Study session scripture: Romans 8:26-39

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Study session topics:

• The Intercession of the Holy Spirit (vv. 26-27)

• This is an important topic because prayer itself is a confusing subject, as Paul himself concedes in v. 26 -"Likewise" or "In the same way"--connects the Holy Spirit's intercession to earlier context

• vv. 22-25: our hope in God's promises is strengthened by the Spirit's intercession on our behalf

• vv. 15-17: the Spirit's aid in prayer is further assurance that we are God's children

• The problem with prayer--our weakness

• The Holy Spirit assists us in our weakness in many ways, but here Paul is specifically talking about our ignorance

• The word "our" is important here--Paul is saying this is a problem for all Christians -"helps"--a hugely insufficient word

• Greek sunantilambanetai--someone coming alongside another to help bear a heavy burden -Paul transitions to his next and final point in this chapter by giving us both an assurance and an aspiration: the Spirit intercedes for Christians according to the will of God

• The Spirit translates our desires into requests that fit into the will of God

• The point of the Christian life is to be increasingly conformed to Christ, so we also should be increasingly petitioning God according to His will

• The Practical Outworking of God's Character (vv. 28-39)

• v. 28 is one of the most well known--and misused--verses in the Bible

• It is not a platitude for things getting better, rather Paul immediately clarifies that he means all things work together to further sanctify us

• v. 28 is the thesis of the remainder of the chapter--we can rest assured in our salvation and know that we will be further sanctified due to the One our salvation rests on

• vv. 29-30 show the roadmap for God's process of saving and sanctifying His people -Foreknowledge -Predestination -Calling -Justification -Glorification

• In the last section of the chapter, Paul triumphantly, almost defiantly, challenges anyone to overthrow the work of God in salvation by posing 5 questions:

• Who can be against us?

• How will He not graciously give us all things?

• Who shall bring any charge?

• Who is to condemn?

• Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Study session scripture: Romans 8:1-14

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

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. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Study session topics:

• Assurance of Hope

• Freedom from condemnation by the law (vv. 1-4)

• v. 1: a thesis and a summary -"therefore"--the biggest one yet

• No condemnation

• Points back to the first few chapters, summed up in 3:9-11 -"in Christ Jesus"

• Points back to Paul's discussion of being united to Christ in Ch. 5, continued in v. 2

• Here we see all 3 persons of the Trinity active in salvation

• God the Father: Sends His Son to Earth and condemns sin in the flesh through Christ's death, thus justifying the Christian

• God the Son: Becomes like us, dies as the perfect sacrifice, and breaks the power of sin through His death

• God the Holy Spirit: Joins us to Christ in His death and resurrection, and gives us power to live a holy life

• In this passage we begin to see how our freedom from condemnation leads to a holy life -Holiness is the goal of justification

• Holiness consists of fulfilling the law's just demands

• Holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit

• Holiness is mandatory

• We see Christ illustrate how freedom from condemnation works in John 8:1-11

• Deliverance from our sinful natures (vv. 5-14)

• In vv. 5-8 Paul contrasts the unsaved person and the Christian

• The unsaved person is characterized in 4 ways:

• His thinking: his mind is set on fleshly things

• His state: spiritually dead

• His religion: anti-God

• His present condition: unable to please God

• The Christian is characterized in 2 ways:

• His thinking: set on what the Spirit desires

• His state: spiritually alive and at peace

• In vv. 9-11 Paul encourages his audience to examine themselves to assure them that they are included in God's new covenant

• The Christian's past (v. 9) -The Christian's present (v. 10)

• The Christian's future (v.11) -vv. 12-14 describe the process of sanctification as a moral imperative

• If you live like a non-Christian, you will die like a non-Christian--because you are not a Christian -If you live like a Christian--as only a true Christian can--you will live forever

Study session audio: