The Law of the Spirit of Life
Romans 8:1-4
Turn to Romans 8. Last Sunday we looked at verse one, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There is nothing that can come against the one who is in Christ Jesus. No one can bring a charge against God’s elect. That is because it is God who justifies; no one can condemn, and therefore, no one can separate us from the love of Christ. And we made this statement: If Jesus was condemned for me, therefore, there can be no condemnation for me! Now, that is great to be able to say, I am no longer condemned by God. Though I understand this theologically, yet I guess I want to ask the question this morning: do I understand it experientially? And what I mean by that question is: what does it really mean to be condemned by God and then to be freed from that?
Some of you may have been in a difficult situation and were able to get free from it. Therefore, in that sense you know what it is like to face something terrible and then to be relieved from it or freed somehow. Maybe some of you may have almost died at some point or that something tragic may have happened to you, yet you somehow got out, or you survived. I have never had a “near death” experience. Though when I was in the hospital at around age four getting my tonsils out, I was not supposed to eat anything before having them taken out. And I talked the little girl beside me into sharing her lunch, and so I had to stay in the hospital for an extra day. That’s as tragic for me as I can remember!
But for some of you, whether it was through illness or an accident or someone against you, you experienced a time where you almost may have lost your life. And the magnitude of the safety or being freed from that was compared to the danger that you actually faced. I am sure that those who may have experienced war and who faced great opposition and near death, and yet somehow, they survived, therefore, they understand to a greater extent what they were saved from. And therefore, to be able to understand the idea of no condemnation against the Christian, it is imperative we understand what that condemnation or opposition was.
Well, Paul has set this up for us already in the book of Romans as he explained (Rom 3) that no one seeks God, no one does that which is good, and therefore (Rom 1:18), “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” So, part of the condemnation we would have faced was that God, the Creator, was opposed to us, as God’s wrath was against us. And the wonderful news of Romans 8:1 is that the wrath of God is no longer directed towards the one who is in Christ Jesus. And it is not that prior to becoming a Christian there were times when God was for you and other times when God was against you. No, He was always opposed to you, as John 3:18 says; we were condemned already. And now that you are “in Christ.” It is not that there are times when God is for you and times when He is against you. No, He is always for you, as now there is no condemnation. In other words, before salvation you were continually under condemnation, and after salvation you are continually without condemnation.
See, we do not always think in those terms, as we often think in terms of our behaviour influencing God’s acceptance of us. We may think in terms that if things are going well, God must be in favour of me, and if things are going badly, then God must be opposed to me. But if your behaviour influences your acceptance before God, this would mean that you would have to be “in you” as opposed to being “in Christ.” But if you are “in you,” then God is always opposed to you. But if you are “in Christ,” then there is never any condemnation for you. See, we would never know this if it were not for the blessing of God’s Word, as we would see things from merely an earthly perspective. So that some days the stars are aligned for us, or it is smooth sailing from here on in, or I am on a roll. Or, today God has it in for me. No, no such thing. For if you are “in Christ,” you are never under the condemnation or the wrath of God, as He is never opposed to you.
One of the things I have done in my prayer life is that I have learned, or at least am learning, to leave things with God. Sometimes when I am wanting something to happen, I will pray to that end. But I am learning that it may be best for me to wait, or it may be best for the situation and others involved if God chooses to act later. In other words, the realization that God is working out all things for good to those who love Him. This is quite the advantage for the believer! To know that even when I am going through difficult times, God is not against me. Not working out my purposes, but working out His purposes, which are ultimately for my good and for His glory. And with this comes a deep-seated freedom, a peace, and almost a fearlessness in life. For if God is for me, who can be against me?
So, why do we not grab hold of this truth to a greater extent on a daily basis? The fact that everything that happens to us will ultimately be for our good. As John Piper says, it just seems too good to be true! Why? Well, part of the problem is that we are still living in a problem-filled world. Turn in your Bibles to Micah 5.
5 Do not believe in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close companion.
From her who lies in your bosom [he is speaking here of even a spouse]
Guard the openings of your mouth [i.e. be careful what you say].
Why? For times may be tough. The present circumstances may not always indicate that all is well, as there is trouble to be faced in life.
6 For son treats father as a wicked fool;
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter‑in‑law against her mother‑in‑law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
[remember Jesus warned about this in life, that there will be hardship within families, yet]
Yahweh [or the Lord] is a Light for Me
7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for Yahweh;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
8 Do not be glad over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I inhabit the darkness, Yahweh is a light for me.
9 I will bear the rage of Yahweh
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case and does justice for me.
He will bring me out to the light,
And I will see His righteousness.
