Romans 8:1-4

Passage

Consequently, now there is no condemnation for the ones in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets you free from the law of sin and death.  For the impossible thing of the law – in which it was weakened through the flesh, God, after sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, pronounced judgment upon sin in the flesh in order that the commandment of the law should be fulfilled in us who live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There is no condemnation for the ones in Christ Jesus.  I’m not sure that there are too many greater verses in the Bible than Romans 8:1.  In chapter 7 Paul spent many verses talking about how we cannot live up to the Law.  We simply cannot attain the Law.  Sin is an inherent part of who I am.  Having realized this reality, we hit this sentence and understand the power of what is said inside.  In Christ we are not condemned.  We deserve wrath, but Christ has already taken the wrath we deserve.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ because He has taken it for us.

How does it feel to realize you deserve wrath but get grace?  How does it feel to hear that there is no condemnation so long as you are in Christ?

Second Thought:

The middle section of these verses is confusing.  It’s confusing in English.  It’s confusing in the Greek, too.  Here is what Paul is trying to say.  The Law could not bring about salvation because we are not able to live up to the Law.  Our flesh is weak, and thus the Law could not do what would’ve had to be done.  Instead, God did what the Law couldn’t do.  God sent His own Son to live up to the Law.  Having lived up to the Law, Jesus died for our sake.  The Law was satisfied.  Jesus was our sacrifice.  The Law tells us how to live; Jesus pays the price when we can’t live like the Law requires.

What would life be like had God not taken matters into His own hands?  What would life be like if we did not have the assurance that Jesus has satisfied the Law already?

Third Thought:

Paul ends these verses by introducing the idea of living according to the Spirit.  Here’s the really neat point about the verses.  We’ve already proven that each of us can live according to sin, but it’s just not that good for us.  We’ve also proven that we cannot live according to the Law.  Therefore, we need a third option.  We live according to the Spirit.  We live in a way that seeks after God’s will but acknowledges that we cannot do it without the help of God.  We can rise above our sinful nature, but we need God’s help to do it.

Do you live according to the Spirit?  When is this possible?  When do you struggle between living according to the Spirit and living according to the flesh?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 8:5-6