The document discusses the identity of Christians and their new life in the Spirit. It describes how God calls the church to belong, grow, serve, and share. It then explores how Christians' old life was one of death, contradiction, frustration and hopelessness due to sin, but that their new life in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, offers freedom, deliverance from sin, and a spiritual mindset aligned with God's desires. This new life begins through faith in Christ and baptism.

1. Our
Identity
New
Life
in
the
Spirit
God
calls
the
church
to
do
four
things:
BELONG
(connect
to
God
and
to
each
other
as
the
church),
GROW
(pursue
discipleship),
SERVE
(to
be
the
hands
and
feet
of
Jesus),
and
to
SHARE
(fulfilling
the
great
commission
of
bringing
the
gospel
to
the
world).
B.E.L.O.N.G.
(Connecting
to
God
and
to
each
other
as
the
church)
N
(New
Life
in
the
Spirit)
KEY
VERSE:
Romans
8:16-­17
The
Spirit
himself
testifies
with
our
spirit
that
we
are
God’s
children.
Now
if
we
are
children,
then
we
are
heirs—heirs
of
God
and
co-­‐heirs
with
Christ,
if
indeed
we
share
in
his
sufferings
in
order
that
we
may
also
share
in
his
glory.
Romans
8:16-­17
I.
New
Life
Begins
with
a
faith
in
Christ
that
leads
us
to
be
baptized
into
his
name
(See
lesson
one:
baptism
in
BELONG
for
additional
information).
A.
Delivered
Through
Christ
Jesus
the
law
of
the
Spirit
of
life
set
me
free
from
the
law
of
sin
and
death
(Romans
8:2)
B.
Old
Life
Dilemma:
Death
and
no
escape
Did
that
which
is
good,
then,
become
death
to
me?
By
no
means!
But
in
order
that
sin
might
be
recognized
as
sin,
it
produced
death
in
me
through
what
was
good,
so
that
through
the
commandment
sin
might
become
utterly
sinful.
We
know
that
the
law
is
spiritual;
but
I
am
unspiritual,
sold
as
slave
to
sin
(Romans
7:13-­‐14).
C.
Old
Life
Dilemma:
Contradiction
I
do
not
understand
what
I
do.
For
what
I
want
to
do
I
do
not
do,
but
what
I
hate
I
do.
And
if
I
do
what
I
do
not
want
to
do,
I
agree
that
the
law
is
good
(Romans
7:15-­‐16).
D.
Old
Life
Dilemma:
Frustration
As
it
is,
it
is
no
longer
I
myself
who
do
it,
but
it
is
sin
living
in
me
(Romans
7:17).
E.
Old
Life
Dilemma:
Hopelessness
I
know
that
nothing
good
lives
in
me,
that
is,
in
my
sinful
nature.
For
I
have
the
desire
to
do
what
is
good,
but
I
cannot
carry
it
out.
For
what
I
do
is
not
the
good
I
want
to
do;
no,
the
evil
I
do
not
want
to
do
—this
I
keep
on
doing.

2. Now
if
I
do
what
I
do
not
want
to
do,
it
is
no
longer
I
who
do
it,
but
it
is
sin
living
in
me
that
does
it
(Romans
7:18-­‐20).
F.
The
Grasp
of
Sin:
Works
So
I
find
this
law
at
work:
When
I
want
to
good,
evil
is
right
there
with
me
(Romans
7:21).
G.
The
Grasp
of
Sin:
Wars
For
in
my
inner
being
I
delight
in
God’s
law;
but
I
see
another
law
at
work
in
the
members
of
my
body,
waging
war
against
the
law
of
my
mind
and
making
me
a
prisoner
of
the
law
of
sin
at
work
within
my
members
(Romans
7:22-­‐23).
H.
The
Grasp
of
Sin:
Wretchedness
What
a
wretched
man
I
am!
Who
will
rescue
me
from
this
body
of
death
(Romans
7:24)?
I.
The
Grasp
of
Sin:
Weakened
For
what
the
law
was
powerless
to
do
in
that
it
was
weakened
by
the
sinful
nature,
God
did
by
sending
his
own
Son
in
the
likeness
of
sinful
man
to
be
a
sin
offering
(Romans
8:03).
II.
The
Promised
New
Life
A.
Delivered
What
a
wretched
man
I
am!
Who
will
rescue
me
from
this
body
of
death?
Thanks
be
to
God—through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord
(Romans
7:24-­‐25)!
B.
Freedom
Therefore,
there
is
now
no
condemnation
for
those
who
are
in
Christ
Jesus,
because
through
Christ
Jesus
the
law
of
the
Spirit
of
life
set
me
free
from
the
law
of
sin
and
death
(Romans
8:1-­‐2).
C.
Spiritual
Mindset
and
Desires
Those
who
live
according
to
the
sinful
nature
have
their
minds
set
on
what
that
nature
desires;
but
those
who
live
in
accordance
with
the
Spirit
have
their
minds
set
on
what
the
Spirit
desires
(Romans
8:5).
D.
Alive
Those
who
live
according
to
the
sinful
nature
have
their
minds
set
on
what
that
nature
desires;
but
those
who
live
in
accordance
with
the
Spirit
have
their
minds
set
on
what
the
Spirit
desires
(Romans
8:11).
E.
Children
For
you
did
not
receive
a
spirit
that
makes
you
a
slave
again
to
fear,
but
you
received
the
Spirit
of
sonship.
And
by
him
we
cry,
“Abba,
Father.”
The
Spirit
himself
testifies
with
our
spirit
that
we
are
God’s
children
(Romans
8:16).
F.
Heirs

