How to Defeat Sin

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

– Rom. 8:12-13

Romans 8:12-13 teaches about the progressive sanctification of a believer in Christ. There is another type of sanctification, called definitive sanctification, which John Murray speaks about.¹ Definitive sanctification means we are sanctified once for all when we put our trust in Christ. In his death, Jesus died to sin; therefore, in his death we have also died to sin and are raised with Christ to live for God (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Rom. 6:2, 4). While definitive sanctification is a once-for-all event, the progressive sanctification of a Christian continues until he dies. In definitive sanctification we are passive. But in progressive sanctification we are active in defeating sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Progressive sanctification teaches us how to put to death the sin that still dwells in us. According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “these two verses are perhaps the most important statement with regard to the practical aspect of the New Testament doctrine of sanctification in the whole of Scripture.”² Paul here tells how a believer can experience holiness and defeat sin.

Wrong Ways of Defeating Sin

First, we must say that there are several wrong ways to try to defeat sin. We cannot become more holy through monasticism, by trying to isolate ourselves from the sinful world and treating our bodies harshly. The reason this fails is that when a person enters a monastery, the world comes in with him, just as Egypt came with Israel when God’s people came out of Egypt. This was demonstrated by Israel’s continuous murmuring against God.

We also cannot experience sanctification through the legalism of enforcing on ourselves a code of ethics and trying to obey it through sheer self-effort. This is moralism.

We certainly cannot experience holiness by embracing the antinomian notion that Jesus can be our Savior without being our Lord. Yet this ideology pervades the evangelical church world today. Many preachers will teach that we are saved by grace alone and that any attempt to obey God’s law will add “works” to grace. They also assert that if a believer sins, his sin only adds to God’s glory; therefore, one can sin all he wants and yet praise God for his grace.

We also cannot be sanctified through a one-time spiritual experience. No single event can eradicate all of the sin dwelling in us and lead us to sinless perfection in this life. The Bible teaches that believers must war against sin throughout their lives. How, then, are we to defeat sin and experience progressive sanctification?

Realize Who We Are Already in Christ

In Romans 8:12-13, Paul moves from exposition to exhortation. In light of what God has done for us, he exhorts us to do something: Let us put sin to death in the power of the Holy Spirit. Progressive sanctification is achieved, not by our passivity or even by our own activity, but by our actions in the might and direction of the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer.

Paul begins, “Therefore, brothers.” Paul is speaking of the logical consequence of what he has said so far in this epistle, especially in Romans 8:1-11. We must realize who we really are in Christ. Christianity is not Gnosticism nor mysticism that bypasses logical thought and negates what God has done for us in Christ in history. Christianity is the most reasonable faith. As such, it demands that we have renewed minds. The atonement of Christ makes us his debtors, so that we think his thoughts and do his will by his power.

When Christ died and rose again, we died with Christ and were raised with him. Christ died to sin once for all; so also we died to sin once for all. Now we live no longer to serve sin, but to serve God. Sin, Satan, the flesh, and the world system that is in rebellion against God have all been defeated by Christ and have no legal claim on us.

This truth is taught in Romans 6. We are no longer under sin, death, and the law. We no longer live in the flesh as slaves of sin. As those who are under grace, we are slaves to God (Rom. 6:22) and we reign in life by grace. We have been set free from sin by Christ. We are no longer obligated to serve Pharaoh, who defied Yahweh, asking, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him?” Now we worship and serve Jesus Christ alone. We are slaves of Christ. So Paul exults, “The law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

Now we walk according to the Spirit (kata pneuma), not according to our corrupt flesh (kata sarka). We think the things of the Spirit, meaning we delight in the Holy Scriptures. The mind of the Spirit is life and peace, which we enjoy now and for all eternity. We submit to God’s law. Our regenerate spirits are alive to God, and the indwelling Spirit assures us of the future resurrection of our bodies.

This indwelling Holy Spirit also promotes our holiness. Jesus is righteousness, holiness, and glorification for a believer (1 Cor. 1:30). Holiness is not optional but essential to our eternal fellowship with God. Because God is holy, we must become holy, so that we can enjoy holy communion with him. And it is our present delightful obedience (i.e., progressive sanctification) that proves our past justification as well as assuring us of our future and final salvation. In mathematical terms, we can say that assurance of salvation is directly proportional to our present obedience to Christ, which we perform out of love and gratitude to him.

We Are Debtors to God

Paul then says that we are debtors (v. 12). But to whom are we obligated? First, we must again state that we owe nothing to the flesh, which stands for the powers of the old age that is in total rebellion against God and his word. We owe nothing to sin, Satan, death, and the evil world system. We were slaves of these, but we have been set free forever and have been translated into the kingdom of God. We are in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in us, and we can never go back to the realm of sin and death. Now we are citizens of heaven, seated with Christ. The dominion of the flesh is past history; it is over. We do not owe anything to the flesh and its God-hating standard. Rather, we owe everything to our Savior and to his Holy Spirit.

