Ep. 297. Romans 8 | The Power of the Spirit

EPISODE 297

THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT: ROMANS 8

Where the Law failed to bring about righteousness, the Spirit succeeded. "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Our own flesh was too weak to achieve righteousness through the works of the law, but Christ came and condemned sin in his body so that the requirements of the law could be fulfilled in us.

Note that "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." We often teach and instruct believers not to live according to the flesh but to the Spirit. The argument is often that the flesh and Spirit are both at war with us in our hearts, an idea commonly brought over from Galatians but out of context. But please pay attention to verse nine, "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you." In other words, you, who the Spirit of God has sealed, can not also be people of the flesh. People of the flesh are who WE WERE prior to faith in Jesus, but now we are people of the Spirit.

Now that we have been set free from sin, law, and flesh, we ought to walk in a manner consistent with the people we've been made to be: people of God, Christ, and the Spirit. The Spirit within us confirms to our hearts that we belong to God.

Just as an exercise, compare how many times Law is mentioned in chapter seven compared to Spirit. Next, read chapter eight and see how much attention is given to the Spirit over the Law. See if Paul might not be making a point about the futility of the Law and the power of the Spirit.

Again, when we read chapter six, we see what the cross of Christ has accomplished. In chapter seven, we see how weak the law was to produce righteousness. In chapter eight, we are regaled by the beauty of the work of the Spirit. Take the text of Romans as one entire thought, or at least take chapters 6-8 as one coherent thought.

ADDITIONAL READING: Romans 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11; Colossians 3:1-3; Psalm 44:22