3. The
Spirit
himself
testifies
with
our
spirit
that
we
are
God’s
children.
Now
if
we
are
children,
then
we
are
heirs—heirs
of
God
and
co-­‐heirs
with
Christ,
if
indeed
we
share
in
his
sufferings
in
order
that
we
may
also
share
in
his
glory
(Romans
8:16-­‐17)
G.
Hope
It
was
he
who
gave
some
to
be
apostles,
some
to
be
prophets,
some
to
be
evangelists,
and
some
to
be
pastors
and
teachers,
to
prepare
God’s
people
for
works
of
service,
so
that
the
body
of
Christ
may
be
built
up
until
we
all
reach
unity
in
the
faith
and
in
the
knowledge
of
the
Son
of
God
and
become
mature,
attaining
to
the
whole
measure
of
the
fullness
of
Christ.
Then
we
will
no
longer
be
infants,
tossed
back
and
forth
by
the
waves,
and
blown
here
and
there
by
every
wind
of
teaching
and
by
the
cunning
and
craftiness
of
men
in
their
deceitful
scheming.
Instead,
speaking
the
truth
in
love,
we
will
in
all
things
grow
up
into
him
who
is
the
Head,
that
is,
Christ.
From
him
the
whole
body,
joined
and
held
together
by
every
supporting
ligament,
grows
and
builds
itself
up
in
love,
as
each
part
does
its
work
(Ephesians
4:11-­‐16).
H.
Intercession
In
the
same
way,
the
Spirit
helps
us
in
our
weakness.
We
do
not
know
what
we
ought
to
pray
for,
but
the
Spirit
himself
intercedes
for
us
with
groans
that
words
cannot
express.
And
he
who
searches
our
hearts
knows
the
mind
of
the
Spirit,
because
the
Spirit
intercedes
for
the
saints
in
accordance
with
God’s
will
(Romans
8:26-­‐27)
I. Purpose
And
we
know
that
in
all
things
God
works
for
the
good
of
those
who
love
him,
who
have
been
called
according
to
his
purpose
(Romans
8:28)
J.
Assurance
What,
then,
shall
we
say
in
response
to
this?
If
God
is
for
us,
who
can
be
against
us?
He
who
did
not
spare
his
own
Son,
but
gave
him
up
for
us
all—
how
will
he
not
also,
along
with
him,
graciously
give
us
all
things?
K.
Love
Who
shall
separate
us
from
the
love
of
Christ?
Shall
trouble
or
hardship
or
persecution
or
famine
or
nakedness
or
danger
or
sword?
As
it
is
written:
“For
your
sake
we
face
death
all
day
long;
we
are
considered
as
sheep
to
be
slaughtered.”
No,
in
all
these
things
we
are
more
than
conquerors
through
him
who
loved
us.
38
For
I
am
convinced
that
neither
death
nor
life,
neither
angels
nor
demons,
neither
the
present
nor
the
future,
nor
any
powers,
neither
height
nor
depth,
nor
anything
else
in
all
creation,
will
be
able
to
separate
us
from
the
love
of
God
that
is
in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord.