In my mind Romans 8 is one of the most important chapters in the whole Bible. It is packed with truth, which, if understood and applied, will make all the difference in the world in the way you experience Christianity.
In chapter 6 we focused on positional realities. Chapter 7 focused on practical dynamics. In chapter 8, we will look at the powerful potential available to all who trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. We could outline Romans 8 as follows: Verses 1-17 – powerful potential in facing daily life, verses 18-30 – powerful potential in facing the future, and verses 31-39 – powerful potential in facing opposition.
But the more I thought about it I felt it would be interesting to do a basic devotional study answering questions like, what does this chapter teach us about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? What does it teach us about man, both unsaved and saved? What does it teach us about the world in which we live? Are there promises to claim, commands to obey or warnings to heed? Answering these questions will get to the heart of what Paul says in this very important chapter in the book of Romans.
When I reflected on the first question about God the Father I came up with three basic answers: God’s plan determined. God’s plan delivered. God’s plan delighted in. Read the chapter again and note the places where reference is made to God the Father. In our next visit we will begin to explore these three points.