As we go verse by verse through Romans, we become aware that the book is the A to Z of God’s plan for mankind condensed into one book.

It reveals God’s righteousness by faith, the dispensation of grace, the gospel of Christ, and the mystery revealed to Paul. No Christian can fully enjoy the gospel or understand deliverance without grasping the first eight chapters of Romans.

Romans has led more people to salvation than any other book. It presents the purest gospel. It begins with the problem of sin and ends with the Spirit‑filled walk of the believer.

Romans establishes the believer on Paul’s gospel (the purest gospel) and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Romans 16:25).

It is the foundation for salvation and takes the reader on the most important journey of his life that begins at the understanding of God’s righteousness by faith, moves through the revealing of, and the knowledge of, the dispensation of grace, and continues through the clear revelation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His work and His offer of eternal life to all that believe.

Chapter 8 is the mountaintop of the epistle to the Romans, explaining how the Spirit indwells us, shapes our thinking, and directs our walk, but Romans 8 cannot be understood properly without Romans 7, and Romans 7 cannot be understood without Romans 6, and so on. Paul’s “therefores”, “fors” and “but nows” that he uses throughout Romans, and, in fact, all his epistles, tie what he’s saying back to the last verse and often the verse before that and the verse before that. Sometimes whole chapters are linked together as one whole doctrine this way. This is Paul’s style, and this ability to tie in whole verses and chapters makes Romans, in the opinion of many scholars, one of, if not the, greatest piece of literature ever written.

Paul begins Romans by declaring he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Romans 1 shows why this gospel is needed: humanity rejected God from creation onward, became foolish, and fell into deep sin. People are “without excuse.” God gave them up to their own corruption.

Romans 2 turns to Israel. God gave them the law so they could judge right from wrong, but the law condemned them because they could not keep it. Hearing the law was not enough; doing it was required, and Israel failed.

Romans 3 asks, “What advantage has the Jew?” They had the Scriptures, but still “none is righteous.” All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Paul then explains the gospel: Christ is the propitiation through faith in His blood, giving righteousness “without the law” and “freely by His grace” (Romans 3:24–26).

Romans 4 proves justification by faith from Israel’s own Scriptures. Abraham and David were justified by faith, not works. Their righteousness was imputed, and the same is imputed to all who believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification.

Romans 5 shows the results of justification. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, we’re reconciled to God, and stand in grace. Adam brought sin and death; Christ brings righteousness and life. Believers are now “in Christ,” not “in Adam”, and possess blessings freely given.

Romans 6-8 expands this identity in Christ. Romans 6 asks: if we are under grace, may we continue in sin? Paul says no—we’re dead to sin and alive unto God. Romans 7 explains that the law can’t help us serve God; it only exposes sin. Paul describes the struggle of the flesh and cries out in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The answer is Jesus Christ.

Romans 7 shows two laws at war inside us: the law of God in the mind and the law of sin in the members. The believer wants to do right but can’t perform it through the flesh. The flesh is weak and contains “no good thing.” The law is holy, just, and good, but it can’t give life because it is “weak through the flesh,” as Romans 8:3 will say.

This sets the stage for Romans 8, which shows how to walk “after the Spirit.” The Spirit was mentioned briefly in Romans 5, but here Paul explains His (the Spirit’s) role in our thinking, our direction, and our daily walk.

Romans 8:1 declares:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Most Christians celebrate the first part—no condemnation in Christ—but misunderstand the second part: “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

They think this means performing good works, acting holy, or maintaining a spiritual appearance. They try to look or behave like they imagine “walking in the Spirit” should look. When they fail, they feel condemned.

But Paul’s not talking about outward performance. “Walking after the Spirit” is a mindset, an inner knowledge, an understanding of the difference between our new man in Christ and our old man in Adam. It’s knowing what God says about us in His Word and believing and trusting that above all else, even though we can’t meet the requirements of holiness in our own selves.

Without this knowledge, we fall into the condemnation described in Romans 7.

Romans 8 is the mountaintop of the epistle because it teaches that the Spirit indwells us, shapes our mind, and directs our walk. It lifts our affections toward heavenly things and explains how believers, already justified, now live by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

Without Romans 8, or any of Paul’s epistles for that matter, we could never understand the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit.

One man who knew this difference and was able to truly see who he was in Christ was Horatio Spafford, who wrote the timeless hymn, “All Is Well With My Soul”, that has inspired and uplifted people facing tragedy for over 150 years.

We have embedded a version of this wonderful hymn under this broadcast.

In November 1873, Spafford decided to take his entire family to Europe for a vacation, intending also to assist DL Moody in his evangelistic work once he arrived there. However, Spafford was unexpectedly held up in Chicago, but decided to send his family aboard the S.S. Ville du Havre as scheduled. Midway through the trans-Atlantic voyage, the ship was struck by the English vessel Loch Earn and foundered in about 12 minutes. Spafford’s four daughters—Anna, eleven; Maggie, nine; Bessie, seven; and Tanetta, two—were among the 226 who perished. Mrs Spafford, one of the few who were spared, sent her husband the heartbreaking telegram: “Saved alone.”

