Saving Sadie

We’ve done some really hard work over the last few weeks fixing potholes on the Roman road to salvation. Don’t get weary because the end is in sight! We noted previously that in Romans 8:3-4, Paul very compactly explains why “there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” First, God condemned sin. God’s justice requires that he punish wrongdoing, and Jesus took upon himself the condemnation we deserved. Jesus thereby secured our forgiveness. Second, God assured the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who are “in the Messiah Jesus.” To many people, this may seem like two totally unrelated items: our forgiveness and the outpouring of the Spirit. But for Paul these two things went hand-in-hand. Why is that?

In the Old Testament, the presence of the living God with his people Israel always depended on Israel’s holiness. When God first made the covenant with Israel, he intended to come and dwell among them so that he might lead, protect, and bless them. But things quickly went wrong. Moses hadn’t even come down from the mountain before Israel was worshiping the golden calf and plunging themselves into immorality. (Exodus 32) Because of this great sin, God immediately threatens to withdraw his presence. Moses must intercede on behalf of the people of Israel. He pleads that God might not abandon them. “O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sins, and take us as your inheritance.” (Exodus 34:9) Moses begs forgiveness, so that the presence of God might remain with Israel.

This same pattern can be traced throughout the rest of the Old Testament. God’s presence came to dwell with Israel, first as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Later, the Tabernacle was built and eventually the Temple in Jerusalem. But God’s presence was always predicated upon Israel’s holiness. The entire logic of the Old Testament sacrificial system involves the cleansing of Israel’s sin, so that God would bless them with his presence.

When Paul reflected upon the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, he saw this same dynamic in action. For Paul, the forgiveness of sins was not just an end in itself. For those who gave their allegiance to Jesus the Messiah, forgiveness was the prelude to the outpouring of God’s Spirit. When the hearts of Jesus’ people were cleansed of sin, they became vessels suitable for the very presence of the living God. The Holy Spirit would then give Jesus’ people power to lead lives pleasing to God. Remember what we’ve emphasized before: God has always intended to set his human creatures in authority over his creation so that the world can flourish. In order to accomplish this goal, humans must bear God’s image; they must reflect God’s love and wisdom into the world around them. And for that to happen, the entire person must be renewed and restored; not simply our beliefs, but all of our thoughts, words and actions. Therefore, even though forgiveness is a vital part of God’s plan for salvation, it can never be the whole story.

To illustrate this point, let’s talk about dogs. My extended family has an ongoing love affair with Boston Terriers. Many years ago, my parents got our first Boston Terrier who we named Reggie. (In honor of Reggie White, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame defensive end) My immediate family presently owns a wonderful Boston Terrier named Willow, and my brother’s family owns Willow’s litter mate Daisy. Much more recently, my mom (who lives very close to us) got a little black and white Boston Terrier named Sadie. Now Sadie is a terrific dog, but she is a very strong willed canine. Like all puppies, Sadie has required lots of training.

Now let’s pause and ask ourselves what it will take for Sadie to become the enjoyable pet we all want her to be? Well, we know there’s going to be some hard work involved. Puppies are fascinated by the the world around them. They get distracted by every sound they hear and squirrel they see. They poop and pee in the house. They chew on the furniture and if they’re not on a leash they’ll be off in the neighbor’s yard before you can say “Jack Flash.” Like all puppies, Sadie has had some bad moments. Good thing she is so darn cute.

So what would happen when we would come home and find poop in the corner? Of course, we would use our “bad dog” voice and scold Sadie for her misbehavior. She would then get locked in her kennel for about ten minutes in order to reinforce the lesson. After cleaning up the mess, we would let Sadie out of the kennel. And of course she would look at us with those cute puppy eyes and we would forgive her. All is well and good, right?

Of course not, you’d say! If Sadie is going to become the right kind of dog, at some point she is going to have to learn appropriate behavior. What if she keeps on peeing on the carpet and chewing on the furniture? What if she keeps jumping up on visitors? What if she runs off every chance she gets? What if (heaven forbid) she bites someone? A dog like that will just ruin everything. She’ll destroy your home and property, injure you or your friends, or get herself killed by running out onto the road. All you’ll ever be able to do is keep her locked up. If she can’t behave, you can’t enjoy having her as a pet, and she won’t be able to enjoy having a family. No fun walks or trips to the park. No playing with the frisbee or retrieving tennis balls. So if Sadie is going to be “saved” from a bad outcome, she will have to be trained in proper dog behavior.

