“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh…” – Romans 8:2-3
Have you ever felt weighed down by life’s struggles, wondering if you have what it takes to live the way God calls you to? Here’s the liberating truth: you don’t—and that’s exactly why God gave you something far better. Romans 8:3 tells us, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” The law couldn’t save us because our human nature was too weak to fulfill its demands. But God didn’t leave us stranded. The Father sent Jesus—who took on flesh like ours yet never sinned—to absorb the full weight of God’s judgment against sin in His own body. When Christ died on the cross, He didn’t just pay a debt; He shattered the power of condemnation that held us captive. The Trinity launched the greatest rescue mission in history, with the Father sending the Son to accomplish what we could never do ourselves.
But salvation doesn’t stop at the cross—it continues to unfold in your everyday life through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:2 declares, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Think of it like gravity versus the principle of flight: a baseball thrown into the air must come down, pulled by gravity’s relentless force. But a bird, though heavier than the air it displaces, soars upward because the principle of life within it overcomes gravity. That’s what the Holy Spirit does in you! While sin’s gravitational pull drags everything toward death and decay, the Spirit’s power constantly lifts you higher into newness of life. You’re not just forgiven and left to fend for yourself—you’re being continuously elevated, empowered, and transformed. As Proverbs 15:24 beautifully states, “The way of life winds upward for the wise, that he may turn away from hell below.” The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you, giving you strength to rise above every circumstance.
So what does this mean for you today? Stop living like you’re still trapped in the pit. God has already lifted you out of the miry clay and set your feet on solid ground (Psalm 40:2). The worries that consume you—those fears about your future, your failures, your weaknesses—they’re all overshadowed by this towering truth: the entire Trinity is invested in your journey. When you feel yourself spiraling downward, remember that you have access to the same upward power that transforms clay into beautiful pottery. Wait on the Lord in prayer, in His Word, in worship. Isaiah 40:31 promises, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Let this week be one where you actively rely on the Spirit’s elevating power instead of your own diminishing strength. Choose one area where you’ve been struggling and invite the Holy Spirit to lift you above it. You were made to soar—not to stay grounded by guilt, fear, or impossibility.
surrendered devotions 