See, Micah speaks about trouble. Trouble with people, even within family. It could also be trouble with circumstances, whatever God chooses to allow into our lives. And even during times of darkness, disappointment, and even when God is angry with me (vs 9). For I may have sinned against Him; therefore, there will be times when I feel guilty because of my actions, and I may even hate myself for those actions. Yet this is not the eternal wrath of God against me; this is the loving discipline of a heavenly Father. This is a “spanking” for my own good, because God is for me, and therefore who can be against me? For I am “in Christ” (vs 9), He will bring me out into the light, and I will see His righteousness. So, from an earthly perspective, if Micah 5 is describing your day tomorrow, you may not be jumping for joy, as there may be those who are against you, there may be trouble within family, difficult circumstances you are facing, sin in your life that needs to be dealt with. And God may have to discipline you. But it is for your good. Why? Because He is for you.
And we may think that this is the Old Testament, and we do not face the things that Old Testament saints faced regarding war and battles. Okay, so let’s go to 1 Corinthians 11, an early church message. This is a passage we often go to at communion time.
28 But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [i.e. have died].
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Notice those last words: you are disciplined by the Lord but not condemned along with the world. And this verse does not mean that every time I get sick, or someone dies, it is because of a wrong heart at the Lord’s Table. But here is a situation where a person is under discipline, yet not under the wrath of God as is the world, for he is not condemned, but disciplined. Because for the believer there is no condemnation. Why? Because he or she is in Christ. So, even here in the case of sin, a Christian who does not have the right heart, yet they are not treated in the same way as the unbeliever. Yet our circumstances may dictate to us during a time of great difficulty, a time when we are very sick, or something has gone terribly wrong financially or relationally, or we are completely disappointed or discouraged about something; where our human minds would say to us, God is against me. But He is not against you, for He is for you, in Christ Jesus.
A while ago on Sunday evenings, we studied the book of Habakkuk, where it seemed for the prophet that everything was going wrong from an earthly perspective. And basically, it was his people who were sinning, and their enemies were winning against them. But Habakkuk knew—after a time—that this was merely from an earthly perspective, as he soon realized that God was watching from a heavenly perspective, which enabled Habakkuk to respond even in the midst of trouble:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no produce on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields yield no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in Yahweh;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (LSB)
See, this is the importance of God’s Word. For through God’s Word, we can see above the horizon. For whom else, but the Christian, can know that even when things are not going well, God has a greater and good purpose and that He is for us. And we also know that sometimes God will not alleviate our present problem, but God’s Word still reminds us of who God is. This enables us in difficulties to still have a proper response to God. And even during times when inwardly we may feel we are falling apart or that things are against us, we can wake up in the morning and still sing, “He is good, He is good, His love endures forever. Give thanks, for He is good.” Someone once said that in difficult times, “inner peace does not depend upon outward circumstances.” And this explains the joy that we see in believers even during times when things are tough. J. Ronald Blue wrote:
“The sovereign Lord gives triumph over circumstances to those who trust Him. The way to get out from under the load is to get right under the Lord. To be under the Lord is to be over the circumstance.”
- Ronald Blue
Important for the Christian to lean on God and trust the One who loves us and is for us, even during times of discouragement. Times when we might wonder what God is doing from our perspective. Yet as Haddon Robinson said, “Never let your questions distance you from God.” But may even trouble draw you to Him. Do you know Christ as your Saviour and Lord? Have you repented of your sin and received Christ as the Lord of your life? Then you are without condemnation, and therefore God is for you. And I know that for some, theology is not overly exciting. But this is theology, as you would not know this without theology. For without theology, you are going to get up one day and think, God is for me. And you are going to get up the next day and think, God is against me. All based upon your circumstances or your feelings. But theology says, Christian, at no time are you under condemnation from God and that He is always for you. Back to Romans 8:
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
Romans 8:2 (LSB)
Jesus Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death. And when Paul refers to the law of sin and death, he is simply saying that if someone sins, they die; that is the law. That became apparent in the Garden of Eden. That was apparent throughout the Bible, and it is true today, that if you sin, you die both physically and spiritually. I have said many times that people do not die of an illness or old age or a car accident. That is simply the means of our death, but we all die because we all have sinned. If man had never sinned, he would never die. As Scrooge said to Cratchit, we all have to die someday, Cratchit. And the only One who never sinned was Jesus Christ, and therefore, He was able to take the punishment of death for us. For He was the only One who was not required by God to die. Therefore, He was able to die on our behalf. The law of sin and death.
“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.”
Romans 8:3 (LSB)
Paul again reiterates the limitations of the law, saying, “for what the law could not do.” Yet understand that the law of God is perfect, as there is no defect in the law. But the law is weak through our weakness, not because of any fault in the law. The law can tell you what to do and what not to do, but it cannot change your heart. I love the illustration that Charles Spurgeon gives, as he compares the law to the straw in Egypt. Israel was to make more bricks, but they did not have any more straw. He said that just as the law demands obedience, the law does not provide the ability to obey its demands. And Paul said before that the law can provoke sin in a man or woman, but there is nothing in the law that can provide deliverance. Therefore, any who are under the law are under its curse, which is death. And Paul has been teaching that the law deceived man (Rom 7:10-11), as man’s thought would be, “Give me a law, and I will obey it.” Just as Israel, when they received the Ten Commandments, said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!”
But we know the result a few chapters later: the worshipping of the golden calf, as the law was weak because of the flesh of mankind. And so, the law merely exposed the sin of men and women, but it could not do anything to save them from that sin. Yet years later, Jesus came, and the Bible tells us that Jesus fulfilled the law. No one else could do this, but Jesus did. As God’s law commands righteousness, the law is unable to provide man the ability to achieve that righteousness. And this is what (vs 3) means, yet what the law could not do, God did, as God provided a way to rescue man from the law of sin and death through His Son. Paul says that Jesus came “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” The key there is that He came in the likeness, for He Himself was sinless. D. A. Carson wrote:
“Christ became truly human, taking on ‘flesh.’ But ‘likeness’ suggests that the flesh He took on was not exactly like our ‘sinful flesh,’ as He was not guilty of sin ‘in Adam’ as we are.”
- A Carson
“[S]o 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 8:4 LSB)
That is an interesting phrase, so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, as there are various opinions of what this statement means. Some would say that after salvation we can now obey the law, yet we have said that the law demands perfect obedience, which even someone like Paul could not accomplish. And Jesus proved this point when He taught that the law, even if obeyed outwardly, also had to be obeyed inwardly from the heart, such as in the areas of anger and lust. But what Paul says here is that God (vs 3) sent His own Son as an offering for sin, so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. And this goes back to the words “God did” by sending His Son, as Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement to those who are “in Christ.” So, let me attempt a statement to help us grasp something very important in our understanding of the Law and the Christian: By sending His Son as an offering for sin, God did what we could never do ourselves: He fulfilled the Law in us who are “in Christ.”
Now, I do believe that we would be remiss to leave it there without making any practical application, though we need to be extremely careful. For to go beyond this statement risks, I would suggest, a disservice to Christ and what He has done. For if someone ever asks me why I am saved, my answer will be really quick to say, “All glory be to Christ our King, All glory be to Christ, His rule and reign we’ll ever sing, All glory be to Christ.” And if someone ever asked me about my righteousness, my response again will be really quick: it’s all about Christ and His righteousness. As no righteousness of mine is sufficient, it cannot be, as only the perfect righteousness of Christ will qualify for salvation. Yet, there is within the true believer a striving after the model of Christ, as the true Christian will both desire and strive to live righteously while still on this earth. And because the new believer has been cleansed of his sin. And because he has been forgiven and now accepted by God through Christ. And because the Holy Spirit now lives within him, he will now desire and will strive to live a life of holiness.
And I see this in two places in this passage: (vs 2) for the law of the Spirit of life, and (vs 4) who walk according to the Spirit; this is new! The Christian will never be perfect in this life, though we have been declared perfect positionally through Christ. But in our practical living out of our faith, it is not only that we have been declared righteous, but something else has changed, and that is both the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is “in Christ,” and if you are in Christ, the Bible says (Rom 8:9) that we will get to next week, the Spirit of God dwells in you. And that is a game changer, a major change, from who you were prior to your becoming a Christian. John MacArthur wrote:
“Nothing is dearer to God’s heart than the moral and spiritual excellence of those He has created in His own image—and nothing is dearer to them. He does not want them to have only imputed righteousness but practical righteousness as well. And that also is what they want.”
John MacArthur
So, in closing, I wish to give you an overview of the next few verses that will continue into next week. And you will notice the word “for” or “because” used a few times here by Paul. And you will see this best in the NASB, ESV, KJV, and LSB. Verse one, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why? Verse two, for the law of the Spirit of Christ has set you free from the law of sin and death [massive change]. Verse three, for what the law could not do for you, God did [massive work by God]. Verse four, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who now live according to the Spirit [massive transformation]. Verse five, for those of the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit [massive change in thinking]. Verse six, for the mind set on the Spirit is life [massive directional change vs the prior condition of the sinner].
