Romans: Walk in the Spirit

What we have studied so far in Romans:

In 2023, we looked at:

Chapter 1: Paul’s Intro and Call to Preach the Gospel as well as the Corrupted Heart of Man
Chapter 2: Man is Without Excuse
The Seven Ways God Justly Judges
Chapter 3: Paul’s False Arguments Debunked

In 2024, we are now looking at:

Chapter 4: Faith of Abraham
Chapter 5: Being Justified by Faith
Chapter 6: Newness of Life
Chapter 7: New Law for Us

This month we will start a three-month series regarding walking in the Spirit as we examine Romans, Chapter 8. This will also bring us roughly half way through the Book of Romans. The chapter is divided into five subjects, and we will look only at the first subject this month.

Chapter 8: Walk in the Spirit

- No Condemnation: 1-9
- Debtors to the Spirit: 10-17
- Growing through Sufferings: 18-25
- Spirit intercedes for Us: 26-28
- Walking in an Eternal Relationship: 29-39

Chapter 8 comes out of Chapter 7 and the difficulty that Paul refers to regarding the struggle we all face as our flesh tends towards sin, but our spirit wishes to serve God. (See past Romans articles.)

To recap the issues in Chapter 7 as an introduction to Chapter 8, I will remind you that few chapters in the Bible have been the subject of more decidedly different interpretations than Chapter 7. After all that has been written on it by the learned, it is still a matter of diverse discussions regarding:

Whether the apostle has reference, in the main scope of the chapter, to his own experience before he became a Christian
Or to the conflicts in the mind of Paul after he was saved
Or to not just Paul, but to all people both before and even after they are saved

Which is it? I believe that the principles discussed reflect on all of the above.

The main theme of Chapter 7 was not very difficult to understand (although you can get a little lost in Paul’s ruminations). It is evidently to show the insufficiency of the law to produce peace of mind to a troubled sinner.

In the previous chapters, he showed that the law is incapable of producing justification (Chapters 1-3), and he has shown the way in which men were justified by faith (Romans 3:21-31; 4:1-25).

He has shown how that God’s plan produces peace and counters the evils introduced by the fall of Adam (Romans 5).

He has shown that Christians were freed from the law as a matter of obligation (that is, we are no longer obligated to try and fulfill the law), and, yet, that freedom should not lead us into a licentious life (Romans 6).

And he has still further proceeded to illustrate the influence of the law on a man both in a state of nature and of grace. It showed its uniform effect in the present condition of man, whether impenitent and under conviction, or in a state of grace under the gospel. So far from promoting peace as the Jews maintained, it was to excite the mind to conflict, and anxiety, and distress.

Paul’s discussion was conducted without particular reference to himself either before or after salvation, and by extension, all mankind. It is rather designed to group together the actions of a man’s life, whether in a state of conviction for sin or in a state of grace, and to show that the effect of the law is everywhere substantially the same. It equally fails everywhere in producing peace and sanctification.

The argument of the Jew respecting the efficacy of the law, and its sufficiency for the condition of man is, thus, overthrown by a succession of proofs relating to justification, to pardon, to peace, to the evils of sin, and to the agitated and conflicting moral elements in man’s bosom.

The effect is everywhere the same. The law is woefully deficient to save, but it does cause the conflict and exposure of man’s heart and, thus, draws us to the deliverance from all these evils traced to the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord (Roman’s 7:25).

We now enter into a discussion of our condition before God after we are saved by grace. Paul will open that discussion with the “no condemnation” postulate . . .

No Condemnation in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-9:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The reason believers can have victory through Christ is that the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ is greater than the power of the old, sinful nature. The downward pull of the sinful nature may be likened to the downward pull of the earth’s gravity. A stone thrown into the air will fall to the ground because it has no life or power to overcome the force of gravity. A bird thrown into the air will fly away because it has a living power that enables it to overcome the downward pull of the earth. It has a new “law” – or life, which is greater than the “law” of gravity. Likewise, in Christ, believers have a new upward force of the Spirit that is greater than the downward pull of the old sinful nature (8:1-2).

Efforts to keep the law cannot produce righteousness because the sinful nature is so bad it cannot be cured, or even improved. It can only be condemned to destruction, and Christ satisfied this by His death on the cross. When, however, believers live according to the power of the Spirit, they can develop in their lives the righteousness that the law aimed at but could not produce (8:3-4).

The mind cannot be controlled at the same time by both the old sinful nature and the Spirit. One results in hostility to God, the other in peace. One leads to death, the other to life (8:5-8).

Verse 1 Notes: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Condemnation means to be condemned for wrong doings or sins against God, the state, family, etc.

Paul’s statement that there is no condemnation hinges on the next phrase – for those who walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Note that this does not mean that one is not worthy of condemnation. But that in the Spirit the condemnation that would be rightfully ours has been eliminated because Christ took our condemnation upon Himself.

This phrase “no condemnation” is referring to the eternal position that we have in Christ, not to our daily activities and the results of our behavior.

In the flesh, we do stand condemned. But those who are in the Spirit, saved people, are no longer condemned.

Where does condemnation come from in this life? Sins we have committed, offenses we have done, mistakes and errors we have caused. Our conscience can still condemn us for these things, letting us know when we have done something wrong. It is good that we have a conscience to warn us and cause us to repent and ask forgiveness in accordance to 1 John 1:8-10: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.“

Therefore, our position before the throne is one of no condemnation, for we are children of the Spirit.

