Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Romans
Book: Romans
Chapter: 8
Overview:
The
Freedom of believers from condemnation.
(1-9) Their
privileges as being the children of
God.
(10-17) Their hopeful
prospects under tribulations.
(18-25) Their assistance from the
Spirit in
Prayer.
(26,27) Their interest in the
Love of
God.
(28-31) Their final triumph, through
Christ.
(32-39)
1-9 Believers may be chastened of the
Lord, but will not be
condemned with the world.
By their union with
Christ through
Faith, they are thus secured. What is the principle of their
walk; the
Flesh or the
Spirit, the old or the new nature,
corruption or
Grace? For which of these do we make provision,
By
which are we governed? The unrenewed will is unable to keep any
commandment fully. And the
Law, besides outward duties, requires
inward obedience.
God showed abhorrence of
Sin By the sufferings
of his Son in the
Flesh, that the believer's person might be
pardoned and justified. Thus satisfaction was made to Divine
Justice, and the way of
Salvation opened for the sinner.
By the
Spirit the
Law of
Love is written upon the
Heart, and though the
Righteousness of the
Law is not fulfilled
By us, yet, blessed be
God, it is fulfilled in us; there is that in all true believers,
which answers the intention of the
Law. The favour of
God, the
welfare of the soul, the concerns of eternity, are the things of
the
Spirit, which those that are after the
Spirit do mind. Which
way do our thoughts move with most pleasure? Which way go our
plans and contrivances? Are we most
Wise for the world, or for
our souls? Those that live in pleasure are dead, 1Ti 5:6. A
sanctified soul is a living soul; and that
Life is peace. The
Carnal mind is not only an enemy to
God, but
Enmity itself. The
Carnal Man may,
By the power of Divine
Grace, be made subject to
the
Law of
God, but the
Carnal mind never can; that must be
broken and driven out. We may know our real state and character
By inquiring whether we have the
Spirit of
God and
Christ, or
not, ver. 9. Ye are not in the
Flesh, but in the
Spirit. Having
the
Spirit of
Christ, means having a turn of mind in some degree
like the mind that was in
Christ Jesus, and is to be shown
By a
Life and
Conversation suitable to his precepts and
Example.
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
Bondage, which the Old
Testament Church was
under, through the
Darkness of that
Dispensation. The
Spirit of
Adoption was not then plentifully poured out. Also it refers to
that
Spirit of
Bondage, under which many saints were at their
Conversion. Many speak peace to themselves, to whom
God does not
speak peace. But those who are sanctified, have
God's
Spirit
witnessing with their spirits, in and
By his speaking peace to
the soul. Though we may now seem to be losers for
Christ, we
shall not, we cannot, be losers
By him in the
End.
18-25 The sufferings of the saints strike
No deeper than the
things of time, last
No longer than the present time, are
Light
Afflictions, and but for a moment. How vastly different are the
sentence of the
Word and the sentiment of the world, concerning
the sufferings of this present time! Indeed the whole
Creation
seems to wait with
Earnest expectation for the period when the
children of
God shall be manifested in the
Glory prepared for
them. There is an impurity, deformity, and infirmity, which has
come upon the
Creature By the fall of
Man. There is an
Enmity of
one
Creature to another. And they are used, or abused rather,
By
men as instruments of
Sin. Yet this deplorable state of the
Creation is in
Hope.
God will deliver it from thus being held in
Bondage to
Man's depravity. The miseries of the human race,
through their own and each other's wickedness, declare that the
world is not always to continue as it is. Our having received
the
First-fruits of the
Spirit, quickens our desires, encourages
our hopes, and raises our expectations.
Sin has been, and is,
the guilty cause of all the suffering that exists in the
Creation of
God. It has brought
On the woes of
Earth; it has
kindled the flames of
Hell. As to
Man, not a tear has been shed,
not a groan has been uttered, not a pang has been felt, in body
or mind, that has not come from
Sin. This is not all;
Sin is to
be looked at as it affects the
Glory of
God. Of this how
fearfully regardless are the bulk of mankind! Believers have
been brought into a state of safety; but their comfort consists
rather in
Hope than in enjoyment. From this
Hope they cannot be
turned
By the vain expectation of finding satisfaction in the
things of time and sense. We need patience, our way is rough and
long; but He that shall come, will come, though he seems to
tarry.
