#186 Romans 8 and Until Next Time

On September 8, 2024 by Amy Burgin

Amy:
Episode #186 Romans Chapter 8

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you are here! I’m Amy Burgin. I’m usually here with my daughter Joy, but she was called in unexpectedly to work the night shift at News 4 WOAI in San Antonio. If you didn’t know, she’s their morning traffic anchor and noon show producer. You may have also noticed from the title of this episode that we have interrupted our focus on the book of John and today focusing on Romans 8. In last week’s episode, we gazed upon Jesus in John 4:1-6. We saw Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down by a well. This pause in his journey felt very much like a needed pause in this podcast. This month, we have had a few surprises in our family that require special attention and care. Everyone is okay but life looks different right now and although there’s always room for Christgazing, there’s no room right now for producing this podcast.

This episode will be our last for some undetermined amount of time. Still, Christgazing is available 24/7, and I pray you keep your eyes on Jesus amid the waves of trouble that come against you on this Earth. May it non-negotiable in your life to lay your heart before Jesus every day. As you pour out your heart to him, I pray you continue to make space to hear his beautiful voice above all other voices. I pray that amid this world of many words, you continue to make space for the God-breathed words, the best words, the ones that rightly comfort, correct, and lead us.

Today, we’ll take time to absorb God’s words from Romans Chapter 8. The chapter has meant much to me in the last few months. And I pray that as we meditate on it today, the Holy Spirit will reveal new meaning in our hearts.

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy:
Before we read, take time to share your heart with God. Maybe you have a list of questions for which you need answers—or a heart filled with confidence, grief, joy, desire, gratitude, anger, peace, or a mix of all these things and more—whatever is on your mind right now, name it, and bring it to God in the next minute.

[Pause and pour out your heart to God]

What Does This Passage Say About God? About People? What is Your Response?

Amy:
Because I’m reading the entire chapter, I’m only going to read it once. As I read it, consider many questions: What does this say about God? In other words, what is important to God? What does he want? What is He doing? What does this say about people? Do we matter? Are we important? Do we have power? What is our response to this passage? What does God want us to know or do in response to this passage?

Romans 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Take a moment to define 3 take-aways from this chapter. One takeaway about God. One takeaway about people. And one takeaway about your response.

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Amy:
Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may you keep your face turned toward Jesus today and know him more.

This is the Word of the Lord

Closing

Amy:
You can find a transcript of this episode and all our episodes at amyburgin.com. Until we meet again, don’t forget, when you put your trust in Christ, you are one in whom he dwells and delights, a dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his strong and unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails, and so do you.