Romans Chapter 8
A New and Wonderful Life in the Spirit
Life in the Spirit Contrasted with Life in the Flesh
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
The Apostle Paul begins Romans 8 with a triumphant declaration: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This statement follows directly from the struggle described in Romans 7, where Paul lamented the conflict between his desire to serve God and the power of sin in his flesh. Having pointed to Christ as the deliverer, he now unfolds the assurance that flows from union with Him. Because God the Father does not condemn Christ, neither does He condemn those who are united to Him. Our security is not based on our performance but on our position in Christ. We are not condemned, we cannot be condemned, and we will never be condemned because Christ bore our condemnation on the cross.
The word therefore links this promise to the preceding argument. Paul is not speaking in vague terms but reasoning from the truths already established. If believers are united to Christ as members of His body, then they share in His verdict of acquittal. Just as the head cannot be justified while the members are condemned, so those who are joined to Christ cannot be separated from His righteousness. This is more than improvement of our standing; it is total transformation. We are not under “less condemnation,” but no condemnation.
The phrase in Christ is vital. It describes the mystical and spiritual union between Christ and His people. Believers are in Christ by faith, and Christ is in them by His Spirit. This union secures their justification and sanctification. To be outside of Christ, however, is to remain under God’s judgment. Charles Spurgeon wisely remarked that while it is no pleasant task to warn of condemnation, faithfulness requires declaring the truth that those apart from Christ remain condemned already (cf. John 3:18).
This promise of no condemnation answers the cry of Romans 7. There Paul expressed the inner conflict of a believer who desires holiness yet feels the weight of sin. Now he looks to Christ and finds peace, assurance, and victory. Romans 8 will build upon this foundation. It begins with no condemnation (v.1), ends with no separation (v.39), and assures us throughout that there is no defeat for those in Christ.
Paul includes the phrase, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Most scholars agree that these words were likely a later addition, drawn from verse 4, and not part of the original text in verse 1. While it is certainly true that believers should walk according to the Spirit, this is not the basis for their justification. Our position of no condemnation rests solely upon our union with Christ, not our imperfect obedience. The oldest manuscripts omit the phrase, and even Spurgeon affirmed that the best textual evidence supports its absence here. Yet the truth remains that those who are in Christ will show evidence of new life through walking in the Spirit.
The beauty of this declaration lies in its courtroom imagery. In Adam, we stood guilty and condemned before the Judge of all the earth. In Christ, the verdict has been rendered: not guilty. Jesus bore the full weight of God’s wrath against sin at the cross, so that those united to Him by faith bear it no more. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Because Christ is condemned no more, neither are we.
The Contrast Between Life in the Spirit and Life in the Flesh
Romans 8:2–4 – “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Paul here explains the reason why there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He contrasts two governing principles: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the law of sin and death. The first is the liberating power of the Holy Spirit applied through union with Christ, while the second is the binding power of sin and death upon all mankind in Adam.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set the believer free from the dominion of sin and the inevitability of death. Every graveyard testifies to the reign of death, and every act of rebellion proves the reign of sin. Yet in Christ there is a greater law, one that supersedes the old. Just as the law of aerodynamics overcomes the law of gravity, so the Spirit of life in Christ overcomes the pull of sin and death. The believer, therefore, is no longer a slave to sin nor under the final mastery of death. Romans 8:1 speaks of deliverance from sin’s guilt; Romans 8:2 speaks of deliverance from sin’s power.
Paul goes on to explain that what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son. The law was holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), but it was powerless to produce righteousness in fallen humanity. It could reveal God’s standard, but it could not supply the strength to meet that standard. The problem was not in the law but in human flesh. As Poole observed, just as the sun cannot give light to a blind eye, so the law cannot impart righteousness to hearts dead in sin. Moses’ law has right but no might; sin’s law has might but no right; but the Spirit’s law has both right and might.
God accomplished what the law could not by sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin. Paul is deliberate in his wording. He does not say that Christ came in sinful flesh, for Christ was sinless. Nor does he say merely in the likeness of flesh, for Christ was truly human. Rather, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh—fully man, fully identifying with us, yet without sin. In His flesh, on the cross, He bore the judgment that our sin deserved. He condemned sin in the flesh, not in His own sin, for He had none, but in our sin imputed to Him as our substitute. In His death, sin itself was sentenced and judged.