Just as the slaves in this country were emancipated, so too we have been emancipated by Christ’s salvation. Now we are sons of God, slaves of God, citizens of heaven, and the bride of Christ. We therefore reject all autonomy and antinomianism. We now love the triune God and his law. If our old master comes to assert authority over us, we must ask the question: What have sin, Satan, death, and the flesh done for us lately? Jesus reveals Satan’s true motive: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

We were once dead in sin, but in Christ we are dead to sin. Do you see the difference? “Dead in sin” means we sin, but “dead to sin” means we say no to Master Sin. In Christ we are dead to sin and given the ability to defeat the sin that is still dwells in us. Though sin still dwells in us, there is a greater reality-the Holy Spirit-who also dwells in us. As God, he is infinitely greater than all our sin. By his mighty power, we can fight against sin and win.

O to grace what great debtors we are! We are debtors to God triune. God the Father planned our redemption from all eternity; God the Son accomplished it; and God the Holy Spirit applies that redemption to each one of us.

The Necessity of Defeating Sin

How do we defeat sin? We must put to death the evil deeds of the body. As believers in Jesus Christ, we now have real freedom not to sin. We can choose life and not death. We can love God and hate Satan. We can trust Christ and resist the devil. We can put sin to death and pursue righteousness. In the strength of Christ, we can wrestle against the devil and cause him to fall and flee, while we stand. Like David, we can kill Goliath by the stone of the Spirit and the sword of the word of God. In fact, we must kill Goliath, or he will kill us.

“Our obligation is . . . to the Spirit, to live according to his desires and dictates,”³says Dr. John Stott. We must kill Haman, who represents all the enemies of God, for he plans to kill God’s people. A very tall gallows has already been constructed. But he can never succeed, for God is for us and with us and in us.

How do we know that we have been saved? A saved person will fight against sin, Satan, and the world by the life of God in the soul of man. If we do not fight against evil, our profession is false. It is our fighting against sin that reveals we have been made alive by the life of Christ. If we do not fight against sin, we are still dead in our sins. Our battle against sin begins the moment of our new birth.

Paul tells us, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the [flesh]. For the [flesh lusts after] what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the [flesh]. They are in conflict with each other. . .” (Gal. 5:16-17). The Holy Spirit in us opposes sin. So if we stand with the Holy Spirit, we will win. Peter says, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). There is a war going on. The moment we were born again, we were thrown out into the battlefield, not alone, but with God. So we have hope. John writes, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Rev. 12:11). Fight to the death, and we will live forever.

Do not look for an easy, retiring life. We must fight! The Hebrews writer speaks of the struggles of past saints of God: “[They] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Heb. 11:34). Paul tells Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12). And listen to what the veteran warrior Paul later said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

Friends, we owe nothing to sin and Satan. Rather, we owe our life and allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ, who paid our debt with his precious blood so we will live and not die. Now we live to serve him all our lives, prompted by a huge debt of gratitude. And our gratitude toward God is expressed by our glad obedience to Christ. If anyone continues to live his same old sinful life, he is still unregenerate. He is a false professor who hates God and loves sin. His spirit has not been made alive.

A believer may sin, but he will not continue in it. He will repent truly and prove his repentance by godly sorrow and glad obedience. In contrast, the unregenerate false professor can only sin. He can only walk after the flesh for he is without the Holy Spirit. But if a professing Christian continues in sin, he will surely die, in spite of his Christian profession. Such a person will suffer God’s wrath on the last day. Like the foolish virgins, he will not be admitted to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Be not deceived, friends; God is not mocked. What we sow, that we shall reap (Gal. 6:7). Examine yourselves and see whether you are in the faith. Do you fight? Not against your brother and sister, mother and father, but against sin, the devil, and this world system. Do you wrestle? Do you put sin to death in your life? Are you being sanctified? Sanctification consists of two elements: mortification and conformation. Mortification means we put sin to death. Conformation means we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. So Paul writes, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). Elsewhere he says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:28-29). John declares, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

What should we put to death? Paul instructs the Colossians, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” Then he gives a list, though not comprehensive. He begins with sexual immorality. Some people would begin to argue with this first point, saying, “Pastor, don’t you know that fornication is normal in today’s church? You just do not understand.” I do understand, because I understand the Bible. The Bible clearly tells us what to do with sexual immorality: Put it to death! So Paul writes, “Put to death . . . sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (Col. 3:5-8).

Do you want to know what else we should put to death? Paul gives another list: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21). The works of the flesh are not mysterious. They are obvious. We know what they are.

