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ROMANS 8:1-4
At this point we urge the reader to carefully peruse our text. In chapter seven,
Paul talked extensively about the Christian and his relationship to law. As a
result of properly using and respecting the law, it may be said that such a one's
life no longer contains the element of condemnation (8:1). Note first that his
has application to "those who are in Christ Jesus." That must be clearly understood
first, and such people are said to walk "after the spirit" in contrast to those
who walk "after the flesh."
In our text, Paul spoke of three laws. First, there is "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." For purposes of our
study we will label this "law #1." This law is the gospel; yes, the gospel does
contain an element of law! A failure to understand that law is applicable to the Christian has led to the Calvinistic view that man is saved
"wholly by grace," or by "faith alone," or some such thought. This is contrary
to the teaching of the scriptures at every turn. Read it clearly - Christ does have a law under which he expects men to live (Gal. 6:2; Jas. 1:25). Some have not grasped the fact that "law" and "liberty"
or not incongruous! The fact of the matter is that there can be no real freedom
without law.
Note now what Paul says law #1 does - it makes one free from "the law of sin
and death." And so here we have yet another law, one which we shall designate
as "law #2." What is the "law of sin and death?" This obviously has a twofold
nature to be considered. "Law" has to do with rule; authority. The "law of sin" is simply the rule of sin in the life of man. When one submits
his life to sinful things instead of holy things, he is living under the "law
of sin." Sin is ruling his life, for he continually yields to sin (cf. Rom. 6:17).
Then consider the "law of death." "What is that," one may ask? The "law of death"
is a result of living under the law of sin. Hear Paul clearly on this matter - "the wages
of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). James deals with the same matter - "sin, when it
is full grown, brings forth death" (1:15). So law #2 of which Paul speak is a
dual thing; one is a result of the other.
Here we might deal with a common view on this law #2. Some have postured the
notion that the "law of sin and death" is the law of Moses; the old covenant.
No - the two are not synonymous. While it may be true that the old covenant could
never produce an eternal, spirutal life, it is not true that it is what Paul speaks
of here.
The third law of which the apostle speaks is merely "the law" (v. 3). Here he says is something
that "the law" (law #3) could not do, as shown in the previous paragraph. This law is the old covenant; the law of
Moses. And so summing up this thought, it may be said that "law #1 makes man free
from law #2, which is the thing that law #3 could not do."
It probably is true that at times when Paul uses the term "law," he is speaking
of law in general. At the same time what he says about it is true of the law of Moses. The context
will determine whether he speaks of the law of Moses or not. Here that is obviously
the case, for his contrast is drawn between "the law of Christ" and "the law,"
i.e. of Moses.
Now the question, "why could not the law of Moses produce a state of 'no condemnation'?"
Paul clearly answers that in v. 3 - "in that it was weak through the flesh." It
had to do with fleshly ordinances that were not intended to produce eternal life.
These things "stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances ..." (Heb. 9:10). When Paul says the law was "weak through the flesh,"
he does not mean it was ineffective. It was a law of God and therefore powerful
enough to accomplish what God wanted done by it. But he never intended that the
old covenant take away sins, or bring man into a state of "no condemnation;" that
was reserved for the gospel; the law of Christ. Further, the Hebrew writer says
that the sacrifices under the old law were only effective to the "purifying of
the flesh" (Heb. 9:13), whereas the blood of Christ purified the conscience, or
inner man" (ibid.)
No man ever lived up to the demands of law perfectly. Therefore, "God sent His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh"
(text). When Christ came, then there was one who did overcome sin by a life that was pure and free from sin. He "condemned
sin in the flesh" in that there was no sin in his life. The benefits of that life
and death extends to men "who walk not according to the flesh, but according to
the spirit" (v. 4). Note that we said the benefits of his life extends to such people; not that his sinless, perfect life is imputed
unto us as some think. Christ has given us a law; when we comply with that law
(the gospel) it may be said that there is "no condemnation" in the lives of such
people.
Right thinking men will want to be familiar with the laws of the land under which
they live. Should not the same thing be true with the matter of spiritual law?
Do we know it? have we studied it? We must do so, making application of it to
be "free from the law of sin and death."- Bill Moseley
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