There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ 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, 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. ⁵ 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. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ 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. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ You, 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. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If 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.

1) Paul is summarizing an argument in this passage. What has he stated before chapter 8 that led to this summary?
In the previous chapters of Romans Paul set up an argument regarding life in the flesh and following the law and contrasting it to life in the Spirit. Specifically at the end of chapter 7 (7:24), Paul asks a question about who will save him from this constant battle between life and death, between law and Spirit. He answers himself in 7:25 and then transitions into chapter 8 explaining the answer he gave in detail. He says thanks be God, through Jesus, that we are saved and he continues in chapter 8 explaining our salvation and freedom found in Christ in alone.

2) Paul sets up a compare/contrast in this passage. What is he contrasting?
In this chapter, Paul sets up a dichotomy between flesh and Spirit. Those who are in the flesh, apart from God, and those who in the Spirit, in relationship with God. There is a stark contrast between the two; Paul is asking the reader to understand the freedom that is found in the Spirit. In the flesh, we use the law as our guide to attempt righteousness before God. In the Spirit, we are set free from our own actions that will never measure up. Our power, our strength, our freedom is found in the righteousness that only comes from knowing and loving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. His death on the Cross put to death flesh once and for all! We cannot accomplish righteousness in and of ourselves. We need Jesus!

3) What kind of spirit resides in a believer according to v. 11?
Paul says, “If 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.” As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit, resides within us and He is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. He is the Helper, the third member of the Trinity, that has sealed our eternal inheritance in Christ.

1) Paul is summarizing an argument in this passage. What has he stated before chapter 8 that led to this summary?
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus is what Romans 8:1 tells us. Our only freedom from this world comes in the form of a baby born in a manager destined to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. I think of the song Amazing Grace…. “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I am found was blind but now I see.” This is Paul’s argument throughout Romans for believers to understand where we have been—wretched, lost, and blind under the weight of the standard of Law, something that we could never meet. But he also wanted believers to understand we have the eternal power source of life in the Spirit. We are redeemed, we are found, and we know the rest of the story! We know our eternal fate is sealed because what humanity could not do to fulfill the Law, Jesus did with His death and resurrection!

2) Paul sets up a compare/contrast in this passage. What is he contrasting?
There are two very different lives on display in Romans 8. Our mindsets are different, our actions are different, and the eternal outcomes are very different. In Romans 8:9 Paul tells the Romans they are not of the flesh, if they call themselves believers, then the Spirit of God dwells in them. Their life is hidden in Christ and empowered by the Spirit. Sister, if you are reading this and you are a believer, you BELONG to Christ and the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead resides in you. Cling to that freedom, cling to that knowledge, and set your mind on things above! There is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)

3) What kind of spirit resides in a believer according to v. 11?
Jesus, in the Gospel of John, describes the Holy Spirit as the Helper. (John 16:7) He goes on to explain that, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:13) In a world running from absolutes and operating in the gray areas of life, we have a Helper who guides us into the absolutes of God’s truth. Lean in!

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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

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