November 10, 2024 – Romans 8:1-13

Lesson Date: November 10, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 8:1-13

AIM: To lead students to discover some of the amazing changes that occur when a person is declared not guilty by God, and to examine themselves so any who are not currently in Christ may be declared not guilty today.

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 8:1-13 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Ask: “Have any of you ever witnessed a criminal trial, either in person or by way of video?” (allow time for responses).

Ask: “Was there a defendant in the trial?” (yes).  Ask: “Was there a judge present for the trial?” (yes).  Ask: “Were there lawyers for the prosecution and defense?” (yes).  Ask: “Did the prosecuting attorney try to prove that the defendant was guilty?” (yes).  Ask: “Did the defense attorney try to prove that the defendant was not guilty?” (yes).

Tell the class that after all the evidence has been presented and all the arguments have been made, the time comes for the judge to render the verdict.

Ask: “What happens to the defendant if the judge rules that he is guilty?” (he is taken away to begin serving the penalty for committing the crime).  Ask: “What happens to the defendant if the judge declares that he is not guilty?” (he is set free, his record is clear, and he is not required to pay any penalty).

Stress the fact that the defendant’s future will be very different, depending on whether he is declared guilty or not guilty.  Tell the class the presence or absence of the little word “not” makes all the difference in the defendant’s future freedom or incarceration and living conditions.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Not Guilty.  Tell them we will discover some of the amazing changes that take place when we are declared by God to be not guilty.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the New Testament book of Romans.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Our Struggle With Sin; we learned about the inner struggle we face when we try to resist sin and do good).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite the bonus memory verse suggested at the end of last week’s lesson (James 4:7).
2. Those Who Are In Christ Have Been Declared Not Guilty.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 8:1a, stopping after the word “Jesus” (many modern Bible translations omit the remainder of the verse).
   • Ask: “What does this verse say about those who are in Christ Jesus?” (they are not under condemnation).
   • Explain the following:
     • The word condemnation is a legal term, which means to be pronounced guilty and subject to punishment for a crime.
     • Those who are in Christ includes everyone who has repented of their sins and trusted Jesus for salvation; in other words, all genuine believers.
     • The wonderful truth revealed in this verse is that those who belong to Jesus have been declared not guilty and therefore are not subject to the penalty of their sin, which would be eternity in hell.
   • Ask: “This verse says ‘therefore’ we have been declared not guilty; what do you think the word ‘therefore’ refers back to?” (allow time for responses).
   • Remind the class of the following:
     • Chapters 1 – 3 tell us that everyone on earth is a sinner.
     • Chapters 4 – 5 explain that justification (being made right with God) is only available by faith in Jesus Christ.
     • Chapter 6 revealed that even though we have trusted Jesus for salvation, we still have a fleshly sin nature, so we must decide moment-by-moment whether we will yield to our sinful flesh or to God.
     • Chapter 7 further described the believer’s ongoing struggle to resist sin.
   • Read Romans 7:24 – 8:1.
   • Explain the following:
     • The Bible was written with no breaks between the chapters.
     • Even though we still sin (chapter 7), if we belong to Jesus we have been declared “not guilty” by God.
     • If we are “in Christ,” we are no longer under condemnation or subject to the penalty for our sin.
     • This fact is proof that those who are genuinely born again cannot lose their salvation.
   • Tell the students that the devil continually throws accusations and condemnation at us, but we can resist his attacks by remembering that in Christ we have been declared by God to be “not guilty.”
   • Summarize: We still commit sins because we live in sinful flesh; but if we have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ, God has declared us not guilty, freeing us from the penalty our sin deserves.
3. How Those Who Are In Christ Became Not Guilty.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 8:2-4.
   • Ask: “According to verse 2, what set us free from the law of sin and death?” (the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; in other words, Jesus set us free).
   • Ask: “According to the first half of verse 3, why couldn’t the Law (religious works) do that?” (it was weak because our flesh is sinful).
   • Ask: “According to the rest of verse 3, what did God do so that we could be declared not guilty?” (He sent His Son to pay our sin debt in His flesh).
   • Tell the class that verse 4 presents an amazing truth: if we are in Christ, we are judged by God to be as righteous as if we had perfectly fulfilled every point of the Law!
   • Summarize: The only way we can be declared not guilty is through faith in Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life in human flesh and paid our sin penalty on the cross.
4. Differences Between The Guilty and Not Guilty.
   • Tell the class that the next verses reveal some of the great differences between those who are still guilty before God and those whom God has declared to be not guilty because they belong to Jesus.
   • Read Romans 8:5-8.
   • Ask: “According to verse 5, what’s different about their thoughts?” (those who are still guilty before God [unsaved] think about fleshly things, but those who are not guilty [saved] think about spiritual things).
   • Ask: “According to verse 6, what’s different about their future?” (the carnal, guilty mind leads to death, but the spiritual mind leads to life and peace).
   • Ask: “What does verse 7 say about who they submit to?” (the carnal, guilty mind cannot submit to God).
   • Ask: “What does verse 8 say about those who are in the flesh, as opposed to being in Christ?” (they cannot please God; see Heb. 11:6).
   • Tell the students that the only way to be rightly related to our Creator is through faith in Jesus Christ.
   • Summarize: Those who are still guilty before God set their minds on fleshly things leading to death, because they cannot submit to or please God. Those who have been declared not guilty set their minds on spiritual things, resulting in life and peace.
5. Blessings of Being Declared Not Guilty.
   • Tell the class the remaining verses we will study reveal some of the many blessings of being declared not guilty by God.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 8:9-11.
   • Ask: “According to the first half of verse 9, what is one way we can know that we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit?” (the Holy Spirit of God lives within us).
   • Explain that when we come to Jesus by faith, the Holy Spirit comes to live within (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 1:13; 1 John 4:13).
   • Ask: “According to the rest of verse 9, can you be saved and not have the Holy Spirit living within?” (absolutely not).
   • Tell the students the first blessing of being declared not guilty is the indwelling Holy Spirit.
   • Ask: “According to verse 10, what blessing does the Holy Spirit bring?” (He makes us alive to righteousness, giving us a desire to live for God; see Rom. 6:19-22).
   • Ask: “What blessing of being declared not guilty do you see in verse 11?” (the Spirit of God puts life in our bodies and gives us power to live for Christ).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 8:12-13.
   • Tell the class two more blessings of being declared not guilty are found in those verses:
     • Verse 12 says we are freed from living for the flesh.
     • Verse 13 says we have been given life (eternal life).
   • Summarize: Those who have been declared not guilty by Almighty God have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit and the desire and power to live for God. They have also been set free from living for the flesh and given eternal life.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Read Romans 8:1 again, and remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is Not Guilty.  Stress the fact that everyone who is in Christ, having sincerely repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, has been declared by God to be not guilty.

Write the following on the board:

In Christ = Not Guilty before God

In the Flesh = Guilty before God

Ask: “Which are you?  Are you in Christ and therefore not guilty before God, or are you still in the flesh and therefore guilty before God?”  Stress the fact that those are the only two options for every human being.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.

Ask: “Are you in Christ?  If so, thank God right now for sending His Son to pay your sin debt and make you not guilty before God.  If you are not in Christ, please tell God right now that you want to confess and turn from your sins and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you.”

Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer, thanking God for Jesus and asking Him to draw any who are not saved to Jesus right now.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Romans 8:1.  Tell them to thank God every day that He has declared them not guilty, and to tell the devil and his demons that fact every time they accuse them of being guilty and unworthy of God’s love.  Offer to stay after class to speak with anyone who might have questions or concerns about salvation.