Romans 8:1-11 (NRSV)
Read Romans 8:1-11 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 8There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Verse 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Verse 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Verse 4so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Verse 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Verse 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Verse 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-indeed it cannot, Verse 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 9But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Verse 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Verse 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Devotion
Today, I restored a tree. With another volunteer, we cut away years of dead wood and neglect, pulled out branches and broken bits. Ignoring the sharp stab of strong thorns, we trimmed to encourage good growth, creating opportunity for the tree to thrive. As we completed our work, we stepped back in awe and agreement; the tree had been set free and the true nature of the beautiful Black Hawthorne was revealed.
Today, God is at work restoring you. The broken bits, dead wood, and neglect that tangle up your life do not define you, because the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead is at work re-creating you. Each and every day God makes a way for you to thrive; you are set free, and your true nature as God’s beloved will be revealed.
Prayer
Creator God, your love sustains me through tangled messes. Help me see your Spirit at work in me, bringing life and the opportunity to grow and thrive. Amen.