There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ 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, ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ 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. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:1-11

Paul starts out here in chapter 8 saying, “there is therefore now.”  Whenever we see a place where it says “therefore” we have to look back and see what it’s therefore. The end of Romans 7 in verse 25 says this, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

In Christ, we have been delivered – this word delivered means to save, rescue, set free, liberate. In Christ we are given freedom. Paul said that the law of sin had made us captive but now we have been given a way out. Amen. Now because of this gift of freedom – there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. There is no stamp of SINFUL, UNCLEAN, WORTHLESS for us.

This phrase “in Christ Jesus” is a placement or a standing. We have been given a new positioning in the spirit. Paul begins to make the contrast between the old standing “in the flesh” vs and the new of “in Christ Jesus.” He also is making the contrast between “the law of the Spirit of life” vs “the law of sin in death.”   And he wants us to see what God has done. He wants us to see that the law could not do it but that God sent Jesus who was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh. He was sent for sin and he condemned sin in the flesh through His death. See Jesus was perfect and lived perfect – He overcame sinful flesh and then killed it. Sin causes death. Sinners killed the perfect Son of God and because He was perfect, death couldn’t hold Him.

Romans 8:3-4 3 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.

So Paul continues to shows us that the flesh is weak but the Spirit is power to us. To be “in Christ” mean to be (remember what we said in the last blog – Jesus said in John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.) To be “in Christ” is to abide or to remain in Him. This continual positioning of ourselves in Him is how we get the power to grow and mature. But Paul gives us a key on how we do that? Paul says in Romans 8: 5-7 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.

What we set our minds on – where we put our focus and apply our minds to understand and know matters! If we focus on the flesh we will do the things of the flesh. If we focus on the Spirit, we will live out the Spirit. This is why it is so very important to stay connected to Jesus. Remain in Him!

I was just talking to a young lady that is struggling in her life – I reminded her that where you put your mind, will lead your heart, and your mouth. Then before you know it you end up in a place you don’t like. This is exactly what Paul is talking about. The flesh is hostile to God and refuses to submit to what God says. It can not please God and it leads to death. The Spirit leads to life and peace.  Then Paul says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Do you know Him today? Are you walking in the Spirit? Or are you walking in the flesh? Invite Him to make your body, His home.

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:16-21

Remain in Christ – Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

He is life to us! Remain in Him!

Thanks for Listening,

Starla