The Law of the Spirit of Life.

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. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:1-7 ESV Back in chapter three, Paul told us the sobering news that “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20 ESV). No one can be made right with God through adherence to the law. Why? Because the law makes us aware of God's holy requirements, then our sin natures cause us to break those very requirements. In chapter seven, Paul even shared his personal experience with attempting to keep the law. “I would not have known what is is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting” (Romans 7:7-8 ESV). And while it is impossible for anyone to be justified in God's eyes through their efforts to keep His law, Paul gave us the good news: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22 ESV). From chapter three all the way to chapter seven, Paul gives his defense of justification by faith, not by works. And then in chapter eight he starts off by saying, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Those who have placed their faith in Christ are justified because of their faith in Christ. They are made right with God and seen as righteous by God because of what Jesus has done on their behalf. By placing their faith in what Jesus has done for them, they are no longer placing their faith in what they can do for themselves. Faith has replaced works. 

There is a new law at work in their lives. Paul describes it as “the law of the Spirit of life.” When we hear the word, “law” we tend to think in terms of restrictions and binding requirements that keep us from doing what we want to do. But the Greek word Paul uses is nómos and it has a much broader and more pleasant meaning behind it. According to Strong's Concordance, it is derived from the Greek word “νέμω némō (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage).” In other words, it is more prescriptive than restrictive. The Mosaic law had benefits. It gave directions for life and provided God's prescribed way for living in unbroken fellowship with Him. In the 23rd Psalm, David describes this prescriptive nature of God's law. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3 ESV). Through the law, God guided, directed, and protected His people. But the law was weakened by man's flesh or sin nature. Man couldn't follow willingly and obediently.

So when Paul speaks of “the law of the Spirit of life,” he is telling us that God has provided us with a new way to live in fellowship with Him. “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4 ESV). The key is the last phrase in these verses. We are to walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. We are to live our lives in obedience to and dependence upon the Spirit of God. He is the nómos or prescribed way God has provided for us so that we might live in fellowship with and obedience to Him. And Paul provides us with a vivid contrast of the choice that lies before us each and every day as God's children. “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God” (Romans 8:5-8 NLT). 

Our sinful nature is alive and active. But we are no longer slaves to it. We have been set free from its control. We now have the Spirit of God also living within us, providing us with direction for living a God-honoring life and the power to accomplish it. But we must choose to live under His control and not our own. We must submit to His leadership. We must desire what He desires and long for those things that He has determined as best for us. But in his letter to the Galatian believers, Paul reminds us of the constant battle going on within us. “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other…” (Galatians 5:17 NLT). If we try to please God through our flesh, we will fail. But if we live our lives in dependence upon the Spirit of God, His prescribed means of living a godly life, we will experience life, peace, joy, contentment, and the transformation of our lives into the likeness of Christ.

The Law of the Land.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. – Romans 7:21-25 ESV Up to this point in his letter, Paul has mentioned six different laws at work in the lives of those to whom he was writing. There was the law of Moses, which God had given to the people of Israel, and which could only expose and condemn sin. There was also law as a principle, apart from the law of Moses, which caused all men to have an awareness of right and wrong. Paul included the law of faith, which is apart from any acts of self-righteousness. There was also the law of the mind, which agrees with the law of Moses, but is incapable of obeying it because of the law of sin. The law of sin, yet another law, is always victorious over the law of the mind. Then finally, there is the law of the Spirit, which provides the believer with victory over the law of sin which resides in his body and allows him to live obediently to the law of Moses.

In verse 21, Paul mentions when he wants to do what is right, in his mind, the temptation to do evil is always right there. He calls this a law. He is most likely referring to the law of the mind, which is aware of God's holy expectations, but always susceptible to the desires of the flesh or the law of sin. He says, “I delight in the law of God (the Mosaic law) in my inner being (in his mind), but he sadly confesses, “I see in my members (his body) another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:23 ESV). The dilemma that Paul presents is one that all believers face every day of their lives. We know in our minds what God expects of us and we want to do what is right. But the law of sin exists in our bodies. We have our sin natures that remain alive and active in our earthly bodies. And as Paul says in Galatians, our sin natures do battle daily with the Spirit who lives within us. It is a battle for control.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word Paul uses over and over again for “law” is nomos and, according to Strong's Concordance, it is derived from another Greek word, némō, which means “to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals.” Nomos came to mean, “anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.” So the law of the Spirit requires usage. God has given the Spirit to us to be used, like a shepherd providing food to grazing animals. Unless they eat what is provided, they miss out on the intended benefits. Paul paints a picture of what daily life is like for the believer. We have active sin natures that are opposed to the Spirit's role in our lives. The law of our minds tells us what we need to do but, in our own strength, we lack the moral fortitude to obey. In that sad condition, we are forced to cry out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24 ESV). The law of the mind is no match for the law of sin. The mind's desire to do what is right cannot stand against the body's desire to sin. Any victories we enjoy will be short-lived. That is why self-righteousness does not work. It's also why we need the law of the Spirit. He is the key to our deliverance from this body of death. And He was provided to us through Jesus Christ. But we must make use of His presence and power. The principle or law of the indwelling Spirit of God is only effective when we submit to His authority in our lives. Which is why Paul reminds us, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses” (Galatians 6:16-18 NLT).

There are many laws at work. But only one can equip us to live Christ-like lives in the midst of a sinful world and in spite of our indwelling sin natures. It is the law of the Spirit. We must learn to live in obedience to Him. In the very next chapter, Paul tells us we are to “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4 ESV). We are not to live according to the law of Moses, attempting to earn favor with God through our keeping of His holy commands. We are not to live according to the law of the mind, determining to do good, but constantly failing. We are also not to live according to the law of sin, giving in to our fleshly desires. We are to live according to the law of faith, apart from any acts of self-righteousness and we are to live according to the law of the Spirit, relying on His presence and power within us to produce His fruit through us.