You know the tension: you mean to do good and it comes out the way it always does, and you start wondering whether God has already written you off. Romans 8 opens with the claim that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and this sermon walks through the chapter to its closing promise that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God. Along the way come the law of gravity set against the law of aerodynamics, the old story of two dogs fed in one heart, and a very simple rule: you never lose a battle you do not have to fight. Listen if you are struggling with yourself and need to know where the strength actually comes from.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul opens Romans 8 with "There is therefore now no condemnation." How does this verse connect with his cry at the end of chapter 7: "Wretched man that I am, who will rescue me"?
- According to verses 3-4, God did what the Law could not do. Why does it matter that the righteous requirement of the Law was fulfilled for us, not by us?
- The speaker compared the law of sin and death to gravity, and the work of the Holy Spirit to an airplane's engines and wings that must keep working the whole time. What does this picture tell you about your life with God?
- Paul writes that we are not debtors to the flesh and that by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body. How do you see the Spirit changing you, even though your sinful nature is still present?
- Verse 15 speaks of the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry "Abba, Father." How does knowing that God has adopted you shape the way you pray and the way you handle your failures?
- The story of the two dogs and the lesson "you won't lose a battle you don't have to fight" show the practical side of fighting sin. Which battle can you avoid this week, and what specifically will you feed your spirit with?