26,27 Though the infirmities of Christians are many and great,
So that they would be overpowered if left to themselves, yet the
Holy
Spirit supports them. The
Spirit, as an enlightening
Spirit, teaches us what to pray for; as a sanctifying
Spirit,
Works and stirs up praying graces; as a comforting
Spirit,
silences our fears, and
Helps us over all discouragements. The
Holy
Spirit is the
Spring of all desires toward
God, which are
often more than words can utter. The
Spirit who searches the
hearts, can perceive the mind and will of the
Spirit, the
renewed mind, and advocates his cause. The
Spirit makes
intercession to
God, and the enemy prevails not.
28-31 That is good for the saints which does their souls good.
Every
Providence tends to the spiritual good of those that
Love
God; in breaking them off from
Sin, bringing them nearer to
God,
weaning them from the world, and fitting them for
Heaven. When
the saints act out of character, corrections will be employed to
bring them back again. And here is the order of the causes of
our
Salvation, a golden
Chain, one which cannot be broken. 1.
Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son. All that
God designed for
Glory and
happiness as the
End, he decreed to
Grace and
Holiness as the
way. The whole human race deserved
Destruction; but for reasons
not perfectly known to us,
God determined to recover some
By
Regeneration and the power of his
Grace. He predestinated, or
before decreed, that they should be conformed to the image of
his Son. In this
Life they are in part renewed, and walk in his
steps. 2. Whom he did predestinate, them he also called. It is
an
Effectual Call, from self and
Earth to
God, and
Christ, and
Heaven, as our
End; from
Sin and vanity to
Grace and
Holiness,
as our way. This is the
Gospel Call. The
Love of
God, ruling in
the hearts of those who once were enemies to him, proves that
they have been called according to his purpose. 3. Whom he
called, them he also justified. None are thus justified but
those that are effectually called. Those who stand out against
the
Gospel Call, abide under guilt and wrath. 4. Whom he
justified, them he also glorified. The power of corruption being
broken in effectual
Calling, and the guilt of
Sin removed in
Justification, nothing can come between that soul and
Glory.
This encourages our
Faith and
Hope; for, as for
God, his way,
his work, is perfect. The
Apostle speaks as one amazed, and
swallowed up in admiration, wondering at the height and depth,
and length and breadth, of the
Love of
Christ, which passeth
knowledge. The more we know of other things, the less we wonder;
but the further we are led into
Gospel mysteries, the more we
are affected
By them. While
God is for us, and we keep in his
Love, we may with holy boldness defy all the powers of
Darkness.
32-39 All things whatever, in
Heaven and
Earth, are not
So
great a display of
God's free
Love, as the
Gift of his coequal
Son to be the
Atonement On the
Cross for the
Sin of
Man; and all
the
Rest follows upon union with him, and interest in him. "All
things", all which can be the causes or means of any real good to
the
Faithful Christian. He that has prepared a
Crown and a
kingdom for us, will give us what we need in the way to it. Men
may justify themselves, though the accusations are in full force
against them; but if
God justifies, that answers all.
By Christ
we are thus secured.
By the merit of his
Death he paid our
Debt.
Yea, rather that is risen again. This is convincing evidence
that Divine
Justice was satisfied. We have such a Friend at the
right
Hand of
God; all power is given to him. He is there,
making intercession. Believer! does your soul say within you, Oh
that he were
Mine! and oh that I were his; that I could please
him and live to him! Then do not toss your
Spirit and perplex
your thoughts in fruitless, endless doubtings, but as you are
convinced of ungodliness, believe
On Him who justifies the
ungodly. You are condemned, yet
Christ is dead and risen. Flee
to Him as such.
God having manifested his
Love in giving his own
Son for us, can we think that any thing should turn aside or do
away that
Love? Troubles neither cause nor show any abatement of
his
Love. Whatever believers may be separated from, enough
remains. None can take
Christ from the believer: none can take
the believer from Him; and that is enough. All other hazards
signify nothing. Alas,
Poor sinners! though you abound with the
possessions of this world, what vain things are they! Can you
say of any of them, Who shall separate us? You may be removed
from pleasant
Dwellings, and friends, and estates. You may even
live to see and seek your parting. At last you must part, for
you must die. Then farewell, all this world accounts most
valuable. And what hast thou left,
Poor soul, who hast not
Christ, but that which thou wouldest gladly part with, and canst
not; the condemning guilt of all thy sins! But the soul that is
in
Christ, when other things are pulled away, cleaves to
Christ,
and these separations pain him not. Yea, when
Death comes, that
breaks all other unions, even that of the soul and body, it
carries the believer's soul into the nearest union with its
beloved
Lord Jesus, and the full enjoyment of him for ever.