The Final Aspect of the Promise

Introduction

Were examining and delving into our 4th and final point. The last two weeks we’ve studied what the reality of this promise is for believers, that being that, right now at this very moment, for those who are in Christ Jesus, for those who have placed their hope and trust in him with repentance and faith, have fully received total remission of the penalty of sin. This incredible and vast remission of sin is so ubiquitous that it not only resolves the sin crimes that we’ve commited before our conversion, but extends ever eternally into the future because our intercessor eternally lives and makes intercession for his people, therefore leaving us with zero condemnation now, and for all time because of the grace of God in the Gospel. This is the foundation and step ladder from which Paul builds on in this chapter.

Secondly, we spoke on the reason of the promise. Paul gave us this matter of fact statement, and then proceeds to give us the reason for that by introducing terms like the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, and the Law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ free’s us according to our text from the Law of sin and Death. We discussed that Law here is not referring to Mosaic Law but Law as in an unalienable binding principle of truth. As human beings we are constantly under physical laws that govern how we behave and what we can do, like gravity. Before your conversion you were additionally bound by the law of sin and death, you were bound to the law that the states “The soul that sin shall die”. However after your conversion, you were as it was released from the restriction of that law and bound to another law that supersedes the old. You are now bound to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ, the same law that states that he is better than all the former priests because he ever liveth, he never dies Heb 7:25. The same law that states in Rom 6:9 “9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” If you are a follower of Christ, if you have been saved by him, that means you have been placed in him, And you died with him, when he died. And when he rose, you also rose, and because he never dies, you need not worry about spiritual death. You are secure in Christ. You can never be condemned because God can never condemn his son. In an incredible unfathomable way, we are apart of his Body. Collectively, the church makes up his body. Therefore the Christian’s reason for his exoneration from condemnation is based on him being in his perfectly righteous saviour, receiving his righteousness and standing behind His intercession which never ends.

Lastly, with this truth being stated, and explained, we examined the route of the promise, how exactly does this play out in our lives. Rom 8:3 “3 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:” What was it that the law couldn't do? (By the way this is Mosoaic Law.) What was it that the law couldn't do? It couldnt save man. If you want to avoid going to Jail, what must you do? You must know the laws so as to avoid breaking them. Why is that ultimately an ineffective measure? Because it was weak through the flesh. Understand, Paul is not saying that Gods law is somehow or something deficient or imperfect. He’s already shown the purpose of it and how its a tremendous blessing. So why then, is it ultimately ineffective in metaphorically “keeping us out of jail”? Again, because its weak through the flesh. What does that mean? It means that though the law IS the righteous standard, and logically if you wish to avoid the penalty of sin you would just avoid sinning, however, because of the Fall of Adam which introduced sin into the world and into the human race, all mankind is born with an evil propensity to commit sin, and even after being delivered from its death grip over us, we still war against a formidable enemy. Because of that, the Law is unable to keep men from sinning because we ourselves choose too. And so instead of resulting in blessing to those who follow it, it results in curses because of our inability to fully keep it. This is what he means when he says the Law is weak through the flesh.

Continuing on, the route of the promise leads us to Gods direct intervention for humanity in doing what? Right because if the Law couldn't do what we needed it to do, then were hopeless. However what did God do for us? Sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, and condemning sin in the flesh. Three points to break down from that.

God sent his son in the Likeness of sinful flesh. This is important to understand, believe, and pickup on why Paul said this and what he meant. Jesus Christ was incarnated in human flesh, “the word took on flesh”, the divine took on a human form. All humans are sinners, so does this mean Christ was born a sinner because he took on a human form? The bible refutes such an idea with verses scattered throughout the bible stating that he could not be convicted by anyone of sin John 8:46, that he was tempted but never gave into those temptations Heb 4:15, that he was perfect and sinless and blameless Heb 7:25. This is why Paul says “likeness” because though he was fully human, and though he took on a human form he did not take on the sinful flesh that Humanity now is born with.

Secondly, verse 3 says what God did by “sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh, “for sin”. This is the Gospel. God sent his son to be the saviour of the world, how? by dying FOR sin. Christ did not just absolve humanity for sin, but he came “for sin” or because of sin, to deal with, Sin. He was our substitute for the penalty of sin. Christ came into the world to save us from sin and its penalty.

Thirdly and finally our verse says he condemned sin in the flesh. What does this mean? Going back to verse two, we were bound in the law of sin and death. God’s law was given, and yet sin still dominated us. But what happened when we were born again? What happened to us according to Paul? We were liberated from Sins tyranny over us right? When Christ offered himself up as a Sacrifice, he died. But when he rose up on the third day, he defeated death and broke the domination that Sin held over us, wherefore as Rom 6:14 “14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” We are no longer dominated by sin because Christ condemned sin in the flesh, he took away its utter control over us, something the law was unable to do.

