This is part 2 of my exploration of the place of the law in a believer’s life.
I have long understood that the Law, as in the Mosaic Levitical order (feasts, sacrifices, new moon offerings, etc), is done away with by Christ and for believers. That is to say we don’t have to follow it or give it our attention, as it is of no direct value in our Christian life.
Yet some Christians believe that the law is meant to be attended to and followed, in varying degrees.
Some believe we should worship on the sabbath, while others hold the 10 Commandments as for all people of all time, and others believe we need to keep the feasts of Israel. There are probably many other variations, but that will suffice to say there is diversity of thought on the matter.
I’m happy for people to believe what they believe, as long as their faith for salvation is firmly set on the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf.
I felt prompted a few days ago to actually dig into the subject, which led to my recent post, Believers and the Law, reviewing Ephesians 1 for evidence that Paul promoted the Mosaic order to Gentiles, who he addressed in that letter. There was no such evidence in the first chapter of Ephesians.
I may get around to reviewing the rest of Ephesians, but for now I’m picking up a different thread.
Paul has an interesting discussion about law in Romans 8 which I want to tease out here.
Paul uses various terms to describe different laws: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus v2; the law of sin and death v2; law of God v7.
Let’s investigate.
Romans 8 (Berean Standard Bible)
8.1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
8.1 Believers are “in Christ Jesus” and are free from condemnation.
This is not to say they have sinless perfection, but their sins are not accounted to them, as they are forgiven in Christ.
8.1 Being “in Christ” is one thing, but Paul also refers to walking “according to the Spirit”. This is a major theme that Paul expands on, so it is not just a casual aside. Christians can live by fleshly ideas and human resources, or they can live as the Holy Spirit guides and provides.
8.2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
8.2 Paul declares two laws to choose from.
8.2 One law is of the Spirit and it brings life through Christ. This links to Jesus saying that he came to give life more abundant.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
It also links to Jesus saying the Spirit gives life.
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63
8.2 Paul refers to a contrasting law (to the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus) which he labels “the law of sin and death”. Paul does not specify what law he is referring to in this verse, as in the Mosaic law or human laws. He simply points out that people can live by the Spirit or by the flesh.
Spirit life gives life. Flesh life brings death.
8.2 The law of sin and death binds us in some way, which is why we need to be made free. The implication is that we are already under the law of sin and death (born under sin), then introducing the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (which we engage with by hearing the gospel and putting faith in Christ) breaks the hold of the law of sin and death in our lives.
8.3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,”
8.3 Paul now refers to “the law” in a more definite way, including the law given by Moses. This law is “the law of sin and death”! It is not the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
8.3 The Mosaic law was weak, not because it was powerless in itself, but the weakness is in human flesh. Thus the law could not do for us what needs to be done. The Mosaic law “could not do” in us what we needed, because it was unable to deal with our “flesh”.
8.3 The failure of the Law was overcome, not by updating the Law, but by Christ being sent to pay for our sins. What the law could not do for us and we could not do due to our weak flesh, Jesus did for us.
8.3 Most translations of this verse use the phrase “for sin” – “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin” (KJV).
This fits well, in that Christ died for our sins.
8.3 God condemned sin in the flesh. I take it this way. Some people might argue, “I couldn’t help sinning. I’m only human.” But when Jesus came, as human, and lived sinlessly, he condemned sin in the flesh. That is to say, by being human and yet not giving in to sin Jesus destroyed any excuse we could make. So sin will not be excused, but is condemned.
8.4 “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.”
8.4 The Mosaic law demanded righteousness (which we could not achieve due to the weakness of our flesh) but that requirement is fulfilled in us, through our faith in Christ.
8.4 Once again Paul contrasts living out of the flesh and living out of the Spirit.
8.4 Believers walk according to the Spirit. Our very salvation is by the spiritual response of faith, not by any fleshly activity. Our deliverance and transformation are done by the Spirit. We engage with God’s Holy Spirit and are born again by the Spirit (John 3:5,6) and then we live the rest of our lives actively engaged with the Holy Spirit. This is referred to as walking “according to the Spirit” and “by the Spirit” (8.13), being “spiritually minded” (8.6).
8.5 “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, the things of the Spirit.”
8.5 Our life focus (mind) is either natural things (flesh) or spiritual things.
8.5 Looking to the law to save us (following the law) is a flesh process, because it points to our human actions of obedience, not reliance on the work of Christ.
8.6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
8.6 Living according to the flesh, with mind set on the things of the flesh, is further described as being “carnally minded” (8.6), the “carnal mind” (8.7).
8.6 Flesh focus (inc reliance on human effort by adherence to the law) is death. There is no life in it.
8.6 Living “according to the Spirit”, with mind set on the things of the Spirit, is further described as being “spiritually minded”.
