I find it amazing that Romans 8 falls right on the heels of Romans 7. Paul spends a lot of time in chapter 7 explaining just how broken he is. His sanctification is nowhere near complete. He struggles daily to obey as he should. He fails more times than he wins.

And yet…

No sooner than these words come from his lips, he breaks forth into the text that would become chapter 8. It’s fun to read these verses as he spins himself up with great passion recounting what the implications of the Gospel mean for us.

Our prior weaknesses and failures don’t influence God’s willingness to draw near to us. If anything they form the intersection at which we mean his love. What a wonder!

It is also interesting to look at the outcome of this understanding. At the end of chapter 9, there is an increasing desire and burdened for those who haven’t experienced this hope. Paul is even willing to trade places with the lost so they might know and experience was he has.

So then the pattern then is: Understand and confess my own brokenness…rest deeper in the Gospel…results in a growing burden for my lost friends. Lord help me here. I am not particularly known for my compassion. Help me be more like Jesus.