We must nip these things in the bud. We must deal with every sin at its very inception, at the thought level. We must not let ourselves be enticed by sin, as David was in the incident with Bathsheba. Rather than nursing, massaging, and feeding sin, be ruthless, angry, and violent in taking action against it. Foster enough hatred to slaughter sin. Keep in mind what Jesus said: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut if off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matt. 5:28-30). Christ himself advocated violent actions against the evil in us. Gouge out! Cut it off!

Never negotiate with sin. Sin only wants to kill us, so we must kill it first. Throw the viper into the fire and be finished with it. Understand the intentions of the viper so that you can produce the anger necessary to throw it into the fire. Sin wants to kill us and our children for generations to come.

Peter tells us to “abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). Paul says, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor. 9:27). In other words, he is commanding his body to obey him. He also exhorts, “Flee [fornication] and pursue righteousness” (2 Tim. 2:22). Put to death! Wrestle! Use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We are no longer slaves of sin; we have been set free. Therefore, walk in freedom. We have the freedom to live a holy life. Be a soldier of Christ. Deny yourselves, take up the cross, and follow Christ the victor. He leads us in the way of righteousness, the narrow way of Christ’s lordship, the highway of holiness. He does so daily, triumphantly, from victory to victory. He leads us to heaven itself.

We must put sin to death, and the Greek word thanatoute means we are putting sin to death continuously. We are in a constant war. The devil like a roaring lion prowls around twenty-four/seven to devour us. Do not negotiate with him! Resist him, and he will flee from you. Resist him in the name of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. And understand this: what God commands us to do, he will also enable us to do. Do not come up with excuses. We must put sin to death. We are the active ones in this war. We must put on the whole armor of God and fight daily until we experience peace and joy and victory.

Killing Sin by the Spirit

How do we put to death the evil deeds of the body? Paul says we do so by the Spirit:”If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:12). The emphasis is on “by the Spirit.”

Those who are sinning do not live. Only Christians who put sin to death truly live. Professor Douglas Moo says, “Human activity in the process of sanctification is clearly necessary; but that activity is never apart from, nor finally distinct from, the activity of God’s Spirit.”⁴ He also states, “The same Spirit that ‘set us free from the law of sin and death’ has taken up residence within us, producing in us that ‘mind-set’ which tends toward the doing of God’s will and resists the ways of the flesh.”⁵

We put to death. We are active. But we put to death by the Holy Spirit. The difference between a pagan and a Christian is that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in a Christian, enlightening him, guiding him, and empowering him to do the will of God.

Progressive sanctification, therefore, is a cooperative venture. Some people say, “Let God sanctify me.” Yes, God will sanctify us, but he does so in cooperation with us. (PGM) We work out exactly what God by his Spirit works in us both to will and to do his good pleasure, and we work out also by the power of the Spirit. We are Spirit-baptized, Spirit-filled, Spirit-indwelt people. Jesus told his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). We must be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can worship God and serve him in the world-in the home, in the workplace, or at school. We do all these things by the energy of the Spirit of the living God (see Eph. 5:18-21).

Without Christ, we can do nothing, meaning nothing that is acceptable or pleasing to God. But we can do all things through Christ who continually makes us strong. We are vitally united to the vine. All that a branch does in its fruit-bearing activity is due to the energy it receives from the vine.

We must examine ourselves. If we find that we are stubborn or disobedient, we may not be Christians. It is a serious condition. The most important thing we must do in our lives is to make sure we are true Christians. If a person is not obedient, he is not a Christian. If a person is stubborn or arrogant, he is not a Christian. Christians are characterized by humility, and God gives grace to the humble.

Listen to Paul: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). By the power of the Holy Spirit, wives can be submissive to their husbands. By the Holy Spirit’s power, husbands can love their wives and provide for their families. We do these things “according to his power that is continually at work within us.” We are not talking about a Holy Spirit who is so transcendent we cannot reach him. God cannot be nearer to us: he is with us, in us, and for us. So Paul also writes, “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29). Labor means working hard and sweating. But such labor is not a problem. We can do all things God wants us to do because he makes us able. So Paul exhorts: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Eph. 6:10).

The Bible tells us that our bodies belong to the Lord, and we have no right to put them in the service of ourselves or of the devil. “The body . . . is for the Lord, and the Lord [is] for the body” (1 Cor. 6:13). The Lord will take care of our earthly bodies, even raising them from the dead in due time.

