Romans 8:1-11 contains a wonderful description of the grace of God given to us through His Son, Jesus. It describes how, through the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ sacrifice, we are reconciled to God.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Romans 8:1 NIV

If we are “in” Christ Jesus, we are no longer condemned as sinners.

What does it mean to be “in” Christ Jesus? The word “in” in the Greek is the preposition “en” which is fully translated as “who are in”, this Greek word means “in”, “by” or “with”. If we are “in” Christ then we are “within” the terms of the covenant that He represents.

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2 NIV

Here we can see the contrast between the old covenant or testament (the law that came through Moses) and the new covenant or testament (salvation through Jesus Christ). The old covenant was unable to give life (Galatians 3:21), hence Jesus set us free from it to be saved by the law of the Spirit.

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.

Romans 8:3a NIV

The law of Moses was unable to save us because it needed to be kept 100% without fail for us to be righteous. The weakness of the flesh keeps us from achieving this. God triumphed over sin by doing what the law was unable to do through the sacrifice of His Son.

And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 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 8:3b-4 NIV

Sin was condemned to death by the flesh of Jesus, allowing us to meet the righteous requirements of the law. However, this only applies to those who live according to the Spirit. What does it mean to live according to the Spirit? God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, must be living in us! How does the Holy Spirit live in us? By accepting Jesus atonement for our sin on the cross.

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.

Romans 8:5 NIV

If we are not saved by Jesus, our minds go after those things that the flesh drives us to go after. In other words, our sinful flesh controls us. If we are saved then our desires are set by the Spirit living within us.

You might say, “I’ve accepted Jesus as my savior, however, I still sin. Surely then my desires are not set by the Spirit? Am I truly saved?”. One fruit of the Spirit that we should see in our lives is our DESIRE to do good. Even though we still sin, it should produce a godly grief within us when we do (2 Corinthians 7:10). We DESIRE to do better, even though we fall short.

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:6 NIV

Another contrast which summarizes the preceding verses: Being led by the flesh leads to death, but being led by the Spirit (saved through Jesus) leads to life and peace. The life referred to here is the abundant life offered by Jesus and avoidance of the second death (Revelation 2:11).

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:7-8 NIV

If we are not saved and do not have the Holy Spirit living within us, it is impossible for us to please God.

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.

Romans 8:9 NIV

If we are saved (which means that the Holy Spirit lives within us) then we are not completely under the control of our sinful flesh. If we do not have the Holy Spirit living within us, then we are not saved!

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.

Romans 8:10 NIV

Herein is shown the pure grace of God given to us that are His children: Even though we sin, we have life because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gives us His righteousness.

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 8:11 NIV

If the Holy Spirit lives within us then Christ lives within us by faith!

God raised Christ from the dead (Acts 2:24, Galatians 1:1 & 1 Peter 1:21). God will also give life to us because the Holy Spirit lives within us!

What a gift of grace we have through Jesus!