Romans 8 on the Faith for Living Broadcast

Photograph from the records of the Eighth Air Force. The image is courtesy of the World War Two Museum, New Orleans—per ”Fair Use” for non-commercial, educational purposes.

As I come before you, I am profoundly aware that the passage we consider has, throughout the ages, been a catalyst for transforming countless lives. My prayer is simple: “Lord, despite the frailty of the messenger, may You do it once more—today.”

This week, we embark on a journey through “The Mighty Eighth: The Liberating Power of God in Romans Chapter 8.” Like countless others throughout history, I have found this extraordinary section of divine literature life-changing. It reshaped my mind and, in turn, transformed my entire life. These verses reveal how our thoughts about God shape our lives before Him. Without exaggeration, I can say that the teachings in Romans chapter eight can turn pain into prayer, prayer into praise, and praise into peace.

I have often tried to depict Biblical truths with experiential aids that help reinforce or possibly open up the meaning. While preparing for a series from Romans chapter eight, I gave a series of sermons and lectures in Cambridge, England. As a history enthusiast, I knew the Mighty Eighth Air Force had operated nearby during WWII. So, on an afternoon off, I searched for the sights and even entered an English pub where the “Yanks” signed their names on the ceiling before shipping out. One of those names was Jimmy Stewart, the great American hero and award-winning actor. Having visited the Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, read about the missions, and absorbed the aura of that place while in England, I decided to name my series “The Mighty Eighth.” Indeed, St. Paul’s majestic eighth chapter in his epistle to the Romans resounds with the mighty roar of divinely wrought theology, in tight formation with the soaring teachings of Christian living—on a mission to liberate the human soul from sin and death. The Mighty Eighth is a force, an intellectual and spiritual experience of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit, recorded by one of the most remarkable human beings ever to walk the earth.

Welcome to the Mighty Eighth.

St. Paul’s majestic eighth chapter in his epistle to the Romans resounds with the mighty roar of divinely wrought theology, in tight formation with the soaring teachings of Christian living—on a mission to liberate the human soul from sin and death.—Michael A. Milton.

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James Maitland Stewart (1908-1997) retired as a Brigadier General in the US Air Force. Stewart, an Academy Award-winning actor (Best Actor, The Philadelphia Story, 1940), flew in WWII in the 8th Air Force. He subsequently served in the Korean War and Vietnam. He retired in 1968.