ROMANS 8
BELIEVERS ARE FREE FROM CONDEMNATION + SHOWN GOD’S LOVE
Because the Holy Spirit has set believers free from the law, there is no condemnation for believers in Jesus. Through Jesus, God condemned sin and did what the law could not do. Now believers are free from punishment and free to live according to the Holy Spirit.
Paul contrasts living by the flesh, or one's desires, to living by the Spirit. Those who live by the Spirit set their mind on things that honor God, which brings life and peace. Following one’s own desires inevitably leads to death, but the Holy Spirit offers a renewed and more fulfilling life. Those who are focused only on their flesh have not submitted to God and are missing the joy and freedom that Christ offers. Paul desires to spread the gospel and invite as many people as possible into the freedom found in Jesus!
Paul writes that the body itself has become dead because of sin, but believers are alive again because of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside those who follow Christ!
Those who follow God are not indebted to God, but adopted into His family as children and heirs! God does not simply want worshippers or followers, but a personal relationship with His family of believers. The Holy Spirit serves as a sign of those who have been brought into God’s family through faith.
Although believers will still experience suffering, Paul believes that they will ultimately be glorified. Paul says that the current suffering cannot even be compared to the amount of glory that will be revealed. Eventually, all creation will be restored and all corruption will be removed. Instead of groaning and complaining, believers can cling to hope and wait patiently for God’s ultimate restoration.
Paul comforts believers, letting them know that the Spirit intercedes when believers are unsure what to pray. Because the Holy Spirit knows God’s will, these prayers are powerful and helpful guides. Paul writes that for those who love God, all things are working together for their good and God’s glory. Through the Holy Spirit, God refines believers, sanctifying them and making them more like Jesus.
Paul confidently writes of God’s power, asking “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Because God did not spare His own son, but gave him up for humanity, believers can trust in the genuine, overwhelming love of God. Paul says that nothing in all creation, including death itself, can separate believers from the love of God.
