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.