Now, I wish to choose my words wisely, as this is a very difficult topic. But I believe what we see here is a major crossroads of every individual who has ever lived. The first are those under the law: are under the condemnation of God (vs 1); walk according to the flesh (vs 4); have their minds on the things of the flesh, resulting in death (vs 5-6); are hostile towards God (vs 7); are not subject to the law of God, they cannot (vs 7); and are unable to please God (vs 8). Then, the second group, those “in Christ”: are under no condemnation (vs 1); are under the law of the Spirit of life (vs 2); are free from the law of sin and death (vs 2); have their righteous requirement of the law fulfilled through Christ (vs 4); walk according to the Spirit (vs 5); have their minds set on the things of the Spirit, resulting in life and peace (vs 6); have been reconciled to God, therefore, they are able to please God.
So, we see a great difference between the unbeliever, those under the Law, and the believer, those “in Christ.” Where are you? Under the law or “in Christ”? And Paul’s assumption here is that the theological differences will make a great change in the character and life of the Christian, a transformational change! That being “in Christ” as opposed to being “under the law” will determine both the desire and the walk of the believer, as he now walks according to the Spirit. Why? Because his mind is now set on the things of the Spirit.
And the life change does not determine the fact that the believer is now without condemnation, but the life change is evidence that the believer is now without condemnation. In other words, your lifestyle does not make you a Christian, but your lifestyle indicates that you are now different and that you now have been changed by God. Not a change that saves you; no, your saving occurred when you first came to Christ by believing in Him; but a change that indicates that you have come to Christ and are now striving and desiring to become like Christ, a lifetime, over time, that a person changes and becomes more holy. And we see in the words that Paul chose, that of walking according to the Spirit and our minds being set on the things of the Spirit.
And these words assume that yes, we now have this special relationship with God. That He is now for us and not against us, but we still have a responsibility to pray. In other words, yes, I have this special relationship with God, but I must pray to Him. We have the blessing of being guided by the Holy Spirit, but we still have the responsibility to call on Him and seek the Spirit’s guidance through Christ. We are blessed in that the Spirit has uniquely gifted us, but the believer is still responsible to use his gifts for Christ. And this responsibility of the believer does not save him but is an indication that he is saved. Why? Because he now has a desire to live a life that loves and honours God. And I realize the tension in this message, as it overwhelmingly stresses God’s sovereign work in a person, yet that sovereign work results in the striving and desire of the Christian to become like Christ. And I believe that Paul helps us back (Rom 7) to understand this change. A verse we have looked at a few times but now may have greater meaning for us as we have studied further. Look at Romans 7:6:
“But now we have been released from the Law [Paul wants to make sure we understand the freedom from the law here], having died to that by which we were constrained [see, the change, the freedom], so that [and here is the change] … we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
“Released from the Law.” Why? Because all men and women are born under the law and are responsible to obey the law. Paul is adamant that the law condemns all men and women, and it has fulfilled its purpose perfectly. “Having died to that by which we were constrained.” Christ fulfilled the Law, and we who are “in Christ” have died with Him. Therefore, we too are considered to have fulfilled the law. “So that [now] we serve in [the] newness of the Spirit,” which is evidenced by a changed life of walking according to the Spirit, and our minds being set on the things of the Spirit. And this new nature of the Holy Spirit of God living within us is (2 Cor 3:18) transforming us into the image of Christ; (John 14:26) the Spirit is teaching us all things; and (Rom 8:26) the Spirit is helping us in our weaknesses. Because the Christian upon salvation does not only have a new destination, heaven; but the Christian upon salvation has a completely new life. Yet, we are still clothed in our old self, and sometimes we will still resist the work of the Spirit within us, and even fight against the things, as Paul said (Rom 7), that we know we should do, and even do the things we know we should not do.
We started out addressing the fact that we need theology and truth from God. Because if we are left on our own, we often believe and live as we feel. It was Martyn Lloyd-Jones who used to say that Christians need to talk or preach to themselves instead of listening to their human self. As listening to self will usually bring thoughts of anger, negativism, selfishness, discouragement, and untruth. But preaching will remind us of God, His truth, and His goodness. Amen? Let’s pray. Lord, we pray that as Your Word enlightens us as to the change that occurs in the heart of the Christian upon salvation. A change that does not always reveal itself to our day-to-day emotions, but in every way is real, for Paul tells us that this is something that “God did” for us. May we understand ourselves as we are, without condemnation, so that our minds might be continually on the things of the Spirit. That we might live according to the Spirit, as we now live under the law of the Spirit of life. And Lord, help us to strive for holiness and Christlikeness, that we would want to live like Your children, because You are our heavenly Father. And that when we do sin, Lord, forgive us. And discipline us as a loving Father, so that we would live in such a way that would showcase to all Your greatness and Your goodness. And all God’s people said, amen.