Romans 8:1-11 It’s That Same Spirit

Paul brings us to God’s answer to the Law. We needed more to restore our relationship with Him, and He has provided it for us.

When I read the beginning of this chapter my mind naturally reads it in song. I have sung these verses MANY times during my life and their melody lingers with me, hopefully forever. I pray that understanding of those words rings longer than the melodies alone.

I, the condemned, have received freedom instead. And that freedom came through a different “law”; the Law of the Spirit. That “law” is the promise of God to give me new life. God’s word IS Law and He said I am reconciled to Him through Jesus blood. His Spirit gives me life and lives in me. That is the ONLY path to freedom and relationship with God.

IF that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you, THEN he will give life to our mortal bodies to live in His principles. We can’t please God on our own and we can’t be reconciled to Him through the Law. Our ONLY hope is through Christ Jesus and accepting God’s Spirit as our teacher.

If we refuse Jesus’ gift of reconciliation on the cross, we refuse God. There is no way to God without going through the cross; through His Son. If there had been any other way, don’t you think He would have taken it? Jesus pleaded with Him in the garden to wrack His brain for another way. But there wasn’t one. And there still isn’t one.

Faith in Jesus and accepting His sacrifice in our place is life. TRUE life. Eternal life. My dead spirit now has life, breathed into me by His words. I have to forget trying to earn my way into Heaven. It isn’t possible! No matter how “good” I am or how many works I do, without Jesus it is completely worthless. With Jesus and through Jesus though, those same works become life. They witness of His life giving power and the change He has wrought in me.

Thank You Lord Jesus for ALL that You have done. Thank You that Your work didn’t stop at the cross. That You gave me Your Spirit to live in me and bring me “the rest of the way home.” Thank You for being my substitute. I could never do it on my own, no matter how hard I tried. Thank You Father for finding a way for us to be together again. I’m sorry for what it cost You. I want to say I wish I could make it up to You but there is no way I could ever repay what You and Jesus gave me. The only “gift” I have is the life You gave me. I give it back to You, faults and all.

Sorry it’s not in perfect condition. I do have a tendency to make a mess of things. Please help me use it for Your glory and purposes instead. That is ONLY possible through YOUR gift of Your Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit work in me according to YOUR plans. Make me into a child of God who You can be proud to say, “That’s MY girl!”