Of course dogs are not people, but this illustration works quite well, and dovetails nicely with what Paul is talking about in Romans 8. God has always intended to set humans in authority over his creation and someday he will bring that about. But he needs human beings who will reflect his image, just as Jesus did. As the author of Hebrews says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Jesus alone is the genuine article, the truly human one, and God is determined to make us like him, to conform us to his likeness (as Paul will go on to say in Romans 8:29). In order to achieve this goal, it is not enough for God to forgive us. Yes, forgiveness is essential, and we celebrate that wondrous reality. But if we are to become the human beings God created us to be, then we must learn to think, act, and behave in the way God desires and requires.

If human beings don’t learn to conduct themselves properly according to God’s design and purpose, then like a naughty puppy, they will only continue to ruin themselves, other people, and the world around them. That is why salvation necessarily involves a radical change in our behavior. Such a change in behavior however, does not come from us alone. It doesn’t mean we simply must pull ourselves up by our moral bootstraps. It comes about by the new indwelling power we receive through the gift of the Holy Spirit. If your soteriology (your understanding of salvation) does not include the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit, then you have not fully understood the Bible.

In Romans 8:5-11, Paul explains how this salvation works out. “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the flesh leads to death. But the mind controlled by the Spirit is life, and peace; the mind focused on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law; nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.” In this passage, Paul is contrasting the life lived according to the flesh with the life lived according to the Spirit. Please note what this does not mean: Paul is not here contrasting our physical existence with our non-physical soul, as might be suggested by the terms flesh and Spirit. He is rather contrasting two potential power sources which can command the entire human person; mind and body, substance and soul. People who are controlled by the flesh are in rebellion to God. They are not only separated from God (the source of all life) but they’re overtly hostile to Him, and therefore on the road to death. But those controlled by God’s Spirit are on the path to eternal life. They have been reconciled to God and now have peace with Him.

Tellingly, Paul says “those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.” This statement implies that those in the Spirit can please God. In the context of discussing “faith” versus “works”, I frequently hear Christians say, “There’s nothing you can do to please God.” This is quite mistaken. Paul would certainly agree that people controlled by the flesh (their sinful, selfish nature) cannot please God. But he would emphatically affirm that Jesus’ people – those who have the power of the Holy Spirit – can live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Indeed, Paul often explicitly commanded the early Christians to please God. He writes to the Colossians, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work.” Paul here refers to Christians “bearing fruit,” which as we’ve seen, must be seen as reference to the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. This verse thereby makes the same connection we’ve been discussing: pleasing the Lord comes from the power of the Spirit. In I Thessalonians 4:1, Paul says, “We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” Many other verses could be added to this discussion, but hopefully you get the point.

Thus far, Paul has sketched out a map of the two different controlling forces (flesh and Spirit) leading to two very different destinations (death and life). He now clarifies exactly where Christians are on the map: “You, however, are not controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not belong to the Messiah.”(8:9) Remember, Paul is still explaining “why there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus the Messiah.” (8:1) Those controlled by the flesh are disobedient, hostile towards God, and headed for condemnation and death. But because of Jesus’ death, Christians have been set free from sin and are controlled by the Spirit. The Spirit enables Christians to do what is right in God’s eyes; that is, to behave righteously. They are able to please God and are on the road to eternal life. For Paul, the work of the Spirit is the true mark of a Christian. If the Spirit isn’t at work in your life, then you don’t belong to Jesus.

Paul completes his argument by explaining exactly how the Spirit will bring about our ultimate salvation: resurrection life. “But if the Messiah is in you, though your body is subject to death because of sin, yet the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised the Messiah from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:10-11) For Paul, God’s Spirit is the active agent which raised Jesus from the dead. And what is true of Jesus is true of his people. Because the people of Jesus have the Spirit, they too will be raised from the dead. And the Spirit will give this life “because of righteousness”; that is, because of the right behavior that comes about through the Spirit’s power. God the judge, looks upon such behavior and pronounces the appropriate verdict: “You are righteous and worthy of life.”

In summary, main thing I’ve been trying to make clear by studying Romans chapter 8 is that our Spirit-inspired behavior is essential for salvation. There are many Christians who dearly love the Roman road to salvation. But it’s quite unfortunate that when such Christians quote Romans 8:1 – “There is now no condemnation is Jesus the Messiah”- they mean exactly the opposite. They believe that their actions cannot and must not play any role in salvation. If you are one of these people, I would simply urge you to go back and read and study Paul’s words again. Don’t impose your own system or ideas on Paul, but let him guide you through. But if you’re still not convinced, Paul is happy to say it one more time: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”