The purpose of this was that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The law’s demand for righteousness is fully met in Christ. His obedience to the Father is imputed to us, and His death satisfies the law’s demand for punishment. Notice carefully: Paul does not say that we fulfill the law’s requirement, but that it is fulfilled in us. This is substitutionary grace. Jesus was treated as the sinner so that we might be treated as righteous. His obedience is credited to our account, and His sacrifice secures our pardon.
This fulfillment is applied to those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. To walk according to the Spirit is to have one’s life governed and directed by the Spirit of God. This does not mean that the flesh is gone; as Spurgeon noted, it remains a vexing and alien force until glory. Yet the believer does not yield to it, nor allow it to dominate. The Spirit leads, and the pattern of life is no longer rebellion but obedience. Walking in the Spirit is continual, progressive, and deliberate movement in step with God’s indwelling presence.
Thus, Paul shows that true freedom and righteousness cannot be achieved by the law, which only reveals sin, but only through Christ, who condemns sin in the flesh and imparts His Spirit to those who believe.
The Futility of Trying to Please God in the Flesh
Romans 8:5–8 – “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Paul now draws a sharp contrast between the mindset of those who live in the flesh and those who live in the Spirit. The distinction is not superficial; it is rooted in the very orientation of the heart and mind. To live according to the flesh means to have one’s mind dominated by sinful desires, worldly priorities, and human-centered thinking. To live according to the Spirit means to have one’s thoughts, affections, and purposes directed by the Holy Spirit. The battlefield of the Christian life is the mind, for it is there that either the flesh or the Spirit takes dominion.
Paul makes it clear that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. This does not apply only to open rebels, criminals, or those who indulge in flagrant sin. Even moral, noble, or religious people can have their minds set on the things of the flesh if their thoughts are driven by human wisdom and not by the Spirit of God. When Peter tried to dissuade Christ from the cross, he no doubt thought he was protecting his Master, yet Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). The issue is not merely outward behavior but inward focus—whether our minds are governed by God or by man.
Paul then warns, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. A carnal mind inevitably leads to death, both spiritual and eternal, because it is estranged from the life of God. Even in this life, it produces corruption, despair, and brokenness. By contrast, to be spiritually minded brings life and peace—the abundant life of Christ, and the deep peace that comes from reconciliation with God. This peace is not the absence of trials but the settled assurance of fellowship with Him. The flesh brings turmoil; the Spirit brings tranquility.
Paul presses further: because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Notice that he does not say the carnal mind is at enmity with God, as though it were merely hostile. He says it is enmity itself. The flesh is not simply indifferent to God; it is the essence of rebellion against Him. As Spurgeon observed, the carnal mind is not merely corrupt, it is corruption itself; it is not only rebellious, it is rebellion personified. The flesh hates the authority of God, resists His commands, and refuses submission. Galatians 5:24 declares, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Yet the flesh fights against that crucifixion, striving to remain enthroned.
Paul concludes that it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The flesh cannot be reformed, trained, or improved to obey God. Religious activity done in the flesh may impress men, but it cannot please God. Good works offered apart from faith are powerless to justify, because they come from the same carnal root of self-will. Newell rightly noted that this verse reveals “the hideously lost state of man after the flesh.” Even at its best, the flesh is incapable of obedience to God’s law.
Finally, Paul declares the sobering conclusion: so then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. This is not merely difficult; it is impossible. All attempts at righteousness apart from the Spirit are vain. Man cannot bribe God with good deeds, nor can he put God in his debt by acts of charity, religion, or morality. Only those who walk in the Spirit can live lives that please the Lord, for only the Spirit produces the righteousness of Christ in us.
Christians Are Empowered to Live in the Spirit
Romans 8:9–11 – “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Paul now turns from describing the futility of the flesh to affirming the reality of the believer’s new position. Those in Christ are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, because the Spirit of God dwells in them. The indwelling Spirit is the distinguishing mark of the Christian life. This is not a privilege reserved for the few, but the birthright of every believer. When a sinner is born again, the Spirit comes to dwell within, implanting a new principle of life that is stronger than the flesh.
