Day One Romans 8:1-8 The Power of the Life-Giving Spirit
Pray: Invite God into your time and ask Him to speak to you, then read the passage.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.2And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.3The 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.4He 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. 5Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.8That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. – Romans 8:1-8 (NLT)
Discover: Use the Discover section of your Recalibrate journal to write down your answers to the following observation and interpretation questions.
- What have followers of Jesus been freed from (verses 1-2)? How?
- How did Jesus defeat sin (verses 3-4)?
- Contrast those controlled by the sinful nature with those controlled by the Holy Spirit (verses 5-8). Where do you see yourself?
Respond: Use the Respond section of your Recalibrate journal to answer the following application prompts.
- What does this passage teach me about God?
- How does this aspect of His character change my view of self and others?
- What should I do in response and when?
For Further Learning
No Condemnation in Christ
For Families with Kids at Home:
Paul manages to pack the Good News of Jesus into these few short verses! Because we didn’t have the power to live perfect lives and save ourselves, God was happy to send His son Jesus to save us. Jesus took on flesh just like us, lived a perfect life, took our place on a cross as punishment for each of our mistakes, and then rose from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. And Paul says that same Holy Spirit is available to us when we place our trust in Jesus! Take time to pray with your kids today and thank God for sending Jesus to save us, and for sending the same life-giving Holy Spirit to be with us wherever we go!
*If you don't have a Recalibrate journal, you can use any journal available to you to write down your responses.
**TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.