Holy Spirit

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

—Romans 8:12-13 NLT

Key Thought


We have been given the power to overcome temptation and sin. Those of us with a past entrapment to sinful addictions, with current struggles, with sinfully rebellious co-workers and...

 

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.

—Romans 8:11 ESV

Key Thought


The Holy Spirit brings life to our mortal bodies by bringing Jesus alive in us despite the fact that we live in mortal bodies of decay. We display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as we are conformed to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Furthermore...

 

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

—Romans 8:10 NLT

Key Thought


Everything that lives is actually in the process of dying — everything, that is, except for those animated and empowered by the Spirit of the living Christ. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is actually at work in us. Not only does the Spirit empower us to find life now, but his presence...

 

The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

—Romans 8:6 NIV

Key Thought


What do you want from your limited days on earth? Among other things, you probably want to enjoy life and have every moment of it bring joy and peace. There is only one way for this kind of life to happen: The Holy Spirit must be in you, must lead you, and must govern you. All other paths to peace are temporary. Some are simply mirages...

 

Those 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.

—Romans 8:5 NLT

Key Thought


We don't like to be controlled. However, we will be controlled either by our sinful nature or by the Spirit of God. There are no middle options (Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 6). While politically incorrect, deep in the core of our souls we know it's true. The things that Satan entices us...

 

The 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. He 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.

—Romans 8:3-4 NLT

Key...

 

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

—Romans 8:1-2 NLT

Key Thought


This phrase is such a great description of our identity — "those who belong to Christ Jesus." This identity ensures that God stamps his mark of authenticity on our hearts while Jesus sends the empowering Comforter and Advocate, the Holy Spirit...

 

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

—Romans 7:6 NIV

Key Thought


We could not, and cannot, keep the law of God completely. Trying to be righteous when one failure, one transgression, one sin, makes us guilty ensures that we cannot be righteous. We cannot be made righteous through works of law-keeping — or any other works-based attempts at...

 

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

—Romans 2:28-29 ESV

Key Thought


Prejudice is ungodly. It is a divisive stain fueled by the powers of hell. To view people based on their ethnicity, their skin color, their tribe, their language, their culture, their education, or their...

 

The Good News is about [God's] Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David's family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Romans 1:3-4 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus is the Son — David's Son, God's Son in power, Christ, and Lord! Each name means something very important, but the simple truth based on Jesus' resurrection from the dead is this: Jesus is the one of...