All of this being said brings us to our 4th and final point, the Results of the Promise, the promise of our exoneration from condemnation. The promise of our freeing from one law to another. The promise of the subsitutionary atonement by Christ and his condemnation over the domination of sin that once gripped us. Now, Let read our passage with the emphasis being verse 4, Rom 8:1-4

Romans 8:1–4 KJV 1900

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 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: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Results of the Promise. Rom 8:4

“That the” or “in order that the” points us now into looking at the result of it all, “in order that, the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us”. The word righteousness here is the Greek word dikaiōma which translated means regulation, requirement, righteous deed. It can refer either to legal requirements or to righteous deeds but In our text should be defined requirements. The requirement of the law is perfection, without it we are condemned as James says, if your guilty of breaking one your guilty of all, however because of Christ and because of The Holy Spirit, we are able to fulfill the Law because Christ not only condemned sin in us but one day will remove sin in us entirely. Our verse here is not speaking of a single one time event but is referring to the change in direction that occured when we were saved. This verse is speaking about our sanctification, as opposed to verse 3 speaking of our justification. This is evidenced in the re-emphasis of the latter part of the verse when he re-states, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. Because of Christ, we’ve been regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit and its because of that, that NOW we can fulfill the righteousness of the law, the requirement of the law. Formerly, no matter how hard we tried, we could never be pleasing to God. Isaiah 64:6 describes it in a very intense way. Do a word study on Filthy Rags if you wish to see that for yourself, but the bible says,

Isaiah 64:6 KJV 1900

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

However, as previously stated the believer has a new heart, which longs for and desires to do Gods will and now as a result fulfills the requirement of the Law. The righteousness that God demands in his law is fulfilled in you through the Spirits power to progressively sanctify you as He works in you and as you yield to him. Again, as mentioned before last week, were presented with a term “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. This is not so much an admonition or pre-requite but rather an unalienable characteristic of a Christian. The Christian is not who he ought to be, but he’s not what he used to be. Though we all will struggle with the remnants of sin in our flesh, and sometimes will fail, our “walk” as the text puts it, is aimed at and progresses “after the Spirit”. The Greek word peripateō is used here where its translated walk. Nothing special about it, it means what you think it means, placing one foot in front of the other consecutively lol. However, its used figuratively in the new testament to describe ones “lifestyle” such as in Luke 1:6, Eph 4:17, and 1 John 1:7.

1 John 1:7 KJV 1900

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Ephesians 4:17 KJV 1900

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Luke 1:6 KJV 1900

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

This is nothing new for any of you, you understand this. The Christian, does NOT walk after the flesh, and Does walk after the Spirit. One commentator said this about this verse, It is God’s great desire that believers live out the perfect righteousness that He reckons to them when they are saved—that they live like His children and no longer like the children of the world and of Satan. Positional righteousness is to be reflected in practical righteousness. Christ doesn’t want a bride who is only positionally righteous but one who is actually righteous, just as He Himself is righteous, And through His indwelling Spirit, He gives believers that desire. The end result of our salvation is not happiness, although it does bring that, but the end result is Holiness. Paradoxically and humorously, Happiness does not always bring holiness, but holiness always brings happiness, but how often do we chase after happiness and are left wanting. Righteousness and not happiness is at the very center of the Gospel. Rom 1:16-17

Romans 1:16–17 (KJV 1900)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For --therein-- is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Christians fulfill the righteousness of the law by living in a manner that reflects Gods holiness and seeking to live in obedience to it joyfully. When a person is saved, their sin debt and slate is thrown away and cast into the sea and its like their handed a new slate, but instead of trying to keep the slate clean in their own might, God gives us the Holy Spirit which empowers us to do so, which empowers us to “Walk after the Spirit”. The Christian “WILL” walk after the Spirit, this is his new nature, his lifestyle has and must be changed and yet were also commanded to Walk in the Spirit in Gal 5:16 .-- As we wrap things up I’d like to read you This is quote from Macarthur’s commentary on this passage, its a bit long lol but I couldn't find it in me to separate it because i thought it was all really good, he says,--

” As far as a Christian’s life is concerned, everything that is a spiritual reality is also a spiritual responsibility. A genuine Christian will commune with his heavenly Father in prayer, but he also has the responsibility to pray. A Christian is taught by the Holy Spirit, but he is also obligated to seek the Spirit’s guidance and help. The Holy Spirit will produce spiritual fruit in a believer’s life, but the believer is also admonished to bear fruit. Those truths are part of the amazing and seemingly paradoxical tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s will.

We know little of the relationship between God and Adam before the Fall, except that it was direct and intimate. The Lord had given but one command, a command that was given for Adam and Eve’s own good and that was easily obeyed. Until that one command was transgressed, they lived naturally in the perfect will of God. Doing His will was part of their very being.

The believer’s relationship to God is much like that. Although Christians are drawn back to the old ways by the fleshly remnants of their life before salvation, their new being makes obedience to God the “natural” thing to do.

The Christian’s obligations to God are not another form of legalism. The person who is genuinely saved has a new and divine nature that is, by definition, attuned to God’s will. When he lives by his new nature in the power of the Spirit, his desire is God’s desire, and no compulsion is involved. But because the believer is still clothed in the old self, he sometimes resists God’s will. It is only when he goes against God’s will and against his own new nature that the divine commands and standards seem burdensome. On the other hand, the faithful child of God who is obedient from the heart can always say with the psalmist, “O how I love Thy law!”

And this quote if you can call it a quote, bordering on plagiarism haha, I thought really sums up what it means to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh, to th dynamics of it, in regards to the very nature of the Christian, but also in regards to his desire and sometime shortcomings. We are both commanded and inwardly compelled and driven to Walk after the Spirit, and thankfully we have been given the resources to do so. In looking at the great deliverance from al condemnation, in looking at just why there can never be any future condemnation, in looking at how this exoneration took place, and lastly in looking at the results of this great truth, my hope that you have encouraged and reminded and empowered to Walk then, after the Spirit and not after the Flesh. That though, following the great laments of Paul and all believers of the frustration of indwelling sin, we can look forward to the day of physical deliverance and have peace and tranquility knowing that though we deserve condemnation, Christ has satisfied it all on our behalf, and there is no condemnation left now for those who are in him.