Paul’s despair from chapter 7, “I do what I do not want to do,” is met by the truth that Jesus has set us free from this body of death! Romans 8:1-8
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
There are two primary truths in this text to which I would like to draw our attention, and they correspond to what we learned from chapter 7. Remember we learned that the law given through Moses neither had the power to 1) save us or 2) make us live holy lives. Far from these two actions that we need so much, the law of Moses actually did the opposite as it 1) only condemns us and 2) it actually makes us want to sin more. Remember that we said this does not make the law evil, but that sin uses the law (something good and holy) to seize an opportunity in us to accomplish something wicked. Has the plan of God through the revelation in the Torah (the law contained in the Old Testament) then failed? The cycle of sin in the Torah prepares a powerful tension that leaves us yearning for resolution. It leaves us wondering, “how can man be saved, how can God accomplish His purpose of a righteous nation that longs to do His will?” Romans 8 is the answer, it is the resolution of that tension.
The two actions of the law of Moses seen in chapter 7 are met by a new law in chapter 8 with two corresponding actions. That new law is the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” and its new actions are 1) it can save us from condemnation, and 2) it can lead us to live holy lives! Far from only telling us “we are dead” as the law of Moses did, this law tells us “we can live!” The reason this law is able to do so is because its lawmaker has borne the penalty of the law. You see, the new law is no less rigorous in its standards, but the new law is motivated by the One who knows we can’t keep the standards on our own, so He obeys the standards for us, He bears the penalty for us, and then He bids us obey. Thus, this new law does not tell us “we are dead, we are dead, we are dead - so what good is it to obey,” rather, it tells us “you can live, you can live, you can live, Jesus obeyed for you, now you obey.” The major power of the new law comes from this truth; namely, that it gives us hope where the old law left us hopeless. The beginning of the Christian life is recreation, rebirth, renewal, and a removal of the weight of the expectation of death.
The first truth allows the second truth to be accomplished in our lives. Because Jesus has given us hope and borne our condemnation for us we have motivation to live holy lives. Thus, we are able to “walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.” The hope that He provides pushes us moment by moment to “set our minds on the things of the spirit.” Whereas the law of Moses only promises death and only motivates us to break said law, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus promises life and gives us motivation to obey.
So here is the application for the here and now. Are you tempted to sin? Ask yourself this, “Do I want to live or die?” To answer “I want to die surrenders at the same moment 1) our souls to judgment and 2) the motivation to obey. To answer “I want to live in Christ” both frees us from the judgment and gives us the motivation that would lead us away from sin. Therefore, remember today when you are tempted that if you are alive in Christ, He fixes our minds on life and obedience and gives us both freedom from judgment and power to live righteously. The two truths of salvation and motivation to holy living cannot be torn asunder as one fuels the other. Go therefore rejoicing that Jesus has saved you, and let this rejoicing take the form of obedience. Love your neighbor and your enemy because Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Forsake sexual immorality because Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Forsake drunkenness because He has set you free. Forsake impure thoughts, selfishness, etc….. Because He has set you free!
4 users commented in " Freedom Under the Better Law "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackbackso way did He give us the law in the first place? suppose someone HAD obey the ten commandments- would they have been comdemned anyway?
That’s a big question. I think part of the reason He gave us the law in the first place was to show His holiness. If for no other reason, the revelation of God’s standard would be an infinitely valuable purpose of giving the law. Also, I think another reason He gave us the law is that when we do obey it we are happier. He simply wants things to be easier for us, and they are much easier when we follow His law. Psalm 1 “blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” So while the man in Psalm 1 is not saved by the law, and is still in fact condemned by the law, when he does obey it goes well for him and he has more happiness.
As for your last question. I think they would still be condemned. First, because there is much more to God’s standard than the law He has revealed - as we begin to see in the sermon on the mount. Second, even if we didn’t do anything negative, it takes positive righteousness to get into God’s presence. Jesus takes our negative (our sin) and imputes to us His positive (His perfect obedience) to us. So even if a human obeyed God’s law perfectly, he wouldn’t have Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
God’s original commandment was “Do not eat of the tree of life”…Were Adam and Eve already condemned even if they had not eaten of the tree?
No they wouldn’t have been condemned, but they did disobey, and every man and woman after them inherited this original sin. Therefore, we are all in need of 1) our sin being removed and 2) a righteousness that is not our own.
I see what you are saying. Adam and Eve were in God’s presence prior to their disobedience, and they did not have the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is the fall that makes both aspects of salvation necessary. This is why I believe babies are accepted into God’s presence not by merit of their own innocence, but by the righteousness of Christ. Babies, even though they haven’t had a chance to obey or disobey still inherit a sin nature from their parents. So I think that Christ graciously credits them with His righteousness and their sin nature is paid for on the cross.
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