Unified in Christ

Stand for the reading of God’s Word

Rom 8:1-6

Introduction

“Keep your Bible open—we’ll trace Paul’s thought in three moves: (1) No condemnation (v. 1). (2) The Spirit overrules the Law of sin and death (vv. 2-4). (3) A new mindset for a new people (vv. 5-6).”

Paul has hammered one idea for seven chapters: our solidarity. Dead together in sin, justified together in Christ, buried with Adam, bound to the Law—yet now alive together in Jesus. We, as the one bride of Christ can rejoice together at the words of Paul here, where in traditional Biblical fashion, he lays out his main point of his writing here in the middle.

There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is the free gift that Paul mentions at the end of Ch. 6. The free gift of the Gospel(The good news of the arrival of the King of Righteousness) is our new Justified legal status.

Martin Luther, the Catholic monk, who in the 16th century nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany, beginning the Protestant Reformation used the image of a courtroom when teaching on this very topic.

Imagine you’re in a courtroom sitting before the judge, awaiting the verdict of a crime you know you are guilty of. These words here in Romans 8:1 are the equivalent of hearing the gavel slam and the judge declare, “Not guilty!”

Romans 8:1

Luther’s image isn’t over, but what he captures here in his image get’s to the heart of what I think Paul was communicating, more easily seen here in the Greek.

The opening phrase with emphasis would sound more like, there is not even a single kind of condemnation that can be brought against the Christian successfully.

And that word that we read “now,” in context, seems to not just mean, “at this moment,” but it seems to mean, an unending now. That before, we were dead, and now, we are alive. An event, so significant in redemptive history, happened, that from now on, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So the judge slams the gavel, and he declares, “Not guilty - not now, not ever.”

Not guilty now, maybe we understand, but not guilty ever? Condemnation isn’t a word we use often, especially outside of church. In this case, Paul chooses another seemingly obscure word, Katakrima. It’s a legal verdict that is clear and final.

Colossians 2:13–14 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

So, back to our image, the judge slams the gavel, declaring a legal verdict of “Not guilty - not now, not ever” that applies all at once, as soon as the word is spoken, and forevermore. But as soon as the judge declares you not guilty, he also declares you righteous, he stands up, steps down, and embraces you as a son or daughter.

So it is with us. We stand before the Judge deserving His wrath, but instead, we are met by the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the free gift that this new-coming King brings to us, His people, is the gift of eternity spent in perfect, unbroken communion with the triune God of the universe.

Our broken relationship with the Father has been mended, our legal status has been changed from guilty to not guilty, and now, because we are in right relationship with the Father, because of the work of the Son on the cross, we now have His Holy Spirit, our helper, inside of us. Ministering to us, making us more like Jesus. And it is by that Holy Spirit that we are all made one, in the work of Jesus, to be made sons and daughters of the most High God.

Recognize where you, who have submitted to Jesus as your King, stand today. Your reality is closer to the reality of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world, than the Israelites who witnessed the 10 plagues, escaped Egypt on dry land, witnessed God’s presence on a mountaintop, and received the promised land. They had God’s presence among them, you have God’s presence within you.

You have access to God in a way that no one, except Adam and Eve had throughout all of redemptive history until God’s Spirit descended on the believers in the early Church at Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection.

We live in a time in redemptive history when, regardless of race, ethnicity, social class, upbringing, marital status, we can be unified with other believers all across the world. I know our college students recently went on a trip, and Andre just got back this Friday from Lebanon, and we can be united with people living entirely different lives, in a culture we may be unfamiliar with, but by the Spirit who indwells us, we are unified in our identity the bride of Christ because of the work that Jesus has accomplished.

Romans 8:2-4 The Law

But how does the Judge’s verdict actually get worked into our everyday lives? Paul answers in verse 2

v. 2 The law of the Spirit of life here is referring to the authority or power, not a written law, contrasted with the law of sin and death. We were powerless against the bondage of sin, and the Mosaic law was only the mirror that revealed just how sinful we were. Paul is emphasizing here that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection marked an immediate shift in redemptive history, and now we are no longer bound by sin, but free.

And the way that Paul says this is also cause for us to slow down and ask the glaring question. What does it mean to be “in” sin and “in” Christ? We are now unified with Christ, made one with Him, as His betrothed, soon-to-be bride. We are of one identity with and redeemed in Christ alone. And now, being bought by his blood, we are made sons and daughters of the most high God.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

v.3 This use of the law here seems to refer to the whole law of the OT. God instituted the law, and the law is good. When Paul says that the law was weakened by the flesh, the law itself was not weak, but it was the flesh that it governed that was weak. It was never capable of the “once and for all” atoning work necessary to bring us back into a right relationship with the Father because it was not made for that purpose. That work could only ever have been accomplished by the work of Jesus on the Cross.

Now, we need to walk carefully around Paul’s words here because he chooses carefully his words. When Paul says that the Father sent the Son in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, these are the kinds of phrases that should fire off some really important questions. What does it mean for Jesus to be sent in the likeness of sinful flesh? Does that mean Jesus had a sin nature? That he was corrupted by the same curse that we were?

We should all hear those powerful Pauline words in the back of our minds, “BY NO MEANS!” Now, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t ask the questions, because you should, but this is what it looks like to read your Bible thoughtfully. When you encounter phrases in scripture that you don’t understand, don’t brush by them for sake of your Bible reading plan, but pause and let those questions sit for a minute or two before you phone a friend. And side note, while ChatGPT is a great tool, please know that your brothers and sisters in Christ will make wrestling through your questions a much more edifying process for all involved.

Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

v.3-4 Jesus was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh in the same way that we were created in the likeness of God. We all hopefully understand that doesn’t mean that we are, or ever will be truly like God. Remember, that was the original sin. This is to say that Jesus lived in a flesh that felt pain, suffered, was tempted, and He experienced a death far worse than any of us could imagine. But that is where we draw the line. Jesus did not have a sin nature. He was not corrupted by the same sinful nature we inherited from Adam, because He is fully God, not son of the created man. Jesus was never guilty. Jesus never sinned in thought or deed. He couldn’t have, because He is God, meaning He is sovereign, which He showed over and over again as He worked miracles, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and walking on water. The wind and the waves obey His voice, and the demons tremble at His name. Jesus is all powerful, but he was also fully man when he dwelt on this Earth. Most importantly, he was a perfect, sinless man, because no other kind of man could have accomplished the atoning work on the cross. He alone could fulfill the law.

Romans 8:5-6

Now that we live on the other side of that great Gospel promise, what does it mean to set our minds on the things of the Spirit?

v.5-6 The phrase “set their minds” comes from the single Greek word, phroneo. In Romans 12 we’ll see this same word used several more times, but translated two different ways. To think, and to live in harmony with. I love that second translation. Those who live according to the desires of the flesh live in harmony with the flesh, and those who live according to the Spirit live in harmony with the Spirit. We have these two competing natures within us. If you have put your faith and trust in Christ alone, then you can be assured that the Spirit’s work will not fail, but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel the very real war that sin is waging within us.

Galatians 5:16–17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

So this war is raging, and we hear the constant demands of our flesh, calling us back to our old master as the Israelites crying out that things would have been better for them back in Egypt. That’s just one example, though I’m sure we could think of many, of setting our minds on the flesh. All those Israelites could think about was how to have their physical needs met, rather than their eternal. How similar are we, when, our wife gets stuck twice in one week in a minivan that shut off mid drive with all three of our kids in the car? It felt like my world was collapsing. I felt like a failure of a husband and a father, and to make it up to them, I was short, rude, and unloving because of the stress it brought me. How similar are we when we tell ourselves the extra hours of work are worth it now because it will buy us time later?

There’s a modern parable that you may have heard before called the parable of the businessman and the fisherman. Modern parable, not biblical. Just want to make that clear straight out of the gate.

Parable of the businessman and the fisherman

A businessman is vacationing in a small coastal village and sees a local fisherman docking with a modest catch. The businessman asks why he didn’t fish longer, and the fisherman replies that he has enough to support his family and now plans to relax, spend time with friends, and play music.

The businessman scoffs and lays out a plan: fish longer, buy a bigger boat, grow a fleet, open a factory, expand internationally, and eventually take the company public. The fisherman asks, “Then what?” The businessman replies, “Then you can retire, move to a small village, fish a little, relax, spend time with family, and enjoy life.”

We probably all resonate with the businessman, because that’s the American dream. We set our minds on what retired life will look like, and we forsake everything else to make it happen. But the fisherman’s side seems puzzling to us. Doesn’t he want more for his life? Isn’t he just lazy? Maybe so, but more importantly, they both knew what what was important to them, and they set their minds on it. They lived in harmony with the vision that they had set for their lives, and they were content where they were.

So, what does it look like to set your mind on the things of the Spirit? It means to live in harmony with the will of God, the way that Jesus did. It means to be sanctified, to grow in your “christlikeness,” to become more like Christ. Now, if you ask every person in this room, what does it mean to “become more like Christ,” you’ll likely receive 100 different answers. I’m going to give you 101. Of all of the things that we can learn about Christ, and how He lived His life here, among the most significant is His heavenlymindedness. One of the aspects of christlikeness that is deserving of some reading, prayer, and meditation is that Christ saw His life here on Earth as important, valuable, on mission, yet he remained interruptible, enjoyed meals with His disciples, and blessed others. But encompassing all of those things was Jesus’ desire to see God’s will in heaven be done here on Earth. There was not a single thing that this world had to offer that kept Jesus from willingly leaving it.

v. 6 We are all prone to think like the businessman. We can so easily convince ourselves of the idea that we will spend time with our family, do the things we enjoy, and work for the Kingdom of God after our earthly career is over. Now, I’m not saying that work is a bad thing, obviously it’s not. It’s a good thing to work a good job with good hours that makes good money. It’s a good thing to start and own a successful business. It’s a good thing if the Lord decides to bless you with riches like King Solomon. But that can’t be the driving vision of our life if we’re seeking to live as followers of Jesus.

To live in harmony with the flesh is to reject God, but to live in harmony with the Spirit is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. To live in harmony with that Spirit is to be like Christ. The driving vision for our lives is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That means forever. Paul’s therefore now has the same eschatological underpinnings that the WCF’s chief end of man presents. Now and forever after. Now is important, but it’s also short. I’m not sure what my life will look like in a year, let alone 10 or 20, but I’m sure of where I’ll be 100 years from now, I’ll be in glory with my Father.

And for those who would boil down our lives to just a meaningless waiting room before heaven misses the entire point of Jesus’ life. He knew that he would die too, but he held every second captive. From what you’ve read in Scripture about Jesus, does He seem like a rushed businessman, always stressed and in a hurry? No, He is peace incarnate. As we study the life of Jesus, we see that His gaze was always upward, then from a full cup he ministered outward.

Church, hear the sweep of Paul’s logic one last time:

No condemnation—the verdict.

The Spirit of life—the power.

A new mindset—the practice.

We walk out of the courtroom justified, indwelt, and re-oriented.

Philippians 4:8–9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

So don’t race through life like the hurried CEO of your own kingdom. Live boldly in the presence of your heavenly Father, interruptible for neighbor, confident your future is already secured.