1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:1-4 NIV).
The Spirit gives us life is the key here. What Paul is referring to about the law being “powerless” is that our sinful nature makes it impossible for us to fulfill what God wants. So if we are in Christ Jesus his Spirit sets us free from the “law of sin and death.” Paul is not calling the law itself “sin and death” back in Romans 7:25 Paul mentions the “law of sin” that is the “law of sin and death.” The fact is when we hear the law we may have a desire to fulfill it, but it brings death without the spirit because the law is holy and perfect and yet we are “sold as slaves under sin.” (see Romans ch. 7)
So , when Jesus gives us his Spirit we are given a new nature, and the Spirit of the Lord sets us free from the” law of sin and death.” When Jesus came and died on the cross he was dying for our sins. At this point many Christians believe that they are forgiven, but they do not live by the Spirit, and so they are very frustrated because they expected to be able to overcome sin. They often times do not realize that Jesus also “condemned sin in the flesh.” Jesus condemning the flesh means that we are no longer to rely on our flesh to accomplish what only the SPIRIT in us can do.
Notice that verse 4 does not say “in order that the righteous REQUIREMENTS of the law…,” but “righteous REQUIREMENT. That requirement is to live by the SPIRIT! When we live by the SPIRIT that requirement is “fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the SPIRIT.” When we depend on the SPIRIT of Christ in us, HE accomplishes those things that please HIM as we submit our lives to him. By the SPIRIT we are able to overcome sin in our lives.
Praise God for his SPIRIT because without JESUS in our lives we would be completely crushed by the weight of condemnation. Thank God there is “no condemnation for those that are in Christ JESUS.” And what does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? We trust Him for the forgiveness of our sins, and we live by the Spirit in grace.
truthfortheday 