Paul’s words emphasize the absolute necessity of the Spirit’s indwelling. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. To be without the Spirit is to be without Christ, and to be without Christ is to be lost. It is therefore a false distinction to divide believers into “Spirit-filled” and “non-Spirit-filled” categories, as though some Christians have the Spirit while others do not. The presence of the Spirit defines whether a person belongs to Christ at all. Yet while every true believer has the Spirit, not all walk in the constant fullness of the Spirit. Paul exhorts believers in Ephesians 5:18, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” This is an ongoing command, calling Christians to yield continually to the Spirit’s control.
How then can one know that the Spirit dwells within them? The evidence is not mystical feelings or emotional experiences, but the Spirit’s work in the heart and life. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John explains, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive” (John 7:37–39). Thus, the Spirit leads us to Christ, implants in us the desire to honor Him, works in us conformity to His image, and testifies in our hearts that we belong to Him. These are the evidences of His presence.
Paul continues, and if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. This is both sobering and comforting. On the one hand, the body is subject to death because of sin. The physical effects of the Fall remain until Christ returns. On the other hand, the indwelling Spirit brings life, because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us. The Spirit is the seal of our justification and the agent of our sanctification. Even as our outward man perishes, the inward man is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).
The promise culminates in verse 11: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will one day raise us also. This is both a present and future promise. In the present, the Spirit empowers our mortal bodies to live for God in holiness and service. In the future, at the resurrection, He will transform our mortal bodies into glorified ones, free from sin and decay. This is the guarantee of eternal life in both soul and body.
Thus, Paul assures believers that they are not left to struggle in the weakness of the flesh. The Spirit of God dwells in them, marks them as Christ’s possession, imparts present life, and guarantees future resurrection. The Christian is therefore empowered, both now and forever, to live in the Spirit.
Our Obligation: To Live in the Spirit
Romans 8:12–13 – “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Having established that believers are indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of God, Paul now turns to the matter of obligation. The Christian life is not one of aimless wandering; it carries with it a holy debt, but that debt is not to the flesh. The flesh has given us nothing but corruption, guilt, and death. It has never been our benefactor, so we owe it nothing. Our debt is to God and to His Spirit who has given us life, freedom, and adoption.
Paul begins with the reminder, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. The flesh, in the narrow sense of sinful desires in rebellion against God, has never once brought us blessing. It has only enslaved and condemned. Therefore, there is no obligation to indulge or pamper it. Our debt is not to satisfy its cravings but to glorify the One who delivered us. This recalls Paul’s earlier exhortation: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). The flesh asks for indulgence, but the Spirit calls for surrender.
Paul warns with sobering clarity: For if you live according to the flesh you will die. This is not a threat of losing salvation for those who are truly in Christ, but a solemn reminder that the path of the flesh always leads to death. To persistently walk in the flesh reveals an unregenerate state. Even for believers, giving place to the flesh results in spiritual deadness, broken fellowship, and the ruin of joy. Sin always promises life, but always pays out death. As James writes, “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15).
The alternative is equally clear: but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. This is not self-reformation or ascetic effort. It is not accomplished through legalism or the exertion of willpower alone. It must be by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to mortify sin, to cut off its life supply, and to subdue its deeds. As John Owen famously put it, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” But this killing must be done in the Spirit’s power, lest we fall into the trap of the Pharisees, who outwardly restrained sin but inwardly were full of hypocrisy.
This principle echoes Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). Just as salvation is entirely a work of the Spirit, so sanctification must be His work also. We cooperate with the Spirit through obedience, but the power to overcome sin is His, not ours.
Thus, Paul reminds us of our true obligation. We owe nothing to the flesh, but everything to the Spirit. To live in Him is to live indeed, for He alone grants both present spiritual vitality and the promise of eternal life.
Living in the Spirit Means Living as a Child of God
Romans 8:14–15 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Paul now shifts from obligation to privilege. The Christian life is not only about putting to death the deeds of the flesh, but also about living in the freedom and intimacy of sonship. To be in Christ means not merely to be pardoned but to be adopted into God’s family. This adoption transforms our relationship with God from one of fear and bondage into one of love and confidence.
Paul writes, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The evidence of sonship is not in external religious observances or national identity, but in being led by the Spirit. Notice that Paul does not say we must be led by the Spirit in order to become sons. Rather, we become sons of God through faith in Christ, and as a result the Spirit leads us. This is the natural outworking of adoption: children are guided by their Father’s Spirit.