Spafford immediately sailed for England to join his grief-stricken wife. As his ship passed the approximate location where his daughters had drowned, his deep sorrow, mingled with his unwavering faith in God’s goodness, caused him to compose this hymn and its words that have comforted countless souls suffering personal tragedy, doubts, fears and tribulation through the last century and a half.

As we said in the last episode, the word “therefore” opens up Romans 8:1, tying what’s about to be said to all that’s previously been said.

We can’t get what’s being said now if we don’t know what’s just been said, and this is extremely important!

Without the correct context, people will go straight into condemnation because they think these words are about always doing good works, or worse, trying to speak and act differently, like some of the ridiculous and embarrassing reels that pop up on social media of congregations doing crazy and often obscene actions and falsely attributing it to being “filled” with the Spirit. Or they simply try to look and do that which they think “walking in the Spirit” means.

But “walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” doesn’t mean any of these things at all; it’s a mindset, an inner knowledge, that brings an understanding of the difference between who and what we are spiritually and who and what we are naturally.

It’s a knowledge based on something more sure and certain than anything in this natural world. It’s knowledge based on the truth of the Word of God and what He says about us.

We must understand this difference between our spirit, the new man in Christ and our flesh, the old man in Adam, if we’re ever going to be free of the condemnation that comes on us through not always doing what’s right and good.

Romans teaches two essential truths:

1. That our position in Christ is fixed, secure, and given by God.
2. Our condition or our walk — our daily thinking, choices, and direction.

Positionally, in our position in Christ, there is no condemnation. But conditionally, in our condition, we must learn how to walk by faith to avoid the condemnation of Romans 7.

Salvation is unconditional—believe the gospel of grace (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). But walking without condemnation requires learning to walk after the Spirit. Romans 8 begins by joining these ideas when it says:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 5 says believers can “glory in tribulations,” but that’s not automatic. We must know how to walk by faith for tribulation to produce patience, experience, and hope. Romans 8 explains how the Spirit shapes our mind and guides our walk.

Understanding the difference between position and condition is vital. Our position is our standing—our God‑given place in Christ. Our condition is our daily experience. We may have peace with God as we’re shown in Romans 5:1,  yet still feel anxious or overwhelmed. That’s condition, not position.

Walking after the Spirit begins with acknowledging what Christ has done. If we start with “What must I do?” we return to the law and self‑effort—the very things that condemned us in Romans 7. We just cannot perfect ourselves by the flesh.

Galatians 3:3 asks believers,

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Salvation and maturity both depend on the Spirit, not on the flesh, not on our natural ability to do right. We simply can’t.

Colossians 2:6 says,

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Colossians 2:7 says how this is done,

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

We walk the same way we were saved—by grace through faith.

Romans 6 shows sin is not the path. Romans 7 shows the law is not the path. Romans 8 reveals the “other way”: walking after the Spirit.

Romans 8 uses the word “Spirit” twenty‑one times—more than any other chapter. It repeatedly speaks of “walking.” But walking after the Spirit begins with knowing. Romans 1–7 lays the foundation before Romans 8 ever mentions this walk.

Paul prays the same pattern in Colossians 1:9–10: believers must first be “filled with the knowledge of His will,” then they can “walk worthy,” and then they bear fruit. Knowledge comes before walk.

Ephesians 1:13 shows salvation’s order: hear the gospel, believe it, then be sealed with the Spirit. The Spirit cannot work in us apart from what we know.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 says the Word works effectually in those who believe it. Ephesians 5:17–18 teaches we cannot be filled with the Spirit unless we understand God’s will. Even singing must teach right doctrine (Ephesians 5:19). Emotional worship without truth, without God’s Word, is nothing more than deception.

1 Corinthians 2:12 says the Spirit is given “that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”  

The Spirit’s ministry in this dispensation is to give understanding through the Word.

Romans 8:1 then says believers must “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The next verses explain why. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

At this point it would be extremely profitable for you to read the whole of the rest of Romans 8 because it lays out this walk so clearly and plainly that it’s really hard not to see it.

Romans 7 described two laws: the law of God in the mind and the law of sin in the members. Romans 8 reveals a third law—“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” This law is not our will or performance. It’s the Spirit’s work based on what Christ accomplished.

As we’ve said, walking after the Spirit begins with knowing, knowing what Christ did.

Romans 8:9–11 teaches that the Spirit indwells believers, replacing the hopeless struggle of Romans 7 with a new principle of life. Romans 7 said “sin dwells in me” in my flesh, while Romans 8 says the Spirit dwells in me, in my inner man.

This new law frees us from condemnation and enables a walk that’s not based on the flesh or the law, but on the Spirit’s work and the truth we believe.

