We depend on the Holy Spirit to walk in new life.

Scripture: Romans 8:1-7, 12-15, 26-28 

Central Truth

As fallen humans, we can’t keep God’s law without the Holy Spirit working within us, and the outcome of sin is death. This law has been at work in humans since Eden. But because Christ perfectly kept God’s law and sacrificed Himself for us, another law works within believers now—the law of life through the Spirit.

Key Question

What does it mean to be condemned? What did Jesus’s sacrifice do for us?

Keep in Mind

It can be difficult for students to know if they’re hearing and walking according to the Spirit. We can tell a lot about ourselves by the fruit in our lives. But what does this mean? If we are healthy believers—walking by the Spirit—then our character will become progressively more like Jesus’s character. We can remind students of this truth: Obeying the Spirit will lead to desiring the things of God more than the things of this world. Paul describes some of these growing fruits as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). If you are walking by the Spirit and keeping in step with God, then these qualities will grow, and they’ll be evident to others as well.

APPLICATION

Why does what we set our minds on, or think about, matter? What could our thoughts lead to?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: What our students think about greatly affects how they live. If their thoughts are constantly trained on worldly desires—popularity, money, partying—then they’ll be drawn to walk in that lifestyle. But if their minds are fixed on things of the Spirit—loving God, pleasing God, and worshiping God—then they will walk in freedom. 

FOR THE LEADER: As leaders, we have a different vantage point. We’ve seen what walking by the flesh leads to. We can use our experiences to help students see that walking by the Spirit is the only way to live in true freedom.