The Spirit’s leading is gentle yet authoritative. Spurgeon helpfully observed that the Spirit does not drive us like Satan drives men and even hogs into destruction, but He leads us as a Shepherd leads His sheep. The Spirit leads us in repentance, to turn from sin and trust Christ. He leads us to think less of ourselves and more of Jesus. He leads us into truth, into holiness, into love, and into usefulness for the kingdom of God. The Spirit’s leadership is not mechanical or forced but relational and cooperative, as we yield to His direction.
Paul continues, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. Life under the law produced bondage and fear. The law demanded obedience but gave no power to fulfill it, and the sinner lived in dread of condemnation. By contrast, the Spirit of adoption brings freedom, assurance, and intimacy. The believer does not relate to God as a fearful slave but as a beloved child. John captures this truth: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
Through the Spirit of adoption, we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ This is the language of intimacy and confidence. Abba was the Aramaic word used by children in the home to address their father in affectionate trust—akin to “Daddy” or “Papa.” This same cry that was natural for Jesus in His relationship to the Father (cf. Mark 14:36) is now placed in the mouths of believers, because we are in Christ. We are invited to approach God with the same closeness that His Son enjoys.
In the Roman world of Paul’s day, adoption carried profound meaning. An adopted son was deliberately chosen by his father, given full rights of inheritance, and treated as though he were a natural-born child. His old life was entirely erased—debts canceled, identity transformed, and a new status conferred. Nothing from his past could be held against him. This cultural background gives weight to Paul’s words: in Christ, our past is gone, our debts are canceled, and we stand as beloved sons and heirs of God.
Thus, to live in the Spirit is to live not only under His guidance but also in the joy of adoption. We are sons and daughters, not slaves; heirs, not outcasts. Our relationship with God is marked not by fear of judgment but by the cry of affection, Abba, Father.
The Evidence and Benefits of Being Children of God
Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
Paul now explains how believers can have assurance of their adoption. The Holy Spirit Himself provides inward testimony that we belong to God. This is not a vague feeling but a real, Spirit-given confirmation deep within the believer’s heart. Those who are truly born again know they are God’s children because the Spirit communicates this truth to their spirit.
This does not mean that false assurance is impossible. Some wrongly presume they are children of God without the Spirit’s testimony, mistaking religious activity or moral behavior for true sonship. Others, who genuinely belong to Christ, may at times struggle with doubt due to spiritual attack or personal weakness. In such seasons, their sense of assurance may waver, but the Spirit’s witness does not depart. His testimony remains, sustaining faith and drawing the believer back to confidence in Christ.
Paul’s words highlight that believers do not need to live in uncertainty. We are not left to wonder if we are truly Christians. We can know. Deuteronomy 17:6 says, “Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” Following this principle, our salvation rests on the witness of two voices: our own spirit, which recognizes the change wrought by grace, and the Spirit of God, who confirms that change with divine authority. Together, they testify that we are indeed children of God.
Romans 8:17 – “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
The privilege of adoption brings not only assurance but also inheritance. If we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Because we are in Christ, we share in His relationship to the Father. All that belongs to the Son by right of eternal sonship is shared with us by grace through adoption.
This truth stands in sharp contrast to the thinking of the rich young ruler who asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). Inheritance is not a matter of doing but of being. One does not work to gain an inheritance; one receives it by virtue of family relationship. The believer’s inheritance is guaranteed because of his position in God’s family through Christ.
Yet Paul reminds us that inheritance comes with responsibility: if indeed we suffer with Him. Union with Christ means union not only in His glory but also in His sufferings. God’s children are not promised exemption from hardship; rather, they are promised fellowship with Christ in the midst of it. To follow the Son is to share His path, which includes rejection, trials, and persecution. Philippians 1:29 declares, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
Paul adds, that we may also be glorified together. Suffering and glory are inseparably linked in God’s design. The pathway to glorification runs through affliction. While our flesh may long for inheritance without cost, God ordains that present suffering prepares us for eternal glory. Just as Christ entered glory through suffering, so too will His children. This is not loss but privilege, for our sufferings are but temporary compared to the eternal inheritance secured for us in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17).
