Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Romans 8:14-27. Believers face a daily struggle to crucify the old nature and fully obey God's commands as they desire to do. Along with temptation, we all deal with the problems of a broken world. Work is hard and tedious. Money may be in short supply. Our health may be a concern at times. We face disappointment and heartbreak and persecution. Is all this trouble really worth it? The answer is a resounding "yes!". God has not left us alone. Every believer in Jesus is indwelt with God's Holy Spirit at conversion. God has adopted us into His family, and the Holy Spirit assures us of our new identity as God's children, who now have intimate access to a Heavenly Father we can just call "Abba" or "Daddy." We have a sure hope of a glorious future that outweighs the troubles and frustrations of our earthly lives. We also have the Holy Spirit as our constant helper who communicates urgent prayers, even when we can't put our needs and requests into words. We have assurance and identity and victory and hope through the Holy Spirit. Through our faith in God and the assistance of His Spirit, we can persevere until we receive our full inheritance and bask in God's amazing glory and all He has prepared for us.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Romans 7:4-6, 14-25. If believers are forgiven in Christ, why do we still struggle with sin? We've been set free from sin's consequences and have higher expectations of living for God, but we must also contend with sinful desires that don't just go away when we believe in Jesus. So long as we live in these mortal bodies, we live in the conflict between two natures: our sinful human nature and the leading of the Holy Spirit. This battle between sin and holiness faces all believers. Our remaining desire to sin doesn't mean we don't belong to Christ. Rather, our desire to cast off sin and our regret about it demonstrate that we do belong to Jesus. We will contend with sin and temptation so long as we live. Negotiation with the sinful nature is impossible, so we must daily choose to crucify our old self and yield to God's will instead. Such victory is not possible without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Romans 6:1-14. Are you free? Are you living out your freedom? If not, what's keeping you from experiencing the liberation that Christ purchased for you? Believers are dead to sin, so leave your old life behind. Believers are risen with Christ, so live for the God who saved you. Believer are pronounced free, so claim your liberation and serve as God intends. If your bonds have been broken, what's stopping you? It may be that the only thing stopping you is you. Next week we'll further discuss the inner struggle of believers against sin.