Christians often assume their inner self is clean while sin exists only “out there.” Scripture says sin remains in our members. Yet Romans 8 adds a second truth: the Holy Spirit also dwells in us. Though the flesh contains “no good thing,” the Spirit has quickened our inner man, sealed us, and now operates by a new principle—“the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

This law begins with what the Spirit has already done. The Spirit baptises believers into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13–14). This baptism is not water; it is the Spirit placing us into Christ. In fact, let’s read that important passage,

For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Romans 6 explains that this Spirit‑baptism identifies us with Christ’s death and resurrection. We were made in the likeness of His death so we could walk in newness of life made possible by His resurrection, as Romans 6:4-5 said. This baptism is not water; it’s the Spirit placing us into Christ.

Once we believe the gospel, the Spirit seals us and unites us with Christ (Ephesians 1:13–14). Romans 8 calls this “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” meaning the Spirit’s work in placing us into Christ frees us from “the law of sin and death.”

This freedom is not achieved by our performance but by Christ’s work and the Spirit’s operation.

How did we receive life in Christ? By believing the gospel: Christ died for our sins, rose again, and His righteousness was imputed to us (Romans 3–4).

Eternal life is “the gift of God”, so says Romans 6:23.

None of this came from our works. Paul now says that this same principle—the Spirit giving life in Christ—is the law that governs our walk. If salvation came by Christ’s performance, our walk must also rest on His performance, not ours.

Romans 7 shows the hopeless struggle of the flesh: the mind wants to do good, but the body serves sin. Romans 8 reveals a new principle—the Spirit’s law of life—which works only for those in Christ.

In Christ our spirit is made alive, our soul is no longer condemned, and though sin still dwells in the flesh, we’re spiritually circumcised and separated from its power. Outward appearance does not determine our standing; God looks at the inner man.

Before salvation, the spirit was dead, and the body served sin, but now the spirit is alive, the soul justified, and our life comes from Christ, not the flesh. The law could never give life because it was weak through the flesh, but Christ condemned sin in the flesh and freed us from the old law of sin and death. True life is in Christ, hidden with God, and known only by faith.

Romans 8:3 says:

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

The law could not give life because it was “weak through the flesh.” God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh” and “condemned sin in the flesh.”

The law was holy, just, and good, but it could not quicken our spirit or give eternal life. Galatians 3:21 says if the law could have given life, righteousness would have come by the law. But the law only revealed sin; it couldn’t deliver us from it.

Christ did what the law could never do.

He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”, fully human—body, soul, and spirit—yet without sin. He was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4), under the law, but not born in sin. This proves human flesh was not created for sin; sin corrupted it. Jesus shows that a human body can be a vessel for righteousness.

By His death and resurrection, He condemned sin in the flesh and provided life through the Spirit.

Sin is not a natural part of humanity.

God made man without sin. Christ lived as a true man—fully human, yet sinless. Second Corinthians 5:21 says He “knew no sin,” yet was made sin for us so we could be made righteous in Him.

He forgave sins, crucified the old man, and reckoned the flesh dead.

He performed what we could not.

Philippians 2 explains His humility: though equal with God, He “made himself of no reputation,” taking the form of a servant and appearing as an ordinary man.

He changed His appearance, not His deity. He put on flesh, John 1:14 says, walked among us, and looked like any other man, though He was far more.

This is the same as the believer’s experience. We may not look sanctified or heavenly, but God says we are in Christ. Christ knew His identity because He is God; believers must trust Scripture to know theirs.

This is the foundation of the believer’s freedom and the reason the Spirit’s law now operates in us.

People often claim they “keep the law,” but true law‑keeping would require never once breaking it. The moment someone needs a sacrifice or a confession, they’ve already failed. Israel’s sacrificial system proved the law could not save. Animal blood could never truly atone for sin.

King David received the Holy Spirit by God’s grace, not by law‑keeping. When he sinned, he begged God not to take the Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11). If the Spirit were given based on perfect obedience, no one would have Him.

Romans 8:3 says, “What the law could not do… God did.” The law could not save because sin dwells in us. It could not change the inner man, separate us from sin, or make us righteous. It could only reveal sin and condemn.

Christ came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”—fully human, yet without sin. He was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4), under the law, but not born in sin. This proves human flesh was not created for sin; sin corrupted it. Jesus shows that a human body can be a vessel for righteousness.

Christ condemned sin in the flesh by His death. He separated believers from the body of the sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11). He forgave sins, crucified the old man, and reckoned the flesh dead. He performed what we could not.

Walking after the Spirit begins with understanding this truth: salvation and sanctification rest on Christ’s performance, not ours. The Spirit applies Christ’s work to us. Our life is in Christ, not in our flesh.

Understanding Christ’s incarnation is essential for learning how to walk after the Spirit. Christ lived as a true man—fully human, yet sinless. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says He “knew no sin,” yet was made sin for us so we could be made righteous in Him.

Philippians 2 explains His humility: though equal with God, He “made himself of no reputation,” taking the form of a servant and appearing as an ordinary man. He changed His appearance, not His deity. He put on flesh (John 1:14), walked among us, and looked like any other man, though He was far more.

This is similar to the believer’s experience. We may not look sanctified or heavenly, but God says we’re in Christ. Christ knew His identity because He is God; believers must trust Scripture to know theirs.

