to the end of time itself.
There are two approaches in Bible study. Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.” That means that the interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text.The opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the interpreter injects his own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever he wants.
Sadly, if we’re honest, we’ve all been guilty of a bit of eisegesis from time to time. Even if it was simply following the teachings of our well intentioned predecessors. Exegesis allows us to agree with the Bible; eisegesis seeks to force the Bible to agree with us. So in view of upholding the standard for salvation let’s focus this morning on the exegesis of today’s scriptures.
After reading the scriptures, we must conclude God hates sin. And those in sin are already condemned. In matter of fact, condemnation is the permanent state of humanity outside of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. That is fact. But there’s a mitigating clause in the 9th verse. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. That’s the rescue clause.
To escape the penalty of death, you only need to accept the grace of God through Jesus Christ. But there’s a standardized test to determine if you’ve truly been redeemed. The test measures your adherence to the criteria set forth from above. The believer that would be considered free from the wags of sin must have evidence of the Spirit residing in you.
If you’re missing the attributes of the Spirit, you must exchange your carnality for His holiness. If you find you’re missing His character, you must seek the fruit of the Spirit in place of your worldly persona. Chapter 5 of the Epistle to the Galatians says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." That’s the measure of salvation. Not church attendance. Not tithes and offerings. Not singing, shouting, preaching or teaching. The test determines if you have His Spirit or not. Not your eisegesis! The standard remains without excuse or exceptions, because the standard is the standard.
God Bless
