Romans (The NIV Application Commentary)

Security without responsibility breeds passivity, but responsibility without security leads to anxiety.

to remind us that suffering is a natural and expected part of the Christian life (cf. 5:3–4; 8:17), and to root the experiences of Christians in the experience of God’s old covenant people.

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?

“Calling” is not a general gospel invitation. It is God’s effective summoning of us into relationship with himself through Christ (see 1:7).

The Spirit’s presence in our lives inevitably produces fruit pleasing to God. Thus, we are secure. But the Spirit does not do his work apart from our response. I like the careful balance Paul achieves in verse 13: “By the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body” (italics added). Paul puts the responsibility squarely on our shoulders: You n

One does not have to ascend into heaven or plumb the depths of the sea to discover it. All one needs to do to attain

God’s call is the sole basis for inclusion in the true people of God. “What counts is grace, not race,”

We need to preserve security and responsibility in balance.

The people of Israel, therefore, focused narrowly on the works the law demanded and missed the larger demand of God to submit to him in faith. Thus they failed to obtain righteousness.