Christ came into a world ruled by sin, yet He did not sin. He came “for sin”—to deal with it, redeem sinners, and break sin’s power. Matthew 1:21 says He came to “save his people from their sins.” 1 Corinthians 15 says Christ died for sins, then Romans 8:3 adds that He “condemned sin in the flesh.”

Christ’s death was not the result of sin’s wages, because He had no sin. He died to destroy sin’s power and remove sin from others. His resurrection mocked sin’s greatest weapon—death.

Sin controls humanity because it leads to death. The sinless Christ died and rose again, proving sin cannot conquer Him. Anyone in Christ shares His victory.

1 Corinthians 15:53 says:

“This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Christ put on mortality so He could bring immortality to us. Because He condemned sin in the flesh, believers—body, soul, and spirit—are redeemed. The flesh is still weak and mortal, but it is now claimed for God’s service. The Spirit dwells in us, and our body becomes a vessel God can use.

Walking after the Spirit begins with knowing these truths: Christ came in real flesh, defeated sin in that flesh, redeemed our entire being, and now directs our walk through the Spirit who dwells in us.

2 Timothy 1:10 says Christ “abolished death” and brought “life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Eternal life is not only future; believers possess it now.

Romans 8:4 says:

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Many misunderstand this verse the same way they misunderstand Romans 8:1. They think it means believers now keep the law’s commandments. But Paul doesn’t say the works of the law are fulfilled in us; he says the righteousness of the law is fulfilled.

Righteousness today is not gained by law‑keeping. Romans 3:21 says “the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.” Romans 3–7 already proved that no flesh is justified by the law and that even after salvation the law only condemns.

Romans 8 teaches that righteousness comes through Christ’s performance, not ours.

Walking after the Spirit is not following Jesus’ earthly example in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Christ lived sinlessly because He was God in the flesh. Believers cannot reproduce His earthly perfection.

Nor is Romans 8 describing the New Covenant operation promised to Israel in Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36, Hebrews 8, 1 John 2:27 and many other places, where the Spirit causes Israel to keep the commandments.

Romans 8 describes the Spirit’s work in the present dispensation of grace, where righteousness is imputed, not performed.

Imputed means it was charged to our account—given, not earned.

When Romans 8:4 says righteousness is fulfilled in those “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” it means walking after the Spirit is simply trusting Christ’s finished work, not relying on fleshly performance.

2 Corinthians 5:16 says we “know no man after the flesh,” meaning we don’t define people by outward appearance or behaviour but by what God has made them in Christ. The flesh fails, but Christ performed perfectly. His righteousness is counted to us, and the Spirit applies it.

Daily failures in the flesh do not remove the righteousness that was never ours by performance; it was always Christ’s righteousness. Walking after the Spirit means acknowledging His work, trusting His righteousness, and refusing to measure ourselves by our deeds in the flesh.

If we believe the gospel of grace and trust Christ, we are in Him—justified, reconciled, sanctified, complete, and accepted (Ephesians 1:6).

Seeing others this way requires knowing what it means to be in Christ: our identity is not based on outward performance but on Christ’s work and the Spirit’s sealing.

Romans 8:5–9 continues to reveal the critical difference between walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit.

Walking after the flesh is thinking according to the flesh—trusting our performance, relying on our willpower, measuring ourselves by our failures. Walking after the Spirit is thinking according to the Spirit—trusting Christ’s work, believing what God says about us, and setting our mind on truth.

Now we move to Romans 8:6, which says,

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

There’s that “for” again tying the verse to the previous ones. It’s explaining why Romans 8:5 says “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

For or because,

..to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Why?

Romans 8:7 is about to tell us that as well,

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Carnal thinking leads to the same condemnation Paul felt in Romans 7. Spiritual thinking leads to life and peace—the experience that matches our position in Christ.

The carnal mind is enmity against God. It’s an enemy of God, and it can’t be subject to the law of God. This proves again that law‑keeping can’t be the path of the believer’s walk.

Romans 8:8 is a sort of summing up of this thought line, as we can see again from the opening word “So”, which is tying directly into Romans 8:7.

So [because of these previous verses showing the difference between the carnal and the spiritual mind], So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

This clearly explains that those in the flesh cannot please God.

Even though our spirit is quickened, the same mortal body remains, and when we walk according to its desires or its ignorance, we effectively oppose God.

Every believer must know the things of the Spirit so we can discern flesh from Spirit and encourage one another to walk rightly.

Though we still possess flesh, we’re in Christ, and our body now belongs to Him. We must reckon it dead and walk in the newness of life that we now have in Christ. The danger comes when we forget this and treat our body as our own, letting its desires or it’s ignorance guide us.

Galatians 2:20 says,

“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God”.

Our mind must be fixed on this truth.

Those who are truly “in the flesh”—unsaved, and without the Spirit—can’t please God, no matter how religious or sincere they appear or how many good deeds they try to do.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Without Christ’s righteousness and the indwelling Spirit, there’s no spiritual life. This is why holiness movements that wait for the Spirit or rely on fleshly performance can’t please God. Only those in Christ, sealed by the Spirit, are His.

