Romans 8 - My paraphrase.

Accusation for condemnation comes because flaws exist in our humanity. Yet, we are perfected even in our perceived flaws because of our union with Christ. It is that union that keeps our minds free from condemnation.

The law of sin and death is the operating force at work in our bodies. A compulsion to sin and ultimately our demise. Yet in Christ this compulsion that actively works through our human nature is made powerless. The law of sin is activated to thrive when we are fixated on our human frailties. And the liberation in Christ thrives when we are influenced and defined by the Spirit.

Sin is a none issue! God dealt with it once and for all when Christ became flesh and paid the price. Yet it keeps becoming strongholds in the lives of us Christians. Why? The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us free. Translation: The fullness and richness of the Zoe life in us releases us from that sin/death force. But Zoe life only flourishes in us as we indulge in the things of the Spirit.

The force that motivates us will ultimately manifest in our lives. If carnality governs our minds or if our idea of fun and entertainment is carnality, it will eventually be harvested in our lives. Yet if the Spirit is our influence and motivation, we will reap life.

The mind that is flesh based (flesh worldview, flesh response, casual compromising on the regular) will never aspire to please God. Pleasing God is completely opposite to its focus. The only way to break this is to be Spirit influenced. The only way not to be flesh minded is to allow the Spirit come in and be center stage. And that is our shortcoming. When flesh brings memories and conditioning, we try to will it, vow it, resolution it, command it, or focus it away. The prescription is to indulge in the Spirit immediately. A Spirit filled mind cannot be searching for ways to be carnal or flesh minded.

The Anointing of Christ is in us. What is Anointing? An endowment that gives power, position, and authority in us by the Spirit. We can't take it for granted. We have to trust it, and work it. This life of Christ in us attempts to influence every area of our lives, but we often try to “normalize” ourselves by restraining it by saying we don’t want to over do it, or come across as too spiritual.

The Spirit is also called The Spirit of Resurrection because He is the Power of Life itself. So how can the very essence of life be unfolding in us, yet somehow affect only one area of our life? Shouldn't it affect and influence every area?

Enough with empowering the flesh. Where flesh is empowered it thrives, making the Spirit’s influence repressed. We see the harvest of flesh in our lives if we invest in the flesh.

The confidence we have about our relationship with God is because of the Spirit rising up in us influencing us. And He can similarly influence such confidence in any area of our lives. We just have to immediately respond to His stirring in us when He stirs. No reasoning it out, or rationalizing it. Respond to it, even if it doesn't make sense.

We are heirs of God. We have a legal right to inherit what He has. Victory, Power, Peace, Glory – these things are not out of reach. We inherit everything that Christ is and has, provided we are open to accepting His suffering. What is His suffering? It isn’t suffering in the context of English language, it is Passion – feeling affliction, passion, emotion. Going through hardship and pain. We live in the moment. No avoiding or medicating it. Living passionately will cause hurt, pain and suffering. Live it anyhow.

The Great Event is imminent. The transition into glory itself. Creation itself is in labor pangs awaiting to give birth to the rebirth. This should be a hopeful anticipation. An eternal rescuing from the drama of life. We therefore are living by Hope.

The Spirit intercedes for us. He meets on our behalf, encounters for us, makes petitions for us, calls out for us when we need to cry out, makes supplications for us. Pleads for us. He rises up in us as we indulge in our heavenly language. Praying in tongues is an opportunity for the Spirit to rise in us. He rises up and makes the perfect prayer to God on our behalf.

God knows our longings and issues and complaints better than we can even begin to grasp them. Who better to plead our case than His Spirit. We are predestined – living an already completed life. So He makes everything align to the completed plan. Even the failures and mistakes were foreseen and worked into the choreography for His plan for us. In return, He imbued us with His righteousness, making us justified! Justified even when we fall, are flawed, or imperfect. In the presence of evidence against us, we are still justified – nothing can pronounce us as condemned while we are rooted in Him.

So why would we ever think God would withhold something from us? Or that something will magically show up and overwhelm us from Him? 

By the way, Jesus is actively praying for us. 2/3 of the Godhead are praying for us. Is there any reason why Victory and Favor isn’t or shouldnt be our reality?

Everything has been preset and aligned to position us to be rooted in His love. And nothing in creation can separate us from it. Even if we dwell in ignorance, if we believe, we are still firmly in Him. Nothing in creation can separate us from Him.