Romans 8 deals with many important truths in the Christian life. And Paul is incredibly passionate about the gospel here. It is our prayer that we will love the gospel as Paul does, and know and live it out as he did.
(A) Two Opposing Laws: No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1-2)
Romans 8:1 starts with “There is therefore”. Paul is basing his conclusion on the arguments collectively made in Romans 1-7 thus far on the sin and unrighteousness of man, on the justification through faith in Jesus Christ, on the mechanics of the law and sin and salvation. Most immediately this is a response to Romans 7:25 - thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Paul is bursting at the seams to proclaim such a glorious truth in light of his salvation and deliverance from the wretched man he is.
What two laws does Paul reference here? There is a law of God (Rom 7:22, 23, 25, 8:2) and a law of sin and death (Rom 7:23, 25, 8:2). We have alluded to the tension before, but Paul shows us clearly — the law of God in his inner being warring against the law of sin that dwells in his physical being. It is important for us to be clear what these two laws are, because these are picked up and form the basis of Paul’s argument and why it matters in Romans 8. The tension is that these two laws that Paul is subject to are fundamentally opposed to each other.
Paul cries out “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” in Romans 7:24. Yet in spite of the warfare between the two laws, Paul clings to a victory in his deliverance through Jesus Christ. This is a concrete, confident fact. Paul is able to really serve the law of God — he is even able to delight in it. We find the resolution simply in Romans 8:1 — Paul is in Jesus Christ, and therefore he is set free. The resolution to these opposing laws is the work of Jesus Christ.
As we read this, this seems like a bit of a contradiction. After all, doesn’t he says in Romans 7:25 that his flesh serves the law of sin, but in Romans 8:2 he says “the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death”. This describes the condition of every Christian — it describes the tension in our lives too. We are simultaneously saved and free in Jesus, yet our members still struggle to serve the law of sin and death.
Maybe some of us think that if we are really saved, the Christian life will be a breeze. But read Paul’s words here. There is no contradiction to Paul - the physical reality of struggling with sin does not detract from the spiritual reality that we are fully saved. Put another way, to Paul, his salvation is not determined by whether or not he struggles with sin. To Paul, both are simultaneously true — he is saved, and continues to struggle.
This makes more sense as we go through the rest of Rom 8 as we talk about glorification. But for now —these two truths are not in tension.
He goes on to talk about this being in the flesh and being in the Spirit in the rest of our passage today — we should pay close attention to how Paul works through this logic, so that we can be like Paul. This grounds his confidence and his delight in God. There is deep richness and joy in Paul’s identity and belief. There is no shade of doubt or hesitation. Paul is confident and clear — there is no more condemnation because of the victory Jesus Christ has won over sin and death. We should endeavour to make sense of this like he has.
Paul proclaims the glorious truth of the Gospel in Romans 8:1-2. There is 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.
When? Now. There is a distinct departure from what was before. This matches the “But now” earlier in Romans 7:6. The ESV Study Bible is helpful - This represents the new era of redemptive history. Christians are free from the Mosaic law and now enjoy new life in the Spirit. Something has changed with Jesus, and we must know this.
What is our state? We are no longer condemned, and once we stood condemned. This is legal language which states our position and our condition before a judge. We are no longer found guilty. It is not that we are no longer judged — we are, but instead of being found guilty and being condemned, as we should be, we are found innocent. We stand righteous before God our judge. Perhaps we have a shade of this weight of condemnation as we think about the guilt we have experienced in our lives over perhaps lies we have told or things we have messed up. What relief we find and release we feel when we are found innocent! How much more then, as we stand before God our judge, that we are judged and declared righteous.
Who is this for? This is for those who are in Christ Jesus. Note the exclusive nature of this — in order to stand not condemned before a holy God, you must be in Jesus.
Notice the mechanics of the gospel here as we connect the dots. Those who stand in Christ Jesus are no longer condemned. Those who are found in Jesus are found righteous. Something of Jesus is given to us to make this happen. It is Jesus’ righteousness itself that is imputed to us. It is given to us if we are in Christ, and that is what gives us our state of not condemned.
It is important to understand how Romans 8:2 relates to Romans 8:1. Often we read “for” as “because”, which would not be quite right in this case. Instead, we read this “for” as evidence for — the evidence that believers are in Christ and are not condemned is that the power of sin has been broken in their lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. The reason we know that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, is because the law of the Spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Why does this matter? For, because, evidence for — aren’t they all the same? Romans 8:2 speaks of the freedom we have from the law of sin and death. This freedom is not the reason for our righteousness. If this were so, our obedience to the law would be the reason for our righteousness. It is exactly the opposite. It is because of our state as not condemned as we are found in Christ, that we can be free from the law of sin and death. According to Paul, our justification is evidenced by our sanctification — not the other way around.
This is Paul’s argument — our freedom from the law of sin and death shows that we are not condemned. Take a minute to think about what that means practically - what does this mean for your struggles with sin? What does it mean that our sanctification is evidence of our justification? The fact that you struggle is evidence of your salvation. The fact that you are able to obey is evidence that you are not condemned.
Your desire to read God’s word and know Him is evidence of His spirit working in you. What a comfort for those of us who doubt! How freeing, that our salvation is not graded and dependent on our obedience.
Have you struggled with trusting that you are saved? Or assurance of salvation even as you wrestle with sin? Many times we end up discouraged by our struggle with our sins. But this struggle is evidence of our good and righteous standing before a holy God.
