Friday
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace, because the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
(Romans 8:1-8, NIV)
As we noted earlier, the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers at Rome describes God’s plan of salvation that is offered to all people. The recipients of this letter were mostly Gentile, with a small group of Jews as part of their congregation. The “righteousness of God” summarized by the Apostle offers hope for both Jews and Gentiles if they will only believe in Jesus Christ. Justification comes from faith alone – that is a central theme of Paul’s letter.
After a thorough theological explanation of humanity’s sin and the fruit of righteousness offered by Christ’s death and resurrection, the Apostle then describes how Christians are increasingly enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to mature in their faith and to live obedient lives. Chapter 8 of Romans provides a summary of life in the Spirit of God compared with life controlled by sin. The exciting benefit of faith in Jesus Christ is freedom “from the law of sin and death” (v. 20). Because Jesus is a “sin offering” for us, we are liberated!
If we follow our natural desires, the result is death; if we have our minds “set on what the Spirit desires,” we receive life and peace. Paul is restating a truth that appears over and over in Scripture. As the Psalmist and the Old Testament prophets wrote hundreds of years earlier, life and peace can only come from a “right relationship” with God. Any other choice brings death. Because of the victory of the cross, we no longer stand condemned. We have the freedom that salvation offers and, if the Spirit of God lives in us, then we can experience the promised life-giving Spirit and the Spirit’s gift of true peace.
Prayer
Gracious God, we rejoice that we do not stand condemned before you, but forgiven through the blood of your Son. Thank you for freeing us from sin and its consequences. Through your Holy Spirit, direct our minds and our hearts away from our natural desires and toward your will for our lives. We praise you for the life-giving and peace-giving presence of your Spirit. Amen.