Romans 8A

Life in the Spirit

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Exposure to Exposition & Exploring the Scriptures: (15-20 mins)

• Bible Drills (Memorization of OT & NT Book order)

• Guide the children to Romans 8:1-11 in the Bible. (Help them as needed, NT vs OT)

• Say: We are going to continue through Paul's letter to the church of Rome.

• We will learn that the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes, and we should never be ashamed of Jesus.

• Read aloud. (Ask kids to start their pointer fingers on V1 and follow along)

Opening Question

Who helps you when you feel stuck, scared, or unsure what to do?” (Let kids discuss) → Opens discussion about the Holy Spirit being our helper and proof we belong to Jesus.

Notes:
Romans 6 taught us that when we believed in Jesus, He made our spirit brand-new.
Romans 7 showed us why we still struggle with sin—because our body hasn’t been fixed yet and still wants to do wrong.

That can make us wonder things like:

• If I still sin, am I really saved?

• How do we know who is truly a believer?

• Do hard things happen because God is upset with me?

All these questions really come down to one worry: “Am I safe with God forever?”

Romans 8 answers that worry.

• It shows us that even though we still battle sin, we are completely secure in Jesus and nothing can ever separate us from Him.

Romans 8:1-11 NLT
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Notes:
Because Paul starts this with {So} as in you understand Romans 6 & 7, now I’ll continue. Other versions of the Bible use the word therefore.

• V1 No Condemnation in Christ- RIGHT NOW!

  • When you trust in Jesus, God gives you a new spirit — perfect, clean, and forever His.

  • God never condemns His children. Not now… not ever.

  • Even though our body still sins, our true self (our spirit) is already forgiven and made new.

  • God sees Jesus’ righteousness when He looks at us — not our failures.

  • Kid Point: Jesus took my punishment, so I never have to fear God’s anger or wrath.

Romans 8:2-4 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

• V2-4 Freedom From the Law of Sin and Death

  • The Holy Spirit sets us free (v.2).

  • Our old spirit was under a rule (“law”) that said sin = death.

  • The Holy Spirit is now the “law of life” inside us.

  • The Law couldn’t save us (v.3).

  • Our sinful flesh couldn’t obey the law; the Law only showed us our failure.

  • Jesus fulfilled everything the Law required (v.4)

  • Everything God’s Law demanded — perfect obedience — has already been completed in Christ.

  • When we trust Jesus, His perfect record becomes our record.

  • We now walk by the Spirit, not the flesh (v.4).

  • Our old sinful body still tries to pull us toward sin… but it doesn’t rule us anymore.

  • Kid Point: Jesus completed everything the Law required, including the punishment of death.

Romans 8:5-8 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

• V5-8 Before I was saved, I never thought to please God.

  • Before Jesus, we only followed our flesh.

  • Before salvation, there was no tug-of-war inside us—only the sinful desires of our body. (Even the good we did).

  • The unbelieving mind naturally is against God (v.6–7).

  • Paul says a mind “set on the flesh” leads to death—because sin always ends in death.

  • The fleshly mind is hostile toward God—it doesn’t want what He wants and can’t obey Him, even if it tries.

  • God’s Law shows us what’s right, but the flesh uses that knowledge to sin even more.

  • The unbeliever cannot please God (v.8).

  • Without the Spirit, a person has no desire to honor God.

  • They don’t feel convicted about sin, and they don’t think about eternity.

  • They do not worry about salvation — because the idea never even enters their mind.

Notes:
After salvation, everything inside us changes!

• When we trust in Jesus, God gives us a new spirit that perfectly agrees with Him.

• Our thinking changes from:

  • “How do I avoid trouble?” → to → “How do I please God?”

  • “What do I want?” → to → “What does God want?”

• Now we feel burdened by sin, not just its consequences.

• We think about eternal life, not just earthly things.

• Our changed thinking is proof that we belong to Jesus!

  • The fact that you care about sin…

  • The fact that you want to obey…

  • The fact that you think about heaven…

  • All of that proves the Holy Spirit is inside you.

• Kid Point: Before Jesus, my mind followed sin. Now, because of the Holy Spirit, I can think in a way that pleases God.

Romans 8:9-11 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

• V9-11 The Holy Spirit is God’s proof that you truly belong to Jesus and will live forever with Him.

  • When you believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to live inside you instantly (v.1).

  • Paul says clearly:

    • If someone has the Spirit, they belong to Jesus.

    • If someone does NOT have the Spirit, they are not His.

  • Your body still sins and will one day die. But the Spirit in you is ALIVE!

  • Your spirit is part of Christ, perfect and righteous forever.

  • The SAME Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will raise your body one day, making it new and perfect and unable to sin ever again.

  • This means nothing you do in your body can undo what Christ has done in your heart.

  • Kid Point: I am His forever & will one day have a perfect body like Jesus!

Observation Questions (What did it say?)

1. According to Romans 8:1, what is there now for those who are in Christ Jesus? (No condemnation. God will not judge or punish our spirit for sin. However, there IS still consequences for sin)

2. In Romans 8:2, what has set us free from the law of sin and death? (The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus — meaning our new Spirit-born life. Being Born-again)

3. According to Romans 8:9, who does not belong to Christ? (Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ living in them. Unbelievers)

Understanding Questions (What does it mean?)

1. Why is there no condemnation for believers? (Because our spirit is now perfect and righteous in Christ, even though our body still sins. v.1)

2. What does Paul mean when he says the Spirit “set us free”? (We are no longer under the law that demanded death for our sin — Jesus already paid that penalty v.2)

3. What does Romans 8:11 mean when it says the Spirit will “give life to your mortal bodies”? (The same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus will one day raise our bodies and make them new and sinless forever v.8)

Application Questions (What should I do?)

1. If God says you are “not condemned,” how should you think when you feel guilty or afraid? (Remember that God does not condemn me — my sin does not change God’s love or my salvation. There are still consequences for sin v.1)

2. How can knowing the Spirit lives in you help you make better choices? (I can listen to His voice and choose things that please God instead of things my sinful body wants v.9-10)

3. How does the promise of resurrection encourage you when life feels hard? (God will finish the good work He started — one day I will have a perfect body and live with Him forever v.11/ Philippians 1:6)

Remind them: What is the Gospel?

Jesus’ perfect life paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus died on the cross as the punishment for sin. But Jesus did not stay dead, three days later He rose to life (resurrection) defeating the power of death. Believe, and you will be saved!

• We are all sinful. We all deserve the consequence of sin- death.

• Jesus is what saves us from the sin we all have in our bodies. And one day, he’ll even give us a new body.

Supporting Truths Kids Can Grasp:

• God will not punish me for sin when I stand before Him. (Romans 8:1)

• God’s Spirit gives us a brand-new kind of life. (Romans 8:2)

• Jesus perfectly obeyed God for us. (Romans 8:3-4)

• God sees us as righteous because of Jesus living in us. (Romans 8:10)

• The Holy Spirit guarantees our future resurrection. (Romans 8:11)

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.