Our bodies are for the exclusive use of the Lord. They are not for immorality. Paul declares, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We must do everything, including mundane ordinary things like eating and drinking, for the glory of God. Again, he writes, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). Yes, we will face temptation. That is nothing new. We are tempted every day. But Paul writes, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor. 10:13). Paul uses the wordexodus, which means “exit” or “way out.” God will show us a way out so that we do not have to sin. Do not come and say that you were tempted, so you sinned. Christians have the freedom not to sin (posse non peccare). We have a choice. And to further encourage us, Paul gives a guarantee in Galatians 5:16: “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Some people may think sanctification is optional for a Christian. But Paul writes, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thess. 4:3). There is no debate about it. It is God’s will that we should be sanctified, that we should “avoid sexual immorality,” and so on. And God himself will make us holy: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).

I pray that all of us will yield to the Holy Spirit even now. You may be stubborn, brittle, and hardhearted. Be encouraged; there is grace for you. Ask God to humble you and give you a soft heart. Walk after the direction of the Spirit, which is the way of the word of God.

“If by the Spirit you put to death the evil deeds of the body, you shall live.” Paul is not directing these words to the pagans of the world or to sinning Christians. Only killers of sin shall live and live eternally. There is a killing that is real living; there is a living that is real death. We can sin all we want and die eternal death; or kill sin and live. That is what the text is telling us.

How many people have been deceived by the temporary pleasures of sin! But we must put sin to death and live eternal life now and forever. The pleasures of sin are momentary. The Hebrews writer says that Moses rejected the temporary pleasures of sin and chose the eternal pleasures of God (Heb. 11:24-26). The psalmist also speaks of what true pleasure is: “You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps. 16:11). The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is the citizens of the kingdom of God who really live, not those who are sinning morning, noon, and night. Such people are deceived and dying. But we live.

What is the essence of this living? It is the approbation and benediction of God. It is the smile of God upon us. It is blessedness. It is the vision of God. The Bible says without holiness no one will see the Lord. God is holy. So holy people see God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Kill sin and pursue righteousness daily, and you shall live with God. John exclaims, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). Elsewhere he writes, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ . . . They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Rev. 21:1-4; 22:4). Even now, as we live a holy life, we have communion with God that fills our heart with celestial joy, a joy that no sin can give us.

“But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you shall live.” We began to live when God gave us new birth, and now we are living. How many people rely on extensive support systems of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other resources just to survive. But we are Spirit-filled, joy-filled, peace-filled, happy people. There is joy in serving Jesus.

Application

How can we put this teaching into practice?

1. By the power of the Spirit, believers must obey God’s law, the Ten Commandments. When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” he answered, “‘Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ . . . And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:37-40). There is no way to get away from the Ten Commandments. Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Paul instructs, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28). God has not abrogated the Ten Commandments, even though we may want him to do so.
2. As Christians, make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14). In other words, starve your sinful nature to death. Remember the Ephesians, who took all their sorcery materials and burned them up (Acts 19:17-20). We must vigorously destroy whatever things cause us to sin.
3. Recognize that sinning Christians do not evangelize. Such people cannot father spiritual children. The purpose of salvation is that we declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into the marvelous light, as Peter tells us: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nations, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9-10). But sinning Christians will never share their faith. If we are not sharing, it is because we are sinning.
4. Meditate on Scripture. Paul exhorts, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). The Hebrews writer says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and [finisher] of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Doing so will help us to kill sin.
5. Pray for grace and receive it. We are encouraged to draw near to “the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16). James says, “God . . . gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6). Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).
6. Use the sword of the Spirit to kill sin as Jesus did when he was tempted, telling Satan, “It is written.”
7. Be concerned not only about our own sanctification but also about the sanctification of others because we are one body. If we see our brother sinning, we must rebuke him. We have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters. Jesus himself said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Rev. 3:19, author’s translation).
8. Daily train in godliness. Just as Olympic athletes train themselves for years, we also must train ourselves daily in godliness because unlike physical training, training in godliness is profitable for this life and the life to come (2 Tim. 4:8). We train by doing the right thing for a long time until it becomes our habit. This includes rising early, praying, reading the Bible, and obeying God.
9. Keep in mind that the bride of Christ is holy, not a harlot, and live accordingly.
10. If God justifies us, he will also sanctify us, even if he has to kill us. I recently heard a Catholic priest say, “I would like to die because then I would not sin.” That is true. If we remain stubborn after God has justified us, he will deal with us. Paul writes, “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 11:30).

The goal of our sanctification is the glory of God. A filthy bride brings no glory to her bridegroom. Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27). Christ will have a holy bride. He is committed to sanctify us and he will succeed in doing it. May God use whatever measure he must to clean us up, so that we may enter his presence and live with him forever.

¹1 John Murray, Collected Writings, Vol. 2: Select Lectures in Systematic Theology (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1977), 277-293.

² D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapter 8:5-17, The Sons of God(Grand Rapids: Zondervan: 1975), 92.

³ John R. W. Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 227.

⁴ Douglas Moo, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 496.

5 Moo, 495.