Then we come to the wonderful truth of Romans 8:9-10, which has been the lifeline for so many people through the ages and which removes all condemnation for the believer.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Even when we fail and walk after the flesh, our position doesn’t change. We’re not in the flesh but in the Spirit because God has placed us in Christ. Knowing this truth is the foundation for walking after the Spirit.

How do I know the Spirit dwells in me according to Romans 8:9-10? Scripture answers plainly.

In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul tells even the carnal Corinthians, “Ye are the temple of the Holy Ghost.”

Romans 5:5 says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost… which is given unto us.

Galatians 3:2 teaches that the Spirit is received “by the hearing of faith,” not by works or signs.

Ephesians 1:13-14 says that upon hearing and believing the gospel, “ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise…”

And 1 Corinthians 12:13 shows that no one is in Christ unless the Spirit has baptised them into His body. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

So, Romans 8:9 stands firm: if we have believed the gospel, we’re in the Spirit. If a man “hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”—he is unsaved.

This is why many chase tongue-talking or some other emotional experience, thinking these things either prove or somehow “call down” the Spirit’s presence.

But Scripture says the Spirit is given by faith, not by waiting, striving, or seeking signs.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, no one but Christ had the Spirit dwelling in them. Jesus promised the Comforter in John 14:16, and told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit was given (Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4–5).

But that was Israel’s program.

Today, under grace, the Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of faith.

Therefore, the believer’s confidence is this: we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Our body is still mortal, but our identity is in Christ. We please God because we’re accepted in the beloved as Ephesians 1:6 tells us we are.

Walking after the Spirit begins by knowing, by reckoning this truth and refusing to let the flesh define us.

Romans 8:9-10 does not apply to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It cannot.

The disciples were chosen by Christ, but they didn’t have the Holy Spirit. Something has changed now. Now everyone who believes the gospel of the grace of God gets the Holy Spirit of God. Even Hebrews chapter six doesn’t work according to Romans 8:9. It’s a different dispensation. Hebrews 6:4 says that if their minds go back to how it was, it’s impossible to renew them to repentance again. That’s a totally different situation than Romans 8.

Thank God for His grace.

Romans eight says, if we’re in Christ, by faith we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. That’s one of the blessings of God’s grace. And so we should walk after the Spirit, in what God’s instructed us about who we are in Christ. That’s what Romans 8 is teaching us.

Paul asks in Romans 7:7, “Is the law sin?”

Is the law bad or opposed to godliness? He answers, “God forbid.” The law is not sin. Instead, the law reveals sin as we’ve looked at in depth in the last episode.

Paul says he would not have known sin except the law said, “Thou shalt not.”

The commandment exposes what’s already in us.

In Romans 7:11-12 we read,

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Sin took advantage of the commandment, deceiving me, and condemned me to death.

Yet the law itself is “holy, and just, and good.”

Grace believers should not treat God’s righteous law as evil. The law has a good purpose, but we must understand that we are not under it.

To Romans 7:13 now, where we read,

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Paul asks, “If the law is good, did it cause death?” Again he says no. Romans 7 reminds us that even though we’re no longer servants of sin (as Romans 6 pointed out), sin is still present in us. We’re saved from the penalty of sin and the power of sin but not yet from the presence of sin.

The law helps us see that. The problem is not the law but sin. Romans 5:12 already taught that death comes by sin, not by the law. The law simply shows where sin is.

This is why Romans 7 is controversial for Christians who think the law still guides their walk, or who think Christians should never struggle with sin. Paul openly describes the reality of sin working in him. He teaches that sin is not just “out there” in the world; it’s in us saved people as well.

When Romans 7:13 says, “But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good,” it’s showing that sin uses the good commandment to show its true nature. If sin were not present, the law would produce life and righteousness. But because sin is in us, the commandment brings guilt and condemnation. The law shines a light on sin, making it quote “exceedingly sinful.” Just as we used as an example in the last episode of opening curtains in a dirty room. The light doesn’t create the dirt—it reveals it.

Without the law, sin seems harmless, and people live as if nothing is wrong. But when the law says, “This is wrong,” sin is exposed. The law makes sin obvious. So when the good law meets a sinful person and death results, we do not blame the law. The problem is sin in us, and that’s Paul’s point: the law is good, but sin is the real evil working death in us.

Now to Romans 7:14 where Paul says,

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

The law is spiritual because it comes from God and reaches into the inner man. It’s not only outward rules but deals with the heart. The first commandment was to love God, and that’s something that can’t be faked outwardly. David said in Psalm 19:7–9 that the law is perfect, pure, rejoices the heart, and enlightens the eyes.

God’s law touches the soul, not just behaviour.

Hebrews 4:12 also shows this,

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Paul experienced this when the command “Thou shalt not covet” revealed lust inside him. Coveting is an inward sin that can’t be seen externally. The law shines a light on the hidden parts of the heart, making sin visible. Nothing is hidden from God’s sight.

So when Paul says the law is spiritual, he means it is good, godly, and penetrating. This matters in Romans 7 because Paul is showing that sin is still present in us, even after salvation, and the law exposes how deep that sin runs in our flesh.

