From Lost to Loved: A 30-Day Study of Romans 8Sample

British soldiers liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in April 1945. Upon arrival, they announced freedom through loudspeakers. Some didn’t waste a moment; they bolted toward freedom. Others stood still, unsure if it was a trick.[1] They had been starved, beaten, and stripped of dignity. For them, freedom was beyond comprehension. Death had been rolled back, but fear was still lodged in their minds. Scars still cried out from their bodies in a way that commanded their attention.

That’s the spiritual tension Paul speaks to in Romans 8. Verse one declares the verdict, and verse two reveals how we walk it out. The Judge has spoken and the gates are now open. Has that stunning truth truly settled into your own mind?

You are set free.

But what good is an open gate if you live like you’re still locked in? It’s time to walk out of the prison sin placed you in. No more bowing to the guards of guilt. No more obeying the rules of death. You aren’t just declared free. The Holy Spirit moves within you to lead you into a spacious life shaped by the Gospel.

He doesn’t hover from afar. The Spirit works from the inside out, rebuilding what sin wrecked and reclaiming what shame discarded. He is the same One that brooded over chaos in Genesis 1. He is not passive but powerful. He draws life from the void and now lives in you. If you bear the name of Christ, He’s in every crack and crevice of your story, turning ruins into gardens. He doesn’t offer to patch things up. He makes them new. That’s the kind of freedom He brings.

Yet, all that life and vitality is squandered when we willingly submit ourselves to the harsh reign of guilt, shame, and condemnation. The good news of 8:2 is you don’t step into the 8:1 life in your own strength, wisdom, or understanding. This new life is a work of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

My prayer for you is simple: May the Spirit’s work be unmistakable in your life. May the voice of condemnation be silenced and the freedom of Christ deeply experienced. Name where condemnation still lingers and then trust Him. You don’t have to free yourself. In fact, you couldn’t if you tried. You belong to Jesus now, and the Spirit of life will lead you into a life of grace, peace, and Kingdom strength.

REFLECT:
Where are you resisting the Spirit of Life?

[1]Richard Nelsson, “The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen – Archive, 1945,” The Guardian, April 9, 2025, last modified April 10, 2025.