The Flesh Versus the Spirit
Thorsten Evans
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Last week we ended in Romans 8:1.
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
I hope you were able to let any condemnation go that was hanging over you. Either self imposed or external. I hope also as we interact as brother and sisters in Christ, we can also draw an appropriate line between holding each other accountable and condemning one another. The first is Biblical, the second is not.
Today we are going to continue to read in chapter 8 of Romans. The passage we are going to read is full of comparisons. Paul wants believers to see the contrast between a life lived by the Spirit and a life lived by flesh. We’ll take a verse or two a a time...
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
The comparison here is the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death.
First, I think it would be helpful to understand the meaning of the word law in this context. This is less about a specific set of rules and more about where the standard of behavior is coming from. What is it that is used to guide decision around right or wrong? Should I do this or that? The place we ask the question is what is referred to as the law in Romans 8:2.
The law of the Spirit has set us free. As verse 1 says, there is no condemnation. The law of the Spirit provides both grace and correction. The law of sin and death provides condemnation and we have been set free of this in Christ Jesus.
3 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,
This is a very tricky passage that can be easily misunderstood. Let’s take the first part:
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh..”
This is not saying that God’s law had no power or that our flesh weakened it. It is the effect of the law on our sinful behavior. Take for example current modern day laws. If a law could prevent and change behavior, then we would not have gun violence or speeding. There are laws against those behaviors, yet people are still shot and people still speed. Why is that?
The influence of any law on a person is only as effective as the person’s ability to control the desires of their own flesh.
The problem we all have is that we are not very good at controlling the desires of their flesh on our own.
Then we have:
“…God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.”
This is not saying that son was sinful. Jesus came and lived in a human body without sin.
Jesus took the form of flesh that was just like our flesh. Full of the desires of the flesh. Jesus was able to resist all sin because he is one with the Father and the Spirit.
So when Jesus came, died, rose again, ascended and send the Holy Spirit, He provided a new way. The law of the Spirit.
A commentary I read put it this way:
The law of Moses has right but not might.
The law of sin has might but not right.
The law of the Spirit has right and might
-Pillar NT Commentary
3 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,
4 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.
5 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.
Here we have our next comparison live according to the flesh or in accordance with the Spirit.
Our Christian walk should be defined by a consistent closing of the gap between what I want and what the Spirit of God wants. When we come to Christ, that gap is very wide. As we mature in our faith, as we draw closer to the Father, as we rely on the Spirit to lead, that gap shrinks. As long as we are in this body, there will always be a gap, but are you narrowing that gap?
Here is the result of this change in our mindset:
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Death...or life and peace. That is the difference between having our mind governed by our flesh and its desires versus our mind being governed by the desires of the Spirit.
As we continue reading, we get a fuller picture of a mind governed by the flesh:
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
I have spoke to people who are here. They have made the choice to allow their mind to be governed by their flesh - their feelings, the things of this world, power, money, control…you know someone like this.
Not only are they not pleasing God, their mind is hostile to God. This makes it very difficult to have any sort of conversation about the things of God...
If you find yourself dealing with someone like this, just love them and show Christ’s love to them through your actions. Let the Spirit of God move and draw them.
As followers of Christ, we want to move as far away from this mindset as we can. We want our minds to be governed by the Spirit of God. We don’t want to be hostile. We should want to please God.
Let’s read about the other side - a mind led by the Spirit:
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
Twice it is mentioned that the Spirit gives life to our bodies. Not because of our obedience of the law…not because of our own righteousness, but because of the righteousness gained by Christ in us.
We cannot gain this life if we try in the realm of the flesh. If we try in the realm of the flesh, we will lose, but if we keep the battle in the realm of the Spirit, there is where we find victory. This thought continues in verse 12:
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 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.
The word obligation is more often translated debtor - indicating that we are in debt not to our flesh, but to Christ. We are to live according to Christ and not our flesh.
Then in verse 13, we are to “by the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body.”
It is not clear in English, but in the Greek, the verb is present-active tense, meaning that this is a continual process. It is not something that is done once and over with. It is done daily or even multiple times a day.
What does it mean to “put to death”? Paul uses this phrase several times in his writings to the churches. It means literally to execute. Not just killing, but in the fullness of the context of a criminal being executed - he is hand over, killed and then burying in a place where that individual is not recognized. Many times criminals were buried in mass graves. That is what Paul is saying.
By the Spirit, put the misdeeds of your flesh to death. Bury them so there is no option to dig them up.
If we do this, we will live.
The next few verses talk about the promises of living life like this:
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
When it says led by, there is more meaning and depth to this phrase. The Greek word is used in sentences to convey a sense of being directed by. Like all movement and motion is influenced by the Spirit. The verb also means to be carried or brought. As children of God, we are led, directed and carried by the Spirit of God in all that we do, think and say.
And as children of God, we are not slaves - slaves to sin. We are not to live in fear of sin or the brokenness of this world. We are to live in freedom that is a life live in Christ Jesus.
Verse 15 ends with a benefit of being led by the Spirit…we cry to God Abba, Father. This word Abba is used just 3 times. In Mark 14, Jesus is praying and says:
36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Then in Galatians 4:6 :
6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
The word Abba is a word that only a child with a close relationship with their father would use. It is an intimate word. One that is not possible without a close relationship.