A dialogue with Paul (Romans 8ish)

Acrylic by Nun of New Skete

A new christian and Paul are having a conversation concerning things in Christ.  (New Living Translation was used).

Paul: So, now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
New Christian: How do I know that I belong to Christ Jesus? 
Paul: Because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
New Christian: I'm set free. Certainly sin and especially death are the worst consequences of life that I know. So the law of the Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. How does the law of the Spirit free me from sin and death? 
Paul: The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
New Christian: So God made us free, I thought the "law of the Spirit" did it. I am a little confused. Why did God send his son to do away with sin and death? 
Paul: He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
New Christian: Oh, wait, okay it's making a little sense. His son was given "as a sacrifice" to fulfill the requirements of the law. Hmm.... Did His son do this willingly? Just a thought, I mean that was amazing that he would or even could do such a thing for me. But, now, if He satisfied the requirements of the law for me then I am free to walk in the Spirit? Is that right? Can you explain the requirements of the law that His son had to satisfy? 
Paul: Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
NC: Right. Is that the law? Maybe,... I mean,...ah, define sin for me a little more. Why is it so wrong? 
Paul: Because letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.
NC: Oh...
Paul: But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
NC: So to get it straight, then the nature or my nature is sinful? Right? But the Spirit is peace. If I do not have peace is this a sign that my nature is sinful? How? Why? 
Paul: Because the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
NC: Stop, Stop, I think I see. It is rebellion or disobedience. Right? It does not want to "subject" or become obedient to the law of God. And you say it is not able to. That's a bummer. This must frustrate God. 
Paul: That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
NC: Yeah, I see that. I know when my kid does not do what I say, it does not make me happy either. But where does that leave us? My nature is disobedient. How can I then become "subject" to God? 
Paul: If you are not controlled by your sinful nature, you are controlled by the Spirit, if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
NC: Now wait a minute. Are you talking about the same thing? You used Spirit 3 different ways. Are these all the same? And what is the "Spirit of Christ"? It sounds really important. 
Paul: If Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.  The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
NC: That is so Cool! But a little hard to follow. It sounds like Jesus Christ living with in me is really an important step. He makes us right with God because he satisfied the law. So, God raised Jesus from the dead with His Spirit and he will do the same for me with His Spirit living in me. So the death has no power over me. I mean I am not ruled by my sinful nature which leads to death. This is starting to make sense. 
Paul: Therefore, dear brother you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
NC: Yes, that's what I meant to say.
Paul: For if you live by its dictates, you will die.
NC: Hmmm... yes practically speaking. 
Paul: But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live!
NC: Put to death. So there is a little pain involved. But I see having the Spirit living in me really helps bring life, because it has the power to overcome or break the bad nature's hold on me. 
Paul: Since all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
NC: Children of God? I become a child of God by letting the Spirit lead me? I am not quite sure how this works...tell me more. 
Paul: You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
NC:"Abba, Father", wow, Father.... So this Spirit kills the disobedient nature, then I can become pleasing to God by following the Spirit and this allows me to be adopted by God!! Wow. So God becomes my Father! Do I get papers?  JK. How do I know God is my Father? 
Paul: Because His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are co-heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
NC: Wow, this is heavy. But, well, I kinda thought when you said that the Spirit dwelling in me "would put to death deeds of the sinful nature" that it was going to involve pain. So how bad is it? Does it hurt?
Paul: What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
NC: Well, yes, I can see that the Glory of being a child of God would be amazing, life changing in fact. Life changes bring about pain in themselves. So I can see how this would change a lot of things. It would affect those around me for sure. My whole environment might change. I really don't know what it is going to be like. 
Paul: All creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
NC: All creation is waiting for my adoption? For me to become a child of God? That is humbling, but talk about an answer to Global warming! 
Paul: Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
NC: Wow, God has placed a lot of hope in this adoption plan. Our planet is more living than I at first suspected. It is waiting for the sons to come first. Man we need to get these sons going. I need to get this happening. 
Paul: We know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
NC: Really!! All creation is groaning I wonder if the moving of the earth is a sign of this "child birthing"? You know the earthquakes and tsunamis. That one in Japan was really disturbing. 
Paul: And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
NC: Yes, yes, I see this. It is our adoption, the killing of my sinful nature by the Spirit dwelling in me. I am made alive by this Spirit, and at the same time become a son to God, to save creation! Wow. What an amazing plan. I really want to see this happen. I hope this can take place soon. I need a new body!! 

Paul: (Laughing a little) We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
NC: Patiently. Patiently. That seems so hard since this is such a great promise. I don't know if I can wait. How can I? 
Paul: (Putting his hand on the back of NC in a fatherly gesture) The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
NC: That's cool. The Spirit is really helpful. I wouldn't know where to start to pray for all this. But I know I want this to happen and I want God to have his plan to work. 
Paul: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
NC: I wonder what God's purpose is for me? 
Paul: God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
NC: This is awesome! God knew in advance I would be His son! Christ was the first, thanks to Him. Now I can be His brother! 
Paul: And having chosen them (you), he called you to come to him. And having called you, he gave you right standing with himself. And having given you right standing, he gave you His glory.
NC: Stunning! God's Spirit dwelling in me has done all this! This is marvelous, wonderful, how he loved me. 
Paul: What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
NC: I know, I know that is what I'm saying. 
Paul: Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
NC: Yes that makes total since. He gave the thing he loved the most for me! Wow. I don't deserve this (looking down at the ground). 
Paul: Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.
NC: Your right I should accept this. It would be wrong to think otherwise. He has done so much. 
Paul: Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
NC:I understand.
Paul: Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.)
NC: No way! 
Paul: Way, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
NC: Wow, yes what an amazing thing. It is overwhelming. 
Paul: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NC: That is beautiful. (Pausing to let it all sink in) Beautiful.
           Now what about this Lord thing?