The word of God is living, breathing. Sounds crazy, right? A person can read the Bible over and over and over again for the rest of their life and God will continue to speak. As you study His word He will continue to teach, mold (sanctify), and show Himself and His amazing love to you. I pray for us, that we see His glory through Romans 8 in a brand new way.
I recently attended an IF:Gathering where we studied Romans 8 together. I’ve been kind of obsessed since. If you’re not familiar with Jennie Allen’s ministry I highly recommend checking it out!! Their mission is to equip and disciple women.
Equip? You know you need to study your Bible to grow as a Christian. This FREE Bible study checklist walks you through the steps to quickly, thoroughly study your Bible. Focus better, grow more, and apply your study to daily life using the prompts. Get more out of your Bible study time! Grab it below!
Context
Paul wrote this letter to the Romans when he was traveling as a missionary and in Corinth, around twenty years or so after he quit persecuting Christians and became one. He wrote to the growing Christian church that was spreading through Rome, mostly comprised of Gentiles.
Word spread like wildfire after Jesus was crucified, buried, and was resurrected. The apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in other languages and the good news started traveling. Can you imagine? We eat at a great restaurant and tell all our friends. How many people would you tell if your friend was all of a sudden sitting at the breakfast table with you after being murdered?! How about it you were all of a sudden blinded, confronted, then restored?
life with the Power of the Holy Spirit
8:1-11
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:1-11
Highlighting
Now we get into categorizing the verses. Check out my post on studying the Bible on your own for what the different colors stand for and where I get that info. Verses can almost always fit into more than one category so if you start highlighting according to the Good Morning Girls categories know that your highlights aren’t going to be identical to mine. The purpose is to get you to analyze the scripture further after skimming over it. Really consider what category it fits into and you will better understand what the scripture covering.
- Verse 1= salvation, death, and Jesus
- Verse 2= Holy Spirit/Jesus, death
- Verse 3= God, sin, Jesus, death – I love this pattern! We know who saves us & from what!
- Verse 4= power of God/blessings, obedience
- Verse 5= sin, obedience
- Verse 6= sin and death, obedience and peace
- Verse 7= sin
- Verse 8= sin
- Verse 9= people (you! me!), Holy Spirit, sin (separation from), Christ
- Verse 10= Jesus Christ, sin/death, salvation
- Verse 11= God/Jesus, people, God/Jesus, salvation, and the Holy Spirit
Romans 8 Commentary – OBSERVATIONS & APPLICATIONS
We are SAVED!! I love how the Message (translation) states verses 1&2. “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved.” We are FREE! What our hearts could never do, perfectly obey the law, because of our fractured human nature, has been fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
I know we know this… but sometimes I don’t always stop and consider it with the awestruck gratitude that it deserves. Really sitting on it and resonating in it for a bit and I’m completely overwhelmed by it. For God so loved me that He gave His one and only Son to save me, so I wouldn’t perish but have everlasting life. That is love.
God did it! Look, we’re going to screw up. We were born with a sinful nature into a sinful world. We cannot live perfect lives. But there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I feel like I’m saying the same thing over again but it’s just so stinking amazing!
There had to be a price paid for sin. Sin separates us from a perfect, holy God. The Israelites in the Old Testament would slit the throat of an animal in church as atonement for their sins. I’m really glad we don’t have to do that anymore! Jesus stepped in and fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. He released us from this burden. Not only are we under a new covenant of Christ but He actually fulfills the law in us because He lives in us!
PROMISE FROM GOD
Life and peace – sounds good to me! Isn’t that something we all long for? Who would willingly choose death and turmoil? Yet the world doesn’t see that serving their flesh’s desires brings just that. The purpose of this life is not to make ourselves feel good. It’s not all about us. It is all about the glory of God the Father. His blessings fulfill so much more than anything this world has to offer. When we live for His glory He continually fills our hearts.
In the last part of this first section of Romans 8 I also see the promise that God will give us the ability to live for Him through the power of His Holy Spirit living within us. We could never do it on our own but we’re not expected to. The promise to send a helper, a spirit that actually dwells within us?! What a supernatural miracle!
COMMAND TO KEEP
Is there a command to keep in this section? There are quite a few green highlights representing obedience in the verses. Paul tells us to keep our minds set on the Spirit. He basically divides people into two categories, those who prioritize their own wants and those who focus on God’s glory, like we talked about earlier.
“…to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:6
How do we keep our focus on God’s glory?
Notice that we are to set our minds on the Spirit, not our hearts. Our feelings can change from day to day. Hello hormones. If we set our heart on something it means we long for it, want it. If we set our mind on something, now we’re talking! We’re thinking logically, planning out, gathering knowledge. Our minds make us take action!
I don’t know about you, but with life so busy I can only keep my mind focused on what’s right in front of me at the moment. Getting everyone ready for the day? Ok, check. Now my mind is on to the next thing. Work? Ok, focus. Errands, Dinner, Writing…the list is never ending. This is why I have to make the conscious effort to keep God right in front of me all throughout my day. There are resources to help and habits that you can establish to keep your mind focused on God throughout your day.
Our TAKEAWAY
God is amazing and has done amazing things for us. The Bible is full of them! One of the most powerful things He does is enable us to live life in the power of the Holy Spirit and daily deny our flesh for His glory. And, one day, we’ll enter into His glory for eternity. And THAT is the “good news”!
Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
To get to know me better, read about me & my saved love.
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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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