Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Romans 8
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Commentary:
8:1 Therefore indicates that Paul is stating an important summary and conclusion related to his preceding argument. The “therefore” is based first on the exclamation of victory that comes “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:23–25), which in turn is linked back to 7:6, where the idea of the “new life of the Spirit” is first mentioned. But more broadly Paul seems to be recalling his whole argument about salvation in Christ from 3:21–5:21. The now in 8:1 matches the “now” in 7:6, showing that the new era of redemptive history has “now” been inaugurated by Christ Jesus for those who are “now” in right standing before God because they are united with Christ. But the summary relates further to the whole argument presented in chs. 3, 4, and 5. No condemnation echoes the conclusion stated in 5:1 (“Therefore … we have peace with God”) and underscores the stunning implications of the gospel first introduced in 1:16–17. As Paul immediately goes on to explain, there is “no condemnation” for the Christian because God has condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son (8:3) to pay the penalty for sin through his death on the cross. The following verses then show that indwelling sin is overcome through the power of the indwelling Spirit, with ten references to the Spirit in vv. 4–11.
8:2 The evidence that believers are in Christ is that the power of sin has been broken in their lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. Law in both instances means principle.
8:3 The law (in this instance, the Mosaic law) could not solve humanity’s problem because sin employs the law for its own purposes, as ch. 7 explained. God sent his Son as a sacrifice for sin (an idiomatic phrase designating a sin offering) and paid the full penalty for sin in his sacrifice (condemned sin). In the flesh refers to Christ’s body, and in the likeness of sinful flesh means that Jesus became fully human, even though he was sinless.
8:4 righteous requirement of the law … fulfilled. This could mean the requirement is fulfilled in the new life that Christians live on the basis of Christ’s work, or it may refer to the full penalty of the law being met at the cross.
8:2 The evidence that believers are in Christ is that the power of sin has been broken in their lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. Law in both instances means principle.
8:3 The law (in this instance, the Mosaic law) could not solve humanity’s problem because sin employs the law for its own purposes, as ch. 7 explained. God sent his Son as a sacrifice for sin (an idiomatic phrase designating a sin offering) and paid the full penalty for sin in his sacrifice (condemned sin). In the flesh refers to Christ’s body, and in the likeness of sinful flesh means that Jesus became fully human, even though he was sinless.
8:4 righteous requirement of the law … fulfilled. This could mean the requirement is fulfilled in the new life that Christians live on the basis of Christ’s work, or it may refer to the full penalty of the law being met at the cross.
Questions:
- We belong to Christ. This means your flesh is no longer in charge of you. Do you still have a sinful nature? Of course. But what you were born into naturally has not been overcome by the Spirit of God, which you were born into SUPERNATURALLY. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you, empowering you to walk in victory over your flesh. Do you ever feel like your sinful nature runs the show? What would it look like to submit to the Holy Spirit in those moments?
- Just like Paul wrote in Romans 7, there is a battle raging on the inside of each of us between our flesh and the Spirit. That is why we need to learn what it means to WALK in the SPIRIT. What do you think it looks like to walk in the Spirit in your day to day life? How might this help you win the battle going on inside you?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would learn to walk in the Spirit.
- That your flesh wouldn't rule you today.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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