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

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.

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 right to fashion from the clay the kinds of vessels he wants. Some will be vessels of “honor” (time; NIV “for noble purposes”), others vessels of “dishonor” (atimia; NIV “common use”).

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

We hear in those words the reaction of arrogant humanity,

“Don’t be upset about your fiancé breaking off your engagement, because God must have an even better life partner for you; Romans 8:28 promises….” The difficulty with this application is

sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Paul goes on in 9:32 to claim that Israel failed to attain that law because she pursued it “as if it were by works” rather than through faith.