Romans 8:1-11 (NRSV)
Read Romans 8:1-11 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 8There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Verse 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Verse 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 to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Verse 4so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Verse 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. Verse 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Verse 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-indeed it cannot, Verse 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 9But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Verse 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Verse 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Devotion
How wonderful it is to hear there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Paul invites us to set our minds on things of the Spirit. This refers to the focus of our lives. To focus on things of the flesh means to live in opposition to God’s word and will. Focusing on things of the Spirit sets us free to live in peace and confidence.
Living in the Spirit does not mean we ignore this world. The Spirit does not lead us to outward self-righteousness. The Spirit is not the possession of an elite group in a church. It does not mean believers never struggle.
It means we walk in love, joy and hope. It means we are being conformed to the crucified Christ. John Spong states, “The way of the cross becomes the way of constant vulnerability.” However, beneath that vulnerability, we dare live in hope.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank you for your victory over sin and death. Help us to live life in hope and peace. Amen.