Verse 2 Notes: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Besides the positional victory we have in Christ, we also have a present victory available to us in Christ.

What is the law of the Spirit? What is the law of sin and death? The law of sin and death is that principle that says we are all sinners, and as sinners we will face death. The wages of sin is death. But the law of the Spirit overcomes the law of sin and death and ensures that, eternally, we will be without condemnation.

Like a stone, which is dead, falls to the earth subjected to gravity without the ability to resist the law of gravity, so do we in our sins find ourselves unable to resist the law of sin and death.

However, like a bird that easily overcomes the law of gravity, defies it, and is free to fly unhindered; so we in Christ are like that bird able to overcome and have victory over sin and death and live freely above it.

Verse 3 Notes: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

The Mosaic Law did not provide any power or tools to help man not sin. No twelve-step program on how to avoid sin can be found in the law. The law does two things: It shows man the high standard of righteousness that God demands (thus acting as a schoolmaster), and it stands as a witness to condemn us when we fail to obtain such a high standard, for in our flesh we are simply too weak to overcome sin.

That is why we dare not stand before a Holy God in our own righteousness and must totally rely on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, He alone is able to stand before God in righteousness. Jesus took on our same sinful flesh, that is, He became a man and was subject to the same temptations and passions as a man but did not sin. Therefore, He was able to do what we could not – condemn sin itself while in the flesh.

We are the beneficial recipients of His successful righteousness. We are now also able to stand without condemnation eternally wrapped in His righteousness and spiritual victory – as we walk in the Spirit.

Verse 4 Notes: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

This verse has two levels of meaning:

1) We are now inheritors of eternal life and stand without condemnation positionally before God. We are now spirit-beings, having been made spiritually alive as opposed to those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. We have been quickened to eternal life.

2) As we walk in this life in these fallen bodies, we are able to have victory over sin as we submit ourselves to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, we are like Christ as He is mentioned by Paul in the previous verse in that we are also able to walk in righteousness of the law as if we were able to accomplish what He did. That victory has been imputed to us as we walk after the Spirit.

Verse 5 Notes: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”

Still thinking about his Jewish brethren, Paul separates people into two camps. Those who are focused on things of the flesh, and those who are focused on things of the Spirit. Looking at those two divisions, we can divide them further:

Those who try to live by the law – they trust in their ability to keep the law and do not trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. They must be on constant vigil to follow all the points of the law and, of course, in “minding” the things of the law in their fallen, fleshly state, they will be found woefully wanting and unsuccessful.

The other group of those that mind the flesh are the lost who are attempting to follow the law per se, but believe themselves to be inherently good and trust in the old weighted balance system – my good works outweigh my bad. They, too, will find themselves in total failure.

Then there is the group of spiritual folks who are saved. They too, unfortunately, can be divided into two groups:

Those who are saved, but do not walk after the Spirit – saved, but they look like the world and behave as the world dictates.

Those who have surrendered themselves to the Holy Spirit and start each day as a believer following after the promptings of the Spirit.

Verse 6 Notes: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

To be carnally minded is death. If in the first two groups, it means they are spiritually dead, and that they will one day face eternal death. But it also means that they are clueless regarding true spiritual things and cannot discern them because they do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Those who are saved but also carnally minded have missed out on the joys and benefits of walking in the Spirit. They may find a lack of peace in their lives, death to their Christian life in that there are constant failures. Habits they can’t break, lack of true fellowship, disappointments pertaining to spiritual things.

But if you are in the group that is saved and mind the things of the Spirit, you will enjoy the spiritual life and peace that can only come to one who walks in God’s Spirit and minds those things He is interested in – doing His will.

Verse 7 Notes: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

The carnal mind is closed, seared, damaged if you will, and is unable to understand or comprehend or even hear the things that please God. Worse, the carnal mind is set against that which God loves and demands and, thus, is in a state of war with God. The Greek word for enmity means hostility, opposition and even hatred towards another (Strong’s G2189). Those who are carnally minded literally hate the things of God and, by association, God Himself – even if they don’t believe that they do.

Carnal minds are not subject to the law of God in three ways: (1) understanding it is not possible; (2) ability to follow it and obey it is also not possible; and (3) gaining any benefit from it is not possible. They are unable to seek shelter within the all-encompassing forgiveness and salvation that awaits those who have given themselves to Christ and allowed Christ to complete the law and satisfy a Holy God.

Verse 8 Notes: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Bottom line is that those who walk after the flesh simply cannot please God and are under condemnation. Any good works are powerless to erase the “bad” in some imaginary balance scale because that is not how God works.

All have sinned and come short of His glory. The wages of sin is death – physically and spiritually. But the gift of God is eternal life through the work of Jesus Christ, and with that eternal life is the designation of “there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Recap . . .

We have basically two choices before us: walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh. As we walk in the Spirit, we know that there is and will not be any condemnation to face some day. When we stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ, we can expect “thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of your Lord.” If, instead, we walk after the flesh, we can expect to be saved (if we gave our life to Christ), but our treasures will be few and scant, our rewards little if any, yet saved.

So, shall we build wood, hay, and stubble into our treasure bank, or spiritual gold, silver, and precious stones?

You must literally make that choice daily.

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

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