Then Paul says in verse 14, “I am carnal.”

This is where controversy begins. He’s not speaking about humanity in general but about himself personally—the apostle of grace, the writer of Romans and nearly a quarter of the New Testament of the Bible.

This challenges the idea that saints are people who never or seldom sin.

Paul openly admits his flesh is carnal. This raises the question: is Paul describing himself before salvation or after? Some argue he must be speaking of his past because Romans 6 teaches that believers are free from sin’s dominion. How could a saved man say he is “sold under sin” if he’s free from sin’s dominion?

But Paul speaks in the present tense: “I am carnal.” Earlier in the chapter he used past tense (“I was alive,” “when I was”), but here he speaks of his current state. Some claim only an unsaved person could say they’re “sold under sin,” since believers are redeemed. Yet Paul insists this is his ongoing struggle.

Carnal means fleshly, natural, opposed to what’s spiritual. Paul’s drawing a distinction between the flesh and the spirit, between the old man and the new man. Romans 6 describes who we are in Christ: dead to sin, alive to God, servants of righteousness.

Romans 7 teaches us to discern the difference between our identity in Christ and the sin still present in our flesh. If a believer sees sin in himself and does not understand this contrast, he may think his identity as a saint is ruined. But our identity is not based on performance; it’s based on Christ’s work.

So Paul’s statement “I am carnal” is not denying his salvation. It’s acknowledging that while he’s spiritually alive in Christ, his flesh is still sinful. Romans 7 teaches believers to recognise this reality without losing sight of who they are in Christ. Sin is present in us, but God doesn’t identify us by the flesh. We must learn to discern flesh from spirit so that the presence of sin does not destroy our confidence in God’s grace.

In Romans 7:17, Paul makes the statement, “It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

This raises questions because Paul is saved, forgiven, and justified, yet he says sin still dwells in him. In verse 18 he adds, “In my flesh dwells no good thing.” Some argue this must describe Paul before salvation, because a saved person has Christ and the Spirit. They say a believer should be able to perform what is good, and a believer would not call himself “wretched” (verse 24).

Holiness groups teach that Christians must maintain their standing with God through behaviour, and that sin is removed from the believer. So when Paul says he is “sold under sin” and “wretched,” they conclude he must be speaking of his past or of losing fellowship somehow.

They often quote Hebrews 12:14,

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

The trouble here is interpreting holiness to be personal performance. They see the Christian life as the Spirit helping us to obey the law, similar to the New Covenant promises to Israel. But Paul’s describing a different walk in Romans 7–8, a walk under grace.

It is not “the Spirit helps us do the law,” but that the Spirit has placed us in Christ where our standing is not based on our performance.

Others argue Paul must be speaking as a saved man because he says things only a regenerate person would say. In Romans 7:12 he calls the law “holy, just, and good.” In verse 16 he agrees with the law. In verse 18 he says he wills to do good. In verse 22 he delights in the law of God in the inward man. They argue an unsaved person would not delight in God’s law or will to do right. This is the opposite side of the controversy.

Both sides use Scripture, but both assume salvation is proven by behaviour or inner desire.

Romans chapters 3–5 have already taught that salvation is by grace, not performance. Paul’s point is not to prove whether he’s saved by his behaviour. He’s showing that even as a saved man, sin is still present in his flesh.

In Romans 6, he taught that believers are free from sin’s dominion and penalty. But in Romans 7 he teaches that sin’s presence remains in our mortal flesh. Christ did not remove our flesh; He saved us from its penalty and power. The flesh is still corrupt, but it no longer defines us.

So when Paul says “I am carnal” and “sold under sin,” he’s describing the condition of his flesh, not his identity in Christ. His new man delights in God’s law, but his flesh still resists it. Grace allows him to acknowledge this honestly without losing his standing. Sin is present, but it cannot condemn him or rule him. Romans 7 teaches believers to discern between flesh and spirit so that the presence of sin does not destroy their confidence in God’s grace.

Scripture clearly shows that saved people can still be carnal. This is not ideal, but it is the reality. In 1 Corinthians 3:1–3, Paul calls the Corinthian believers “brethren,” yet says they are “carnal” and “babes in Christ.” They are saved, but walking like unsaved men—full of envy, strife, and division. Salvation does not automatically change a person’s walk. Romans 6–8 teaches that our walk should change, but the flesh remains present, and believers can still live carnally if they ignore what grace teaches.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we instinctively know that even as a Christian, and just like Paul, we cannot do right all the time. If we look at our minds, our thought life, as well as our physical actions, we know we can’t live up to the law’s standard. This is the very thing that makes us aware of how much we need God’s grace. To deny, especially to ourselves, that we still sin now we’re a Christian is the ultimate self-deception. The question is not whether we still sin but what’s the answer to it, and Paul’s letters explain that in great detail.

