Romans 8:1-11

Last week my daughter celebrated her birthday. That always makes a mother think back to when her child was born. I remember holding my daughter in my arms and seeing in her great potential. As her parent, I had the responsibility to guide her to make good use of that potential. Of course, she would from time to time make poor choices but I knew that there was always the possibility of redeeming those choices. Each of those choices became part of her and formed (and continue to form) who she is. I guess that is to say that I didn’t see her life in black and white, good or bad but, rather, that God would move through life with her guiding, redeeming, and healing her as needed in each adventure of life. I was confident that God could bring good out of any of her experiences or choices.
All of this is to say that my personal experience of human nature and the power of God to transform the world runs counter to Paul’s perspective. I don’t see an either/or world with the kind of dualism of which Paul speaks. While that dualism fits well with Paul’s time, it seems out of place in the 21st century. Today many of us have come to see God’s movement and presence in very different terms.
The nudging of God is to be constantly moving us toward greater love and knowledge of God as well as greater love and service toward the world. We may move closer to God or further from God but we are never beyond God’s grace. In addition each moment of our being helps to form who we are and will be in the future.
John Wesley speaks of “being perfected in love” or “going onto perfection.” I guess I prefer that language for speaking of “walking in the Spirit.” What language or metaphors help you in understanding what Paul is saying here?