Romans 8 begins with the freedom from the law of sin and death into the law of the Spirit of life. The death that sin brings is condemnation. I do what I hate, so in this life, I stand condemned and unable to save myself. Such a life is full of confusion, since my will, mind, and body are not working together. Such a life brings despair, since sin controls each part of me in its own way, subverting even my intentions toward goodness into evil desire.
Paul describes the freedom that comes through the Spirit of life in this way: "What the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of flesh for sin. And so he condemned sin in the flesh." First to unpack this, I was drawn to the the basic statement, what the law was powerless to do, God did. Romans 7 shows what the law could not do. Although the law is good and a source of delight to the mind, it produces death because sin resides in my body and enslaves my will. The law cannot renew the mind, set the will free, and inhabit the body. This is what God did through Jesus.
How does this happen? God deals with the flesh. The natural human abilities become the haunting place of sin when left to themselves. In order to bring the flesh into its proper place, God inhabited the flesh through Jesus and defeated sin in the body. Sin is condemned - or put to death - in the flesh by means of the Son coming as a man to destroy sin and its workings in the life of people. This is evident in the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus put sin to death in his own body and sacrifice, but then rose victorious over it.
The law is powerless because it is weakened by the flesh. The law is weakened by the flesh because I seek to
use the flesh to keep the law. Jesus shows that the only way to deal with the flesh is to
crucify it, not use it. My natural human ability apart from God must become pure garbage and seen as a liability. I cannot hope to use it or it will use me with the power of sin behind it. Jesus' death points to my inability to save myself, my need to be set free by God's ability, and the way in which such freedom takes place - through death and resurrection.
Now Paul introduces a new way to living. Instead of living in dependence on my flesh - my natural human status and ability apart from God - I can now live in dependence on the Spirit - God's status and ability through him who lives in and with me. The entry point of the Spirit into my life is my mind. As my mind dwells on Christ and his life, death, and resurrection, my will becomes increasingly controlled by the Spirit - the person of God's will living in me. In the same way, if my mind dwells on the flesh, then I am controlled by that outlook and I end up hostile to God, unable to follow his laws and ways, and unable to please him.
The work of Christ in me is this: my body is dead. As sin has resided in the members of my body, my body dies in the work of Christ, since I give up on the flesh as a means to navigate life. I am dead to that way of living. My bodily habits of sin no longer rule and enslave my will and spirit. Instead, I am alive because of the goodness that Christ has brought to me. The righteousness comes from this continual focus on Christ. By laying myself at his feet, I am now able to reverse the law of sin and death. No longer do I hate what I do, but I find I
am able to do good, "yet not I, but Christ who lives in me." (Ephesians 2) I am alive because I can finally do what I want to do in Christ: righteousness.
The image of being spiritually dead is being enslaved, condemned, and full of fear. The image of being spiritually alive is being free, righteous, and loved. The body given to sin dies. The spirit given to the Spirit will be raised in a new body. For now the body continues to die, but the Spirit sustains my spirit with hope. Whatever suffering the body goes through does not compare with the hope of renewal and resurrection, not only for our own bodies, but also for all of creation. Hope is not wishing, but a calm confidence in a future outcome of a present reality.
Just as I am weakened by sin so that I hate what I do, I am weakened so that I do not know what I need. The Spirit asks for I cannot conceive or even want now in my present weakness. As he asks, God works in my life. The Spirit works from within my heart submitting and combining my desires with God's in perfect unity.
And so nothing happens that can ultimately thwart God's desires. This is not enslaving, but freeing because of God's love. All trust and hope are based on this love. Pain does not move me to suffering when I live in God's love. Rather, I am willing to go through pain for his sake and conquer.
Paul explains that I am controlled by what I trust. My hope is based on what I trust. The basis for my trust in God is his love.
Lord, I want to live by the Spirit. The deeds of the body must be killed when they stand on their own because through them sin lives and rules in my life. I have too much experience with this way of life. Sin has had its way with me and I have freely given myself to it. Now I see how I can be free of this master through your work in Christ and his work in me through the Spirit: I will die so that you might live. I will give up sin and the death that follows so I might be united with you in the Spirit and have life. Such life comes through a new outlook - a real belief in Christ and his way - which permeates each part of my being. I have new thoughts, I can choose what is good, and find virtue working into my body. This is Christ who lives in me, my hope and salvation. May your grace always be sufficient to me. I need nothing else. Amen.