So saved people may still be carnal, but people who love the law may still be lost. Wanting to obey the law is not proof of salvation. Galatians 3:3 rebukes those who began in the Spirit but tried to be perfected by the flesh. It says,

Are ye [the Galatians] so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

The Galatians trusted Christ, then turned to the law for sanctification, showing they did not understand grace. Paul questions whether they truly grasped the gospel. The Corinthians abused grace; the Galatians doubted grace. Both errors show why Paul must teach the difference between flesh and spirit.

Romans 7 is the first place Paul applies this distinction to himself. He says, “The law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” He’s acknowledging the flesh still present in him. Galatians 4:11 and Galatians 5:4 warn that those who seek justification or sanctification through the law fall from grace. They didn’t lose salvation; they lost the ability to walk in the knowledge and peace of grace.

If we think our standing with God depends on our behaviour, we don’t understand grace. Grace justifies, sanctifies, keeps, and completes the believer in Christ.

So when Paul says “I am carnal” and “sold under sin,” he’s describing the Christian struggle, not denying his salvation. He resolves this struggle in Romans 7:25:

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Only a saved person can say that. In Romans 8:1–2, he explains that there is no condemnation for those in Christ who walk after the Spirit. The Spirit of life in Christ has made him free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:23 adds that believers still wait for the redemption of their bodies. Our bodies were not changed at salvation; they remain mortal and corrupted by Adam’s sin. Christ saved us from sin’s penalty and power, but not yet from its presence.

So “sold under sin” refers to the flesh, not the new creature in Christ. We live in a present evil world, and our mortal flesh still carries sin’s corruption. Sin is present, but it cannot condemn us or rule us. Romans 3–6 taught that sin is damnable and that believers are no longer servants of sin. Romans 7 teaches that despite that, sin is still present in us. Romans 8 teaches how to respond: not with self‑condemnation or law‑keeping, but by walking after the Spirit where there is no condemnation.

Because sin remains in our flesh, the law cannot justify or sanctify us. The law only exposes that sin. Grace must justify and sanctify. Christ is our righteousness and sanctification, as 1 Corinthians 1:30 says. Sin works death in our flesh, yet we’re told to bring our bodies under subjection because we’ve been liberated from sin. This creates a conflict inside us: sin dwells in our flesh, but we belong to Christ. Paul describes this conflict personally: “That which I do, I allow not… what I hate, that do I.” The law shows the failure, but can’t fix it. Only grace can.

Romans 7:15–16 shows Paul’s incredible struggle, the same struggle as ours,

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

What he wants to do, he does not do; and what he hates, he ends up doing. He’s testifying to his will—his desire to obey what is good and right—yet his flesh resists him. This is the same battle every honest Christian faces. The conflict is not in the Spirit but in the flesh. When we walk in the Spirit, there is no battle; the battle exists only when the flesh acts.

Paul teaches that our flesh is corrupt, like a broken vehicle that we still have to drive. Christ purchased our bodies as instruments for His service, but the flesh itself remains weak and unreliable. Galatians 5:13 warns believers not to use their liberty as an occasion for the flesh. Liberty from the law does not mean sin is harmless. We must know what sin is without putting ourselves under the law’s condemnation.

Galatians 5:16–17 explains the same struggle:

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

This matches Paul’s words in Romans 7. The saved person has a new man who desires righteousness, but the flesh still pulls in the opposite direction. Romans 6 taught that the old man is crucified and sin’s power is broken, yet sin’s presence remains in our mortal flesh.

Paul separates his inner desire from his outward actions. The “want to” comes from the inward man; the “doing” comes from the flesh. James 1 shows that sin begins with inward temptation before it becomes outward action.

Romans 6 focused on changing how we think of ourselves in Christ. Romans 7 shows the reality that sin is still present in what we do.

Paul hates the sin he commits. This is where every Christian must stand. We cannot excuse sin or pretend it is harmless. We must acknowledge sin as sin without placing ourselves under the law’s condemnation. When Paul says he does what he hates, he’s agreeing with the law that the law is good. He joins the law in condemning the sin in himself. This is the right response: to stand with God’s law against sin, even when it’s found in us.

The law judges actions, not intentions. Even if Paul did not want to sin, the law still exposes the sin in his flesh. This is how he knows his flesh is “sold under sin.” His inner man desires righteousness, but his flesh acts opposite to that desire. This conflict proves that sin still dwells in his flesh, not in his new identity in Christ.

Christians must acknowledge this truth. If we begin to think sin is “not that bad,” we drift into dangerous territory. Sin remains corrupt and destructive. Its presence in us does not mean we are unsaved or unspiritual; our response to sin reveals our spirituality. We must recognise sin, hate it, and walk after the Spirit where there is no condemnation. The law cannot justify or sanctify us because sin is still present in our flesh. Only grace can. Christ is our righteousness and sanctification.

Paul’s struggle is the Christian struggle: liberated from sin’s power, yet still living in mortal flesh where sin dwells. The conflict between flesh and spirit is real, and Romans 7 teaches us how to understand it so we can walk in the Spirit without losing confidence in God’s grace.

