Gary Wilkerson takes us through Romans 8, showing that the exhausting in-and-out, up-and-down Christian life is not what God intended, revealing that the moment Christ came in, he changed not just our behavior but our entire operating system, and the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is the same power now living in us.

Preached: May 21, 2026

Main Points:

• The word condemnation is "con" plus "damnation," and before you met Jesus, that was exactly your destination.

• There are two laws at war, and the law of the Spirit of life is to the law of sin and death what the First Amendment is to a university policy. One simply outweighs the other, and no policy Satan tries to enforce can stand against the higher law.

• The flesh cannot keep the law, and the law actually makes sin worse because telling someone not to touch the cookie jar is practically an invitation. God is not asking you to try harder in your own strength because he already declared in Romans 8:3 that it cannot be done.

• Prayer groups, Bible reading, fasting, and accountability partners are good for growth, but they are not what sets you free. Trying to do in your flesh what only the Spirit can do is the shortest road to burning out and failing again.

• The most important word in Romans 8 may be "however" in verse 9. After all the in-and-out battle of chapter 7, God steps in and says: You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. That is not a goal to reach. It is a declaration of what is already true.

• Jesus changes your operating system. A PC does PC things, and a Mac does Mac things, not because of effort but because of what's built into the software. When Christ came in, he didn't just change your behavior; he changed your cravings. Now you crave righteousness, holiness, and the presence of God.

• The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. The solution to up-and-down living is not found in self-effort but in understanding and resting in that reality until the life he promises flows naturally from the inside out.

https://wcmin.us/SS260629c