Thus, the Spirit gives inward testimony of our sonship, and that sonship brings both present assurance and future inheritance. We are heirs with Christ, called to suffer with Him now and to reign with Him foreve
Life in the Spirit Makes Us Able to Understand and Endure Suffering
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Paul begins this section with a perspective that only a Spirit-led life can sustain. He speaks of considering—a word that indicates careful reasoning, not blind optimism. Paul was no stranger to suffering; he endured beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, hunger, and constant danger for the sake of the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23–28). Yet he declares that the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be placed on the same scale with the glory to come. When the eternal weight of glory is revealed, the heaviest burdens of this life will seem light in comparison.
Without this eternal perspective, the Christian life would appear foolish, even tragic. Paul admitted in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” But with the hope of future glory, every trial, every hardship, and every tear gains meaning. Our sufferings are not wasted; they are temporary birth pangs of eternal glory.
Paul adds that this glory will not merely be revealed to us, but in us. God has already planted His glory within the believer through the indwelling Spirit. In eternity, that hidden glory will be unveiled. As Morris notes, “The glory will be revealed, not created.” It already exists within us as a present reality, but it awaits manifestation when Christ returns.
Romans 8:19–22 – “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”
Paul then expands the scope of suffering beyond human experience to encompass all creation. He personifies creation as eagerly longing, with outstretched neck, waiting for the unveiling of God’s redeemed children. Creation itself is bound up with the destiny of humanity. When Adam sinned, all of creation was subjected to futility, decay, and corruption (Genesis 3:17–19). This was not creation’s choice, but God’s judgment, yet it was done in hope. Only God could subject creation to futility with the promise of future renewal.
Creation groans under its bondage, longing for deliverance into the glorious liberty of the children of God. This is more than restoration to Eden; it is participation in the new creation. Isaiah foresaw this day when the natural order would be transformed: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6–9). This is the hope of millennial restoration and ultimate renewal in Christ’s reign.
Paul warns against misinterpreting the phrase the revealing of the sons of God. Certain groups claim that creation awaits the manifestation of a super-class of elite Christians who will display extraordinary spiritual power. This interpretation is egotistical and false. What creation truly awaits is not a select group of spiritual elites, but the final glorification of all God’s children at Christ’s coming.
Finally, Paul describes creation’s present groaning as labor pains, not death throes. This distinction is crucial. Creation is not dying; it is anticipating new birth. Every earthquake, storm, and sign of decay reminds us not merely of judgment but of the world’s longing for renewal. The curse is not the final word; glory is.
We Also Groan and Wait with Perseverance for the Coming Glory
Romans 8:23–25 – “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Paul now turns from creation’s groaning to the groaning of believers. Those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit—that is, the indwelling presence of the Spirit as a foretaste of the glory to come—find themselves yearning for the fullness of redemption. The firstfruits, under the Old Testament system, were the initial portion of the harvest offered to God, serving both as thanksgiving and as a pledge of the full harvest yet to come. In the same way, the Spirit is the believer’s down payment of future glory (Ephesians 1:13–14). Having tasted His presence, we long for the completion of what God has begun.
Paul clarifies that we are eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Though we have already received adoption in one sense (Romans 8:15), we await its consummation at the resurrection. Redemption is not merely spiritual; God’s plan includes the body itself. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:53, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Our present bodies bear the marks of sin, weakness, and decay, but God promises transformation. This is not escape from the body but resurrection of the body, when mortality will be swallowed up in life.
Paul explains that we were saved in this hope. Salvation is both a present possession and a future expectation. We are saved now, yet the full enjoyment of our salvation lies ahead. That is why hope is necessary. Hope, by its very nature, deals with what is unseen. If we already possessed the fullness of our redemption, there would be no need for hope. Instead, we live in the tension of the “already” and the “not yet”—already adopted, not yet glorified; already redeemed, not yet resurrected.
Therefore, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. This perseverance is not passive waiting but active endurance. Morris describes it as the courage of a soldier who continues to fight steadfastly in the heat of battle despite difficulties. The Spirit sustains us in this perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on the coming glory that far outweighs present groaning.