Christians must never grow comfortable with sin. Even though we are saved by grace and freed from sin’s penalty and dominion, sin itself is still terrible. Grace teaches us to live righteously, and because Christ died for our sins, sin should be disgusting to us—even though it’s still found in our flesh. Paul knows his flesh is a slave to sin, and in Romans 7:17 he says,

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

He is separating his true identity in Christ from the sin that remains in his flesh.

Calvinists often misunderstand this passage by assuming the problem must be in Paul’s willpower. But Paul shows he genuinely wants to do good; the problem is not his desire but the sin in his flesh. Verse 18, Romans 7:18, explains it clearly:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Sin dwells in the flesh, not in the regenerated spirit. His spirit is quickened, his soul is saved, and his flesh belongs to God—but sin still resides in that flesh.

This truth helps us understand death and glorification. When we die, we put off the mortal flesh where sin dwells. Sin’s penalty and power are already removed in Christ, and at death its presence is finally gone. Paul teaches believers to separate who they are in Christ from the sinful flesh they still carry.

Colossians 2:11 describes this spiritual separation:

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

believers are “circumcised… in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh.”

Christ has legally separated us from the flesh, even though we still live in it. Our flesh sits beside us every day, but it is not who we are. One part of us will die forever; the other will live forever in Christ.

Some Christians wrongly believe sin is eradicated at salvation. This leads either to excusing sin or redefining sin as something harmless. Paul warns against this. We must acknowledge sin’s presence so we don’t become blind to it. Denying sin leads to spiritual confusion and moral compromise.

We saw in verse 18, “In me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing.”

A saved person can say this about their flesh. Christ and the Spirit do not dwell in our flesh; they dwell in us spiritually. Our flesh will die, but Christ in us will never die. The old man is destroyed in terms of power, yet we still wrestle with him because sin remains present.

Roman 7:18-19 says,

…for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

You see, he wants to do good, but he cannot always perform it because the flesh interferes. In this way, the saved person resembles the unbeliever: both lack the ability to perform righteousness in the flesh. The difference is that the believer has hope, forgiveness, and a new identity in Christ.

This helps us minister grace. We don’t walk around as glorified beings; we walk in the same flesh as everyone else, yet with the peace and assurance of salvation. We can say to the unbeliever, “I struggle just as you do, but Christ has saved me.” We’re both mortal and eternal, and we’re both dying in the flesh, yet as a believer I’m alive forever in Christ.

Paul concludes that salvation must be by grace, because our flesh cannot perform righteousness. If salvation depended on performance, God would have given us the ability to perform perfectly. But He didn’t. Instead, He saved us freely by grace. The New Covenant will require performance; the mystery of Christ does not.

Again, Romans 7:19 says,

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

He wants righteousness, but the flesh resists. This is the Christian struggle: sin present in the flesh, righteousness present in the inward man, and grace teaching us how to walk in the Spirit despite the conflict.

Paul continues in Romans 7:20 by confessing honestly that although he wants to do good, he often ends up doing the evil he hates. This is not a confession to gain forgiveness—he already has abundant grace in Christ. Instead, he’s describing the real struggle between flesh and spirit so believers can learn how to walk after the Spirit. If we can’t admit the same truth about ourselves, we’re not seeing ourselves clearly through God’s Word.

Paul’s showing that the Christian life requires recognising the flesh and how it lusts against the Spirit, as Galatians 5:17 explains,

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

So we’ve got to learn to identify what comes from the flesh and what comes from the Spirit. Only then can we feed the Spirit and starve the flesh. Walking after the Spirit brings no condemnation; focusing on the flesh only leads to failure and guilt.

Paul hasn’t mentioned the Holy Spirit yet in Romans 7. He’s first identifying the problem: the flesh cannot perform righteousness. If we try to keep the law through the flesh, we will end in despair, saying as Paul does in Romans 7:24,

O wretched man that I am!

But if we see ourselves in Christ, we have something else to look at—our new identity, our freedom, and the Spirit’s work.

Under grace, the flesh does not perform. Christ performed the work to save us, and Romans 8 will show that the Holy Spirit performs the work in us. Our flesh remains broken. This is why we need God’s grace every day. When our flesh fails, we can say that that’s typical of flesh—thank God for His grace.

Romans 20–21 concludes that sin dwells in his flesh, and believers must acknowledge the same,

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

This is separating two laws: the law in our members that brings us into captivity, and the law in our mind that serves God. This teaches us where to walk—after the mind of Christ, not after the flesh.

Out of the Spirit come good things; out of the flesh come bad things. We must learn to walk in the Spirit, and that is possible because Christ is in us. Romans 7 shows the conflict; Romans 8 shows the solution.

Paul’s honesty helps us understand our own condition. If we focus only on the flesh, we’ll see failure and condemnation. But if we focus on who we are in Christ, we see freedom, righteousness, and hope. The Christian life is learning to walk according to the Spirit while recognising that sin still dwells in our flesh. We don’t deny sin, or excuse it, or pretend it’s gone—we acknowledge it, hate it, and walk in the Spirit where there’s no condemnation.

Until the next episode, may God give us all a deep understanding of the sin within us and the solution – walking in the Spirit.