Romans 8:12-13

Romans 8:12-13  Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Paul once again points out that a Saint has an obligation to not live according to the flesh.  If anyone lives according to the flesh he will die even if he claims to believe in Christ.  It takes the indwelling Spirit for a Saint to put to death the misdeeds of the body.  Just as Christ pointed out in his description of himself as the true vine [John 15], a Saint will bear fruit, which requires remaining in Christ.  It is clear that a Saint cannot sanctify himself without the Spirit.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the engine that drives sanctification.  Just as there is no boasting for a person’s justification, there is also no boasting for his sanctification.    

Romans 8:9-11

Romans 8:9-11  You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Saints are in the realm of the Spirit because the Spirit of God lives in them.  Therefore, Saints are in Christ and although they still battle sin, they are under the influence and direction of the Spirit.  If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they are still under the direction of the flesh, not in Christ, and are not saved. 

Saints who have the Spirit in them will listen to the words of Jesus [John 10:27].  Jesus knows his sheep… and they know him and will follow him.  Anyone who denies the word of God and conforms to the wisdom of the world should be very concerned, even if they claim to be a believer, for Jesus said many false professors of faith in Christ will be turned away on judgment day.  To embrace worldly wisdom on things like abortion, homosexuality, pluralism are examples of denying Scripture.

Finally, sinners are dead men walking until the Spirit gives life to mortal bodies and turns sinners into Saints.     

Romans 8:5-8

Romans 8:5-8 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.   The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.   The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.   Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Paul continues to distinguish the actions and inclinations of Saints in contrast with unbelievers.  Saints are governed by the indwelling Holy Spirit and have their minds set on the things the Spirit desires.  These things lead to life and peace.  On the other hand unbelievers are governed by the desires of the flesh and seek out desires of the flesh, which leads to death.   

Unbelieving sinners cannot please God or submit to God’s law.  Praise God that he has saved us through the blood of Jesus Christ and also given us a new heart and new attitude through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  

Romans 8:3-4

Romans 8:3-4 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The Law of Moses was the Old Covenant Contract for Israel… these laws were the requirements of their covenant.  Because of the fall of man and bondage to their sin nature, Israel was unable to keep this covenant with God.  They were powerless due to the weakness of their flesh.  However, God sent his son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering and condemn sin in the flesh.  By perfectly keeping the Law of Moses, Christ fulfilled the law in order that the righteous requirements might be met in Saints that are in Christ Jesus through faith.  Therefore, Jesus met the requirements that sinners couldn’t meet and suffered the penalty for the curse earned by all who are in him by faith.  IOW, Christ died for the sins of those who believe in him. 

Paul describes the characteristics of those who have faith in Christ rather than simply saying faith.  By doing this Paul completely rules out the view that Saints may come to faith and continue on full speed ahead in their sin.  This carnal Christian heresy comes straight from Satan and here Paul is clear that Saints will live according to the Spirit and not the flesh.         

Romans 8:1-2

Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Paul here declares the great news that through Jesus Christ the law of the Spirit gives life and sets sinners free from the law of sin and death.  Through faith and trust in Jesus Christ rather than through the keeping of the Law, sinners become Saints and are no longer under the condemnation and curse of sin.

The temporary Mosaic [Old] Covenant pointed to a redeemer to come but it could not give eternal life because of the curse of the law.  The law was a ministry of death that Paul here calls the law of sin and death.  However, when Christ came, he conquered the law of sin and death and all who are in him through faith have also conquered the law of sin and death.  Praise God that there is now no condemnation for all of God’s Saints.  This is in accordance with the better and perfect New Covenant that Christ ushered in at the cross of Calvary.  [see Galatians 3]  

Romans 7:21-25

Romans 7:21-25 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  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 this passage Paul reiterates that he is a prisoner of the law of sin at work within him even though he delights in God’s law.  In the first six verses of Romans 7 Paul said believers had died to the law and were released from the law in order to serve in the new way of the Spirit.  Before Christ came, Jews were under the Law of Moses and their sinful passions bore fruit for death.  Therefore, in the above passage Paul is describing himself as a Jew who is trying to keep the Law of Moses.  Since he is describing the very condition from which believers have been released, he must be describing himself before conversion. 

He exclaims that he is wretched man and asks to be rescued from his body that is subject to death.  He is asking for deliverance from the law of sin and death.

Then he gives the solution to being a prisoner of the law of sin and that is through Jesus Christ who delivers him from the slavery of sin.  In the very next verses beginning in Romans 8 Paul describes how Christ delivered him from the curse of the law of sin and death.   

Romans 7:14-20

Romans 7:14-20 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

In Romans 6 Paul makes a distinction between being a slave to sin and being set free from sin.  The distinction is between a believer and a non-believer.  Being a slave to sin is the condition of a non-believer and being set free from sin is the condition of a believer.

