1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ~ Romans 8:1-4
In v.1 of today's passage we read, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
In Romans 6 we were instructed on how the believer should relate to sin, that we should turn away from its deceptive powers. In Romans 7 we learned about the believer’s relationship to the law, that the law only condemns the one who is trying to earn God's favor by trying to adhere to it. In Romans 8, we are instructed on how to relate with the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8 is the Apostle Paul's explanation of his statement in Romans 7:6, which reads, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
So now, the Holy Spirit is on center stage in Romans 8. Since we have been united with Christ, we have released from the penalty and power of sin and even to adhering to the law of God. We need not fear the condemnation of God. This is why this chapter begins with no condemnation and it ends with no separation. There is therefore now not one ounce of condemnation for the forgiven sinner in Christ.
The first thing the Spirit of God does for the believer in Christ is to remind us that we are no longer condemned in our sin because through the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross our sin has been judged and thus removed from us. Yet, many remain burdened with feelings of condemnation. This is so needless. A proper theology renders the believer free to a life of obedience to God and His word. This freedom is the opposite of what many think it is. This freedom enables us to see the deceptiveness of sin and enables us to see how foolish we are when we obey it.
In v.2 of today's passage we read, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."
In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
In v.2 of today's passage we read, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."
Since the Lord Jesus Christ died and was punished on the cross for our sin, we no longer bear the weight of our sin. Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation for us. Even though we yet sin. And now, since the Holy Spirit has applied the victory that the Lord Jesus gained over sin and death, He has applied that victory to our account before God. And now, we are free as free can be. For us, eternal life has conquered eternal death. And, the question that remains is: Will we live in and out of this freedom earned for us by the Lord Jesus.
As we have seen in our previous studies, the Mosaic Law, which God gave to Israel immediately after their exodus from their bondage in Egypt, was unable to lead them to true freedom. In the Garden of Eden, the "flesh" bent all of mankind toward rebellion against God. The "flesh" is the sinful desires that are yet in us. Like Israel, all mankind could not measure of the truth which offers us a personal relationship with God. This is why the truth had to come as a vulnerable baby who grew to be a man. Then He died so that we could know the truth who sets us free.
Paul used the term "law" in his writings two different ways. And, he meant two different things by its usage. When we think of law, we think of something that is a dictate, a rule, or a regulation. Like obeying the speed limit. But, there's another way in which the word "law" is used by Paul. When used this way, it means principal or driving force or that which motivates us. So in v.2, he says, "The law of the Spirit." That's not the law of Moses. That's not a legal mandate or a legal requirement. He's speaking here about the motivational principle from God via the Holy Spirit. Having been "born again", we now have an impulse that grants us the desire and drives us to do right.
God gave man His law, but His law couldn't fix us. The problem wasn't with the law, the problem was with our sin. The law diagnosed our problem, but it could not deliver the solution. The Lord Jesus is God's solution to the damning diagnosis that was delivered by the law to sinful man.
In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Here, the Apostle informs us how God dealt with sin and death. God dealt a death blow to sin and death when by His Spirit, He brought us life by bringing death to His Son. The Son, at great cost to the Father, came in the "likeness of sinful flesh." The Apostle did not write "in sinful flesh". As the Son of God, He became a sin offering for all of sin-drenched mankind. God passed sentence on sin in the body of the Lord Jesus while He hung on the cross and brought sins reign to an end for the willing. God condemned sin, not the sinner, in order to impart eternal life to us through His Spirit.
Once we have received the life of the Lord Jesus through His Spirit, we will be characterized by walking according to the Spirit, not according to the law of the flesh, even though we continue to wrestle with the sinful desires that remain in us. We must be mindful that the Apostle Paul is not saying that we fulfill the law by walking according to the Spirit. No, the Lord Jesus did that on our behalf. And, we must be careful to understand that we do not earn our "no condemnation status" as we walk in the Spirit. The Spirit has set us free from sin and death and He has imparted to us the very life of the Lord Jesus. We can therefore be defined as those who walk, however imperfectly, according to the Spirit. And, as we do this, we will know the freedom of those those who have been completely forgiven.