God’s Help Through the Spirit Is Available to Us Now
Romans 8:26–27 – “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
While believers wait for future glory, Paul reminds us that we are not left without help in the present. The Spirit sustains us in our weaknesses, particularly in the area of prayer. Paul admits, we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. Our knowledge is limited, our perspective is clouded, and our emotions often overwhelm us. But the Spirit Himself intercedes on our behalf.
Paul describes this as groanings which cannot be uttered. This does not mean mere emotional sighs, nor does it only refer to the gift of tongues. While praying in tongues may be one expression of Spirit-led prayer (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:2, 14–15), Paul’s point here is broader. He describes divine communication that transcends human language. The Spirit takes the deep, inexpressible longings of our hearts and presents them perfectly before the Father.
Importantly, the Spirit intercedes according to the will of God. This ensures that our prayers, though often weak and imperfect, are aligned with God’s purposes through the Spirit’s intercession. The Father, who searches hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit, for the Spirit is God Himself. Thus, the believer’s prayers are undergirded and perfected by the Spirit’s ministry.
This is a profound comfort. When words fail, when our understanding falters, when we do not even know what to ask, the Spirit prays for us. Our weakness does not hinder God’s purposes, for His Spirit intercedes with unerring accuracy according to His will.
God’s Help Is an Enduring Promise
Romans 8:28–30 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
Paul now reaches a summit of assurance in Romans 8. Having spoken of suffering, groaning, and hope, he declares that God’s help is not temporary but eternal. His sovereignty is so complete that He works all things—every joy and every sorrow, every blessing and every burden—together for the good of His children. This promise is not sentimental optimism; it rests on the unshakable foundation of God’s eternal plan of redemption.
Paul begins with confidence: and we know that all things work together for good. This is not mere speculation but certainty rooted in God’s character. The believer may not see how each event is good in itself, yet God weaves all events into a tapestry of ultimate good. Even suffering, persecution, and trials—those very things Paul has been addressing—are instruments in God’s hand to accomplish His purposes. What Satan means for evil, God bends for good (Genesis 50:20).
Paul emphasizes all things. Nothing is excluded. God is not only sovereign over some events but over every event. He causes them to work together for good, not in isolation but in divine harmony. The condition is given: this promise is for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Biblical love is not mere sentiment but devotion expressed in obedience (John 14:15). Those who are called are not merely invited but effectually summoned into God’s saving purpose.
Paul then unfolds the eternal chain of salvation: for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. God’s foreknowledge is not passive awareness of future events but His sovereign, relational choice. To foreknow is to set His love upon beforehand. Those whom He foreknew, He predestined—marked out in advance for conformity to Christ. The goal is not merely rescue from hell but transformation into the likeness of Jesus. God’s eternal plan is to fill heaven with redeemed sons and daughters who bear the family resemblance to His Son.
Paul adds: that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Christ, the eternal Son, is exalted as the preeminent One in the family of God. The term firstborn speaks of priority and supremacy, not of creation. Jesus is the model and head of the redeemed family, and through Him we are made sons and daughters, sharing His glory and inheritance.
Paul completes the golden chain: moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. The sequence is unbroken. From eternity past to eternity future, God’s purpose is certain. Each link leads to the next without failure. The past tense of glorified is striking—it points to the certainty of future glory as though it were already accomplished. What God has decreed, He will surely fulfill.
This passage is therefore one of the strongest assurances in all of Scripture. Our salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. As Paul will later say, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He did not begin this work in order to abandon it. He foreknew, He predestined, He called, He justified, and He will glorify.
The Triumphant Victory of the Life in the Spirit
Romans 8:31 – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Paul begins the crescendo of this chapter with a rhetorical question that resounds through the ages. After laying out God’s eternal purpose, the Spirit’s indwelling, and the assurance of glory, Paul concludes: If God is for us, who can be against us? The early chapters of Romans made clear that God’s wrath is against sin and that man in himself stands condemned. But now, in Christ, the verdict is reversed. God, who once was our Judge, is now our Justifier and Defender.
Paul’s words are not mere sentiment but theological certainty. God has demonstrated His love and power in Christ, rescuing us from wrath, adopting us into His family, and securing our eternal destiny. Therefore, no enemy can ultimately prevail against us. As Newell wrote, “Our weak hearts, prone to legalism and unbelief, receive these words with great difficulty: God is for us... They have failed Him; but He is for them. They are ignorant; but He is for them. They have not yet brought forth much fruit; but He is for them.” The believer’s assurance rests not in his performance but in God’s unfailing favor in Christ.
At the same time, Paul’s statement is carefully guarded. He does not say God is for all men indiscriminately, for many claim God’s favor while rejecting His Son. Terrorists, cults, and deceived hearts commit atrocities under the assumption that God is on their side. Yet Paul’s “if” places the condition plainly: God is for us only if we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, man remains God’s enemy (Romans 5:10). In Christ, God is for us eternally.
Thus Paul asks, who can be against us? The believer is not exempt from enemies or persecution. Paul himself faced constant opposition. But none of these foes can thwart God’s plan or overcome His power. One man plus God is the majority, for God’s purposes cannot fail.
Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Here Paul gives the supreme evidence that God is for us: the gift of His Son. He who did not spare His own Son echoes Genesis 22, where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac, his beloved son. But God stayed Abraham’s hand and provided a ram in Isaac’s place. In contrast, the Father did not spare His own Son but gave Him as the true sacrifice for sinners.
If God has already given the greatest and most costly gift, how could we doubt His willingness to provide the lesser gifts necessary for our salvation and sanctification? The logic is clear: having given us Christ, God will freely give us all things that serve His purpose for us. These “all things” do not mean worldly riches or indulgences but everything needed to conform us to Christ, sustain us in suffering, and secure our eternal inheritance.
This promise echoes Paul’s words in Philippians 4:19: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” If the cross is the proof of God’s love, then His ongoing provision is guaranteed. The One who gave His Son for us will not fail to complete His work in us.
The Security of the Believer in God’s Love
Romans 8:33–39 – “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul concludes this majestic chapter with an anthem of assurance. Having shown the believer’s deliverance from condemnation (Romans 8:1), the Spirit’s intercession (Romans 8:26–27), and God’s eternal purpose (Romans 8:28–30), he now proclaims that nothing can undo God’s saving work or sever us from His love in Christ Jesus.
Paul begins with two questions that highlight the futility of opposition: Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? and Who is he who condemns? The imagery is courtroom language. In the heavenly tribunal, God Himself is the Judge. If He has declared His elect justified, no accusation can stand. Satan may accuse, men may slander, consciences may condemn, but none of these can overturn God’s verdict. Isaiah 50:8–9 declares, “He is near who justifies Me; who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me?”
Further assurance is given in Christ’s saving work. He is the One who died, bearing our penalty; the One who rose, securing our justification; the One who reigns, seated at the right hand of God; and the One who intercedes, pleading for us continually. With such an Advocate, condemnation is impossible.
Paul then raises the climactic question: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? He lists the fiercest enemies of faith: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword. These were not theoretical for Paul—he experienced nearly all of them (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23–27). The quotation from Psalm 44:22 reminds us that suffering is the lot of God’s people: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Suffering is not a sign of God’s absence but of the world’s hostility toward His people.
Yet Paul triumphantly declares, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Notice, not apart from these things, but in them. The believer does not merely endure trials but emerges victorious, enriched rather than diminished. The phrase more than conquerors (Greek: hypernikōmen) means to prevail completely, overwhelmingly. The Christian’s victory is greater because:
He overcomes with a greater power—the power of Jesus, not self.
He overcomes with a greater motive—the glory of Christ, not self-exaltation.
He overcomes with a greater victory—losing nothing, for even suffering works for good.
He overcomes with a greater love—responding to enemies not with hatred but with the love of Christ.
Finally, Paul affirms his absolute persuasion that nothing in all creation can separate believers from God’s love in Christ. He lists every conceivable threat: death or life, angels or principalities or powers, things present or things to come, height or depth, and then adds nor any other created thing. Nothing, whether natural or supernatural, temporal or eternal, visible or invisible, can sever the bond of God’s covenant love. The believer is eternally secure, not because of his grip on God, but because of God’s unbreakable grip on him.
This passage is the high point of Romans 8. The chapter began with no condemnation (v.1), and it ends with no separation (vv. 38–39). Between these two realities, Paul shows there is also no defeat. The Spirit leads, intercedes, and secures us, and the love of God in Christ is the unchanging foundation of our salvation.
