In the 1st part of Chapter 8, Paul has given us a beautiful overview of God’s work in believers’ lives (1–11). God has fully participated in our salvation and He continues to participate in our sanctification. The fact that we have been regenerated and that we have received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit do NOT in themselves guarantee holy living, but they do make holy living possible. In fact, in this section (12-17), Paul emphasizes our responsibility to eliminate sin from our lives. Fulfilling the obligation to “put to death” the desires that draw us away from God is only possible by the Spirit ……….because We cannot do this on our own!
