Romans 8:15

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. FOR YE HAVE NOT RECEIVED - rather, 'For ye received not;' that is, when ye believed through grace. THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE. The meaning is, The spirit ye then received was not a spirit of bondage, AGAIN [GENDERING] TO FEAR, [ palin (G3825) eis (G1519) fobon (G5401)] - as when ye were under the law which "worketh wrath" - q.d., 'That was your condition before ye believed-living in legal bondage, haunted with incessant forebodings under a sense of unpardoned sin-it was not to perpetuate that wretched state that ye received the Sp...

15.]He now confirms the certainty of that confidence, in which he has already bidden the faithful to rest secure; and he does this by mentioning the special effect produced by the Spirit; for he has not been given for the purpose of harassing us with trembling or of tormenting us with anxiety; but on the contrary, for this end — that having calmed every perturbation, and restoring our minds to a tranquil state, he may stir us up to call on God with confidence and freedom. He does not then pursue only the argument which he had before stated, but dwells more on another clause, which he had connected with it, even the paternal mercy of God, by which he forgives his people the infirmities of the flesh and the sins which still remain in them. He teaches us that our confidence in this respect is made certain by the Spirit of adoption, who could not inspire us with confidence in prayer without...

10-17 If the Spirit be in us, Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart by faith. Grace in the soul is its new nature; the soul is alive to God, and has begun its holy happiness which shall endure for ever. The righteousness of Christ imputed, secures the soul, the better part, from death. From hence we see how much it is our duty to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. If any habitually live according to corrupt lustings, they will certainly perish in their sins, whatever they profess. And what can a worldly life present, worthy for a moment to be put against this noble prize of our high calling? Let us then, by the Spirit, endeavour more and more to mortify the flesh. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit brings a new and Divine life to the soul, though in a feeble state. And the sons of God have the Spirit to work in them the disposition of children; they have not the spirit of b...

Verse Romans 8:15. _YE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE_] All that were under the law were under bondage to its rites and ceremonies; and as, through the prevalence of that corrupt nature with which every human being is polluted, and to remove which the law gave no assistance, they were often _transgressing_, consequently they had forfeited their lives, and were continually, through _fear of death, subject to bondage_, Hebrews 2:15. The believers in Christ Jesus were brought from under _that_ law, and from under its condemnation; and, consequently, were freed from its bondage. The Gentiles were also in a state of bondage as well as the Jews, they had also a multitude of burdensome rites and ceremonies, and a multitude of deities to worship; nor could they believe themselves secure...

THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE - The spirit that binds you; or the spirit of a slave, that produces only fear. The slave is under constant fear and alarm. But the spirit of religion is that of freedom and of confidence; the spirit of children, and not of slaves; compare the note at John 8:32. AGAIN TO FEAR - That you should again be afraid, or be subjected to servile fear - This implies that in their former state under the Law, they were in a state of servitude, and that the tendency of it was merely to produce alarm. Every sinner is subject to such fear. He has everything of which to be alarmed. God is angry with him; his conscience will trouble him; and he has everything to apprehend in death and in eternity. But it is not so with the Christian; compare...

EXPOSITION ROMANS 8:1 (_c_) _The blessed condition and assured hope of such as are in Christ _Jesus. The summary of the contents of this chapter, which follows the Exposition, may be referred to in the first place by the student, so as to assist comprehension of the line of thought. ROMANS 8:1 THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. (The additional words of this verse in the Textus Receptus have but slight support, having probably been supplied from Romans 8:4. They are out of place here.) "Nunc venit ad liberationem et libertatem. Non autem ponit adversativam δὲ, _autem,_ sed conclusivam a!ra, erg

FOR YE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AGAIN TO FEAR,.... By "the spirit of bondage" is meant, not the Spirit of God: for this is just the reverse of his character, who is a "free Spirit", or רוח נדיבה, "a Spirit of liberty"; and is contrary to his work and office, which is to show a soul its state of bondage by nature, and to deliver out of it; and though fear may arise from the convictions of sin, yet this he removes by discoveries of love; moreover, his work is to make application of grace and righteousness to sensible sinners, and to administer comfort to distressed minds, and make them meet for glory; and it is also contrary to the character of the persons in whom he dwells, who are the sons of God; besides, the Spirit of God, as a spirit of adoption, is in the text itself manifestly opposed to this spirit: but by it is intended a man's own spirit whilst in a state of unrege...

This precious chapter reminds us of the description of the land of Havilah, «where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good.» Romans 8:1. _There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,_ There is no condemnation to them; that is gone, and gone for ever. Not only is part of it removed, but the whole of it is gone: «There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.» This is their legal status before God, in Christ Jesus, without condemnation; and this is their character: Romans 8:1. _Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit._ Their daily conversation is according to their new spiritual nature, and according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and not according to their fleshly nature, and the guida

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. In Christ; no Condemnation but Deliverance. (Romans 8:1 .)_ 2. Flesh and Spirit. (Romans 8:5 .) 3. The Body and the Spirit. (Romans 8:9 .) 4. Sons and Heirs of God. (Romans 8:12 .) 5. The Time of Travail and Groaning; the Future Redemption. (Romans 8:18 .) 6. The intercession of the Spirit. (Romans 8:26 .) 7. The Saints Calling; the Challenge and the Assurance. ...

So Christian men stand toward life and death (Romans 8:1); how _toward God?_ ROMANS 8:14. Justified (Romans 8:3) and sanctified (Romans 8:6), they are SONS AND HEIRS OF GOD, while they are led by God's Spirit. Romans 8:15 f. Christ's spirit of sonship replaces the old spirit of servitude engendering fear (_cf. Romans 2:8_ f., also Hebrews 2:15;...