8.6 Spirit focused living is both life and peace.
8.6 People often justify living out of their human capacities (flesh) with such things as, “God gave you a mind, use it!” “God helps those who help themselves.” “Follow your common sense.” How would we instruct someone to live “according to the Spirit”, being “spiritually minded”? Hmmm?
8.7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
8.7 The human, fleshly mind is at war with God. It rebels against the law of God. It is incapable of submitting to God.
[I think of a recruit being ordered to turn right and turning left instead, incapable of doing what was ordered. That’s now our flesh nature is toward God’s instructions.]
8.8 “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
8.8 Living by the flesh (including trying to obey the law) is unable to please God, even if done in attempt to serve God or win something from God.
8.9 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
8.9 Believers are “in the Spirit”, having the Holy Spirit within them.
[Note that this is not the end of the story, as we need to allow the Spirit to have place in our lives, being led by the Spirit (v14) and not quenching the Spirit (1Thessalonians 5:19).]
8.9 Being flesh, without the Spirit, excludes one from belonging to God.
8.10 “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
8.10 Paul combines having the Spirit of God dwelling in us with Christ in us.
8.10 Our flesh continues to be of no value once we have the Spirit and Christ within us. Flesh is still bound by sin.
8.10 The Spirit provides us life, because of righteousness, which we receive through faith.
8.11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
8.12 While our human flesh, our mortal body, is dead, we are kept alive through the Holy Spirit within us. At the resurrection our mortal body will be transformed to a spiritual body.
8.12 “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”
8.12 We owe nothing to our flesh. There is no reason why we should engage with the flesh. That relates to our life of sin as fruitless, bringing death, but also to our human efforts, including seeking to obey the law, as fruitless, bringing death.
8.13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
8.18 Life as a believer is radically different to the way everyone else lives, as we don’t follow our flesh (as they do) but rely on the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit guiding us.
8.13 Living as seems right in human terms, and which relies on human input, leads to death.
8.13 We are to put to death our fleshly living (deeds of the body) by the Spirit.
8.13 putting to death the fleshly things in our life cannot be done by human effort (will power, mind games, fear of punishment, etc) but is achieved through the Holy Spirit. If we have not been set free by the Spirit then we have likely suppressed something, but not rid it from our lives.
8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
8.14 Walking “according to the Spirit” (8.4), living “according to the Spirit” with “mind set on the Spirit” (8.5), being “spiritually minded” (8.6), “in the Spirit” (8.9), with the Spirit of God dwelling within you (8.11) also involves being “led by the Spirit”.
8.14 Being a son of God is for those who are being led by the Spirit.
8.14 The original, koine, word for sons (huios) speaks of mature sons. Some suggest being led by the Spirit is a sign of maturity, while baby Christians need others to lead and guide them. While that’s a nice idea I expect God’s plan is for the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit to be active in the lives of believers from the moment they believe.
8.15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.”
8.15 Being a believer is all about an addition to our lives, being given the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is not enslaving, but relational.
8.15 Relationship with God suddenly comes into focus. The Holy Spirit is not principally a source of enabling for us to live free of our humanness, but the active agent in our relating to God.
8.15 Paul speaks of bondage and fear, suggesting that the previous religious options, including adherence to the law, are enslaving and fear generating. Those under the law of Moses are in a form of bondage and have reason to fear if they fail to keep the law.
8.15 our relationship with God is not a technical reality, but a personal connection. By the Spirit our hearts cry “Daddy!” This suggests a tender, sweet relationship awakened in our hearts.
8.15 Christianity is a spiritual encounter and transformation, and it’s all about relationship, not religion, rites, laws, or conformity. This Christianity is organic in the life of the believer, not imposed externally, but alive internally.
8.16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
8.16 The Holy Spirit, personally, affirms to us in our deepest parts that we are indeed God’s child.
8.17 “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
8.17 Paul speaks of “inheritance”. That’s a topic discussed elsewhere in scripture.
8/17 We share in Christ’s inheritance.
8.17 Paul speaks of suffering with Christ, which leads to us and Christ being glorified together.
Reflection:
What do we learn about Believers and the Law in this passage?
We see that the Law is directly linked to living in the flesh, which is linked to death.
There is no doubt in this passage that salvation is not in the law, but by faith.
What is significant to me is the focus on the indwelling Spirit creating detectable impact on our lives. This contrasts to the idea some Christians have of the Spirit virtually secret within them and being undetectable.
We are “led by the Spirit” and the Spirit witnesses to us that we are God’s sons.
Believers are to live their whole lives focused on the Spirit, not their flesh.
In reviewing the question about the law we recognise that our focus is to be on the continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without the Spirit at work we turn to fleshly, death things, such as rules and regulations, including the Mosaic law.
It could be argued, from Paul’s writing, that a focus on following the law serves the flesh, not the Spirit, and is therefore a ‘death’ process, to be avoided.
This invokes the question as to whether Christians, being somehow free from the law, will not end up lawless. That’s a point I will probably try to tease out next.
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