ROMANS 8 READING PLAN

READ:  1 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[a] free from the law of sin and death.  ROMANS 8:1-2 

REFLECT:  The chapter begins with a profound declaration: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." This truth is a cornerstone of our faith, offering a life free from the guilt and shame of sin. In Christ, we are set free from the law of sin and death. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live in this freedom, guiding us away from the traps of our sinful nature.

PROCESS:

• How does knowing there is "no condemnation" affect your daily life?
• In what areas of your life do you need to embrace the freedom that Christ offers?

APPLY:  
Identify one area of life where you struggle with guilt or shame. Spend time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help you live in the freedom of Christ in that specific area.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:3-4 

REFLECT: God did what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son, He condemned sin in the flesh so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. Jesus took on our sin and bore the penalty, allowing us to live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

PROCESS:

• How does Jesus' sacrifice change your understanding of sin and righteousness?
• What does it mean for you to live according to the Spirit?

APPLY:  
Practice living according to the Spirit by starting your day with a prayer asking for guidance in every decision you make.

READ:  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.   ROMANS 8:5-8 

REFLECT:  The mindset on the flesh is death, but the mindset on the Spirit is life and peace. Our thoughts and desires shape our lives. When our minds are focused on earthly things, we experience chaos and spiritual death. However, when we focus on the Spirit, we find peace and life. 

PROCESS:

• What occupies your mind most of the time?
• How can you shift your focus to the things of the Spirit?

APPLY:  
Take a few minutes each day to meditate on Scripture. Let God's Word renew your mind and transform your thoughts.

READ: 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.   ROMANS 8:9-11 

REFLECT:  The Spirit of God dwells in us, giving life to our mortal bodies. Even though our bodies are subject to death because of sin, the Spirit brings life. This assurance of life—both now and eternally—reminds us of the power and presence of God within us.

PROCESS:

• How does the presence of the Holy Spirit in you influence your daily actions?
• In what ways do you need to rely more on the Spirit’s power?

APPLY:  
Recognize the Holy Spirit's presence throughout your day and ask Him for help when you need His strength and wisdom.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:12-14

REFLECT:  We are debtors, not to the flesh, but to the Spirit. Living according to the flesh leads to death, but living by the Spirit gives life. As children of God, we are led by the Spirit, who empowers us to put to death the deeds of the body. 

PROCESS:

• What does it mean to you to be led by the Spirit?
• Are there areas in your life where you are still living according to the flesh?

APPLY:  
Choose one habit that you know is rooted in the flesh and commit to replacing it with a Spirit-led, God-honoring action.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:15-17 

REFLECT:  We have received the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters of God. This adoption makes us heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We can now approach God with confidence, calling Him "Abba, Father." This relationship transforms our identity and gives us a new perspective on suffering and glory.

PROCESS:

• How does your identity as God’s child affect the way you view yourself and your life?
• What does it mean to be an heir of God?

APPLY:  
Spend time in prayer, thanking God for adopting you as His child and reflecting on what it means to be His heir.

READ:  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. .  ROMANS 8:18-21 

REFLECT:  Paul speaks of the future glory that will be revealed to us, which far outweighs any present suffering. The whole creation eagerly waits for this glory, longing to be set free from its bondage to decay. Our hope is rooted in this promise of redemption and restoration.

PROCESS:

• How does the promise of future glory help you endure current trials?
• What does this passage teach you about the relationship between creation and redemption?

APPLY:  
When facing a challenge, remind yourself of the future glory promised by God. Write down this promise and keep it where you can see it daily.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:22-25

REFLECT:  Creation groans, and we, too, groan inwardly as we await the redemption of our bodies. This hope sustains us, even when we cannot see it fully. We are saved in hope, and it is this hope that gives us the strength to persevere in faith.

PROCESS:

• How does hope influence your faith and perseverance?
• What are you hoping for in your spiritual journey?

APPLY:  
Make a list of the things you are hoping for in your life and spiritual walk. Pray over this list, asking God to strengthen your hope and faith and to give you patience as you wait for Him.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:26-27

REFLECT:  The Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us with groans too deep for words. When we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit steps in, aligning our prayers with the will of God. This divine assistance reassures us that we are not alone in our spiritual journey. 

PROCESS:

• When have you not known what to pray but you prayed anyway?
• When have you experienced the Spirit's help in your prayer life?
• How does knowing the Spirit intercedes for you affect your approach to prayer?

APPLY:  

• When have you experienced the Spirit's help in your prayer life?
• How does knowing the Spirit intercedes for you affect your approach to prayer?

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:28-30

REFLECT:  This passage contains one of the most comforting promises in Scripture: "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Even when we don’t understand our circumstances, we can trust that God is weaving everything together for our ultimate good and His glory.

PROCESS:

• How have you seen God work things together for good in your life?
• What does it mean to you to be called according to God's purpose?

APPLY:  
Reflect on a difficult situation you've experienced. Write down how God used it for good and share this testimony with someone who needs encouragement.

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:31-34

REFLECT:  "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul reassures us that nothing can stand against God's purposes for us. Christ's death and resurrection secure our victory, and He now intercedes for us at the right hand of God.

PROCESS:

• What does it mean to you that God is for you?
• How does this truth impact your view of challenges and opposition?

APPLY:  
Declare this truth over your life: “God is for me.” Whenever you face a challenge, speak this affirmation aloud and trust in His victory. 

READ:  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.  ROMANS 8:35-39

REFLECT:  Paul concludes with a triumphant declaration: nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not hardship, persecution, or any other challenge can come between us and God’s unwavering love. This assurance empowers us to face life’s trials with confidence.

PROCESS:

• How does the love of God sustain you in difficult times?
• What are some ways you can remind yourself of God's love daily?

APPLY:  
Create a list of Scriptures that remind you of God’s love. Keep this list handy and refer to it whenever you feel discouraged or distant from God.