In order to stand not condemned, we must be “in Christ Jesus”. Romans 8 is an extension of his argument thus far, so it makes sense to look back on what he has said so far. Romans 6:3-5 tells us that this being in Christ has something to do with a baptism into Christ, which is symbolic of a baptism into His death. There is a union here — united with Him in a death like His and united with Him in a resurrection like His. Based on this, it seems we must be baptised to be in Christ — is that so?
Colossians 2:12 is helpful here —- similar language that leads us to something else — “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Faith is how we get into Christ. Baptism is an external sign of the inward reality of having placed our faith in Jesus Christ that He is our saviour. That is how we get in Christ Jesus. Faith unites us to Christ, it gives us a new identity as not condemned, it gives us the power from the Spirit - what a glorious truth, and what a glorious gift from God!
This truth of what Christ has done on the cross for us keeps Paul motivated.
If you think that being a Christian is about doing good things, attending church, tithing etc, see what Paul is saying here. We cannot earn our way to salvation. We are only saved, justified, made righteous and given a new identity by placing our faith in the work of Christ. Do we know this? What is our salvation based on? Anything apart from faith does not hold water.
But perhaps there are those who have heard it many times. Are we bored by this? We know already —- remember how much joy and confidence Paul had in such a simple truth, that there is no condemnation because we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ. Do we feel the same way? What does it show us if we do not? What does your response to the gospel show you about your standing before God? May God give us soft hearts to be moved and stirred by such an awesome truth.
(B) Two Connected Conditions: Justified in order that we may be sanctified (Rom 8:3-4)
What has God done that the law could not do? How did He do so, and what do we call this? (v3)
The law (weakened by the flesh) could not “condemn sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3). Instead, God did this by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. His Son is not actually sinful, but in its likeness. Our flesh is sinful, but God being God is not. He and His Son are sinless. The sinful flesh gives us a hint that the flesh that sin is condemned in is his Son’s.
It was necessary of God’s own Son to be sent was for sin. It was to deal with sin. So here we see God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, who is wholly sinless and wholly divine, sent to achieve what the law could not.
Reading this again, we see “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, God condemned our sin in His Son’s flesh”. The law could not help us achieve righteousness. The law could only detect sin, not defeat sin. This necessitates God’s sending of Jesus His Son, to achieve what we could not in the law — perfect obedience. Jesus’ flesh was condemned for our sin.
We call this substitution — and what a wonderful truth this is. My sin for His righteousness. My condemnation for His life. My slavery for His freedom. As we place our faith in Jesus, He is our substitute. Whatever is His, is ours. And whatever is ours, He took on.
God resolves the problem of perfect obedience by the only way possible — His Son who was perfectly obedient to obey that on our behalf. This is the gospel and what Paul lived and died for.
Do we know this gospel this way? Are you clear about the gospel and how it works, not because we are nerds but because it matters? Paul has great joy and confidence about these things as he talks about it. It gives him the strength to press on. It gives him the motivation to evangelise and go out with this gospel even if it means being in prison.
How does the gospel change our convictions and lives? What if we knew the gospel as deeply and sweetly as Paul did? How will it change our motivations, what we think about our careers, holidays, life goals etc?
Christ died so that those the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us in our walking according to the Spirit (Rom 8:4). This justification is so that we might live differently. The gospel changes everything. We now live differently.
Take stock of your life. Does your life look and smell different from the world? Is your life shaped by the Spirit as you live according to the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit? What do we need to repent of in our lives that does not look like this?
(C) Two Distinct Minds: A mind set on the Spirit that leads to a sanctified life and peace (Rom 8:5-8)
Two contrasting minds are described with different outcomes. From Romans 8:5-6, we see that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh and this leads to death. Conversely, those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit and this leads to life and peace.
What does it mean to set our minds on something? It is to dwell, long for, enjoy, desire, be focused on this thing.
What are the things of the Spirit? These are the things that are to do with God — of and from Him. It stands in contrast to the things of the flesh. Therefore, we are to be focused and see everything through the lens of the gospel and who God is. It affects how we think about our career, relationships, how we use our time and money and energy. It goes beyond how much we tithe or donate for kingdom purposes. It causes us to think about how we are to use the money that God has given us. It also encourages us to think about how we use the energy and time that God has given us.
Consider how we think about work, approach our job, respond to our parents etc. What will it look like for you to set your mind on the things of the Spirit?
Paul is clear that setting the mind on the flesh is death (Rom 8:6). There is no doubt about the outcome. This is a warning for us to guard our hearts and mind from the things of the flesh. We cannot be naive to think that we can control ourselves. Instead we are to flee from the things of the flesh for it leads to death.
In Romans 8:7-8, Paul emphasises how the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law. It cannot (Rom 8:7). Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8:8).
Note the binary nature here — it is either/or. This is a single-minded focus and call to turn from the things of the flesh. And the warning is clear. This is the position of our hearts as we love the world — we hate God, rebel against Him, sin against Him and have no desire for Him. May we never be described as hostile to God.
Do you think about pleasing God? Is this on the horizon of how we think about God? Romans 8:1-8 warns us that we are condemned if we in our flesh. But this is not the end. God sent His Son in our place, so that we may please Him and enjoy a life of life and peace, standing not condemned before a Holy God.