Romans is a detailed explanation of the heart of the gospel and how it works in our lives. Apart from God and his grace, we are utterly without hope. In this episode Pam Larson reviews Romans 1–7 to open our study series on Romans 8, examining various aspects of the gospel much like a jeweler would examine the facets of a beautiful diamond set off by the dark black velvet background ... the bad news that none of us are righteous and all are under God’s wrath apart from Jesus and his work on the cross.

How do believers relate to the law? The law is holy, righteous, and good! But it can’t make us holy, or righteous, or good. The great news coming in Romans 8 is that God has done “what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” (Romans 8:3). God redeems us by sending his Son to fulfill the law. We have been set free from the law and walk in the new way of the Spirit.