Therefore, in Romans 7:14 when Paul says that he is unspiritual and sold as a slave to sin, he is referring to his condition before he was a believer.  Before believing in Christ, he attempted to keep the Law of Moses and now in retrospect he realized that his sinful nature prevented him from doing it.  He had the desire to keep the law, but he could not carry it out.  The sin living in him prevented him from doing what he wanted to do.  His sinful nature was in control of his actions and his fleshly efforts could not overcome this bondage.  This is in stark contrast to the condition of a believer being set free from sin that he spoke of in Romans 6 or goes on to describe in chapter 8. 

The very fact that he speaks of keeping the law confirms that he is speaking of himself before his Christian conversion because he had just stated in Rom. 7:6 that believers have been released from the law to serve in the new way of the Spirit.  Why would he say believers had been released from the law and then immediately speak of trying to keep the Law of Moses?

Romans 7:7-13

Romans 7:7-13 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.  Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.  I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.  For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.  So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.  Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
 
Although everyone under the law is under a curse, the law is not sinful.  Paul uses the tenth commandment to point out how sin in him produced the very thing the law prohibited.  As he put it, the law caused sin to spring to life in him.  The problem is sin and not the law for the law is holy, righteous and good.  Sin used the law to bring about death for Paul.  This is why Paul calls the law the ministry of death in other epistles.

In the Mosaic Covenant the law was the condition the nation of Israel was required to keep in order to receive God’s blessings.  Failure resulted in receiving God’s curses.  The Old Testament gives a history of Israel’s failing over and over to keep God’s law and the resulting curses that followed.  God did spiritually save a small remnant of the Old Testament Jewish nation because they believed God and looked to his mercy to one day provide a redeemer.  Jesus Christ was the redeemer that perfectly fulfilled the law on the behalf of all [Jew and Gentile] who place their faith in him. 

Now that faith in Christ has come we no longer serve in the manner of the law, but we serve in the new way of the Spirit.  Seeking to be justified or sanctified by the law did not work for Old Covenant Jews and it will not work for New Covenant people who come from every tongue and tribe.  It is through Jesus Christ and not the law that redeems and sanctifies believers.

Romans 7:5-6

Romans 7:5-6 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.  But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
 
In this passage Paul is speaking as a Jew under Old Covenant Law.  Before a sinner is redeemed his sinful passions bring forth the fruit of death.  Being captive to sin he is drawn to sin and his sinful passions are actually aroused by the Law of Moses.  Therefore, the law makes sin worse rather than restraining it.

The Law of Moses given at Mt. Sinai was the covenant contract for the nation of Israel.  They were bound by this covenant to obey the law in order to be blessed and failure brought about curses.  But now by dying to that law through faith in Christ, Jewish believers were released from the law in order to serve in the new way of the Spirit rather than the old way of the written code.  This means that Jewish and Gentile believers are new creations in Christ and have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead them in righteousness through the internal motivation from the laws that are written on their heart [Hebrews 8:10].  The Holy Spirit replaced the tablets of stone [Law] for both Jews and Gentiles and they know the Lord and have their sins forgiven [Heb. 8:11-12].  Praise God that the curses of the Law have been removed for all who have faith in Jesus Christ. 

While Old Covenant members served through the Law, New Covenant members serve through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Romans 7:4

Romans 7: 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 

In verses one through three Paul gives an example to show how believers have died to the law.  Here in verse four he goes further and states that through the body of Christ a believer is no longer under the law.  He now belongs to Christ, and not the Mosaic Law.  This means the whole law and not just part of it.

Nowhere does Paul divide the law into three parts and place New Covenant believers under one of the three parts as some believe.  This does not mean that all of the ethical principles of the Mosaic Law are no longer valid.  It does mean they are no longer given through the Mosaic Covenant, which demanded external obedience to avoid curses.  This is legalism and the New Covenant replaces Old Covenant legalism with Jesus Christ and a new way to relate to God as Paul goes on to explain.  This new way enables believers to bear fruit for God.  Paul explains how the old way did not bear fruit for God, but bore fruit for death in the next two verses.        

Romans 7:1-3

Romans 7:1-3 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?  For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.  So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

Paul gives an example of how believers have died to the law and are no longer under the law.  This means the whole law as Paul never divides the law into three parts and brings one part over into the New Covenant as many do.  Even the Ten Commandments are no longer applicable for New Covenant believers.  This is clearly shown in 2 Corinthians 3 which states: “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?"    

This does not mean lying, stealing, murder, adultery, etc. are now OK.  But it does mean these principles are restated and in most cases strengthened in the New Covenant era as given in the New Testament.  With the New Covenant there is a change in the law [Hebrews 7:12].

Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

While all human beings are sinners, this short verse makes a concise distinction between sinners and Saints and their fate.  Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their savior will die a physical and spiritual death.  Those who trust in Christ as their savior will inherit eternal life immediately after their physical death. Eternal life is a gift that is given by God and made possible by the amazing grace of Jesus Christ who paid the sin debt for all who believe on the cross of Calvary.

The most important thing a human being can do in life is to leave the sinners’ camp and enter the Saint camp through the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ.  With regenerated spirits and new God given hearts, Saints are moved to look to Christ.  They are indwelled by the Spirit and led by the Spirit to live according to their new nature.  Sin in a Saint’s life is not completely eradicated, but Jesus Christ will be on their personal throne and God who began a good work in them will complete the task. 

