Salvation of the Triune God (4)
[Romans 8:1-4]
Look at Romans 8:4 – “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Leviticus 16 speaks of the Day of Atonement. It is a day to offer a sin offering that is only held once a year. The high priest (Aaron) (v. 3) entered the Most Holy only once a year to offer a sin offering, and he chose two male goats for a sin offering (v. 5) and put them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting (v. 7), and lots were cast for the two goats. One lot was made for the LORD, and one lot was made for the scapegoat (Azazel) (v. 8). Here, “the scapegoat” (Azazel) is a compound word of “to depart” (“azal”) and “goat” (“ez”), apparently meaning “to leave” or “to send”. Or it seems to mean “sent away, utterly removed.” “Azazel” is a scapegoat and symbolizes the goat that was driven out into the desolate wilderness after carrying Israel’s sins and transgressions (Internet). Look at Psalms 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Isaiah 38:17 – “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.” Look at Jeremiah 31:34 – “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Aaron the high priest offered the lottery goat for the LORD as a sin offering, and the lottery goat for the scapegoat (Azazel) was left alive before the LORD to make atonement and sent it out for the scapegoat’s sake into the wilderness (Lev. 16:9-10). The goat for the Lord is killed once and for all, and the blood is taken by the high priest into the Most Holy and sprinkled with the blood (v. 15). Here, the goat for the Lord is sacrificed to establish a relationship with God, which means freedom from the punishment of sin, and is a sacrifice that is shed at once. In other words, it refers to the work of justification that considers us sinners righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ (Internet). As for the scapegoat (Azazel), Aaron the high priest laid his hands on the goat's head, confessed all the sins of the people of Israel, put the sins on the goat's head, and sent the goat into the wilderness (v. 21). When the scapegoat bore all the sins of the people of Israel and came to an uninhabited wilderness, the goat was released (v. 22). Here the scapegoat is offered to sever ties with Satan the devil, signifies liberation from the existence and influence of sin, and is a gradual sacrifice. In other words, it means the work of sanctification that allows us to actually cut off our sins under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Internet).
God is love (1 Jn. 4:8. 16). The God of love wants to grant us salvation “while we were still helpless” (Rom. 5:6), “while we were yet sinners” (v. 8), and “while we were enemies” (v. 10). He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation sacrifice (1 Jn. 4:10), as the Savior of the world (v. 14), and died on the cross for us (vv. 9, 10, 14) so that we, who were spiritually dead for our sins, may be raised up to life together with Christ (Eph. 2:4, 5). God the Father has saved us from sin, from death, and from eternal destruction. Although we deserved eternal punishment and had no choice but to live in eternal hell, God saved us and gave us eternal life through the atoning death of the Son Jesus on the cross. How should those who are saved in Christ Jesus, who are loved by Jesus the Son (Rom. 8:1), by God the Holy Spirit (v. 2), and by God the Father (vv. 3-4), live?
First, we should not walk according to the flesh.
Look at Romans 8:4 – “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” To live according to the flesh here means to follow the way of this world and follow the rulers of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). According to modern people's Bible, living according to the flesh means living according to the evil ways of the world and obeying the devil who is ruling the realm under heaven (v. 2). This is the life of those who died spiritually because of disobedience and sin before we were saved (v. 1), and it refers to living according to the desires of our flesh and living according to the desires of our bodies and minds (v. 3). The Bible tells us that we who are saved in Christ Jesus who received the love of the Triune God (Rom, 8:1-3) should not live according to the flesh (v. 4). We must not do the works of the flesh. Look at Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Second, we should walk according to the Spirit.
Look at Romans 8:4 – “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Here, ‘walking according to the Spirit’ means living according to the Holy Spirit. Look at Galatians 5:16, 22-23: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. … But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” The purpose of the Triune God, who saved us so that we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, is to fulfill the requirements of the law (Rom. 8:4). Here, the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of the law is to make us live in obedience to the twofold commandment of Jesus. Look at Luke 10:27 – “He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Look at Romans 13:8-10: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Through the salvation of the Triune God, there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1). And since we are set free from the law of sin and of death (v. 2), we enjoy freedom as we follow the twofold commandment of Jesus with all our heart, soul, and strength. We must love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Look at Romans 5:5 – “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has given us. The more we love, the more God continues to pour out His love and fill us. The indwelling Spirit continues to bear the fruit of love (Gal. 5:22).
Now, the love of many people is growing cold as lawlessness has increased as Jesus prophesied (Mt. 24:12). Many people now suffer from a lack of love. As those who have received the saving love of the Triune God, we should love those who are suffering with that saving love because of the lack of love. We must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Rom. 1:16). And we must ask God for the salvation of their souls with the assurance of salvation (Psalm 55:1, 16-18).