The Spirit and Christians’ Moral Compass in Romans 8

How do most people think about morality? How do you think about it? In Western societies like the United States, the ideology or philosophy of individualism prevails. Individualism emphasizes the moral worth, rights, and freedoms of the individual, as opposed to philosophy that focuses on the larger communal or corporate group. Thus, in societies which promote individualism, people often think of themselves as completely autonomous moral agents: They do what they think is right and try not to do what they think is wrong. What they believe to be right or wrong is based on their own personal code of ethics. They might say that they have their own internal moral compass that guides them.

Michael Cohen is a recent example of this commonly-held belief. After he was sentenced for evading $1.4 million in taxes, for violating campaign-finance laws, and for lying about President Donald Trump’s business dealings in Russia, Cohen said, “Time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up [President Trump’s] dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass (quoted in the New York Times).” Interestingly, Cohen felt that his “duty” to his job or his obligations to another person overrode his own individual sense of right and wrong, which he regrets.

There’s nothing necessarily objectionable about this view of morality, unless you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. As we will see, those committed to him are not totally autonomous moral agents. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the protagonist of their moral existence. The follower of Christ her- or himself plays an essential role, but it is complementary to the Spirit’s. We will also explore the crucial communal aspect of Christian morality. (In this essay, I use “Christian” specifically to mean Christ-devotees.)

The moral roles of the Spirit and Christians are evident in Romans 8. Considered the apex of Paul’s thought on the Spirit, the chapter is his most extensive exposition on the Spirit and the Spirit’s work in Christians. In Romans 8:1-17, in particular, Paul uses a number of metaphors that portray the relationship between the Spirit and Christians with respect to moral behavior. Let’s examine one of those metaphors: Christians walking together on a Spirit-led ethical journey to eschatological life.

This particular metaphor is evoked by specific expressions in Romans 8, especially in verses 4 and 14. In 8:4, Paul writes that believers “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Here “walk” is used figuratively to speak about moral conduct. In fact, in his letters, the most common way that Paul talks about believers’ moral behavior is in terms of the everyday human experience and knowledge of walking.

Note, however, that for Paul believers do not just “walk” anywhere. They “walk according to” or in conformity with the Spirit. The metaphorical use of “walk” together with the Greek prepositional phrase translated “according to” elicits the image of Christians walking along with or in step with the Spirit on an ethical journey (see the similar metaphorical expression in Galatians 5:25).

Paul extends this metaphor in 8:14 when he states: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” In this verse, Paul adds to the image of believers walking in step with the Spirit a related detail: that of the Spirit leadingbelievers on their moral journey (as God’s children). We can picture Christians walking together with the Spirit as the Spirit guides them on this journey.

Where are Christians headed on their ethical journey? What is their final destination? These questions are answered in Romans 8:11: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead willgive life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” So, the ultimate destination of a Christian’s Spirit-led journey is eschatological life (see also Romans 8:10, 13).

In the Christians walking together on a Spirit-led ethical journey to eschatological life metaphor, the moral role of Christians is apparent and essential. They do the “walking,” not the Spirit. They have some moral agency; they are not mere ethical puppets of the Spirit. Christians choose to walk in step with the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit. Christians willingly obey the Spirit or do what the Spirit would have them do. At the same time, the Spirit is the protagonist in the ethical lives of Christians. How so? Because Christians do not “walk” just anywhere. Instead, their moral behavior is circumscribed since they walk “according to” or along with the Spirit rather than “according to the flesh.” For Paul, “Spirit” and “flesh” are two mutually exclusive “walks” or ethical journeys, two separate and incompatible forms of ethical existence.

In the Christians walking together on a Spirit-led ethical journey to eschatological life metaphor, the primary role of the Spirit in ethical conduct is also evident in that the Spirit leads or directs the Christian. So, for the Christian, the moral journey consists of following where the Spirit leads. As Christians do that, they exhibit “righteousness” (8:10) or morally right behavior. Evidence of their righteousness includes the “fruit” that the Spirit produces in them: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Moreover, if the Christian is not Spirit-led on her moral journey, then she will not arrive at the final destination of eschatological life because no person can reach that destination on her own. That helps explain why Paul is so emphatic in these verses that Christian moral conduct is “not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” If it were according to the former, the destination would instead be eschatological death: “for if you live according to the flesh, you will die” (Romans 8:13).

In addition to the Spirit, Christians have additional companions on their ethical journey. That is, there is a crucial communal aspect of Christian morality. Christians don’t travel alone. We know this because Paul uses predominantly second- and third-person plural personal pronouns in Romans 8:1–17, including in 8:4 and 8:14. These pronouns indicate that other Christians “walk” with the individual Christian. Therefore, the community of Christians walks this journeytogether.

So, an implication of this metaphor is that by traveling together Christians can help one another walk in step with the Spirit and follow where the Spirit leads. For instance, they can encourage one another to listen to and obey the Spirit through prayer, worship, reading and studying the Bible, and other spiritual practices. (Perhaps the root of this metaphor lies in Paul’s own experience and memory of leading his coworkers on missionary treks.)

In summary, based on metaphors in Romans 8, Christians are not entirely autonomous moral agents. Instead, Paul sees followers of Christ as fellow travelers on a Spirit-led ethical journey to eschatological life. While Christians choose to walk this moral journey, they do so by walking in step with the Spirit who leads them to their ultimate destination of eschatological life. Thus, the Spirit is the Christian’s moral compass.

Finally, the Christians walking together on a Spirit-led ethical journey to eschatological life metaphor raises a number of questions, including: Why do Christians who walk together on this Spirit-led journey still sin? Are people (i.e., non-Christians) who do not “walk according to the Spirit” still able to do what is morally right? And if so, then why does one need the Spirit? Other than the Spirit’s “fruit,” are there signs that someone is “walking according to the Spirit” and “led by the Spirit”? Paul does not address questions like these in Romans 8:1-17, which can prompt us to examine relevant passages and metaphors in other letters of Paul and in other New Testament passages.