Romans 6:19-21

Romans 6:19-21 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

Paul directs believers to offer themselves as slaves to righteousness instead of their former pre-conversion days when they were slaves to sin.  Before sinners come to faith, they are free from righteousness and sin does not bother them at all.  Next Paul points out a very interesting fact that demonstrates how a Saint undergoes a radical transformation due to being born again.  That fact is a Saint will be ashamed of things he did in his pre-conversion life.  He will be ashamed for the first time of those things that he did years before when he was still an unbeliever and a slave to sin.  The utter disregard he had for sin and the realization that he has been rescued from spiritual death will cause him to thank and praise God for the deliverance from the slavery of sin.  A Saint will still sin, but shame and regret will occur immediately and he will repent and be thankful for God’s grace.

Romans 6:15-18

Romans 6:15-18 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!   Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Paul again rejects the thought that anyone would sin intentionally because of being under grace.  The Holy Spirit changes the allegiance of sinners by regenerating them and giving them a heart of flesh.  Before they were changed they were slaves to sin and gave in to the desires of sin.  But thanks to the grace of God sinners become Saints and are set free from the power of sin.  They become slaves to righteousness and while sin still occurs in their lives, they are not controlled by its power.  Praise God that the Spirit has replaced sin with Christ on the throne of those who are in Christ Jesus by faith.    

Romans 6:14

Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

New Covenant believers are not under law.  Paul is referring to the Old Covenant Law and this means the entire Mosaic Law is not applicable to New Covenant believers including the Ten Commandments.  This does not mean that murder, lying, stealing, adultery, etc. are OK for New Covenant morals and ethics.  As a matter of fact, these laws have been strengthened in the New Covenant as Jesus likened lust to adultery and anger to murder [Matt. 5].  What it does mean is that New Covenant believers serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code [Rom. 7:6].  Serving in the old way of the written code meant an external list of do’s and don’ts.  It depended on external obedience by the flesh through legalism.  Serving in the new way of the Spirit means an internal motivation based on the indwelling Spirit and the law written on the hearts of believers [Hebrews 8:10].  Serving in the Spirit is accomplished through internal obedience made possible by a regenerate new creation in Christ with a heart of flesh [2 Cor. 5:17].  The Old [Mosaic] Covenant Law was made with a mostly unbelieving physical nation that needed a guardian [Gal. 3:23-24].  The New Covenant is made with a spiritual nation that does not need a guardian now that the New Covenant has come [Gal. 3:25]. 

 

Therefore, Paul says sin will no longer be our master.  This obviously means that it was the master of those under Law in the Old Covenant.  Paul states this fact plainly in verses 17-18 of chapter six.  Over and over in his letters Paul reinforces the fact that Old Covenant Law cannot save a person nor can it sanctify a person.  When a person becomes a Saint through saving faith in Christ, he is given the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives him the fruit of the Spirit.  This is what it means to be under grace and NOT law.

Romans 6:8-13

Romans 6:8-13 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.   The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Christ died for all of the sins of believers once for all.  There will be no need for any further atonement for sin.  There will be no more need for Temple sacrifices to be offered in the future.  In this passage Paul begins to instruct believers in their progressive sanctification.  It is noteworthy that Paul does not instruct believers to go back to the obsolete Old Covenant Law for their progressive sanctification here or in any of his other letters.  Why?  Old Covenant Law and ethics were given for mostly unbelievers who had to be instructed through the outward means of the flesh.  New Covenant Law and ethics are given to believers who have the law written on their hearts [Heb. 8].  Believers also have the desire as well as the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable them to carry out progressive sanctification without the legalism inherent with the written code.  Therefore, Paul and other New Testament writers gave exhortations and instructions on proper Christian behavior.  Paul will unpack the differences between Old Covenant Law and New Covenant Grace more in chapters 7 and 8.

Romans 6:1-7

Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Paul in chapter six completely destroys the thinking that a believer in Christ can precede full speed ahead in sin because grace will cover him.  Paul refutes the notion that a true Christian can be a carnal Christian, as many today believe.  Why?  Christians have died to sin because they have been baptized into Christ Jesus and into his death.  A believer has been changed and is no longer a captive to sin, but is a new creation that has been raised to a new life.  Anyone who has died with Christ has been crucified with Christ and is no longer a slave to sin.  He has been set free from sin and has a new desire to pursue Godliness.  In short a believer is a Saint that has been changed internally by God and while he still sins, he no longer is a sinner in slavery to sin.  Praise God that it is God who changes a sinner internally and not human effort or will that does this work of crucifixion to the old self.

Romans 5:20-21

Romans 5:20-21 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rather than decrease sin, the Law of Moses that was given to Jews at Mt. Sinai actually made sin worse.  Paul also points this out in Romans 7.  However, with the increase in sin, grace increased all the more.  This points to the infinite mercy and grace that is available through faith in Christ.  There is no sinner so defiled by sin that the blood of Jesus Christ will not wash him clean and make him a Saint.  

But, does this mean that a Saint can continue full speed ahead in sin and have it covered by God’s grace?  Stay tuned as Paul takes that up next.