After Romans Chapters 6 and 7 have focused on the misery of the Jewish way, Chapter 8 contrasts it more thoroughly with the holiness and glory of the Christian way. In full expression, Paul states Christianity not as just the "law of faith" but specifically as "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" which has made him "free from the law of sin and death" (Rm. 8:2). In an extension of Romans 4 (and Galatians 3), Paul states that Christians are not just sons of Abraham but "sons of God" and "children of God," "and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Rm. 8:14-17). Chapter 8 verses 1 to 11 can be sectioned as continued proof on why Christ "fulfilled" the Law by enabling such Christians to receive salvation apart from the Law, and proof on why even a Torah-based Jewish way is "enmity against God" (and how much more offensive with scribal and rabbinic manipulations). After setting Christians on a spiritual-life pedestal above that of non-believing Jews, Chapter 8 verses 12 to 17 is the aforementioned "heirs of God" section, and there are allusions to not feeling in any way obligated or fearful of the Jews or their deprecated legalistic false religion. Christians are "debtors" and "have an obligation," but it is reconfirmed to be not to the flesh or not to living in the sinful manner that is part and parcel with the old Judaism. Our obligation is to thank Christ for sacrificing Himself for our sins by each day living in the Spirit, and this is not the "spirit of bondage again to fear," but the "Spirit of God" through which we are "sons of God" and the "heirs." If anyone in the 1st Century was expecting that to be the Jews who lived by the Law or if anyone is still expecting the law-abiding Jews to be rewarded in the End Times, reading this passage or many others in the New Testament with comprehension will provide quite a shock. After Paul revels in the Christian heirs' glorious afterlives and Spirit-aided daily lives in Romans 8 verses 18 to 29, the Apostle moves closer to addressing who has become the opposition to the triumph of Christianity and to all that is holy.
The immensely powerful "who can be against us" section of Romans 8:31-39 is often quoted as it should be for encouragement to withstand persecution. However it is rarely understood as it should be understood to be the preface or transition to the section of the Epistle that deals with the Jews' active unbelief. Judging by Paul's writings and by the book of Acts, they were doubtlessly the foremost persecutors that he had in mind as trying to separate us from Christ, and it will be good for us to constantly reread that they will fail in this, being especially inwardly aware amid this democratic era where they have accumulated such a degree of worldly power. In Paul's time, they strained every muscle to try to kill him, but were themselves often restrained by the Romans, whereas today the world's governments allow or support their more subtle anti-Christian efforts due to Jewish lobby money but also because Satan has made a league between false Judaism and secular democracy to oppose the one true religion of Christianity. Even if they go so far as to kill our bodies in this life, we will in whole gloriously reign with Christ in the next, and that is "all" that Paul is guaranteeing. Reigning forever does seem quite enough to recompense our present sufferings, but we of course pray for God's will to be done on earth before then and sometimes this prayer will be granted. How could Paul have known that the Roman Emperor whom in Nero the Jews perhaps eventually convinced to end his earthly life, would one day be the same worldly authority that through Constantine and his successors would answer the Lord's Prayer and institute Christ's Kingdom on earth as Jesus prophesied (Mt. 21:33-45)? Perhaps he trusted that Christ could miraculously transform his Empire in the manner that Christ had miraculously transformed his own life, and similarly take the reins of the practical power that was already bountifully present and redirect its exercise to the most holy deeds. Although beyond natural expectation at that time, it would have greatly facilitated his efforts and the most Christian Roman Empire possible was in fact his effort. We should therefore endure persecution of Christians when it happens but of course not accept the status quo when Christians are told not to pray in school, are arrested for promoting Christianity against Judaism, are thrown to ravenous beasts literally or legally, or are subjected to any other political harm that Jews and non-Christians might devise. The top-level political solution to all this is a legitimate Christ-approved monarchical government which does not interfere with personal freedom of conscience but officially aligns the government with Christianity, culturally promotes Christianity, and forcefully defends Christianity against all manner of attack — thereby fulfilling the eternal First Commandment as did David's Jerusalem in the Old Testament and as did Christian Rome in the now-appropriate Christ-centered New Covenant way.
The worst offense of the countless that the Jews have inflicted on Christians is that they have denied us Christian government, which is a persecution which keeps on persecuting and is most often began with Satan's tool of democracy and "democratic revolution." For them the scam concept of "freedom of religion" is a halfway house before they can rather fully institute their own more ideologically-aligned government. Religious libertinism is already closer to the Devil's goals, but how much more is a nation 99% full of non-believing anti-Christians whom he is the acting father of instead of Christ? That is what the modern state of Israel is — by no coincidence composed of the same racially-defined people that the true God was once the acting Father of, because the Devil has for that reason taken an especial interest in the opportunity. What is worse is that the former officially Christian nations in Europe and the Christian-majority-although-unaligned United States are with time having their Christianity increasingly washed away according to all surveys and estimates. One only needs to read, watch, or listen to observe that an inordinate amount of Jews in these nations are working against Christ, and their fathers helped Satan establish the political and cultural framework to do so when their host nations' rule through Christ fell and rule by "the people" took hold. Per Romans Chapter 7, human nature is sin and therefore when humans are given reign without Christ, Satan is the true ruler. Israel is his specially selected pawn and through Israel...most ironically! we must for a moment laugh to avoid tears!...through God's former nation of corporeal Israel and its dispersed people, Satan has made Europe and especially the United States his pawn.
