Summer Challenge Week 7: The Law of the Spirit

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.” – Romans 8:1-2

Let’s back up!
This verse is a response to the end of Romans 7. In chapter 7, the apostle Paul is expounding on the law and sin: “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12) but sinful flesh stops us from obeying the law wholeheartedly. According to Galatians, the law was a tutor that brought us to Christ or said otherwise, the law exposed our sin. For me, as I was growing up, I understood the law to be a bad thing because it was referenced in the Old Testament. But the law is the will of God revealed to humanity. The law is a perfect reflection of God’s holy character and the orthodox way for us, as believers, to please him.

What is the Law?
The law was given to Moses, the Ten Commandments, in Exodus. In the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the bible, expound the law. These books did not add to law, they gave more clarity and detail of the law on a situational basis. There is way more that could be explained about how these books were written. Leviticus 19 is a tremendous text expanding on the Ten Commandments.

How does the law work now?
The law shows us that we could not fully obey God. Because of sin, God could not reveal himself to his people like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. So, the law was given for multiple purposes. Tim Keller gives us some reasons to why we have the law:

1. We embrace the law of God in order to learn more about who God really is.
2. We embrace the law of God in order to discover our true selves.
3. We understand the law of God as fulfilled in Christ.
4. We realize that the law’s painful, convicting work is ultimately a gracious thing.
5. We turn to the law of God in order to get true definition of what it means to love others in our relationship and in society as a whole.
6. We turn to the law of God because sometimes we need to do things because God says so.

There is no condemnationNow we have somewhat of a theological understanding on the law, we can now move on to Romans 8:1-2. Paul is referencing the law when he says, “there is no condemnation”. This word condemnation is used as a judicial term. When someone was guilty of crime they have become condemned or convicted of the act that they committed. They broke a law, so judgment comes. Then, after judgment there is a punishment for breaking the law. Paul parallels this judicial picture of law breaking to the breaking of God’s law. However, he says we are not condemned, but justified. No sin past, present, or future committed by a believer can compare to the magnitude of the penalty Christ paid on the cross. He took upon our sins and he gave us his righteousness, therefore making us not guilty. Christ frees us from sin and death enabling us to fulfill God’s law. Christ changed our nature of sinning and gave us victory over death. We were once exiles because we broke the law of God but now we are children of the Most High. We are justified by grace through faith in Christ.

The Law of the Spirit
The law condemns sinners because we were lawbreakers. Because we were natural born sinners, there was no way for us to obey the law. We are condemned as soon as we are born. But Christ died and sent us the sprit of God to empower us to obey. Therefore Paul calls this the “law of the spirit” because the spirit is the person of the trinity that gives new life. He is a life giver! To make this clear, the law of God is good but because it points out the weakness of the flesh which only produces sin and death. But, the law could not deliver sinners from death; it could only expose the hearts of sinners. Therefore, the law was powerless. That is why we needed Jesus; to fulfill the requirement of the law and then take upon a death he did not deserve. He gave us his perfect obedience , his righteousness. As you read, Paul says we are no longer under held under the bondage of the law, but the law still reflects God’s character and his will for his creation. What the flesh could not obey, the spirit is able to do by writing God’s law on our hearts and by giving us the power to obey it.

What now?
 Live as free people. Sin does not control you anymore, the love of Christ does. So if you are feeling condemned by your lifestyle maybe its not condemnation but conviction. Condemnation brings about death but convictions bring about life. Conviction comes from the spirit, to lead you to obey the Father. God had given us the power to fight sin. He says we are more than conquerors. I want to leave you with this quote from Tim Chester, “Change is about enjoying the freedom from sin and the delight in God that God gives to us through Jesus.”

So this week enjoy that freedom from sin because God does not condemn you but loves you.