INTRODUCTION
In Romans 7, Paul writes about the grace of Christ.  He shows us that without grace, a believer would live a defeated and miserable life, in bondage to their sinful nature.  However, in Romans 8, Paul changes his focus and begins sharing about the supernatural life that has been made available to all believers in Jesus Christ.
Through our union with Christ by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, believers are now able to live a life free from condemnation, and they no longer have to be enslaved by sin.
Every true believer receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the moment they accept Jesus Christ.  While not easy, we must prepare ourselves through the Spirit to suffer even as Jesus suffered.  We identify with Christ through our suffering with Him that we may be also glorified together.


CLASS OBJECTIVE  
By the end of our lesson, we will UNDERSTAND the role of the Holy Spirit in our relationships with God and Jesus; FEEL empowered by the Holy Spirit even in the midst of suffering, weakness, or loss of direction; and LIVE with hope as we seek God’s purpose and calling.