Everyone remembers their first car. Mine was a 1995 army green Jeep Wrangler, two-door, with a soft top. The thing sounded like it was going to explode if you drove it over 65 mph, and I always seemed to manage to take the top off when rain was unknowingly in the forecast. I have always loved to drive, and I could not wait to get my license when I was younger. The freedom that I knew that vehicle would allow me to have motivated me every day as I saved up my money. I counted down the days to my 16th birthday when I would get that car that would give me the freedom I desired. Even though I already knew how to drive, I counted down the days until my birthday when I would finally get my license, which would legally allow me to drive.
1. What was the first car you ever owned? What has been your favorite car you have ever owned?
Romans 8:1-4 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For 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, 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.”
2. What does Romans 8:1 mean when it says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”? How does this assurance of freedom affect our journey of sanctification?
Sure, the freedom that our first vehicle afforded us was great, but nothing compares to the life of freedom that we can have through Jesus Christ. This is what Paul starts to explain to us in chapter 8. We have learned all about this Law and how we are unable to fulfill it ourselves. Paul shows us that when we are found in Jesus Christ, we are free from the condemnation of this Law. Knowing that we are free allows us to confidently strive to be more like Christ. One commentary described sin and death as the two “archenemies of humanity,” but now we have a new freedom available to us from this Law thanks to the “law of the Spirit of life.”
3. How would you describe the “law of the Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2)? In what ways does the Holy Spirit give us freedom from sin’s control?
This refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, Who brings new life and empowers us to overcome sin. Unlike the Old Testament Law, which could not change our hearts, the Holy Spirit transforms us from within. Through Him, we experience freedom from sin’s dominion, enabling us to live in ways that please God. God sent His Son to do what we could not do. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection, we were to be condemned by the Law. The Law attempted to justify us, but it failed. Jesus came, and He condemned sin so that we could be found righteous in Christ. We have been made free.
4. In Romans 8:3-4, Paul explains that God sent His Son to fulfill the Law’s requirements for us. How does this foundation in Jesus’ sacrifice help us rely on the Holy Spirit rather than our own efforts for growth?
One commentary said, “One must be assured of acceptance with God before one can grow in grace and conformity to Christ.” Only when we understand our assurance in Christ can we fully begin to grow in our relationship with Him and truly be sanctified. So, we have been set free from the Law for what purpose? It is for the purpose of actually following God’s commands through the power of the Holy Spirit. No matter how great of a driver I thought I was before I turned 16, without my official state-issued license, it was impossible for me to drive legally. In the same way, as believers, it was physically impossible for us to submit to God’s Law before we believed in Him and began living by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:5-8 adds, “For 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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
5. What does it mean to “set the mind on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5-6), and how does this impact our daily choices and attitudes?
We say we want to be more like Christ, but what are we setting our minds on daily? When we set our minds on the Spirit, we are intentionally focusing on the things of Christ. This plays out practically in studying our Bible and prayer, but also in every moment, letting the Holy Spirit guide us in our thoughts and actions. Ask Christ to guide you in His Spirit. We want each and every step of our lives to be taken with our mind set on the things of the Spirit.
6. Paul contrasts the mind “of the flesh” with the mind “of the Spirit” in Romans 8:5-6. How do we recognize when our thoughts and desires are influenced by the Spirit versus our flesh?
We must be willing to take stock of our thoughts and actions and see where they lead us in our lives. Scripture is clear that a mind set on the flesh leads to death, and a mind set on the Spirit leads to life and peace. Are your thoughts and desires leading you to life and peace? Do you have godly people in your life who can speak into your actions and be honest if they seem led by the flesh or by the Spirit?
7. How does the Holy Spirit empower us to obey God and grow in holiness, even in areas where we might struggle?
8. Are there areas of your life that you used to struggle with that have you seen the Holy Spirit transform you in?
We have been freed from the curse of the Law. Now, through the power of the Spirit being called to keep the Law’s commandments, this is now possible by living according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh. I have heard it said, “Divine aid is required to meet the divine requirement.” We can have spiritual confidence knowing that the curse of sin is broken in our lives, and through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we can actually fulfill the Laws of God. Scripture constantly presents us with the life that it wants us to live, and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has made it possible for us to fulfill that life in Him.
9. Romans 8:8 says that those who are “in the flesh cannot please God.” What does this reveal about our need for the Holy Spirit’s involvement in every aspect of our sanctification?
Colossians 1:10-11 says, “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.”
10. Do you believe that God loves you and that you please Him?
In the flesh, we cannot please God. This may feel like a sobering reminder, but I view this verse as an incredible encouragement. We are no longer in the flesh, but we are filled by the Spirit, and those in the Spirit can please God. We can live a life that glorifies Him. We can lead a life where, through God’s power, we kill sin in our lives. We can live a life that is constantly being sanctified to be more like Christ. I love how one commentator put it, “The fulfillment of the law in Christian living does not entail perfectionism. It refers to a basic orientation of one’s life and basic patterns of Righteousness.” God has given us freedom from sin so that we can live for Him. Every day, we set our minds on the things of the Spirit and try to follow the commands of Christ. Then God looks at us and is pleased because He sees His creation that He loves, perfect through the sacrifice of His son Jesus, striving to be more like Him. We have been made free, and through the Spirit, we can now follow Christ.